“Which one is he?” Avinia asked. Her head was cocked to the side as she studied Kit, her face puckered up in contemplation.
“I told you. He has red hair. He’s tall, a bit lanky. Kind eyes. Green—but not the striking kind.” Kit had already given them every last detail of her encounter in the barn, and neither of her ladies had reacted the way she’d been hoping for.
“Hmmm,” Isla picked up a section of Kit’s long hair and began to comb it out. “I would think if he were worth remembering, I would know which one he is.”
“Yes, I was thinking exactly the same thing. There are so many attractive guards available to you, Katrinetta. You need a full grown man, not a boy child.”
“I agree. You want your first pleasuring to be with someone who knows precisely what he is doing.” Isla hit a tangle, making Kit squeal, but her cousin just kept right on combing.
“He’s not a boy child,” she argued. She was so disappointed that they weren’t happy for her. Rather, they seemed to think she’d made a mistake. “You’re one to talk anyway, Isla. How many pleasuring partners did you have during your entire Exploration? Three?”
“It’s not the number of partners that counts. It’s their capabilities,” Isla replied, pinning up the section of hair she’d been working on and moving to the last. “Besides, my Choosing begins in just a few days, and I will know exactly what I am looking for.”
“And that means you will have a new lady—temporarily,” Avinia reminded her. Kit’s face fell, as did Isla’s, which secretly made Kit happy. At least Isla enjoyed her assignment. “And I believe your mother will let you know who she has selected tomorrow.”
“Well, whoever she is, I hope that she is kind and generous.” Isla hit another snag, and Kit cried out again. “And gentle.”
“Pardon, Princess,” Isla replied, finishing her work. “But… I do think you should have a bit of council from me before I go off. When it comes to choosing men for your pleasuring, you certainly need some assistance.”
Kit twisted on her stool to look at their true faces rather than their reflections. “You don’t even know which one he is.”
Avinia glanced across the room at the clock. “Well, that can be remedied. Look! It’s half past five, and that means that the members of your guard who are not on duty are in the courtyard, going through their drills.”
“Oh, that’s right!” Isla nearly squealed. “Not only can you point him out to us, we can give you some advice.”
Kit felt her cheeks flush. “What? You expect me to spy on my own guards? To discuss them from the window while they are practicing their skills in order to keep me safe?”
“Yes, of course,” Avinia said with a shrug. “The kitchen girls do it. Why shouldn’t we?”
“We do it, too,” Isla said with a wicked grin.
Kit’s eyes enlarged. “I should say I never do!”
“No, of course you don’t,” Avinia replied. “We all know you’ve only had eyes for one man, though there have been enough times we’ve spied on him running about in the courtyard, bare chested.” Avinia’s eyes glazed over a bit, and Isla giggled. Kit felt as if she might vomit. Or explode. Why had it never occurred to her to watch her guards in training? Especially before Eli left?
“Come on, Katrinetta!” Isla urged. “These are important matters. Clearly, you haven’t any idea what you should be looking for.”
Kit disagreed and checked the time again. “I’m to be at my mother’s dining room in an hour.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Come along.” Avinia grabbed her mistress by the elbow and pulled her to her feet. The train of Kit’s flowing pink gown caught on the leg of her stool, and it nearly tore before she could tug it free, but Avinia didn’t slow, so the princess reluctantly went along, though she wasn’t exactly sure why she wasn’t bouncing down the halls like the other two. Perhaps it was the sound of her mother’s voice catching in her mind, telling her it wasn’t something proper young ladies would do. But then, her mother had never specifically told her not to spy on the guards….