It mewed, opened eyes up at him, and one of those appeared cloudy, Lord and Lady dammit! Then it snuggled into the towel and fell asleep as if sheer relief had finally caught up with it. Yeah, the fabric would smell and have stuff on it now. Best he threw it away. Without the FamKitten, of course.
Come ahead, Giniana sent telepathically. She paused. And come on to my cottage. I'll tell the guards to admit you.
My great thanks, Johns replied, squelching exultation from tinging his mental tone.
Giniana did another check on her sleeping patient in her infirmary, once again set privacy wards around the shed, and readied a carafe of spring water and bowl of fruit if Johns cared to spend a few minutes talking with her.
You did not ask the actor why he comes. Thrisca disapproved since suspenseful curiosity plagued her.
We'll find out soon enough, Giniana replied, aware of a flash of contrariness. Let her FamCat be riled, the feeling would be good for her, keep her blood moving. Now Thrisca showed more vivacity, Giniana wanted her to continue. She'd been eating better the last few meals, too.
Sooner than Giniana anticipated, she sensed Johns prowling down the path to her cottage. When he came into sight, he carried a small rolled bundle in one hand.
What is that? Thrisca demanded, peeking around the corner of the cottage. Perhaps she'd planned on shooting out to surprise Johns, but he'd certainly caught her interest. What? What?
I don't know, Giniana replied telepathically to her Fam as she rose from the chair beside the front stoop. She smiled at him, and though his lips curved, his brows remained down and his gaze serious.
He stopped close to her, gently unfolded the top of a threadbare towel.
Giniana stared in horror at the sleeping kitten. Scowling up at Johns, she demanded, "You didn't clean her up?"
His expression dropped into stolidity. "I don't know how without hurting it … her."
On an intake of breath, Giniana took the towel and limp kitten. Thinner than Thrisca, not at all well. Hard to see any injuries, though Giniana smelled both new and dried blood.
Thrisca dashed from the side of the house where she'd lurked. Let Me see! Let Me SEE the little One. The older FamCat's nose wrinkled and she snorted, then opened her mouth in the extra cat smell-taste sense. INTERESTING. More interesting than the ma—
Quiet! Giniana warned Thrisca mentally, then stated aloud to Johns, "I daren't help her. I don't know enough. She's in too poor a state for me to try human Healing on her."
"Oh," Johns said. He swallowed, one of his big fingers came out and stroked the kitten's head. "It—she has a bad paw and eye."
Fear welled up in Giniana. "We need to get her to D'Ash's."
Johns's mouth bowed down. "Do we need to teleport, or will a glider or walking do?"
"I can commandeer a Spindle business glider. The Ashes are in Noble Country, after all, but the estates are too big to walk in a timely manner." Even as she spoke, she drew her scrypebble from her sleeve pocket and requested a glider at the front gate for a trip to D'Ash's. Since she'd gone there often with Thrisca, before GreatLady D'Ash told them that she could no longer Heal the FamCat, no one at T’Spindle’s questioned Giniana.
I will come, too. You have not let Me See the Kitten, or really smell Her, or—
Again Giniana interrupted her FamCat and stared down her. "You can't come. You must continue that particular duty you promised."
Thrisca growled loudly enough that Johns stared down at her. I don't want to, the cat whined. I want to go to D'Ash's again. I want to sniff and lick the little Person the actor brought. I want—
Replying tersely mind-to-mind, Giniana insisted, You promised. Do not break your word. I can stay with you and send Johns to D'Ash's by himself.
With a deep rumble in her throat, Thrisca turned, and, tail whipping, stalked back around the house to the shed. Stup man is sleeping. Won't wake up when You are gone. I could have had treat of going to D'Ash's with You. A pause. Make sure You bring back the Kitten. Should not go with Johns. He does not like Cats.
Giniana demanded, Did you do something to him last night?
Thrisca didn't answer.
Giniana's perscry sounded the Spindle's song and she turned to Johns. "I'm sorry for speaking privately to my FamCat."
A smile hovered on his lips. "I'd imagine that's natural when one has a Familiar animal companion, especially a FamCat, no apologies needed."
Reluctantly, she put the still unconscious kitten into his large hand that nearly enveloped her, then Giniana linked arms with him. "A Spindle glider awaits at the gate."
"Sure." He turned toward the gate and walked with a smooth and gliding step, holding the kitten against his chest. She kept pace but didn't, couldn't, move like he did. Now that she thought on it, she usually kept her steps brisk and efficient.
Best to get bad news over with quickly. "Thrisca insists I bring the kitten back here."
"Sure," he agreed.
"You don't like cats?"
"Cats don't like me," he replied. "Maybe not foxes, either." She glanced up to find him watching her, still negotiating the path perfectly.
He continued, "I've had incidents with FamCats and a FamFox." His smile turned wry, but she felt irritation pulse through him and to her by their bond.
The man didn't like animals. How could that be? She opened her mouth to say something, and unbalanced on a tree root, began to fall. Johns drew her up, easily and steadily, with his free hand, and her gaze fell to the kitten snuggled in his large and completely stable grasp. He'd brought the kitten to her, and now they were on their way to the Animal Healer. He'd agreed to that and she had no doubt he intended to pay the bill … and he hadn't even brought that subject up, even though he knew he'd be unemployed soon.
"I'll pay for the kitten's Healing," she blurted.
His expression went haughty but his inflection didn't hold any chill. "My responsibility."
Giniana flinched beside him. Maybe he'd been too harsh. Hell. He paused and she stopped, too. He didn't have much time with her to himself, here and now. He'd be blunt. "You seem better this morning."
Her head lowered and she flushed. "I have the annual physical examinations of the staff—the Spindle Family—the next couple of weeks, up at the Residence. The Residence itself gave me some Flair and energy, and I began with GrandLord T'Spindle himself. Simply being in his presence in his Residence, on his estate, generates ambient Flair that I can use in addition to my own.”
"Uh-huh. Good." Johns began walking again, wanted to link fingers with her. Instead he must mind a kitten.
They came in sight of artistically curved greeniron gates that would accommodate a wide Family glider. Not much time to say everything he had to. "Don't you get any time for yourself, for Giniana Filix?"
Her head lifted and her cheeks flushed more, this from the irritation he sensed in their bond. "Time enough," she replied shortly.
They paused near the glider as the guards nodded and the gates opened. Still flushed, she shot back a question. "Did you bring the kitten to me because you planned on using her to see me?"
"Yes. No. Not entirely. She needs Healing and I thought you could do it." His mouth compressed as he tried to think of a smooth way to say the next concept that had worried at his mind. "You … have an old and ailing FamCat … who will be going through … a strange, uh, medical procedure." Without thought his hand lifted and his fingers flexed in a helpless gesture he didn't often allow himself. "The kitten needs a home. I thought you might want her, care for her better than D'Ash and her adoption rooms with a lot of other Fams."
Giniana turned her head to him and met his gaze, her color fading, her amber eyes wide. "Oh. I understand," she said softly, then shrugged. "You think Thrisca might die during the time Healing process."
"I don't know." And he was a blunt guy, but hadn't said such stark words. "I don't know anything about the time thing. Barely even heard about it." And hadn't paid any attention when he had since it never
occurred to him that any such weird thing as time experimentation would impinge on his life. Added gruffly, "And I wouldn't've said it that way."
Nodding, Giniana said, "I understand. Death isn't as prevalent in your life as mine."
One of the guards gestured and Johns lifted the door of the passenger side of the glider, carefully held out the kitten to Giniana.
His care with the mite softened her, as had the anxiety he'd felt at broaching the death of Thrisca that Giniana had felt through her link with him. And he'd actually admitted to using the kitten to see Giniana, though she believed his explanation. She believed him, that he didn't act around her, didn't lie. That could be dangerous to her well-being … but now they had a kitten whose well-being hung in the balance.
Johns sat next to Giniana, who stroked the kitten on her lap. She seemed more…lively. Giniana, not the kitten. He wanted to think of Giniana, keep his gaze on her, because he felt a huge stone of dread weigh in his chest as he stared at the small lump of fur. His responsibility. He'd said that and he meant it. And obviously the injuries of the catling were worse than he'd hoped.
Yes, nicer to contemplate Giniana. He realized that since he'd known her, her energy had been depleted, even the very first night when T'Spindle called on her to Heal him and Raz Cherry. She'd helped them so quickly, so easily as a FirstLevel Healer, Johns had thought nothing of it.
But her strong Flair had masked her weariness.
He thrummed his fingers on the steering bar. It seemed as if she ruined her current health due to worry for her Fam and overwork. And that made him recall those nightmare months when he and his FatherDam took whatever jobs they could get to provide his mother with ultimate comforts as she faded with an untreatable sickness and died.
A member of his Family. Like Giniana considered Thrisca. In fact, sounded like Giniana thought Thrisca her only Family. How sad.
So nothing else was wrong with Giniana. No physical illness, her colleagues would have discovered that and taken care of that at once, if Giniana hadn't Healed herself.
She hummed, her hand on the kitten. Not quite a Healing tune, or rather a very minor one everyone knew for cuts and scrapes. More like simple soothing and caring and … love. How could she love a being so soon?
Happened, he guessed. For a passing instant, he wondered if Giniana was worth all this time and effort—a relationship with her would demand much of him. Including him getting to know, and somehow winning over, that old FamCat.
But a woman had never affected Johns like this. He'd never had such a deep and intense relationship, linked so closely with a female, and they'd only kissed!
Yes, he intended to keep the fascinating Giniana Filix in his life as long as possible to peel and reveal each layer of her. Even though the woman had problems, would be complicated, and had that miserable FamCat, too.
No, he couldn't walk away.
He'd have to learn to cope with Thrisca. Find some common ground, though he couldn't imagine what.
"What's your schedule?" The question came out more brusquely than he'd anticipated, but what the hell. She should feel how much she attracted him through their bond. Too much to walk away.
She looked at him sideways. "You really want to know?"
"I asked, so, yeah."
Her breasts rose and fell in two deep breaths, then she said, "Annual physical examinations of the T'Spindle staff, most of whom are, as usual, Spindles themselves, in the morning and the afternoon."
"Any breaks?"
"Of course, more than generous breaks." Her mouth thinned. "Long enough I can usually pick up some additional work at the emergency intake of the HealingHalls."
"Ah."
"And in the evenings and at night, I'm over at a private client's watching their new baby while they sleep."
"All night long?"
"Yes, from RetireBell to dawn."
"Ah."
"What about you? What are your performance days?"
Good that she was interested enough to ask. Glancing at her, he smiled. "I've got matinees and evening performances on the days of Qwert and Midweekend," he paused.
"Yes?"
"And some volunteer work at Moores House for Lady-Blessed Children after noon today, and every week."
"You do?"
"Yes."
"That's wonderful!"
He'd have basked in her approval if he hadn't been annoyed that she sounded so surprised. "My regular schedule's full, but I have plenty of time for a relationship."
Not looking at him, she said, "I'll only be working hard, taking as many shifts as I can at other HealingHalls, staying with my clients at night until I make enough gilt to pay for Thrisca's procedure."
He hesitated at offering her gilt. In the last couple of days, he'd heard that her mother had lived off others' generosity, so such a notion would be a sore point with Giniana. In her position, he'd be offended if a new friend offered financial help, even a loan. They weren't close enough yet for her to feel comfortable being obligated to him. While he thought about feelings and stuff, she asked, "Will you wait for me? Until I have more time to spend with you?"
He took her hand, found her fingers tense. "Naturally, I'll wait. But I'm not giving up now, either. If you can't be with me—and I think we could arrange a meal or two, at least, you must eat—I'll scry you for a moment or two, every day." He smiled his famous crooked smile, not for show, but because he felt wry emotion. "I find I'm unable to say no to you, to even think of not seeing you every day," he added lightly, exposing himself as he'd never done to a woman, "You have all the power in this relationship."
She looked at him, then away again. "Now," she said, choked. "When I'm new to you."
She needed more from him, and though he didn't want to give it, what he'd just said was true, he'd fulfill all her needs if she'd allow that. And how had he gotten in so deep so quickly, with only shared kisses? Not the hunter instinct, not her apparent unavailability. Lord and Lady, going by the bond between them, and all outer problems aside, she just fit him.
CHAPTER 11
"I'M MORE than interested in you, and it's more than the shiny new desire for an affair with a fascinating woman. You should feel, already, the bond spinning between us. More than I'd allow with a woman I only anticipated having a few weeks of hot sex with," he replied brutally. "I want more than that with you, so, yeah, I repeat that I'll contact you every day. I won't be waiting for you because I'll be with you." He sucked in a breath, told her something he didn't recall saying to any other woman. "I'm here for you. You can lean on me."
Giniana turned her head and stared at him until he began to feel uncomfortable, but didn't show that, of course.
"What about you?" she asked softly. "And your career? What will happen after your play Firewalker closes? How will you cope?"
All right. He could hide behind a mask, but sensed that wouldn't work with her. He had to open up, be himself, Klay Saint Johnswort, and not a hint of any other character. She'd sense any falsity, any fibbing, any shading of the truth, through the tie weaving strongly between them. She'd walk away from him.
So he let out a sigh. "I've already contacted my agent, and gone down to the Theatrical Guild to let them know officially that I'll be free at the end of the month, and ready for a job, of course."
"Of course." She sounded stifled. Paused a couple of breaths, then said, "You want good work."
"Yeah, I do. I want really good work, a fabulous part in a long-running show." Amberose's play flashed across his mind. "But I'll settle for steady work. Acting, first, of course, but something else if I can't get a job there. Construction, maybe. Even Flaired builders need strong laborers sometime, and my secondary Flair is for construction."
She gasped, turned in her seat to look at him, and blinked as if in startled surprise. "Really?"
"Sure." He rolled his shoulders. "Gilt is gilt, and I'll need income in a couple of months."
"How will you live until then?"
Another shrug.
"Got no rent, do got savings." He grimaced. "And I have some stocked no-times. Not the greatest food, neither my mother nor my grandmother, my FatherDam, were great cooks, but I'll get by."
"What of your father and your father's father, your FatherSire?"
"Both long gone. Barely remember my father, he died so early in my life, and FatherSire before I was born. My mother and FatherDam raised me."
"Oh. All three of you lived alone on the Saint Johnswort estate?"
He snorted. "Not much of an estate, a house and some land on the outskirts of town." Reluctantly, he admitted, "And both are shabbier than I like and need some rehab."
"How lovely that you have a respectable name and good estate, land of your own that can't be taken from you. Unless you mortgage it, of course."
The very idea sent shock flashing through him. He choked.
Giniana blinked at him. "I see you didn't even think of that. But you could get gilt from the house and land."
"No." He would never short the future for immediate gilt. He could work, now, had prospects and a rising career, everyone said so. Who knew what the future would hold?
And his FatherDam and his mother had had the house and land when they'd needed it. He might need that, too, later in his life.
Now Giniana stared straight ahead out the windshield, her smile strained and bordering on false. "We had a house and a little land when I was a child. From my father’s parents and older generations." She waved a hand. "I barely remember it because my parents mortgaged it, then did not keep up the payments."
Dreadful.
Her parents had more to answer for than he'd thought. He would never mortgage his home if he had a child. Even if he had to give up his acting career—a deep and scary thought—he'd ensure his child lived well. Pretty much why he'd steered clear of relationships and supported no dependents.
But he meant to keep time and company with Giniana Filix, who matched him in this, he knew, being solid and responsible. Too responsible for Thrisca, to his mind.
Heart 16 - Script of the Heart Page 10