Sherwood Smith Quote

When at last Deric and I settled into his carriage, he dropped back with a sigh of relief. Well, that’s over. Good food and good company, but none of it worth sitting mum while Fialma glared daggers at me.Remembering the Marquise’s opening statement, I realized suddenly what I’d missed before--some of what I’d missed, anyway--and tried unsuccessfully to smother a laugh. It seemed that Deric was deemed an appropriate match for the daughter of a Merindar.Deric grinned at me, the light from glowglobes flickering in his black eyes. Cowardice, I know. But burn it, that female scares me.I remembered the gossip about Lady Fialma and her recent return from Erev-li-Erval, where she was supposed to have contracted an appropriately brilliant marriage alliance but had failed. Which was why the Marquise had passed her over for the heirship of Merindar.But that wasn’t all; as Deric drove away and I mounted the steps of the Residence, I realized that he could, in fact, be subtle when he wanted. And that there were consequences to bluntness that one could not always predict. He had asked me to accompany him as a hint to the Merindars that he was courting me, and therefore wouldn’t court Fialma.Interesting, though, that he asked to take me to that party right I had rejected his attempts to kiss me. I thought, fighting the impulse to laugh.