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It had been a long, long day. After shopping, Lalya and Mradi had returned to Mradi’s home, where Lalya changed back into the clothes he had started the morning in, explaining that he wanted to surprise Dini after dinner.
Mradi teased him, but she folded the silk dress carefully, setting it into the bag over the heavier crocheted underdress, and tucked a scrap of red cloth over it all to hide what was inside.
When Dini and Filor showed up, Lalya had expressed amazement at each of the gaudy wigs Filor insisted on showing off, before begging the boy’s pardon that they could not stay for dinner. His public appearance in women’s dress weighed on him—it often seemed to Lalya that his mother knew most of the gossips in the city, especially the ones involved in the carnal guild and theatres. He hurried Dini off to the [train] station and bought them licenses for an evening’s travel across the city.
Holding the bag with his new clothes carefully on his other side, Lalya flirted with Dini along the way, trying to distract himself from imagining his mother’s response to their news.
They fell silent as they approached the House where Leilara lived and worked. Tamaava was sitting outside, her ready smile a welcome sight. “Did you come all the way to see your mother, child?”
Lalya bowed to the wizened old lady. “We have.”
“You’re too late—she just left with a client.” Tamaava lifted her needlework, pretending, as always to be nothing more than a hanger-on, but Lalya knew she was the heart of the House, and kept her workers’ schedules in her head.
“Oh!” Lalya held his smile with an effort. “Ah—might she be free for lunch tomorrow?”
The old woman shook her head. “They headed to Affanumuur for a tenday. She must have forgotten to tell you about her plans.” She looked from Lalya to Dini. “So, what brings you two here to see her so late in the day?”
Lalya looked at Dini, not wanting to break the news to Tamaava before Leilara.
Dini smiled. “Theatre gossip, of course. I’ve been picked for a new play.”
“Oh?” Tamaava leaned forward.
Dini shook his head. “It hasn’t been announced officially yet. Besides, I know how much joy Leilara gets from sharing such news herself. Don’t you go hinting at it when she gets back—I want to surprise her!” He gave the old woman his sweetest smile.
She just laughed. “You know I can keep a secret.”
Lalya joined in the laughter. It was true that Tamaava kept all of the secrets of her workers and their clients, but she never forgot to share a bit of gossip that wasn’t protected by professional ethics. He had no doubt that she would “forget” to keep the secret over and over, which would mean he’d see his mother as soon as she returned to Affamarg.
Dini bowed low over the old woman’s hand. “I do know.” One of his unadvertised tasks for the company was to plant gossip that would help get his fans ready for the announcement, when it came. “Keep it properly, and you might get an invitation to opening night.”
Tamaava laughed too. “You sure you don’t want to share any more details, pretty boy?”
“Maybe next time.”
Laughing, Dini and Lalya headed back toward the [train] stop.
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I'm not remembering which type of public conveyance Dini and Lalya would be using--does someone else remember that off-hand?
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