Page 5 of Centerpiece (Infinite Grace #2)

“Should I apologize again?”

Agreeable hesitated, then shook his head. “Is it truly different elsewhere?” That was a less upsetting topic, though only slightly.

“Depends on the nobles and the region. The King doesn’t want anyone else to be too powerful and demands visits from his Dukes a few times a year.

But mostly he leaves each Duke to rule their regions as they see fit.

Some closely follow the Church, some leave it to itself but pay it little mind.

Most would not care about some peasants with no homes—but some would.

And some would be greatly bothered by a Count with plentiful wealth that has not been shared with his people—or with the Duke and the King as it should be. ”

“That makes more sense, then.” Agreeable felt a bit of his tension leave him.

“Nobles mad at other nobles over money. That seems like something they’d do.

With us as an afterthought.” He stopped, guilty, then remembered it was Holburn, who twitched his lips into a familiar half smile.

“What do you think of the Church? Begging your pardon if you’re one for deep faith. I clearly am not.”

“Why would you be, when all you know of faith is what has been taught to you by greedy priests?” Holburn said another startling thing, then shrugged.

“I am not privy to inner workings of the Church itself. It helps some, and when they share their resources as they ought, the Church is a good thing. But I also think most people are fine and moral when left to their own devices. God and the heavens are the sphere of priests and their mages. I am far more interested in the tangible—touchable—world around me.”

“Touchable is a good word.” Agreeable considered it. “And tangible as well.” Another new word. He repeated it in his mind so he wouldn’t forget it.

Holburn twitched another smile. “You learn well, no matter what you might think of yourself. You should go to a lord’s house and ask for work. They can train you. You might need a different name, however.”

Agreeable crossed his arms and felt his foot twitch in a kick. “You’re saying I should leave this place.”

“If they won’t help you or take you seriously here. But I only say it’s something you might do, if you like.”

“You say things like that and...” Agreeable stopped himself and wrinkled his nose.

That made Holburn smile for some unknown reason.

“There are roads,” Agreeable said instead.

“I’ve wondered about them. I suppose I just dreamed that everywhere was the same.

But it must not be, because you came from somewhere, and you’re not like anyone here. ”

Holburn’s eyebrows flew up but he sat very still. Eventually, he put one hand to the side of his face. “I think you made me blush,” he murmured as if amazed. “Good girl.”

Agreeable’s foot kicked out again, his limbs suddenly full of jitters and the scarf prickling around his neck as if he was too hot.

He looked away. “I’m not so good.” His voice sounded strange, soft and hazy. “I like being had, remember?”

He looked back when there was silence.

“That is not a sin, no matter what they might tell you,” Holburn said when their eyes met.

“And even if it were, they are supposed to offer you love and forgiveness. Anyway,” he continued while Agreeable’s throat locked and his eyes stung, “that is only one way. The older ways still live on where I am from. And those in the capital do as they please. As long as you strive to be a kind person, then rest shouldn’t matter.

That’s what my grandfather always said.”

“I think I will say it now too, if you don’t mind.” Agreeable wiped at his cheeks, which were thankfully dry, then fiddled with his skirt. “You’re not a usual sort of person.”

“I’ve been told that,” Holburn answered dryly. “Very appealing to some, less so to others. To most, if I’m honest.”

Agreeable thought Holburn was very appealing, even if Holburn hadn’t struck him as handsome in the first moments of seeing him.

“Did you have anything else you wanted to ask me? About anything at all?” he wondered, reluctant to move and not only because of what he might face downstairs.

“I can tell you about fishing. Or mending. Or how to dry herbs. Don’t imagine you have much use for that sort of knowledge.

Everyone here already knows those things, of course. But I’ve not much else to offer.”

Holburn put his elbows on the arms of the chair and steepled his fingers. He looked a little silly that way but also half a step away from prayer. Agreeable realized the posture meant Holburn was thinking, so didn’t comment, waiting for him to speak.

“May I ask you a very personal question, Agreeable?”

Agreeable nodded without worry. “I’ve no secrets.”

He remembered he had a fairly large secret only after he’d said it.

Holburn met his eyes again. “Do you have anyone... I mean, do you have anyone different from the others? Someone special?”

“Like a sweetheart?” Agreeable shook his head. “No one would, knowing about everyone else.”

“Hmm.” Holburn hummed again. “I assure you that some would. Some are even rather fond of such people, and such arrangements. You might even find those people someday.”

“If I leave here.” Agreeable understood. “People who don’t mind, ah,” he tried to think of nicer words but had none, “what a keyhole I am? Who might even be fond of that?”

“If that’s what you’d like. Or if you wanted some other sort of arrangement... I assure you the world holds all sorts of people.”

“More people like you?” Agreeable wondered, almost shy.

Holburn threw his head back to laugh as if delighted. “Don’t think I’m perfect simply because I was nice to you.”

“Are you not nice, sometimes?” Agreeable didn’t mean to smile back at him, or to make his tone warmer, but he thought anyone would have done the same in his place.

“I can be a cold bastard.” Holburn smiled again.

“And I can be a devil, or so Aliette has said when in a temper. But to most I am not anything. A stranger at best. Perhaps a thoughtful employer, or someone who as a child once nearly got stuck up a chimney—I was trying to escape the nursery—and sent the whole household into a panic, and they’ve never let me forget it. ”

Agreeable imagined Holburn with soot and ash all over his face and his fine clothes and laughed himself silly.

To gentle that, when his laughter had faded, he offered a small story.

“A friend and I made our own cider once, when we weren’t more than thirteen years.

Fell asleep in the fields and were sick for days. People still jest about it.”

“Ah, to be young again.” Holburn sighed as though he was ancient. But then, he was taking on his grandfather’s house and his work. That would put a weight on anyone’s bones.

“They like you in your household, at least.” Agreeable was certain of that. “You’ll be among friends.”

“You are a sweet creature. If I were in the capital, I’d have to suspect you of trying to trick me or flatter me falsely, but we are here, and you are Agreeable, the honest thief.” Holburn continued to show delight.

Agreeable glanced down—a demure lass in spirit—and then up again. “Don’t need to lie to steal.”

He liked earning smiles but he enjoyed earning laughter more. “You’re right. I apologize. You are Agreeable, honest and true.”

“I’m not entirely honest,” Agreeable had to admit.

“And I can be a cold bastard,” Holburn returned.

Agreeable shrugged. “I don’t think I mind.”

That was maybe a little too warmly said, but Agreeable wasn’t much good at hiding things.

Here he was, halfway to offering himself for a tumble—again—and only barely remembering that he was supposed to be a woman in time to stop himself.

Anyway, whether or not Holburn wanted a woman, he didn’t want Agreeable.

He accepted how Agreeable was, but that didn’t mean he wanted him.

Her , Agreeable corrected himself, then paused. Him , even if the way Holburn called him a good girl had made his cock plump.

He looked away and cleared his throat. “Do you think it’s clear out there? Or that maybe enough people are downstairs that they won’t notice me?”

“No. But there is another small staircase at the end of the hall leading to the privies. If you turn, there is a path that leads outside if you need another exit.”

“You are too helpful.” Agreeable huffed and fiddled with his skirt again, thinking that he ought to have stolen an apron as well, and then that fiddling with his apron when flustered was something his ma used to do when his da would call her lovely or bring her a posy of flowers.

“If they catch me, I won’t mention you.”

“If they catch you, I will hear about it.” Holburn’s smile left him at last. “Are you going to go, then?”

“Well, I’ll try.” Agreeable chewed his lip, then got to his feet. “Thank you again for the food. And the rescue, sir.”

“Why did you stay in town?” Holburn wondered, rising to his feet as well. “Why not just run away?”

“They were after me, and I figured I’d go through town and take the long way back to the woods. Only everyone kept noticing me.”

“Yes,” Holburn agreed, “you draw the eye.”

Agreeable could feel himself blushing like a maiden and didn’t know what to do with himself. He ducked his head and wobbled toward the door on trembling legs.

“See, now I don’t know what to make of that,” he confessed with his gaze safely on the door. “But I should stop troubling you. You travelled, didn’t you? You must be tired. And I took half your food.”

“I ordered more than I needed.” Holburn was close at his back. His tone was amused, but when Agreeable reached the door and finally turned around, there wasn’t even a hint of a smile at his mouth. “Be careful. I’d hate to hear that something had happened to you.”

It was the kind of thing that Agreeable would have liked to have heard from one of the lads. He nodded. His voice was tight. “You’ll do well at your home. I know you will. You’re a respectful person.”