Fiona shook her head. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I think that he still doesn’t know himself.” Then she grinned, saying, “Not that I plan to give him any chance to object, regardless.”

Shaneese hesitated once more, then moved closer to Fiona. “Not that it’s my place,” she told the younger woman, “but there aren’t many who don’t get jealous over time.”

“I know,” Fiona agreed with a sigh. “I’m not one of them, nor is Lorana.”

She allowed a wary look to cross her face. “I’m not quite sure what T’mar wants. I think Kindan is still grappling with his feelings.”

“He probably always will be,” Shaneese said. Fiona looked up at her, trying to keep her worries from showing. “You look like the woman he first loved, you aren’t the woman he learned to love next, and yet …”

“And yet he loves me in spite of all that,” Fiona said, hoping that the words made the truth.

Shaneese nodded. “I think that’s so.” A moment later she added, “But T’mar?”

“He thinks he’s too old for me, even though he’s not much older than Kindan,” Fiona said. “And he worries that his place is with me only because his bronze flew my gold.”

“But isn’t that so?”

“I can’t say for certain, but I don’t think so,” Fiona said. She met the older woman’s eyes squarely. “He was my first, I chose him. But I think more than that, I love him because he’s honest with me and will tell me truths I don’t want to hear and trusts that I’ll listen to him and respect his words.”

“He is quite a man,” Shaneese said in agreement. She gave the young Weyrwoman a calculating look and raised her hand to wiggle a finger warningly under Fiona’s nose. “And if you do decide that he doesn’t suit you, don’t be surprised to find him with me instead.”

Fiona chuckled at the thought. “You are quite an attractive person,” she said. “And I believe that the two of you would make a good pair.” Then she chuckled mischievously.

“What?”

“Why don’t you find out, then?” Fiona said. The headwoman’s surprise was total, so with another chuckle Fiona turned away from her and started out to the Weyr Bowl, pausing only long enough to call back over her shoulder, “I see nothing wrong with sharing.”

“She should take you up on that,” Lorana said as they stood inside the Hatching Grounds; when she’d met Fiona she’d asked her what was so funny. Fiona had relayed the entire conversation.

“She’d be good for him,” Fiona said. “She’s closer to his age and she’d bolster his confidence.”

“Whereas you,” Lorana said with a twinkle in her eyes, “have entirely too much!”