Adrian rose to his feet when Granny Seaton entered the sitting room of Iolanthe’s quarter, as he would for any lady of court. “How is she?”
“As you said, the marks will fade. She’s had a scare—in a strange new City, that she didn’t want to come to in the first place—and that may take longer to get over. I’ve given her something to put her to sleep.”
“Did she say she didn’t want to come here?”
“Don’t interrupt me, youngster. You may be the Diamond Protector, but I knew you when you were a lot younger, and a hell of a lot less confident.” She dug around in one of her large pockets, pulled out an enormous white handkerchief, and blew her nose enthusiastically. “Let’s sit down.”
Adrian sat. Granny Seaton let herself down onto the sofa cushion beside him, sighing as she did so. “Ah, that’s better. You could offer an old woman a glass of spirits, boy.”
“You know that I asked before you went in to—”
“I’m an old friend of the family, not to mention the representative of the Past Days Goddess—”
“Please don’t say that where my counselors might hear you.”
“What, are they hiding in the walls? Nervous youngster, aren’t you? The Mercatis always were a skittish lot. Thoroughbred nerves, my old aunt used to call it.”
“Could we talk about Iolanthe?”
“Yes, that we must. As her promised husband, this is a problem for you.”
“What? What does my being her promised husband have to do with anything?”
“I took the opportunity, my darling boy, to give her a thorough examination. And it’s fortunate I did. For one thing, I don’t think she has any idea of her woman’s parts.”
“Wait, wait. Are you talking about the sort of examination where—”
“I am. I did. The child tried to tell me they used dolls for that sort of thing at home—can you believe it? They point to the part of the doll’s body where the problem is, and have the physician diagnose from that. Of course, I put that nonsense out of her head at once.”
“Of course,” said Adrian, with a slightly cornered look. “And now I must be specific. I was searching, of course, for those things relating to marriage and childbearing—”
“Granny, wait. Are you about to tell me about her private, that is, her personal—”
“Of course I am, youngster! Who else would I tell about it?”
Adrian stood up. “One moment, please.” He walked to the door of the small chamber that lay off the drawing room, and called, “Prudence! Would you come in here?” Prudence Favvi entered, wearing a light blue house gown, followed by Brandon Fischer. She smiled at the witch. “Hello, Granny.”
“Hello, sweet girl. My compliments, Chief Adviser.” The second greeting was coldly formal; all of them knew Fischer did not approve of Adrian’s more eccentric contacts.
“My lady,” said Fischer stiffly, bowing.
“Granny has something to tell you,” Adrian declared, as though announcing a public proclamation.
“To tell me?” Prudence was startled. “Is Iolanthe all right?”
“She’s fine. Why don’t you two go back in the other room, you can discourse in more comfort.”
Granny eyed him narrowly. “You’ll have to discourse yourself, sooner or later, my boy.”
“And Brandon will keep me company while you two speak,” Adrian said firmly.
Fischer seated himself on the sofa, looking confused but interested. Prudence shrugged and began moving toward the other room. Granny Seaton joined her. As the door closed, Adrian and Fischer heard her say, “Pay him no mind, my dear, his whole family was like that. I could tell you stories—”
The door shut. Fischer turned to Adrian. “I wish you wouldn’t bring the old lady onto court territory at your whim. We’re not as secure in public opinion as you seem to think.”
“Really, Brandon, I don’t know what you do in your spare time. Granny provides services for half the aristo wives from Jade Court to Tourmaline. True, most of them go to see her, but she’s been known to pay house calls before. She went to see Jane last month.”
“She did? Are we talking about my Jane?”
“She didn’t mention it?”
Fischer, looking distracted, did not reply. Adrian went on, “In any case, I wasn’t going to have one of those damned doctors poking her. You come from their hands in worse shape than you went to them, and then they shrug and say suffering is God’s will. The girl’s been through enough.”
Fischer’s gaze was still distant. “Brandon?”
The Chief Adviser pulled his attention back. “Yes.”
“Have you given thought to the investigation?”
“Naturally. But you need to tell me who you want to run it.”
“There isn’t much choice, is there?”
“Well, obviously not the Ecclesiastical Police. It falls outside their jurisdiction. But do you prefer the City Guard, or Special Security?”
Adrian grimaced. “If we give it to the citycops, it’ll be all over the Diamond tomorrow, and maybe not in a version we’d like. Which leaves—”
“Special Security.”
“Who will spend eight or ten months investigating until someone on staff pulls it together long enough to frame some other poor idiot. God, I’ll be glad when Famham finally dies and frees up the Security Chief posting. The admins are on holiday over there. They answer to nobody but themselves.”
“Don’t say that to Lord Muir. He’ll have Harry on your doorstep in seconds.”
Adrian smiled. Fischer hesitated, then said, “There’s another matter I should bring up, while I have the chance.”
“Oh?”
“You have a jammer on in here, don’t you?”
“Brandon, would I bring in a witch without having a jammer on?”
Fischer looked troubled. Adrian said, “Well, what?”
“Hartley Quince.”
“The Opal representative? Has he been making a pest of himself? There’s not much I can do about these people, Brandon, they have the freedom of the City.” .
“Not a pest, exactly.” Fischer paused again, maddeningly. “In fact, in some circles he’s gotten quite popular. It’s more …”
“Spit it out.”
“Gossip, Adrian.”
Adrian laughed. “Is that all? Tell me, then. Who’s been sleeping with whom?”
“It’s more … who slept with whom, in the past… “Brandon, my dear friend and counselor.
