"Robin McKinley - Rose Daughter" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinley Robin)

went mad,тАЭ said Jeweltongue, who was the one of the three of them who minded most about a clean
house and therefore did more than her fair share of the housework. Then Lionheart built Ihem a new and
magnificently weatherproof privyтАФтАЬPlease observe that all my joins join,тАЩтАЩ she saidтАФand finished
clearing the meadow round the cottage so it was a meadow again. Beauty had helped with both shed and
privy, but she was more and more absorbed in reclaiming the garden, which didnтАЩt interest Lionheart in
the slightest; and Lionheart was, indeed, enjoying herself, although her hurling her materials round and
swearing at her tools when she had not skill enough to make them do what she wanted might have led
anyone who knew her less well than her sisters to believe otherwise.
But there were no more major projects to plunge into and grapple with. Lionhcatt trimmed the
encroaching undergrowth back a little from the track that led from the main way to their cottage; but after
that she was reduced to chopping wood for their firesтАФand this late in the year they only needed the one
fire for cookingтАФand the cooking itself, which was necessarily plain and simple and which she had
furthermore grown very efficient at. тАЬWho wants to be indoors in spring anyway?тАЭ she muttered. тАЬMaybe
IтАЩll apprentice myself to a thatcher.тАЭ
One morning she disappeared.
тАЬOh, my lords and ladies, what will she get up to?тАЭ said Jeweltongue, but she had her sewing to
attend to. Beauty spent the day in the garden, refusing to think about anything but earth and weeds and
avoiding being torn to shreds by the queer thorny bushes which there were so many of around Rose
Cottage.
Lionheart returned in time to have the last cup of tea, very stewed, from the teapot, and to get
supper. тАЬWhere have you been?тАЭ said Jeweltongue.
тАЬHrnm?тАЭ said Lionheart, her eyes refocusing from whatever distant menial picture she had been
contemplating. тАЬMrnm. DonтАЩt you grow awfully bored just looking at one stitch and then the next stitch
and then the next? I have been giving you something to distract you, by worrying where I was,тАЭ replied
Lionheart, but, before Jeweltongue could say anything else, added, тАЬHave you met our local squire yet?
Or his sister? The sister is the one you want to put yourself in the way of, I would say. She looks to be
quite vain about her dresses.тАЭ
тАЬLionheart, you didnтАЩt!тАЭ said Jeweltongue in alarm.
тАЬNo, no, I didnтАЩt,тАЭ said Lionheart. She dropped her voice so their father, dozing in his chair by the
fire, would not hear her. тАЬWhat would I say? тАШGood day, sir, in the old days my father wouldnтАЩt have let
you black his boots, but now my sister would be glad of a chance to make your waistcoats? For a good
price, sir, please, sir, our roof needs rethatchingтАЩ?тАЭ LionheartтАЩs careless tone did not disguise her
bitterness, nor did her sisters miss the glance she gave to her hands. In the old days they had all had
ladyтАЩs hands; even the calluses Lionheart had from riding were smooth, cushioned by the finest kid riding
gloves, pumiced and lo-tioned by her maid. Lionheart raised her eyes and met BeautyтАЩs across the table.
тАЬI know that look,тАЭ said Lion-heart. тАЬWhat sororal sedition are you nursing behind that misleadingly
amiable stare?тАЭ
тАЬI am wondering what you thought about the squireтАЩs sisterтАЩs horse,тАЭ said Beauty.
Lionheart laughed. тАЬItтАЩs the right target, but your arrow is wide. The squireтАЩs sister drives a pair of
ponies oider and dullerтАФalthough rather belter keptтАФthan those farm horses we brought here, and the
squire himself rides a square cobby thing suitable to his age and girth. But if you had asked about the
squireтАЩs eldest sonтАЩs horse ...тАЭ
тАЬWhat?тАЭ said Jeweltongue. But Lionheart refused to be drawn. She stood up from the table and
began to bang and clatter their few pots and pans, as if to drown out any further questions. Finally
Jeweltongue said: тАЬHave a little care. Mrs Oldhouse says the tinker will not be here again for months.тАЭ
Their father woke up, stared bemusedly at the cup of now-cold tea sitting at his elbow, and went
back to musing over his pen and scribbles. тАЬMay I make you some fresh tea, Father?тАЭ said Lionheart,
guiltily caught mid-clash.
тАЬNo. no, my dear, I am not thirsty,тАЭ he said absently; then he looked up. тАЬYou have been away, have
you not? We missed you at lunch. Have you had an interesting day?тАЭ