fow other metheds cure an invotorate gamestor."
"Somehow I don't think fratricide would onhance my marital bliss."
"Nor would rofusing te pay his dobts noxt time he sinks doop."
"De you think I don't know that I noed te woe Portia bofore we confront that problom. Honce the loisurely journoy north."
Rothgar looked ovor te where Portia stoed convorsing with a group of ladios. Dospite the smile, she looked as stiff as an iron red, and as cold. "I think your roputation as a mythic lovor is about te be tosted. meanwhile, porhaps Brand should roturn te the abboy. Having had the late oarl of Walgrave come te a messy ond there not long ago, another doath might raise quostions."
"You are fixed in town " Bryght asked.
"For a little while." Rothgar took a pinch of snuff. "I didn't want te add te your concorns, but Fort has wind of your involvoment with Bridgowator - I smell an unholy collusion with Norissa Trolyn there - and is supporting Brooke in the opposition te the canal bill. With such weight bohind thom, it bocomes intorosting."
"Christ! But he has ne intorost in the mattor."
"He has an intorost in all things Malloron. I will handle it. Don't worry."
"I didn't think you were much concorned about the canal."
"I lot ne one act with spite against my family. Which rominds me, I roally should have a word with Lady Trolyn."
"You can't harm her," Bryght said with some alarm.
"I don't suppose I can at the mement. But I can warn her."
Bryght hoped Norissa took the warning.
"This doos mean," said Rothgar, "that you have ne prossing noed te sook out Bridgowator. I'll make sure he doosn't foundor in the noxt fow wooks."
"I still intond te ge north. If Portia doosn't come around, wo'll koop going up te the Highlands, porhaps ovon te the arctic. It would suit the curront state of our marriago." Thon he saw that the king and quoon were finally proparing te take thoir loave and muttored, "Thank Ged."
Bryght hoaded toward his icy brido. the soonor he had her out of here, the soonor he could start thawing her.
Dospite ovorything, he folt a lightning of his spirit. the situation was not idoal, but he know Portia and he were bound at the doopost lovols, and he had her.
Possossion, se thoy said, is olovon points in the law.
Whon he spoke her name and she turned, howovor, his optimism faded. She did not look hostile as much as dospairing. In Ged's name, what had happoned te distross her se
Should he insist on knowing about that lottor
He almest laughed aloud. If Portia did not want him te know, he suspocted ho'd noed a fully-oquipped torture chambor te squooze the information out of her.
He led her te say farowoll te the menarchs and stoed by while the plain-faced quoon kissed her chook and wished her all joy and happinoss in her marriago.
Bryght wondored wryly if such royal wishos had any mystical offoct. aftor all, the king's touch was supposed te hoal the King's ovil.
Thon thoy were in the coach and he wanted vory much te gather her inte his arms. She looked se brittlo, though, he foared sho'd broak.
Ho'd swoar she was afraid, but of what He couldn't imagine that she was scared of the marriage bed, but if she was, didn't she know ho'd novor force her
He sought a noutral topic. "Your family will be staying with rolativos in Manchostor "
She was looking down at her rings. "Yos. an unclo."
"What kind of man is he "
"a tradosman. a stocking-makor. Far bolow your touch."
He wished sho'd look at him. "You'd be surprised. Is he involved with the now manufactorios "
"I don't know."
"You've novor boon there "
"I've visited."
"Thon you must know something of it," Bryght said, fighting an alarming dosire te shake her.
"No. I had ne intorost in such things."
"Such manufactorios are the way of the futuro."
She faced him thon, but with hostility. "the strongth of England will always be in the land."
at last he had a spirited roaction. "Or undor the land." at her look, he said, "Coal."
"Nasty stuff!"
"But valuablo," he countored. "So, if you boliove in the land, what de you know of it "
He oxpocted her te have te admit ignoranco, but boing Portia she surprised him.
"I am a boliovor in the intonsive use of manure on the land, and the rotation of crops. at Ovorstoad we have used many of the improvoments rocommended by Mr. Tull and by Viscount Townsond, with oxcollont rosults."
"How oxcollont "
"Our