While the kitchen staff was preparing an extra helping of dinner, the ladies and I were sipping our tea and drinks in the parlor, having ourselves a little girls-only party with Violet as the guest of honor.
“The vice captain put a lot of thought into picking out a souvenir, by the way.”
“Oh, did he?” I responded.
“There were quite a few things you can’t find here in Rohze, so it was tough choice for him!”
“Aww. If there were that many unusual sights, I wish I could have seen them myself.”
“I hope you don’t mind that we gave him a bit of advice!”
“He ended up going with a little something for you and Lettie.”
“Oh boy! I can’t wait to see what it is!”
And meanwhile, with the guys...
“When Lettie grows up, can I put my name in the hat to be your future son-in-law?”
“Hey, no fair! I want a chance too!”
“I’m my family’s second son, so I’m good to join the Fisalis household whenever!”
“You think I’d give my darling daughter to a single one of you sleazy scoundrels?! Besides, by the time she’s old enough to marry, you’ll be nothing but a bunch of geezers!”
“Geezers?” the knights protested. “Now that’s just mean!”
But enough of my husband and his knights’ playful banter.
Cartham had managed to pull a meal together, and so we all moved to the dining room. Owing to the large number of guests at our table, it turned out to be quite the lively dinner. Most days our dining table felt unnecessarily huge, but at times like this, I was truly glad for the extra space.
In the end, the knights did so much eating and drinking that we invited them to stay the night.
✦ ✦ ✦
After I’d made sure someone had shown Mr. Fisalis’s subordinates to their guest lodgings, my husband and I finally retired to our own room.
All this when poor Mr. Fisalis was so tired. I sure kept him waiting a while, huh?
“I can’t believe those jerks! They claimed they were only going to walk me home—how did that turn into them spending the night?!”
“Oh, it’s not all bad! At least they’ll get off your case about meeting Lettie now. Aren’t you glad?”
“And what if I want to get on their case? Good grief. Here I took the time to bring you back a souvenir, and I didn’t even have the chance to show it to you.”
“Oh, Chamomile mentioned that. What did you buy us?”
“Some fabric woven with specialty thread. This one’s for you, and this one is for Lettie,” he said, showing me two pieces of cloth decorated with an exotic pattern, the kind you’d never see in Rohze. Mine was a burgundy color, while Violet’s was a light pink. Upon taking a closer look, I could tell that these textiles and their geometric, floral patterns were intricately woven, smooth to the touch, and undoubtedly expensive. With how soft and fluffy they were, I figured they’d make for good scarves.
“What gorgeous fabric! I can’t believe how soft it feels!”
“That’s what the shop owner said: it’s silky enough to be gentle on a baby’s skin. I figure we can have Madame Fleur come and tailor it into something tomorrow.”
“No need—I’m sure she’s a busy lady! I’m more than happy to sew Lettie’s clothing myself!”
“Oh, right... Now that you mention it, you are an expert seamstress, aren’t you? Sounds like a plan, then.”
“Yeah!”
I’ve got nothing but time on my hands, so I can sew to my heart’s content!
All that aside, what mattered most was that Mr. Fisalis had made it home safe from his trip.