"Sharon Green - [ebel 01 - Rebel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

sheтАЩd earned. Then and only then he would put the brush aside and take her in his arms and
тАЬStop looking so grim, brother, or youтАЩll chase the ladies off,тАЭ MayneтАЩs brother Lethan murmured to him
with a buffet to his shoulder, pulling Mayne out of his thoughts. тАЬNot one of those girls is hard on the
eyes, so we need to thank the gods for allowing us this week to get to know them.
Have you decided yet which one interests you the most? Personally, IтАЩm leaning toward the shy flower in
that incredible green gown that doesnтАЩt look anything like a barrel.тАЭ
тАЬThe girl is just as incredible as that gown,тАЭ MayneтАЩs brother Nallis said from his other side, grinning as
widely as Lethan. тАЬSince Father hasnтАЩt had her arrested on the spot for treason, she may even survive
long enough to marry one of us.тАЭ
тАЬHow can you two joke about that girl?тАЭ Mayne demanded in as low a voice as he could manage while
the three of them walked toward the main table. тАЭShe insulted our father without the least hesitation, and
that isnтАЩt anything to laugh at.тАЭ
тАЬActually, Mayne, what she said was the complete truth,тАЭ Lethan corrected, his grin having disappeared.
тАЬWomen donтАЩt have any rights in our kingdom, but until now none of them have made a fuss about it. I
could see that Father was about to be abrupt with the girl - until he noticed, as I did, that most of the
ladies in the room seemed to agree with her.тАЭ
тАЬAnd that means we may have a potential insurrection on our hands,тАЭ Nallis put in, his own amusement
lessened but still visible. тАЬFatherтАЩs nobles may be able to put fighters into the field, but if the ladies get it
into their heads to be difficult they could easily make life unbearable for nobles and fighters alike. I know
that women usually throw themselves at you, Mayne, but even you should be able to see the problem.тАЭ
Mayne wanted to tell his brothers that they were imagining problems that werenтАЩt there, but even heтАЩd
noticed the expressions on the faces of the other women in the room. The other women clearly wouldnтАЩt
have said the same thing themselves, but once Adair had said itтАж
It looked like problems were beginning to pile up, more problems than the ambition of a couple of
dukesтАж

Chapter Four
As Adair walked toward the main table with Lisni and Nossa, she casually studied the two princes she
hadnтАЩt yet come in contact with. Lethan was second oldest after Mayne, with the same dark brown hair
all three of the brothers had but with blue eyes rather than gray. Nallis had green eyes, but other than that
the three men were almost the same in appearance. They were even just about the same height and
buildтАж
тАЬAt least they havenтАЩt gotten fat and bald yet,тАЭ Nossa murmured as they walked, obviously talking about
the princes. тАЬMy cousin was married to a fat, bald man, and I was told she was very happy with the man
whoтАЩd been chosen for her. Five months later she killed herself, but no one said she must have been a lot
less happy than theyтАЩd thought.тАЭ
тАЬThe fat, bald man must have made a deal with your cousinтАЩs father,тАЭ Lisni responded with a grimace.
тАЬMen always love to make deals, and for some idiotic reason they believe that the deal wonтАЩt fall apart if
a marriage is involved. If you canтАЩt trust someoneтАЩs word about upholding their end of a bargain, why in
the world would you believe that a marriage would make that someone more trustworthy?тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs probably more a matter of buying support in some venture,тАЭ Adair put in when Nossa shook her
head. тАЬInstead of using gold to do the buying, though, they use womenтАЩs bodies. And too many women
havenтАЩt the courage to refuse to go along with the nonsense.тАЭ
тАЬWhat good would refusing do?тАЭ Nossa asked with a sound of ridicule. тАЬWhen you have no say at all in
what happens to you, refusing to do as youтАЩre told is nothing but a waste of time.тАЭ
тАЬIf nothing else, refusing can make life less pleasant for the men,тАЭ Lisni said with a small but evil smile. тАЬIf,
instead of doing as youтАЩre told, you put them to the trouble of forcing you and then spend all your time
complainingтАж The sweetness of life tends to fade for the men rather quickly.тАЭ
Nossa stared at Lisni in delighted surprise while Adair chuckled, and then there was no more time for the
women to talk. TheyтАЩd reached the head table, and everyone was being seated according to some preset