Page 37 of Harmonic Pleasure (Mysterious Arts #6)

“ I ’m sorry I’m so late.” Vega was speaking as soon as Farran opened the door.

“I overslept.” She’d written a note in the journal forty minutes ago as soon as she’d woken up.

It was now close to two, which meant they likely wouldn’t get out to do any exploring this evening; they still had to figure out what they were doing.

That was the point of today. On the other hand, Vivian had only got information about a connection to Farran that morning.

He was meeting the man for coffee first thing tomorrow. Earlier than first thing.

“I was a little worried, but you’ve had a busy week,” Farran pointed out. “Come in. Tea? We can take our time discussing. When’s your call at the club?”

“Six, I’m afraid. We’ve got a new bit to work through.

Mostly not mine, but Madam Helena wanted me handy to advise.

” Vega shrugged one shoulder, then turned so Farran could help her out of her coat.

“But I can go straight there from here. I brought everything with me.” She spun back to face him.

“Including the cosmetics, so you don’t need to worry about mussing them. ”

She was, in fact, not wearing much in the way of them. Or at least Farran didn’t think so. He considered asking, then raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I just put on enough the cabbie wouldn’t think things too odd. Do you mind? Some people find it—.” She was not sure how to conclude.

Farran leaned in to kiss her, taking his time with the movement, so she had plenty of time to decline if she wanted.

She did the opposite, arching to meet his mouth with hers, her hand coming to rest at his waist. He took that as a cue to settle his hand against her upper back.

When he finally pulled away from the kiss to get a breath, he added, “That clear enough? Why would people mind?”

“A surprising number of people are interested in me only with my performing face on.” Vega reached to touch his cheek.

“And that’s a reason none of it lasted. If you’re going to build something with someone, over time, you’re going to see them in better moments and in worse ones.

Also, at some point, I do hope to spend the night with you.

A number of nights. I’m sure you don’t wear all of that to bed.

” Farran hesitated, then said, “Tell me about your parents, would you? Just a little. Seeing as I’ve met one of your many aunts now? ”

“Will you do the same?” Vega gestured at his desk. “I assume that’s a photo with them?”

Farran nodded, then took a step back toward the couch. “You first? I need a minute to work up to it. It’s not— it’s not something I talk about much.”

“Let’s start with tea, then. I need to figure out how to put a thing or two,” Vega said.

“Have you eaten? I’ve some sandwiches in stasis.

” Farran glanced over to find her nodding enthusiastically, and so he went off to turn on the kettle, plate a sandwich or two, and add some of Lena’s biscuits.

By the time the kettle sang, everything else was ready, and they’d both had a few minutes to gather their thoughts.

Farran brought the tray out to find Vega settled on the sofa, and he set the food on the table, before turning to gather up the photo.

When he came back, Vega was a couple of bites into a sandwich, obviously hungry.

He let her eat until the tea had steeped, and he’d poured it.

By then she’d finished half of the sandwich.

“You know the Cousin lines, we interact as much with others in our families as with our parents. We’re often raised together with the others of our age.

Time with our particular parents, but often they have their own tasks.

My parents do some travelling work, both inside of Albion and outside, matters of locational magic.

They’ll be home for three months or six, away for about as long, back and forth. ”

“So part of your life, but not always the people who tucked you in?” Farran said, thinking about that.

“Exactly. And from the time I was five, I was up in with the others in the nursery rooms. Stories and hugs and kisses every night, but not always the same person.” Vega shrugged. “People find it odd.”

“Your family, and the others, have been doing things that way for a long time. Presumably with some reason. I’d rather not judge something I don’t know enough about.” Farran glanced at her. “It seems both sensible and safer.”

That made her laugh. “You know enough to know that not all the tales of the Fatae, or the Cousins, are true, yes?”

“Oh, enough. Though also that plenty of them are sufficiently true to mind my manners and avoid offending.” Farran gestured with one hand, and Vega reached to take it when he lowered it. “So you are fond of your parents, and they of you, but they’re not, erm, the centre of home for you?”

“That’s a good enough way to put it. Not my North Star, is how we’d say it. Or one of the ways, anyway.”

“Fair enough.” Farran leaned back a little, squeezing her hand, thinking about what else he needed to know about.

Not wanted, because there was a fair bit of wanting in there, but most of it wasn’t necessary today.

“What do you want me to know about them? About what they might think of me? Will they be upset that I’m not a Cousin, or not whoever they might have thought you’d take up with? ”

“I think they’ll be pleased enough I show signs of taking up with someone steady.

You are not a threat to us, or rather, if you’re a threat, it’s Vivian’s fault.

And if you’ve been to Electra’s line’s estates more than once, that speaks well of you.

” Vega chuckled. “You are not a frog, you do not think you’re a frog, and so on. ”

“From what Vivian has shared, Electra and her line are most concerned with humans,” Farran pointed out.

“And also, if I’d strayed, they make oaths about shed blood.

Not frogs, so much. Ribbit.” He made the last into a reasonable enough croak.

He’d heard enough frogs in ponds in his own earthy explorations.

It made her giggle more, and Farran liked that sound a great deal, and what it did to her face.

“The rest of my family… Aunt Ancha has given you an excellent report. She told me that already. They’d like to meet you, when convenient.

A representative selection. They will be deliberately intimidating, so it’s up to you to decide when it is convenient for that. ”

“And yet, it’s the sort of challenge where facing up to it lets us get on to the next thing,” Farran said. “I’d rather be able to meet them to share some success in the project, shall we say? But I defer to you about what that means for the timing. Your family, you know how to judge that.”

Vega tilted her head. “The thing I am trying to understand about you is that you’re not. What’s the word I want here? Competitive. Aggressive. About that sort of thing. You don’t need to be best at it.”

“The thing about my line of work— the art history, not the magic— is that there are lots of specialists out there. I can’t know everything.

I’m not even an expert appraiser in more than a tiny sliver of it.

Well. Still a journeyman, but I am assured the mastery will come in due course.

To do what I’m learning to do well, I need to let other people be experts.

Some of whom I want to work with, and some I don’t.

But insisting I know best, when I don’t, that’s how to fail.

Not listening to my intuition about that, that’s a way to fail. ”

“And that was part of the problem, your first apprenticeship,” Vega said, more quietly. “You mentioned a little of it.”

“It made me feel like everything I did was wrong. And when I tried to shove away what I was feeling, everything got even worse. I felt miserable, but I also felt trapped. The trapped of some animal in a snare, deciding whether gnawing its leg off would be a reasonable choice. I didn’t tell Uncle Cadmus about it because, because he had enough troubles.

My parents didn’t set up my inheritance sensibly.

Most all of it was locked away until I was of age.

Almost all our money that we could spare had gone to the apprentice fees. I didn’t think I had options.”

“And then, what?” Vega leaned forward, squeezing his hands. “And your parents?”

“My parents.” Farran swallowed, turning his head to look away from Vega to the portrait.

“That was taken the beginning of that summer. Mama and Papa and me. Uncle Cadmus was living at Thebes, so were they. Uncle Cadmus was younger by three years. They were travelling, and Mama took ill, and something happened, and they both died.” He couldn’t quite look back.

“No one really explained, maybe because there wasn’t any actual explanation.

Just, they were gone. There was a funeral. ”

“And you were how old?” He felt her squeeze his hand, longer this time.

“Eleven. At tutoring school. Uncle Cadmus came and told me, and brought me home for the funeral and, and.” Farran shrugged.

“He was wonderful. Uncle Cadmus has always been wonderful. He didn’t really know how to be a parent, not like that?

He didn’t try, and that mattered. Uncle Cadmus just figured he’d be the best uncle he could be.

There was a lot of trying to sort out the money, and then I got into Schola, and Uncle Cadmus kept most of his worrying from me.

But then, things started going wrong. That’s a long explanation, not really for today?

It involves a different Cousin, a different line, and it’s sorted now.

Vivian sorted it. But I went and asked her for help, because I knew Tony and his sister Eleanor. ”

“And that turned out well.” Vega hesitated before saying the next bit. “I’m sorry I don’t get to meet your parents. I suspect I’d have liked them. But I hope I can meet your uncle sometime soon.”

“I’m sure Vivian will help make that easier.

Uncle Cadmus doesn’t do terribly well with change, sometimes?

Certain kinds of changes, like the occasional new resident, he’s used to those.

But I like Vivian, and she cares for him, and that goes a long way.

I know Uncle Cadmus just wants me to be happy, so it’ll be mostly about making it clear that you do. ”

“Well.” Vega nodded. “All right.” She tugged his hand.

“Look at me, can you?” It took a moment and another breath, but Farran turned to look at her.

She met his eyes, deliberately, before looking at him more softly, more comfortably.

“I also care about you. I suspect rather a lot, given a tiny bit more time. I gather that’s sometimes a challenge for people who’ve had a fair bit of loss. ”

Farran shivered, before he could hide it or do anything else.

Then he nodded. “I had a hard time with friends. Tony understood. His parents died when he was a little older, but he understands. And now I get on with the other apprentices at Ormulu, but it took a little to figure that out.” His shoulder twitched.

“The War sort of helped, horrible as that is. Lots of people losing people. They still say stupid things. The bits that smart and sting. But not as often. And they understand better when they’ve done it, even if they don’t understand why it hurt. ”

“Huh.” Vega twisted to take his other hand now, bringing them both together, next to each other.

“To continue listing things I like about you, I like that you understand that people do things for a range of reasons. You don’t take that personally when it’s not.

While not, I assume, wanting to keep on with the hurting bits. ”

“Less of the hurting, yeah.” Farran let out a slow breath. “My life is really pretty good, honestly. I don’t, I don’t dwell on the harder parts. I don’t think it’s good for me.”

“All right, then. Shall we move onto some other topic?” Vega asked. “A different sort of challenge. What we do next.”

“Yeah.” Farran paused. “Can I have a moment? Go wash my face? You should have more of a sandwich. You need food for thought.” It was mostly an excuse to give himself a little time.

Vega nodded, let go of his hands, and deliberately picked up another half sandwich as Farran stood up to make his way to the loo.