Devin had a sudden intuition, looking at him, that this relaxed, sociable man was at least as close to the center of the Prince of Tigana as was the arrogantly precise figure he'd seen in the forest cabin
He escapes this way, he thought suddenlyAnd even as the idea entered his mind he knew that it was trueHe had heard the man play the "Lament for Adaon
"Well," said Rovigo, smiling at Catriana, "if you are gracious enough to indulge a shameless child I blush to acknowledge as my own, it happens that I do have a set of Tregean pipes in the house, the Triad alone know whyI seem to remember once having a doting father's fancy that one of these creatures might emerge with a talent of some sort
Alix, from several feet away, mimed a blow with a spoon at her husbandUnabashed, his good spirits restored, Rovigo sent the youngest girl off to fetch the pipes while he set about refilling everyone's glass
Devin caught Alais looking at him from the seat she'd http://www.enluxury.com" target="_blank taken next to the fireReflexively he smiled at herShe didn't smile back, but her gaze, mild and serious, did not break awayHe felt a small, unsettling skip to the rhythm of his heart
As it turned out, after the meal was over he and Catriana sang for better than an hour to Alessan's pipesPart of the way through, as they began one of the rousing old Certandan highland ballads, Rovigo left briefly and returned with a linked pair of Senzian drumsShyly at first, very softly, he joined in on the refrain, proving as competent at that as at everything else Devin had seen him doCatriana favored him with a particularly dazzling smileRovigo needed no further encouragement to stay with them on the next song, and the next
No man, Devin found himself thinking, should need more encouragement to do anything in the world than that look from those blue eyesNot that Catriana had ever favored him with anything remotely resembling such a glanceHe found himself feeling http://www.enluxury.com/scategory_11_Prada.html" target="_blank somewhat confused all of a sudden
Someone, Alais evidently, had filled his glass a third timeHe drank a little more quickly than was good for him, given the legendary potency of blue wine, and then he led the other three into the next number: the last one for the two younger girls, Alix ruled, over protests
He couldn't sing of Tigana, and he was certainly not about to sing of passion or love, so he began the very old song of Eanna's making the stars and committing the name of every single one of them to her
memory, so that nothing might ever be lost or forgotten in the deeps of space or time
It was the closest he could come to what the night had meant to him, to why, in the end, he had made the choice he had
As he began it, he received a look from Alessan, thoughtful and knowing, and a quick, enigmatic glance from Catriana as they joined with himRovigo's drums fell silent this time as the merchant listenedDevin saw Alais, her black hair backlit by the http://www.snluxury.com/categorys_89_Coco-Chanel-Jumbo-Flap-Bag_1.html" target="_blank fire, watching him with grave concentrationHe sang one whole verse directly to her, then, in fidelity to the song, he sent his vision inward to where his purest music was always found, and he looked at no one at all as he sang to Eanna herself, a hymn to names and the naming of things
Somewhere, part of the way through, he had a bright image in his mind of a blue-white star named Micaela aloft in a black night, and he let the keenness of that carry him, high and soaring, up toward Catriana's harmony and then back down softly to an end
In the quiet of the mood so shaped, Selvena and the two younger girls went to bed with surprising tranquilityA few moments later Alix rose as well, and so, to Devin's disappointment, did Alais
In the doorway she turned and looked at Catriana"You must be very tired," Rovigo's daughter said"If you like I can show you your room nowI hope you don't mind sharing with meSelvena usually does, but she's in with the girls http://www.snluxury.com/categorys_27_Seamaster-300600M_1.html" target="_blank tonight
Devin expected Catriana to demur, or worse, at this fairly transparent separation of the women and the menShe surprised him again though, hesitating only a second before rising"I am tired, and I don't mind sharing at all," she said"It will remind me of home
Devin, who had been smiling at the irony of the situation suddenly found the expression less appropriate than he'd thoughtCatriana had seen him grinning though; he wished, abruptly, that she hadn'tShe was sure to misunderstandIt occurred to him, with a genuine sense of unreality, that they had made love together that morning
For some time after the women had gone the three men sat in silence, each lost in his own thoughtsRovigo rose at length and refilled their glasses with the last of the wineHe put another log on the fire and watched until it caughtWith a sigh he sank back into his chairToying with his glass he looked from one to the other of his guests
It was Alessan who broke the silence http://www.irluxury.com/scategory_11_Prada.html" target="_blank tho