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disappointed in
me.'
    'You didn't even
know your mother. I suppose this is your idea of explaining, but it
isn't making any more sense.'
    Eva shrugged. 'I
tried. It makes sense to me, anyway.'
    'Fine. I just
hope you won't regret it. I'm pretty sure it isn't really...
you.'
    Eva turned her
head and stared out of the window. She wouldn't dream of admitting
that she had doubts, but Meesa knew her well. These, however, were
unproductive thoughts. Her decision was made, for clear, rational
reasons, and she wouldn't be dissuaded from it now.
     
    ***
     
    Eva's coachman
dropped Meesa off at the house she shared with her husband, and Eva
rode the distance to her own house in solitary silence. Her
thoughts wandered away from her own concerns and returned to the
curious stone. She remembered Llandry's face, so like her mother's,
completely guileless as she answered Eva's questions. It was hard
to believe that such a thing merely lay in a cave in Glinnery, for
anybody to stumble over, and yet nobody had; even now, it seemed
that Llandry alone knew of its location. She knew that Llandry had
been implored to give interviews; for days the papers had been
printing hearsay about Llandry Sanfaer along with regretful
statements about her lack of availability. She hoped the girl had
the sense to keep her head down, but she feared for her. Something
about Llandry had struck her as a little odd, even a little bit
fey. She'd performed her role as if she viewed the market and her
customers from a great distance, her mind elsewhere. Did she
realise what had become of her presence at the Market? Any second
appearance must be highly inadvisable. The girl would be
mobbed.
    The coach was
moving at a steady pace, just passing a mail station. Eva called
for a halt and went inside, assuaging her unease by dispatching a
note to Ynara. She watched the pale-winged bird fly away into the
night, her note forming a neat ring around its leg. She remembered
her own words to Llandry at the market: If I were you, I would
keep the location quite a secret. I think this will prove to be
very valuable. Apparently Llandry had followed her advice. Had
she been right to suggest it? No doubt the profits were princely by
now, but Llandry would not be left in sole possession of the gem
for long.
    Eyde was waiting
for her when she arrived home. He greeted her with delight,
enfolding her in an embrace. She submitted to it for a few moments
before pulling away, gently but firmly. She allowed him to kiss
her, briefly, then busied herself pouring a drink for
him.
    'Is the
announcement up?'
    She blinked at
him, confused. 'What?'
    'Of our
engagement.'
    'Oh. Yes. It's
all over the bulletin.'
    He nodded. 'The
boys'll know about it by now, then.' The 'boys' were his team of
investigators; almost all men, because the job could be a dangerous
one. Women didn't often sign up. Eva had met very few of them, but
those she encountered impressed her with their earnest manner and
intensity of focus. On the other hand, they did tend to seem
horrifyingly young. It made her feel old.
    She realised she
hadn't answered him. She gave him a distracted smile as she donned
a silk shawl, wrapping the fabric closely around herself. She
curled up in her favourite chair, conscious of his eyes on
her.
    'Any news on the
robbery at the jewellers?'
    'I'm afraid not.
I've got a couple of people working on it, though. We'll get your
ring back.'
    'I'm not that
worried about the ring, Eyde.'
    'No? You seemed
very attached to it.'
    'I shouldn't have
been. It's not healthy to be so fascinated by a stone.'
    He frowned at her
quizzically. 'What's brought on this change of heart?'
    'Don't you think
it's odd, how people are behaving over it?'
    He chuckled. 'No
more so than any other trend. Remember when you wore that gown with
one shoulder missing? I don't think any seamstress in Glour got a
proper night's sleep for a whole moon afterwards.'
    She laughed. 'And
that's hardly the only time it's happened. Perhaps