Sharon Shinn - Gateway

If Chenglei suspected she had betrayed him, she would have to go home.

If he did not, she had to play out this charade to the bitter end.

QūUAN WAS SITTING at one of the outdoor tables, crunching on a chocolate ice and looking very ill-used. Daiyu slipped into the seat across from him, folded her hands before her on the table, and lowered her eyes.

“My most abject apologies, honored Quan,” she said very formally. “I have behaved like a girl from the most backward of provinces and not like a young woman from the best family. I am ashamed. I cannot hope to be forgiven. I have come merely to tell you that I am sorry and that I will find my way back to the prime minister’s on my own.”

“No,” he said sharply as she began to rise from her chair. And then, in a softer voice, “No. Please, Daiyu. Stay. I admit I am puzzled and confused, but I am not angry.”

“Your forbearance is more than I deserve.”

He signaled to the waiter, who was already bringing over a chocolate ice for Daiyu. “What I deserve, perhaps, is an explanation.”

She took three bites before answering. Her mouth was so dry from running and panting that the confection tasted divine. “I told you. I swore to Xiang that I had bought her a gift from a riverfront store, but I lied. I was afraid she would disown me if I did not give it to her tonight.”

“But what is the gift?”

She risked a quick look at him, a secretive smile. “Ah, it is something only women can know about.”

He blushed and looked away. He was one of those men who thought women so mysterious that they were actually a little frightening. “And why did you fail to buy it for her before today?”

She made her voice small and contrite. “Because I was unwilling to give up any chance I had to spend time with you.”

It was a good gamble, and it paid off. His head came back around, and his smile was wide and pleased. “I would have helped you long before this,” he said. “You would not have had to forfeit our time.”

She bowed her head again, her own smile widening. “But I did not want to take the risk,” she said. “I am so sorry. I have been unforgivably foolish.”

His hand came up briefly to touch the back of hers where it lay on the table. “Very foolish,” he said in a caressing voice, “but not unforgivably so. I am glad I was able to aid you today, Daiyu.”

She took a deep breath. “And you will never know, Quan, how glad I am that you were there to help me.”

Xiang was in a rare state when Daiyu got back to the prime minister’s house. “Where have you been? Gone so long on such an important day! You should be bathed already and sitting before your maid to have your hair styled.”

“I was with Quan, Aunt,” Daiyu said, her eyes wide with innocent surprise. “I thought you liked it when I spent time with Mei’s son.”

“Yes, but to be gone so long on such a day! And you did not even inform the prime minister that you were leaving, as I expressly told you to do! He came looking for you and was very surprised to learn you were gone.”

“He came looking for me?” Daiyu said, keeping her voice calm. “Was he angry?”

“No, but he was disappointed. He said your talk this morning had been cut short and he wished to resume it.”

“That is why I could not tell him I was leaving, Aunt. He had an important visitor. Who am I to interrupt?”

Xiang seemed a little mollified. “He asked if we might stay tomorrow after the rest of the guests were gone so that he could finish showing you his collection. So that he could show both of us his collection,” Xiang added, sounding smug.

Daiyu tried not to take a deep breath of relief. This mark of exceptional favor meant the prime minister knew nothing of Daiyu’s betrayal. This and the fact that he hadn’t had his guards arrest her the moment she returned to the house. “Oh, Aunt, I hope you said we could!”

“Of course I did! I know what kind of behavior is proper when I am visiting the house of an important man!”

“Yes, Aunt. I apologize, Aunt. I’m sorry I have disappointed you.”

Xiang fussed for a few more minutes, but really there was no time. They had to separate to their own rooms and quickly begin the ritual of readying themselves for the holiday dinner. In Daiyu’s case, this involved taking a scented bath, applying body oils, getting the maid’s help to put on the pearl-sewn black sheath, allowing a second maid to fix her hair while the first one brushed her face with cosmetics. She couldn’t imagine how many more steps Xiang required.

Finally Daiyu had donned the finishing touches-ropes of pearls on her wrists and at her throat, pearls and studs of onyx at her ears, and flat embroidered black shoes-and she was ready to go. She shooed the maids out of the room, claiming a need for one last moment of privacy, and slipped the quartz stone in its silken pouch into her right-hand pocket.

She was ready to celebrate the holiday.

Chenglei’s party was utterly charming. Even before true darkness fell, the festive lanterns strung overhead washed the back lawns with color; sweet doughs baking and spicy meats frying sent tantalizing aromas swirling out from the tents. The guests were all dressed in summer elegance, bare arms glittering with jewels, faces lifted to catch the first cool breezes of evening. The whole tone of the event was one of suppressed excitement as the privileged families of Shenglang gathered in one place to show off their beauty and revel in their wealth.

It was fairly easy for Daiyu to get free of Xiang, who was much more interested in banding together with her cronies and dropping hints about her invitation to view Chenglei’s artifacts in the morning. Daiyu supposed she also managed to work into the conversation how much time her niece was spending with Mei’s son. In fact, here at the party, Quan was making his interest in Daiyu quite clear as he strolled around the lawns with her for much of the evening, introducing her to his friends and offering every five minutes to fetch her something else to eat. She allowed herself, now and then, to touch him on the arm in a proprietary manner. Some of the girls her own age glared at her when they thought no one else could see their faces; some of them sighed and looked forlorn.

Daiyu had never meant for her life in Shenglang to get this tangled.

It was just on the edge of true darkness, and the technicians at the very back of the lawns had set off a few preliminary fireworks, when Mei approached Daiyu and Quan as they stood together, idly talking.

“Ah, Daiyu, how are you enjoying your first summer holiday here in Shenglang?” Mei asked in a very friendly way. “It is much different from such holidays back home, isn’t it?”

“Very much so,” Daiyu agreed, “though we do have fireworks. What would a summer holiday be without them? But I am sure the prime minister’s will be more spectacular than any I have seen.”

“Some year, if you are not invited to the prime minister’s for the holiday, you should go down to the riverfront and watch the display there,” Quan said. “It is a noisy and very public place, of course, but the colors overhead are magnificent.”

“Foolish boy, why would there ever be a time Daiyu was not invited to the prime minister’s?” Mei demanded.

Quan bowed his head, chastened, but he managed to give Daiyu a quick sideways grin. “Forgive me, Mother, that was indeed foolish.”

Mei had taken hold of Daiyu’s arm. “Come with me, Daiyu. One of my sisters and her daughter are here and they want to meet you. No, Quan, you find someone else to absorb your attention tonight. You do not want to be so particular that people talk about you.”