“If that’s all that’s lacking, I will be happy to make the introductions. Seriously, Elspeth, you are spending far too much of your time among the Heralds and Heraldic Students. Heralds make up only a very small part of Valdemar, my dear. You need to get to know your courtiers better, particularly those of your own age. Who knows? You may one day wish to choose a consort from among them. You can hardly do that if you don’t know any of them.”

“You have a point, Lord-Uncle,” Elspeth mused, taking another wistful glance out the window, “But when am I going to find the time?”

“Surely you have an hour or two in the evenings?”

“Well, yes, usually.”

“There’s your answer.”

Elspeth smiled. “Lord-Uncle, you’re almost as good at solving problems as Talia!”

Her face fell a trifle then, and Orthallen’s right eyebrow rose as he took note of her expression.

“Is there some problem with Talia?”

“Only—only that there’s only one of her. Mother needs her more than I do, I know that—but—I wish I could talk to her the way I used to when she was still a student. She doesn’t have the time anymore.”

“You could talk to me,” Orthallen pointed out. “Besides, Talia’s first loyalty is to your mother; she might feel obliged to tell her what you confided in her.”

Elspeth did not reply to this, but his words made her very thoughtful.

“At any rate, we were speaking of those young gentlemen who are perishing to make your acquaintance. Would you care to meet some of them tonight, after dinner? In the garden by the fountain, for instance?”

Elspeth blushed and her eyes sparkled. “I’d love to!”

“Then,” Orthallen made her a sweeping bow, “it shall be as my lady commands.”

Elspeth thought a great deal about that conversation as she sat through dinner. On the one hand, she trusted Talia; on the other, if there were a conflict of loyalties there was no doubt to whom her first allegiance was due. She hadn’t thought about it before—but the idea of her mother knowing everything about her wasn’t a comfortable one.

Especially since Selenay didn’t appear to be taking Elspeth’s maturity very seriously.

But Elspeth had gained inches since Talia had gone—and with the inches, a woman’s curves. She was taking more care with her appearance; she’d seen the glances given some of her older friends by the young males of the Collegium and recently those glances had seemed very desirable things to collect. She found that lately she was looking to the young men of Collegium and Court with an eye less bemused and more calculating. And to the eyes of a stranger—