Orchid

The only difference was that today there was an air of tension about her that did not suit the look of wealthy sophistication.

Orchid watched, amused as Briana glanced around the small living room with ill-concealed curiosity. She took in the sight of the genuine yellow velvet covered Later Expansion period sofa and the assorted reproduction pieces in the same style. An air of faint disdain lit the cool blue eyes.

'We probably don't use the same interior designer,' Orchid said.

'No,' Briana sat down gingerly on the edge of the flamboyantly curved, high-backed sofa. She did not allow herself to sink into its depths. 'I doubt that we do.'

'Coff-tea?'

'No, thank you. I won't be staying long. I shall come straight to the point, Miss Adams. My husband made you an offer a few days ago. I wish to know if you intend to accept it.'

Orchid saw the anxiety in Briana's eyes. She found herself wanting to let the other woman down gently. But she could not think of any graceful way to refuse a bribe.

'No. I can't accept it.'

'I see.' Fine lines appeared at the corners of Briana's beautifully made-up mouth. 'Perhaps Selby did not make the offer high enough.'

'Actually, he left it pretty open-ended. Told me I could just about name my own price. But there is no price, Mrs. Culverthorpe.'

Briana gave her a level look. 'I trust you do realize that when this is all over, he won't marry you.'

'Who? Stonebraker?'

'He registered at a marriage agency a few weeks ago because he needed a creditable fiancee to parade in front of his grandfather and the Stonebraker board of directors. Given his, shall we say, unusual nature, there couldn't have been a lot of choice when it came to a match. I suspect he grabbed the first one he was offered.'

'Me?'

'Yes. I also suspect that, even if it's a genuine match, it's a very low-probability one. Take some advice, Miss Adams. If you're going along with it because you think it's worth the risk in order to marry into Stonebraker Shipping, don't be fooled.'

'Fooled?'

'Don't make the mistake of believing that Rafe will actually go through with the marriage just because it's an agency-arranged match.'

'I already got this lecture from your husband.'

'My husband was right. Rafe is not interested in marriage at this point.' Briana stood up abruptly and walked to the window. 'All he cares about is seizing control of Stonebraker. He will do anything to achieve his goal. It's his nature. But when he has what he wants, he will no longer need you.'

'Mrs. Culverthorpe—'

'Eventually, of course, he will marry. But when he does choose a wife, he will do it the same way he does everything else, with an eye toward how well she suits his purposes.'

'You don't think I'll suit his purposes?'

'No, I do not. Even if the marriage agency that put the two of you together is convinced that you were a reasonably good match in syn-psych terms, I doubt that they understand the rest of it.'

'What do you mean?'

'The agency probably didn't take into account the fact that people who come from a certain social strata frequently marry for reasons other than compatibility and mutual affection. They choose spouses for more pragmatic reasons.'

'Was your marriage based on those kinds of reasons?'

Briana shot her a glare that could have frozen lava. 'As it happens, mine was an agency match. But the counselors were careful to ensure that social factors were considered along with the syn-psych aspects of the match.'

'I see.'

Briana turned back to the view of the street. 'I will be blunt. I understand the people in the Stonebraker world infinitely better than you ever will. I can promise you that you will never fit into that world.'

'I'm pretty adaptable.'

Briana's spine stiffened. She did not turn around. 'Let's be honest here. A woman like you is not likely to fit into the environment in which Rafe Stonebraker will move if he succeeds in getting control of Stonebraker Shipping.'

Orchid felt a ripple of tension go through her. 'What do you know about my background?'

'My husband did some checking,' Briana said. 'You were raised in Northville. I think that says it all.'

'Contrary to popular opinion, Northville has a great deal more in common with the real world than most people seem to believe.'

'I'm not disputing the importance of the North Institute or the people who staff it. But everyone knows it's an ivory tower filled with meta-zen-syn types. Anyone who grew up there would have little to offer Rafe Stonebraker.'

'What do you think Rafe will look for when he chooses a wife?'

Briana shrugged. 'Someone who can bring him good business and social connections. A woman who will know how to entertain his friends and associates. A wife who moves in the right circles.'

'I was never very big on going around in circles.'

'Damn you.' Briana swung around. 'Don't you understand? He's using you.'

'I beg your pardon, Mrs. Culverthorpe. I've known some real users, and Rafe is not one of them. I will admit he's single-minded and goal oriented, but he's not a user.'

Briana's eyes widened. 'You think this is some kind of game, don't you? Are you doing this because it amuses you?'

'No.'

'Good. Because I assure you, this is no game. There is a great deal at stake here.'

'I'm well aware of that, Mrs. Culverthorpe.'

Briana's eyes narrowed. 'I was afraid of this.'

'Afraid of what?'

'You're sexually attracted to him, aren't you?'

Orchid said nothing.

'You're having an affair with him. That's obvious. Perhaps you've even convinced yourself that he's in love with you.'

Orchid did not respond.

Briana smiled grimly. 'I told Selby that if you had been so foolish as to fall in love with Rafe, the bribe would not work. But he was certain you weren't that stupid. He seems to think that, because you're a full-spectrum prism, you're too smart to miscalculate the risks of getting involved with a strat-talent.'

'My relationship to Rafe Stonebraker is a very personal matter, Mrs. Culverthorpe. I'm sure you can understand that I don't wish to discuss it.'

'You do know that he's a strat-talent, don't you?' Briana frowned. 'He didn't find a way to conceal that from you by any chance?'

'I know he's a strat-talent.'

'Yes, of course. The matchmaking agency would have told you that much. They would have been grossly negligent in their responsibilities if they'd kept the fact from you.'

'Uh huh.'

'Having been raised in Northville, you may not be fully aware of all the, shall we say, implications.'

'I think I've got a pretty good handle on the subject.'

Briana did not appear to hear her. 'They call them hunters, you know. Throwbacks to an earlier evolutionary time. They're quite rare in the population.'

'I'm aware of the misconceptions that surround them.'

'Their talent is considered primitive. Potentially dangerous. Most of them become criminals.'