Danilo kept his gaze ahead, his expression guarded, and said nothing..
“At least he looks well enough. I feared—” Dan broke off as they came into the ballroom itself. The guests parted to allow Rinaldo and his new bride to enter. “If you can, let Regis know the genetic tests confirmed Rinaldo as a Hastur, so we’ve had to accept his credentials. I won’t be able to ignore him if he starts pressing for Federation membership.”
In the ballroom, the musicians had tuned up and were waiting for the newly married couple to begin the night’s dancing. Rinaldo had given strict instructions as to which dances and songs were acceptable. There would be no wild mountain secainnor any modern, licentious off-world gyrations and especially no Sword Dance. Danilo remembered how Dyan Ardais, in a brilliantly barbaric costume from the Ages of Chaos, had brought a fierce masculine grace and barely sublimated sexuality to the ancient steps. No, this evening would be one of sedate formal dances, preferably ones in which men and women danced only with one another and touched no more than their fingertips.
Rinaldo had clearly been taking lessons, for he squired his new wife through the measures of the opening dance, a promenada,without hesitation. Bettany, now the center of attention, smiled up at her husband with the first expression of happiness Danilo had yet seen in her.
The dance concluded to restrained applause. Rinaldo was so pleased with himself that he bade Danilo to dance with any lady he liked. There were not many women with whom Danilo was on cordial terms. Javanne seemed pleased, if startled, when he asked her, and it was not improper because they had been introduced so long ago. Javanne made a restful partner, for she made no attempt at conversation. Danilo enjoyed dancing and wished it were permissible for him to dance with her more than once, but he could not pay special attention to another man’s wife.
Bettany had been partnered by Valdir, who escorted her back to her new husband. Rinaldo was talking with the cristoforopriest with such absorption that he gave his wife only a cursory nod. Danilo felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. How could Rinaldo fail to see that she craved attention as a drowning man craved air? Moved, Danilo bowed to each of them in turn, including the priest, and then asked if he might request the next dance.
Bettany’s fingers felt cold as they rested lightly on Danilo’s. The musicians played the opening measures of the next dance, a passolentoin two lines. Danilo handed Bettany into the position of honor among the other ladies and took his place opposite her. The two lines bowed to one another, moving through the stylized courtly display. Bettany brightened as the two of them swept down the center with all eyes upon her. There was an artless enjoyment in the way she skipped through the close-steps. Her eyes sparkled, and her lips parted. The melody was very old and familiar, and she hummed along like any young woman at her first fancy ball. In that moment of simple pleasure, Danilo saw the girl she had been before the Ghost Wind and might yet be again, given care and understanding, gentle guidance, and, most of all, affection. CouldRinaldo love her?
The passolentoclosed with another formal salute. Danilo offered Bettany his arm. “It’s good to see you happy, damisela—p ardon me, Domna.”
“Happy? Am I happy?” She hesitated, and he slowed his step to give them more time before he must return her to Rinaldo. “I do so love dancing and pretty dresses, but these are things of the moment. At night, in the dark, I am alone with my thoughts. I suppose that will be different now—the being alone. Perhaps hewill talk to me.”
Danilo’s heart ached for her poignant hope. “Bettany— Domna—if you ever need someone to listen to you, to give you counsel—”
She looked up at him, eyes full of questions. “ Youwould be such a friend to me?”
“I doubt your husband would permit it. I meant you might seek out DomnaLinnea. As your sister-in-law and a Comynara in her own right, such a friendship would be perfectly suitable. You will find her kind and sympathetic. She has been trained as a healer of the mind—”
He saw from Bettany’s reaction that he had gone too far. Her face, which had softened like a flower in the sun, closed. “I do not need anyone to be kindto me. And there is nothing wrong with my mind! I require you to take me to my husband with no more unseemly delay!”
Afterward, Danilo waited out several dances and then, seeing Linnea sitting with a group of ladies, he approached her. Linnea flashed him an expression of relief when he asked her to dance, for what he heard of the conversation concerned this season’s fashion in crocheted- lace ruffles.
“I have a message for you,” he said as the musicians played the opening bars. “From Darilyn n’ha Miriam.”
“Who—oh, the Free Amazon. I remember her. How did you—” Linnea broke off as the pattern of the dance drew them apart, for they were the first couple, casting off.
“I hired her to escort Damisela—a h, DomnaBettany—from Serrais.”
Linnea joined his hands as they circled one another.
“You could not have done better. How does Darilyn fare?”
“She is well and sends her thoughts of you. And her thanks—” they drew back as the second couple moved into the center of the set to circle, “—for your kindness to her.”
“Kindness—” Linnea broke off, frustrated. Danilo, we cannot talk about anything of importance this way!
With a conspiratorial wink, Linnea passed one hand over her forehead and grasped her rounded belly with the other. She let out a very realistic groan. Danilo, needing no further cue, assisted her to the chairs along one wall, choosing a corner where a pair of old dowagers were snoozing. He waved away offers of help, saying the lady was but a trifle overtired.
Linnea said in a hushed voice, “Regis was so worried—Rinaldo did not tell him that he’d sent you off to Serrais—”
“I didn’t think—I’ve been such a fool!”
“You? No! Regis thought Rinaldo had reneged on his bargain.”
“Bargain?”
“You didn’t know?” Linnea’s expression turned troubled. “Valdir threatened to have you tortured or killed! Rinaldo managed to get you out of his clutches, but only if—if—”
“Regis set me aside. Got married like a proper Comyn lord.” Although he knew it was unfair, Danilo could not keep himself from adding, “So what Danvan Hastur and half the Comyn Council could not force Regis to do, Rinaldo has now done.”
Listen to me!Linnea shifted to direct mental speech, where no lies or dissembling were possible. When I sent Regis away last spring , I was hurt and angry. And jealous—o fyou . I almost threw away something so precious, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. Don’t make my mistake! What the two of you share, I can never be part of . . . and I swear to you, I will never try to come between you.
Danilo had been bending over Linnea, their heads close together. Now he lowered himself into the chair beside her. Bracing his elbows on his knees, he buried his face in his hands. He did not care who saw him. He had hoped for a word with Regis, a sign, a thought. He had not expected such a revelation, certainly not from Linnea. It was too much, all of it, the whole colossal misunderstanding, the savagery of Valdir’s ambition, and Rinaldo—who knew what his aims really were or what he might do to achieve them?