“We’re here to see Connor,” Dad said.The woman nodded and hit a button on the control panel. “You’re set to go down.”“Thank you, Marshie,” Dad said. He motioned us over to a door beneath the staircase.Nick leaned in. “ ‘You’re set to go down’?” he echoed. “That’s comforting.”

“He nodded and leaned down to kiss me. I let him, Dad be damned.”

“A few weeks ago my uncle came over to borrow my dad's socket set and when he asked my dad how he was my dad said oh unexceptional. Living quietly with my disappointments. And how are you”

“He held the apple box against his chest. And then he leaned over and set the box in the stream and steadied it with his hand. He said fiercely, "Go down an' tell 'em. Go down in the street an' rot an' tell 'em that way. That's the way you can talk. Don' even know if you was a boy or a girl. Ain't gonna find out. Go on down now, an' lay in the street. Maybe they'll know then.”

“He smiled at her. “Now, are you going to thank me properly?”“I said ‘thank you.’ That’s considered in some cultures as thanking you properly.”“I was hoping for a little more than that.”She studied him for a long moment before she nodded.“All right.” She scooted down a bit on the bed, pulled her gown up high on her thighs, and relaxed back into the mattress. “If you could make it quick before the food gets here, that would be great.”Gwenvael felt a small twitch beneath his eye. He often got something similar right on his eyelid but only when he had to deal with his father. Apparently a new one had developed that belonged only to Lady Dagmar. “That’s not what I meant.”“I hope you’re not expecting me to get on my knees because I don’t think the healer—”“No!” Good gods, this woman! “That’s not what I meant, either.”“That’s always what men mean when they ask to be thanked properly.”“Your world frightens me. I want us to be clear on that.” He leaned over and grabbed her waist, lifting her until her back again rested on the propped-up pillows.“I’m unclear as to what you want, then.”“A kiss,” he said, pulling her dress back down to her ankles. “A simple kiss.”

“Dad followed his I’m-So-Disappointed speech with a lecture on career opportunities. “You’re going to study literature and get a job doing what?” he said. “Literaturizing?”