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then a general time period of years was noted.
Among the grandmothers papers was one crisp sheet, obviously carefully
protected. It declared that the ten Whistler sisters married one Alannon,
pedigree lines waived as the groom was war plunder and verbal questioning
indicated no crossbreeding.
Too bad he hadn t thought to show Princess Rennsel-laer this. She seemed
interested in his grandfather.
Bit-ing his lip on bitter thoughts that wanted to crowd in, he placed all the
documents back into the box, and locked it tight.
Their twelve mothers arrived after lunch, while middle sisters tended the back
pasture fence. The youngest reached their mothers first and shouted news at
the top of their lungs. Even from the kitchen where he was kneading bread,
Jerin could hear cries of Heria got a rifle from the Queens! and Jerin and
Eldest are going to Mayfair! Can I go too? Jerin covered the dough to rise,
washed his hands, and went out to welcome them home.
Mother Elder was sitting up on the buckboard s seat, stranded there by a
wailing Bunny on her lap, trying to listen to all her children at once.
Quiet! Hush! Eldest, what in Mothers name is going on?
Princess Rennsellaer s Captain Tern came to stay yesterday, Eldest said,
reaching up to free Mother
Elder of Bunny. Eldest passed the little girl to Mother Dia, and then gave
Mother Elder a hand down.
Mother Elder had been with their father the night before his accident. When
she left for Annaboro, she hadn t realized that she was pregnant, thinking her
weight gain had signaled the start of menopause. Even without her letter from
Annaboro, however, there was no missing the pregnancy now. The buttons of her
shirt, stretched over her swollen belly, were threatening to pop, and she had
a satisfied smile and glow.
She s at Heron Landing today, Eldest said of Captain Tern. But she ll be
back for dinner. The
Queens sent an expensive custom rifle and pistols for Heria. They also offered
to sponsor Jerin s coming out in May-fair. We ve accepted. Captain Tern is to
escort us back to the palace. We haven t decided who will all go.
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I want to go! I want to go! the youngest chorused.
Hush! None of the youngest will go! Mother Elder said firmly. Marriage is
business only for elder and middle sisters. They ll be the only ones going.
This was greeted with groans of disappointment.
Now, now, we ve been riding for hours to see you, so no long faces, or no one
gets their presents from
Annaboro.
The horses were cared for, the supplies carried into the house, and the
presents distributed, all in record time. With the youngest shooed out into
the play yard with their new treasures, Jerin, his elder sisters, and their
mothers settled down to discuss who would go with Eldest to Mayfair.
It says with as many sisters you wish to also attend. Eldest tapped the
Queens letter, folded stiff, on the table. Harvest will start soon; we ll
need almost everyone here. With Captain Tern escorting us downriver, and then
us staying at the palace proper, I can t see needing to take more than two
others.
Which two?
I think we should take Summer, Jerin said quietly.
Summer? Eldest looked and sounded surprised. Why?
Jerin blushed, ducking his head from his elder sisters confused scrutiny.
We re not going just to get me wives, but you a husband too. It d be a shame
to pass up the chance to make an influential marriage both ways. And, well, I
don t mean to slight anyone, but Summer s the prettiest.
What does that have to do with anything? Birdie asked.
Well, Jerin said, if your husband has any say in who he marries, then we
should take the prettiest sister with us. Right?
There was reluctant agreement from his sisters.
Then we ll take Summer, Eldest stated. And who else?
Corelle, Mother Elder stated.
Corelle? Jerin yelped in surprise as the others mur-mured their agreement
with Mother Elder. She s been taking favors from Balin Brindle and she left
the farm unprotected. Take her? After the way she s been?
Especially after the way she s been. Mother Elder said quietly. She hasn t
seen enough of the world, what she s giving up if she settles for Balin
Brindle.
But Mother Elder! Jerin cried. It would be like rewarding her for being
bad! 1 don t know why you let Corelle get away with things.
Jerin, we have four sons, Mother Elder said, taking his hands. We could
easily split the family four ways, though we probably won t, but we certainly
will be splitting at least once. Either Corelle, Heria, or
Blush will be Mother Elder for the younger sisters. You can t make good
decisions as an adult if you were never allowed to make any decisions while
you were a child. Now is the time for Corelle to learn from her mistakes.
Couldn t you split the family so Summer is Mother Elder? Jerin grumbled.
Summer isn t strong enough. Where Corelle leads, the others follow. We only
need to teach her to lead wisely.
The middle sisters rode in shortly before dinner. Eldest met them at the
paddock, pulled Summer and
Corelle aside, and told them that they would be going to May-fair. The others
could hear Corelle scream from all the way in the kitchen, sounding like
someone was murdering her with a rusty knife.
What did Corelle do this time? Blush asked.
What s Eldest doing to her? Leia peered out the kitchen window. From there
they could see Corelle, leaping up and down in the paddock, still screaming.
Heria glanced out the window and made a noise of disgust. Corelle s going
with Jerin and Eldest to
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May-fair. Eldest just told her.
Lucky dog, Blush muttered.
After a sleepless night that seemed to go on forever, dawn came. Jerin dressed
in his loose, dun-colored walking robe, folded up his quilt, placed it in his
wedding chest, and locked it tight shut. When he came down to breakfast.
Eldest and Birdie went up to carry his chest out to the buckboard. Eldest.
Corelle, and Summer stacked their bags on top of it.
Breakfast was quiet and solemn. Afterward, he hugged and kissed his mothers,
sisters, and brothers good-bye. He gazed one last time at the solid stone
farmhouse, the well-kept barns, the sprawling fields.
Then he left home, forever.
Chapter 7
They planned on being early to Heron Landing so there d be no chance of
missing the packet that arrived at noon. Three-quarters of a mile from the
house, the Whistlers lane joined the common road; there, Eldest was able to
whip the horses into a smooth trot. Captain Tern rode outrider on her big
black, easily keeping pace, her eyes sharp for danger.
While they traveled, they discussed what to buy at the mercantile in town.
Mother Elder started the discussion by clucking over the condition of Jerin s
traveling hat, and stated that he couldn t board the packet without a new one.
Summer had promised all those left behind to buy stick candy and send it home
with the wagon. Eldest wanted ammo for their pistols, which, in Mayfair, would
be their principal weapons. Jerin needed cream for his hands, as they were
hopelessly callused and chapped by his chores, but he wouldn t give Corelle
the satisfaction of hearing him say it aloud. Corelle, of course, had no
money, so it came as no surprise when she declared that she would stand guard
on their luggage with
Mother Erica.
By Eldest s pocket watch, they arrived in town a good two hours before the
packet was due. She pulled the wagon up to the mercantile s hitching post and
swung down to tie the horses off. Captain Tern tied her black alongside, then
came to give Jerin a hand down. Eldest frowned but said nothing; she was used
to him scram-bling up and down on his own, but then normally he wore trousers.
The mercantile was the largest building in town, with twin mullioned bay
windows bracing the door. A
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