Jamie the Red by Dickson Gordon R

Jamie the Red by Dickson Gordon R

Author:Dickson, Gordon R. [Dickson, Gordon R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Sci Fi & Fantasy
ISBN: 9780441382453
Amazon: 0441382452
Goodreads: 263166
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 1984-04-01T08:00:00+00:00


Chapter Nine

“Good evening, Maria.”

“Good evening, Sir Jamie.” These days the girl smiled at him more than she had before, but it seemed to Jamie that the smile contained a hint of some sadness. Was she sad for him? Could she now have somehow gotten the idea that he was no longer under her mistress’s spell—that he still came at her call mainly out of the desire not to anger the most formidable woman in the archduchy?

Jamie shrugged his cloak off into the hands of the servant who was waiting to take it. He wondered if Maria remembered those early days when his high spirits had caused his cloak to dance about the room like some airy elemental just released from a bottle by someone like the Oxford doctor—or like Antonio…

“You are the last to arrive,” she went on. “Please come this way.” She turned and moved slowly down the hallway in the direction of the same large entertaining room Jamie had been in so many times. He found himself watching her movements, admiring the grace that made her seem to float ahead of him-with scarcely a movement to disturb the lines of her gown. Her hair was tied up on her head, held in place with bright blue ribbons that matched her dress. Her neck was slim and pale, and he found himself watching it as he moved behind her.

Better not let Irene get an idea of your thoughts, he told himself, and instead directed his attention to the gown Maria wore, which, although becoming, was not made of silk, as most of Irene’s were. For the first time Jamie wondered just exactly what the girl’s status in this household might be.

They came through the door into the great room, and once again Jamie was greeted by voices calling his name familiarly from all sides. He fell easily into his pose of easy good humor, and turned away from Maria as he tried to return each salutation. When he turned back her way she was gone from his view.

This night about forty people seemed to be on hand, and already Master Antonio was appearing at the head of the room. Jamie made a mental note to himself not to allow himself to be so late at such events in future—it attracted unnecessary attention.

As Antonio opened his act by causing another of the unfortunate guardsmen to act like a goat, Jamie spotted Sir Giles across the room; and he wandered over that way, hoping to engage the other in a conversation that could take his mind from this court life. But when Giles looked up on his approach, Jamie could see that familiar glaze of drink overlaying his gaze; and his heart sank a little.

“Good evening, Sir Giles,” Jamie warily opened the conversation. It was too late to back off without any greeting at all, he felt—but something told him Giles was trouble this night.

Giles did not smile in return, and indeed seemed to be having a bit of trouble focusing



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