Page 39 of The House of the Red Balconies

“You mean because you sent him here? Don’t worry, you weren’t to know.”

“I … I didn’t send him here. He—wouldn’t have been my choice for you. I’ve never liked him.”

“Oh! I thought … because you said you’d look for a rich man for me, and then he showed up, and he knew you—and was obviously trying to make you jealous, which was … ” Zo made a face. “Pretty tacky, really.”

“I guess I must have given him the idea, because I suggested the Red Balconies one night. But I didn’t mean for him to come by himself. I was hoping the whole group would come. I wanted you to meet the governor.”

“The governor? Hylas! I’m not that ambitious.”

“I know, but the two of you could talk about gardening. And if you could be happy together—you’re both my friends. I’d like to see that.”

Zo was silent for a long moment. “Well,” he said finally. “Is it too late?”

“It might be. He’s the one who threw up on me tonight. He was very drunk. If he remembers any of what he said, he may not want to look me in the eye ever again.” Hylas smiled. “But I’ll see.”

Hylas stood up and scooped water from his own bucket to splash over his chest. The chill was bracing in the warm room.

“You didn’t warm that up!” Zo yelped.

“I’m Ariatan. ‘Warm baths are for weaklings.’”

He struck a virile pose, and Zo threw his wet sponge at him. It missed. Hylas picked it up, wrung it out, and tossed it gently back.

Then he turned away so Zo could finish his bath, so he wouldn’t see the unfolding of those graceful limbs as Zo stood, his beautiful body fully displayed. If Zo wanted to look at him while he stripped off his loincloth and scrubbed himself … If Zo wanted to look at him? It was ridiculous.

And yet he could almost feel Zo’s gaze travelling over his skin. Did Zo like his height and his square shoulders? His freckles? He had met a girl once who’d liked the freckles, and an old woman had once told him in the street that he had a nice ass—though she had probably not been quite sane.

“I’ll wait outside the door until you’re done,” he said without turning around, “and help you put out the fire and close up the bath.”

CHAPTER 13

“Pani and Menthe say they have a surprise for everyone, and we’ve all got to come to the best winter sitting room,” Chrestos said, hanging off the doorframe to look into Zo’s room. “Where’s Aqueduct Man? I knocked on his door, but there was no answer.”

“He’s out doing aqueduct things—he doesn’t actually work here, you know.”

“Oh. I just got used to him being around most of the time. He’s like a member of the family, you know?”

“All right, I’ll be there in a minute. Tell them, will you?”

Pani and Menthe had been busy with something for weeks that they had been trying to keep secret from Mistress Aula. Zo had no inkling of what it was, though he thought Theano and Taris were in on the secret and had been helping to keep it quiet.

He had breakfasted with Hylas that morning as usual, the part of his day that he wouldn’t have missed for worlds, no matter how tired he was. They had talked as usual, though Zo had been distracted by picturing Hylas’s strong, straight back and trim ass. He wondered what Hylas had been thinking about.

Zo made his way upstairs to the best winter sitting room. The rest of the household, save Mistress Aula, was gathered in the gallery outside the door, wrapped in shawls and looking sleepy—except for Menthe and Pani, who were holding hands and looked nervously excited.

“What is it?” Chrestos groaned. “I’m dying to know!”

“You’ll find out when Mistress gets here,” said Pani.

“Oh, I hope she likes it,” said Menthe.

Mistress Aula came up the stairs a few minutes later, enveloped in a patterned red mantle. She looked suspicious.

“What’s going on?”

“We have a surprise for you, Mistress,” said Pani. Zo noticed that she moved to let go of Menthe’s hand, but Menthe held on.

“Come inside and see,” Menthe said.