"You're cold," said Oberon disgustedly. "You always were. "
"Perhaps," said Lorkyn, "but now I can learn to be warm. Rowan Mayfair will teach me. "
"Oh, that's rich!" said Mona. "Oberon and Miravelle, you had better order your winter furs. "
Michael roused himself from his quiet reflections. "Mona, honey, please try to trust in what we're trying to do. "
"If you say so, Uncle Michael," said Mona.
"Don't you agree, both of you?" asked Lorkyn, looking at Oberon and Miravelle, "that we need a haven? We cannot simply go out into the world. "
"No, no, I don't want to go out into the world," said Miravelle.
Oberon thought for a long moment, the fabulous eyelids lowering and then rising.
"You're right, of course you are. Where else but here can we discover some contraceptive that allows us to couple without hatching another immediately? Of course. It's brilliant. Very well. " He gave one of his languid graceful shrugs. "But do we have money from the accounts you managed to transfer?" he asked.
"We have wealth from Father," said Lorkyn. "Great wealth. The Mayfair family discovered it. That's no longer a problem. You need not feel beholden. We're quite free. "
"No, never feel beholden," said Rowan softly.
"Very well. I feel this discussion has come to an end," said Lorkyn.
She rose. She looked at Rowan and something silent passed between the two women, some exchange of approval and confidence and belief.
Oberon rose to his feet and took Miravelle by the hand.
"Come, my blessed little idiot," he said to Miravelle, "we'll go back to my suite and continue watchingThe Lord of the Rings. By now they'll have the white chocolate candy for us and the cold cold milk. "
"Oh, everyone's so good to us," said Miravelle, "I love you all, I want you to know. And I'm so glad all the bad men died and Rodrigo fell off the balcony. It was just the best of luck. "
"Isn't it uplifting, the way she describes it?" asked Oberon archly. "And to think I get to listen to this eighteen hours a day. What about you, Lorkyn? You ever going to drop in to see your brother and sister and indulge in a little intelligent discourse about your medical studies? I might go simply mad if I don't speak to someone from time to time who can use four-syllable words. "
"Yes, Oberon," she said. "I'll come to you more than you might think. "
She came round the table and stood before him. A great relaxation came over him, and he took Lorkyn in his arms. There was an ardent kiss and a slow moving away, with reverence and a locking of thin delicate fingers.
"Oh, I am so happy," said Miravelle. She kissed Lorkyn on the cheek.
Oberon and Miravelle left.
Lorkyn gave formal nods to all the company, gesturing for the men to take their seats again, and she too went out the doo
r.
The room fell quiet.
Then Rowan spoke: "She's incomparably brilliant," she said.
"I understand," I responded.
No one else spoke.
Mona sat there still for a long time, her eyes every so often engaging Rowan.
Then very softly, Mona said, "It's over. "
Rowan didn't answer.