Chapter 15“Lady Annaïs,” Arien said, bowing as they welcomed the Glassell negotiator into their sitting room. The usual business with tea was dispensed with and they were left alone, the two of them and the dog Tiski, which settled by Arien’s chair.
For a while, as they waited to see if they’d need the loan from Glassell to bribe the bounty hunters to hand over Javi, Glassell had been in the ascendency when it came to gaining Arien’s hand in marriage. But things had rather gone back to square one since that plan fell through, and Arien knew to expect a new move to take that initiative back. They’d almost welcome it. After that painful lunch with Finn, they were looking for reasons to take him off the list of consort candidates.
“House Glassell has a proposal,” Annaïs said. She smiled, wr
