Chapter 14 Part 7 | Lovers and Beloveds | IHGK Book 1
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When the room finally contained no one but himself, Temmin slumped onto the stool at his writing desk and pulled out a sheet of paper; he would write a letter to Alvo for Fen to deliver. He dipped his pen.
36th SpB, 990 KY, at Tremont Keep
Dear Mr Nollson,
I have the pleasure of introducing to you--
He started again.
Nollson--
Please make these two friends of mine welcome.
No.
My Dear Alvo,
I am sorry I have not written before now. I did not know what to say. I do not like that between us, who have been so close, but you shocked me greatly. I am still unsure what to say or even think about it. I wish you had told me your feelings a long time ago. We might have discussed it before I left instead of leaving it as we did. It makes me unhappy to think of you as unhappy, because I do love you, Alvy, you know that, yes? I just do not know about the other.
There will be a less honest letter from Winmer to Crokker as well sent by special messenger, but I wanted to write to you specially about these two friends I have sent home. You will hear all kinds of nonsense about how they are my lovers. They are not, but you cannot let anyone know--no one, Alvy, not even your mother, no one. Do not say anything. Let people think what they will. My friends are in danger here, and I have to send them somewhere safe. Please treat them kindly for my sake. I don't think they are likely to see kindness otherwise, but try to encourage it among the staff anyway. They are blameless. Teach them to ride if they do not know already, especially Fen. I do not think he knows much about horses, even though he says his father is a blacksmith. If I am to take him into my own service, and it appears I will have to, he will need to know how to ride. You will like him, even if he does have red hair.
You may have heard that I stood to become a Supplicant. That is all off.
One more thing I must tell you, and it is about that girl, Mattie. She is my half-sister. My father had a dalliance with a maidservant when Mama was confined with me. He did not know about her, though Jenks suspected. Do not tell anyone that, either, but I thought you should know. I feel terrible about what happened that night, and not just because she is my sister, though that is bad enough. Speaking of Jenks, if you see him at the Estate, or if you get in to Reggiston and see him there, tell him to come home immediately. I need him.
I do not like the Keep. I have only been here a short while, but it feels like forever. I thought when I turned eighteen that I would be grown at the turn of the clock. I would know what to do and how to do it. I would be a man. But I am more confused than ever, even though I have learned a great deal. I must grow up very quickly indeed, and I am not sure how to go about it.
They have given me Percet Lord Fennows as a companion. He was Percy Sandopint before his grandfather died. Do you remember him? He visited us briefly. He is even worse now. I wish you were here, and so does Jebby.
Your true friend,
Whithorse Temmin
What a noodlehead, signing Whithorse, but then, he didn't sign his given name with anyone outside the family, and he'd never written Alvo a letter before. And he was tired. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night. He left the letter on his desk, shambled into the bedchamber, took off his clothes, and crawled into the still-unmade bed, not bothering with a nightshirt. The sheets smelled of Arta and Fen: disconcerting, but he was too tired to care. He fell asleep.
A knock came at the study's door, then again, more insistent. "Halloo?" called a voice. "I've been knocking and knocking, and no one's answered!" The door opened, and Lord Fennows let himself in. "I know you're in here, Temmy, and I want to hear about last night! The two of 'em! That's the spirit! Don't fancy the boys meself, but to each his own, I should think!"
Fennows walked to the open bedchamber door and peered in. Sound asleep. Not surprising after the night before, he thought. Was that perfume he detected? Not an inexpensive one, either. He bounced on his toes for a moment, wondering whether to wake Temmin up, finally deciding to let him be; after all, Fennows himself had had many a long night cavorting among the ladies. The poor thing probably had a hangover to boot.
He slipped away from the door and ambled around the study at his ease, fingering Temmin's belongings: a globe; a music box with a Farr's Day inscription from Ellika--he made a note, she liked music boxes--books. Books, whatever for. He was sure Temmin wasn't much of a reader; that was his old man's line, and that horrid oldest sister of his. Must be the loathsome tutor, the one called Teacher, though some called him the Black Man. Servants and their superstitions. He ran his fingers over an old, red leather-bound book and flipped through its pages. Blank. "What a stupid thing to have in one's library," he said.
Fennows spotted the desk, and the paper atop it. He listened; Temmin had begun to snore, loudly. Safe to see what the Heir was writing. Fennows crept up to the desk.
What an interesting letter. Who was Alvo Nollson? He consulted his memory, since apparently he'd met the man--hang on, Nollson was Temmin's groom! Strange letter to send to an undoubted illiterate. Who would teach a groom to read? "A dangerous innovation, I should think," Fennows murmured to himself. He took a small notebook from his breast pocket, and wrote down the salient points. He neglected to write down the passage about himself, preferring to add it instead to the long list of injuries he would one day repay.
When Temmin woke up, Fennows was gone, no sign of his presence left behind.
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