“There’s been a lot of worry about whether I’m competent. Because I need the chair or the crutches, because it’s visible. The thing is, we’ve had, oh, half a dozen cases in my time in the Courts, of people who should have retired earlier than they did. It is possible that my condition will change. Though it’s been stable for most of a decade, since I got care that helped more. And as I’ve pointed out, several times, ageing comes for us all.” Griffin swallowed. “Your hand, may I?”
Annice blinked, but then she nodded, and Griffin shifted a little to get a touch closer to her and take her hand in both of his more comfortably. Then he went on. “I keep doing my best, over and over again, and it keeps not changing anything. Except I’d have done my best anyway. People deserve that. People who are tangled up by grief, especially.”
She squeezed his fingers, suddenly, and then she was moving faster than he could make sense of. A moment later, she was pressed against his thigh, her other hand coming up to cup his cheek, and she was kissing him. Tentatively, at first, and with both his hands holding her other one, he couldn’t get an arm around her properly. Neither of them were balanced well. They almost bumped noses. Absolutely none of it mattered. When she pulled back, she was blinking, and her eyes were shining. Not quite crying, but he’d seen that on so many people, enough to spot it in an instant. “I should have asked...” Now she was the one looking down.
Griffin freed one of his hands, moving it to touch her leg. “Was I not enthusiastic enough for you?” He was grinning now, with the way she’d gone after what she wanted. This was what she was like when she let her desire actually show rather than shoving it away into politeness. “We could do that a bit more. Practice. Skills do benefit from it.”
Now she was giggling, and he felt he’d done something wonderful there. “How, um. What’s comfortable for you? That’s the part I should have asked. If there’s something to avoid.”
“Oh, if you want to sit on my lap, in any particular fashion, you won’t hurt me. My legs, it’s not, um. Fragility. It’s the way they don’t always do what I tell them.” Then he paused. “It’s been a while for me. I’ve never been inclined to the more casual sort of fling. I work entirely too much to meet people most of the time, and - well. The chair doesn’t help, really.”
“But here we are, we met because of your work, and the chair doesn’t bother me. I might have more questions in a bit. About what it’s...” Her voice faded. “And is this casual?”
“If you need it to be casual, we can take it as you wish.” His voice caught on the last part of that. “But I would, if I could, prefer to see it as what we’re learning together, doing together, about seeing if we could have something lasting. No promises now, not yet, but open to the idea that we might, if everything goes well.”
“And if it doesn’t, you’ve shown me a city you love.” Annice nodded once, decisively. “I, um. Haven’t been with anyone for a while. No one who was both magical and fine with my skills, and then there was Grandad and Nan needing someone handy most of the time.”
“Well. Then we will just have to see what happens when we’ve some incentive to brush up.” Griffin considered. “A bit more, then, and then I’ll take you to the inn, so you can have some time on your own tonight. How’s that.”
“I— yes.” Her voice shifted, and now she was considering. “You meant it about your lap?”
Griffin nodded once, and a moment later she was rearranging herself, sitting sideways across his legs, which put her in a much better position. He got a hand solidly round her back, to help support her. She had one hand on his shoulder, and then she was leaning in to kiss him again. It was better this time. They weren’t struggling for balance or breath the same way. He let her take the lead, and she explored the way she touched jewellery, delicately at first, then with more certainty.
When they both had to come up for air, she was much more relaxed. Then she squeezed his shoulder. “Strong, through here. Like you worked on one of the fishing boats, all in the shoulders.”
“It is how I get about,” Griffin agreed. Then his stomach rumbled, and hers, and he laughed. “That’s a cue to get you to the inn, I think. Shall we?”
“And tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow I have people to introduce you to. And we can sort out a bit more of ourselves after. Saturday, there’s the theatre.”
“Saturday.” She said it like it was a gift, when she was the one giving to him. “Things to look forward to.” Then she carefully wriggled off his lap, and waited for him to sort himself out, without fussing over him, or insisting on offering him a hand up.
Chapter32
APRIL 1ST
Annice woke up unsure of where she was for a minute. Everything felt slightly unreal, though not at all in a bad way. The bed underneath her was cushioned, not the sort of soft that she had sunk into, like some fairy tale, but the sort of soft that supported. She stretched out on her back, trying to sort out her thoughts.
Last night, Griffin had shown her to the inn, and then stayed for supper. He’d checked, of course, that she wouldn’t rather be on her own. Having him there had been a help. He knew how to talk to the staff. Well, he’d known at least half of them by name. He’d asked after brothers, parents, aunts, cheerfully, introducing her as a specialist who was helping out in the courts, as Mistress Matthewman.
When he’d left her, one of the staff, a woman, had taken her upstairs to her room. It was twice the size of her room at home - not like that was terribly hard. It had its own bathing room and loo, plenty of space for clothing, a desk. And on that desk, there had been a basket of things to eat. The woman had pointed out the cold box, and noted it was stocked with beer and cheese and cream for the tea. Then she’d indicated where the kettle and teapot were.
Annice had investigated the basket cautiously when she’d been left on her own, and she’d found tea she liked. The beer was a local brewery, not one she knew, but it was exactly the sort of thing she’d mentioned liking. And a note from Griffin, in what she knew was his handwriting, saying it was in case she was peckish.
Attention to detail. Annice stared up at the ceiling. There was a lot she found lovely about Griffin. A lot she didn’t understand, still, but a great deal she liked. Yesterday, how was that just yesterday, she’d wanted to kiss him because he cared about the grief, because he wanted to do what small things he could to ease that. Possibly also big ones, because people probably didn’t end up needing his help in detail if things went smoothly.
But this morning, she found herself dwelling on his attention to the small things. He’d been paying attention to her, to what she liked and didn’t like, and it showed in every bit of what he did. The basket, but also making sure she wasn’t left on her own in a strange place, not sure how to act or what would be rude. And today, he was going to introduce her to someone who could help.
She took her time getting ready - he’d said he had some business at the Courts first thing in the morning. That meant a pleasant breakfast in the inn’s morning room. The handful of other guests were all busy reading papers or books, and she read through the Trellech Moon as she ate. Then she tidied herself up, hoping she looked like she knew a bit about what she was about. She had a clean blouse, the better of her blue skirts, a cardigan, and she’d put up her hair properly. It would have to do.
Griffin had explained this to her. That Annice was going to meet someone who worked in gemstones, all sorts of stones, and that she made talismans out of them. Not like the jet pieces that Annice had packed, but tiny things, intricate, a kind of magic she didn’t even know how to think about. Magistra Hall was in her late seventies, apparently the sort of woman who kept working because she enjoyed her work, but who didn’t need to anymore. Annice had no idea what that would feel like, either.
What she knew was that they were going to a workshop in the crafting quarter of Trellech. And Annice wanted to make a good impression. Griffin thought well of Magistra Hall, and she didn’t want to embarrass him. He’d said that if they got on, Magistra Hall might be willing to work with Annice longer than a few days. Annice had no idea how to think about that, it seemed terribly unlikely to her in several dimensions. Why would someone like that want to work with her? All she knew was jet. On the other hand, she was determined to be polite and learn what she could.
Once she was done with breakfast, she went outside a little early, because she didn’t see the point in making Griffin fuss with getting the ramp at the side door if he didn’t need to. He wheeled up, perfectly on time. “Morning.”
Annice let out a breath, then it all came out in a rush. “You really thought of everything, thank you. It made me feel comfortable. And they’ve been lovely.”
