ggk.asongforarbonne-第55节

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t　herself。　Perhaps　she　depended　on　Roban　too　much；　perhaps　he　felt　she　was　weak　and　needed　him　to　be　stronger　now。　She　didn't　really　know；　it　wasn't　something　she'd　thought　about　very　much。　He　was　there；　he　had　always　been　there；　and　she　knew　he　could　be　trusted；　that　something　assigned　to　him　would　be　petently　done　if　it　was　at　all　possible。　He　looked　a　little　flushed　today　and　there　were　circles　under　his　eyes。　It　crossed　her　mind　to　wonder；　as　she　watched　him　make　his　habitual　little　smoothing　gesture　down　the　front　of　his　immaculate　doublet；　if　Roban　was　overburdened…the　usual　fate　of　petent　men。
　　She　didn't；　in　fact；　feel　especially　strong　herself　at　the　moment；　but　that　wasn't　for　anyone　to　see　or　guess；　even　Roban；　even　Valery。　〃Send　for　Borsiard　d'Andoria　in　Lussan；〃　she　told　the　chancellor。　〃I　will　give　him　an　audience　here。　I　will　not　ban　him　by　fiat　or　decree。　He　will　hear　it　from　me　in　this　castle。〃
　　
　　Which　is　what　had　happened　later　that　same　afternoon。　Borsiard　had　stormed　into　her　audience　chamber；　raging　in　the　most　unpleasant　manner；　demanding　Bertran　de　Talair's　censure　and　death　in　redress　for　the　slaughter　of　three　noblemen　of　Andoria。　He　had　actually　had　a　belief　that　she　might　agree；　Signe　saw。　He　was　seeing　her　as　a　woman；　a　woman　who　could　be　frightened　by　his　rage；　moved　to　do　what　he　wanted　her　to　do。
　　That　realization　was　what　had　given　her　access　to　the　cold　anger　she　needed　to　quell　the　Portezzan。　And　he　had　been　quelled。　She　had　dealt　with　better　men　than　he　in　the　past。　As　soon　as　she'd　begun　to　speak；　slowly；　letting　her　measured　words　fall　like　stones　into　the　stillness　of　the　room；　Borsiard's　bravado　had　seemed　to　leech　away　from　him。
　　〃Take　your　people　and　your　goods　and　go；〃　she　had　said；　speaking　from　the　ancient　throne　of　the　counts　of　Arbonne。　〃You　will　not　be　allowed　trade　or　profit　at　a　fair　whose　laws　you　have　so　vilely　broken。　The　men　who　were　killed　were　properly　executed　by　the　duke　of　Talair；　who　is　our　agent　in　this；　as　are　all　the　nobility　of　Arbonne。　Whatever　your　quarrel　with　Blaise　de　Garsenc　of　Gorhaut…a　quarrel　in　which　we　have　no　interest　whatever…the　roads　leading　to　the　Lussan　Fair　were　not　the　place　to　pursue　it。　In　that；　we　have　a　great　interest　indeed。　You　will　not　be　troubled　as　you　leave　Arbonne。　Indeed；　we　will　assign　a　pany　of　our　men　to　escort　you　safely　to　the　Portezzan　border　。。。　unless　there　is　somewhere　else　you　might　wish　to　go？〃
　　Guibor　had　taught　her　that；　raise　the　issue　yourself；　take　the　initiative　from　the　other　person。　And　as　if　on　cue；　Borsiard　d'Andoria's　dark；　handsome　face　had　twisted　with　a　spasm　of　malice。　〃Indeed　there　is；〃　he　had　said。　〃There　are　matters　I　should　like　to　pursue　in　Gorhaut。　I　will　travel　north　from　here。〃
　　〃We　have　no　doubt　you　will　be　wele　at　the　court　of　King　Ademar；〃　Signe　had　said　calmly。　This　was　not　a　man　to　unsettle　her；　however　much　he　might　be　worth；　whatever　Roban　might　fear。　He　was　far　too　predictable。　She　wondered　how　long　his　marriage　would　last。　She　allowed　herself　to　smile；　she　knew　how　to　make　her　smile　a　weapon　if　need　be。　〃We　only　hope　your　lady　wife　does　not　find　it　cold　in　Cortil　and　dull　there　as　winter　es　to　the　north；〃　she　murmured。　〃If　she　prefers　to　go　home　we　will　be　happy　to　offer　her　an　escort。　Indeed…〃　a　thought　born　of　the　moment　〃…we　will　be　most　pleased　to　have　her　stay　on　at　our　court　should　you　wish　to　go　north　without　her。　We　imagine　we　could　find　ways　to　keep　her　amused。　It　would　be　unjust　to　deny　a　lady　the　pleasures　of　a　fair　because　of　her　husband's　transgressions。　We　do　not　behave　that　way　in　Arbonne。〃
　　
　　She　wondered；　lying　in　bed　that　same　night；　if　she　might　have　cause　to　regret　the　loss　of　temper　that　had　led　to　that　last　invitation。　It　could　prove　awkward　in　many　ways　to　have　Lucianna　Delonghi…it　was　almost　impossible　to　think　of　her　by　any　other　name；　despite　her　marriages…in　Barbentain　and　Lussan　this　month。　On　the　other　hand；　had　the　woman　wanted　to　stay　for　the　fair；　she　could　simply　have　joined　her　father's　contingent　in　any　case。　The　invitation　lent　a　sanction　of　control　to　what　could　hardly　have　been　prevented。　Signe　hoped　it　might　be　seen　that　way；　at　any　rate。　She　was　also；　privately；　somewhat　curious　to　meet　the　woman　again。　The　last　time　Lucianna　Delonghi　had　been　in　Barbentain　was　six　or　seven　years　ago；　before　the　first　of　her　marriages。　Her　father　had　presented　her　to　the　count　and　countess。　She'd　been　clever；　as　all　her　family　were；　beautiful　already；　watchful；　very　young。　A　great　deal　had　evidently　happened　to　her　in　the　intervening　years。
　　It　might　be　interesting　to　see　exactly　what。　Later；　though；　Signe　thought。　She　didn't　want　to　see　anyone　at　the　moment。　She　had　retired　early；　leaving　to　Roban　and　the　Keepers　of　the　Fair　the　task　of　carrying　out　her　orders　regarding　the　Andoria。　She　doubted　there　would　be　difficulties；　Borsiard　had　few　corans　with　him　this　far　from　home；　and　was　unlikely　to　embarrass　himself　by　forcing　a　public　removal　from　Lussan。　He　was；　however；　quite　likely　to　go　north　to　Gorhaut…as　Roban　had　gloomily　predicted。　The　chancellor　was　usually　right　about　such　things。　What　Borsiard　would　do　there　was　harder　to　guess。　But　the　implications　could　not　be　lost　on　anyone：　Andoria　was　one　less　source　of　funding　for　Arbonne；　one　less　ally　if　war　did　e；　and　possibly　one　more　contingent　of　arms　in　the　field　if　Gorhaut　asked　for　them。
　　Signe　sighed　in　the　darkness　of　her　room。　She　knew　Bertran　had　acted　properly　in　what　he'd　done；　that　he'd　made　it　easier　for　her　by　taking　the　burden　upon　himself。　She　only　wished　。。。　she　only　wished　he　didn't　seem　to　always　find　himself　in　situations　where　doing　the　proper　thing　meant　so　much　trouble　for　all　of　them。
　　At　the　moment　all　she　wanted　to　do　was　rest。　There　was　sometimes　a　curious　easing　of　care　for　her　in　the　nighttime；　in　the　embrace　of　sleep。　It　didn't　always　e　to　her　easily；　but　when　it　did　her　dreams　were　almost　always　benign；　forting。　She　would　be　walking　in　the　castle　gardens；　or　with　Guibor；　young　again；　in　that　meadow　she　had　loved　beneath　the　Ancients'　aqueduct　near　Carenzu；　and　sometimes　the　four　children　would　be　with　them：　clever　Beatritz　with　her　shining　hair；　the　boys…Guibor　eager　and　adventuresome；　Piers　watchful；　a　little　apart…and　then　Aelis　trailing　behind　them　through　the　green；　green　grass。　Aelis；　in　her　mother's　dreams；　always　seemed　older　than　the　others；　though　she　was　the　youngest　child。　She　would　appear　in　the　dreams　as　she　had　looked；　ing　into　the　flourish　of　her　own　late；　fierce　beauty；　in　the　year　before　she　died。
　　Signe　reached　towards　sleep　that　night　as　a　woman　reaching　for　the　last　gentle　lover　of　her　days。　The　anxieties　of　day　would　still　be　waiting　in　the　morning；　with　newer　concerns　appearing　to　join　them；　new　dangers　from　the　north　。。。　tonight　she　sought　her　dreams。　She　was　not　allowed　to　have　them。　The　knocking　at　the　outer　door　of　her　suite　of　rooms　was　so　soft　she　would　not　have　even　heard　it　had　she　actually　been　asleep。　One　of　the　girls　in　the　antechamber　would　have；　though。　Already　Brisseau；　the　older　of　the　two；　hovered；　anxious　and　wraithlike　in　her　white　night…robe；　at　the　entrance　to　Signe's　chamber。
　　〃See　who　it　is；〃　the　countess　said；　though　there　was　only　one　person　it　could　be　at　this　hour。
　　Roban　waited　in　the　outer　room　while　she　donned　her　own　robe。　She　went　out　to　him；　she　disliked　receiving　men　or　conducting　affairs　of　state　in　her　bedchamber。　He　was　still　in　the　doublet　he'd　worn　earlier　in　the　day。　Signe　understood；　with　something　of　a　shock；　that　he　had　not　yet　even　gone　to　bed。　It　was　very　late；　and　the　chancellor　did　not　look　well。　His　face　was　haggard　and　in　the　light　of　the　candles　the　girls　were　hastily　lighting　his　eyes　were　deep…sunken。　He　looked　older　than　his　years；　she　thought　suddenly：　they　had　worn　him　down　in　their　service；　she　and　Guibor。　She　wondered　if　he　felt　the　labours　had　been　worth　the　price。　She　wondered；　for　the　first　time；　what　he　actually　thought　of　the　two　of　them。　Or　of　her；　more　properly。　Guibor　was　dead；　one　thought　nothing　but　good　of　the　dead。　She　realized　she　didn't　really　know　what　her　chancellor's　opinion　of　her　might　be。　Frivolous；　she　decided；　he'd　probably　concluded　she　was　frivolous　and　impetuous　and　needed　a　steady；　guiding　hand。　That　might　answer　her　question　of　earlier　in　the　day　about　why　he　had　pushed　his　views　so　urgently　of　late。
　　He　really　didn't　look　well；　though。
　　〃Sit；〃　she　said。　〃Before　you　begin；　sit　down。　Brisseau；　a　flask　of　cider　for　the　chancellor。〃
　　She　thought　Roban　would　refuse　the　chair　but　he　did　not；　that　only　served　to　increase　her　own　disquiet。　Forcing　herself　to　be　patient　she　waited；　sitting　opposite　him；　until　the　cider　had　been　brought　and　placed　on　the　table。　She　waited　again　until　he　drank。
　　〃Tell　me；〃　she　said；　finally。
　　〃My　lady；　a　message　came　to　me　from　Rian's　temple　in　the　town　earlier　tonight；〃　he　said；　his　voice　curiously　faint。　〃It　purported　to　be　from　someone　who　could　not　possibly　have　been　in　Lussan；　requesting　audience　and　。。。　and　sanctuary　with　you。〃
　　〃Yes？〃
　　〃Yes；　so　I　went　down　into　town　myself　to　see　if　it　might　possibly　be　a　true　message。　I　am　afraid　it　is；　my　lady。　I　fear　that　we　have　the　gravest