"02 - The Wyvern's Spur - Jeff Grubb & Kate Novak [4.0]" - читать интересную книгу автора (Finder's Stone)

If only he could get them to forget the foibles of his youth and judge him on
his behavior as an adultЧexcept for when he'd lost Aunt Dorath's pet land urchin
in the provisions wagon of the seventh division of His Majesty's Purple Dragoons
and the time he'd gone skinny-dipping in the Wyvernwater on Midwinter Day. After
all, he had no idea a land urchin could eat so much, and no one as inebriated as
he on that Midwinter Day would have passed up such a profitable wager.
He hadn't done anything that foolish sinceЧwell, not since last spring, when
he'd done his impersonation of King Azoun and ended up in a brawl with the crazy
Alias of Westgate, knocking down a tent on top of two hundred people and nearly
breaking up Frefford's wedding reception. He hadn't wanted to do the
impersonation, but his girlfriend, Minda, had nagged him into it. If his family
could only forget that incident, and if no stories of his exploits in Westgate
reached their ears, they might just begin treating him like a normal person.
Granted, that was more luck than the goddess Tymora usually dealt anyone, but it
was still possible.
Prepared to make a fresh start with his family, Giogi considered whether to go
straight to the parlor to pay his respects to Aunt Dorath, or to join the
gentlemen in the dining room for some brandy. If he entered the parlor while the
ladies were still discussing "female things," his Aunt Dorath would be annoyed
with his intrusion. He did want to speak with Uncle Drone, but the old wizard
would not be alone in the dining room. Giogi's second cousins, Frefford and
Steele, would be with him, and, while Frefford might tease him a little about
the wedding reception fiasco, Steele's taunts would be as mean and vicious as
possible.
Giogi liked a room full of people to serve as a buffer between Steele and
himself. Of course, Steele's sister, Julia, would be with the ladies. She could
be mean, too, but she wasn't so bad when she wasn't in Steele's company. Giogi
decided that he might as well break in on the ladies. That way, Aunt Dorath
couldn't accuse him of lapping up her brandy whenever her back was turned,
Besides, Frefford's new wife, Gaylyn, would no doubt be with the ladies, and she
was the cheeriest, most amusing woman Giogi had ever met.
The nobleman knocked timidly on the parlor door, just in case they were
discussing petticoats or something equally personal, then he entered.
Redstone's parlor had not changed since Giogi's last visit, nearly a year ago.
It was warmer and drier than the parlor in Giogi's townhouse, but it was quite a
bit shabbier. Faded tapestries depicting ancient events covered the flaking
stone walls. The once-rich carpets were stained. The furniture coverings were
worn thin. Giogi's mother's money had refurbished his townhouse, but the
Wyvernspur fortune was shrinking, and servants, horses, and clothing had a
higher priority than Red-stone's fashionable appearance. Some generation soon,
the family would need a new source of revenue, though the decision to find one
was unlikely in Aunt Dorath's lifetime.
Aunt Dorath sat perfectly erect in her chair by the fire. She looked up from her
knitting and squinted at Giogi. She was a tall, robust old woman with the
classic Wyvernspur face, thin lips, hawklike nose, and all. Her black hair,
which she wore in a severe bun, was streaked with steel-gray strands. More
streaks had appeared since Giogi had last seen her, and her squint had grown
more pronounced, but, otherwise, time had not touched her much. It wouldn't
dare, Giogi thought.
Gaylyn and Julia were immersed in a game of backgammon and did not notice him