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A Greywood Family Reunion

The inn yard was respectable - it attracted the trade of those who had been stranded outside the city gates. But of the two inns available, this was the cheaper, and that showed in the quality of the guests - prosperous working men rather than wealthy cits or nobility.

Olivia slipped her hand through her husband's arm, content to be close to him as he entered the coffee room in quest of his cousins.

She stood on the threshold, smart and trim in her jacket and skirt of deep green silk, stylishly designed - yet also designed to be suitable for practical wear rather than high fashion. Her fair hair was gathered back in a slightly untidy pleat, and her green eyes showed her intelligence and an innate kindliness.

His dark hair was always close-cut, and in the last few years was showing some salt-and-pepper at the temples. Befitting the weather, he was in a light-colored suit, with a deep red shirt and matching tie on underneath. When he spoke to the innkeeper still at the door, his voice was a softly rolling low tenor.

"Please show us to a private dining room. And, if you would, invite the guests you discussed with my driver to join us."

Vivien looked up as the doors opened and the couple entered the room. She thought the woman was quite attractive in green, although she wondered if she knew that almost any pastel color would do as well to bring out the color of her splendid eyes.

She glanced around, trying to decide if these were her relatives come to fetch her, or if they were searching for someone else. Her grey eyes veiled by her eyelashes, her round, classic face took on a hint of softness and vulnerability. Her dark hair was pulled back in an elaborate braided bun, a few strands loose and framing her face, but seeming intentional. She wore a traveling suit of a musty green, with a white rosebud pinned to the jacket. The suit was smart and flattering, of an unusual cut.

Gloria Greywood dressed in a grayish-purple traveling suit that complimented with her wispy white hair. She glanced around at the tables in the room.

"Vivvie, did you see any newspapers lying about? They'll help you figure out who might be important. Lord Greywood probably knows them all. Perhaps he can introduce you," she said hopefully, with a gentle smile. "Well, if we're having lunch here, I may as well get in a couple more stitches." She pulled her embroidery back out of her bag.

Vivien shrugged and turned back to her tea. "All right, Nana. Perhaps I'll ask him." She reached up and massaged her temples. "The noise in here is devastating," she commented, taking a tiny bottle out of her beaded purse and sipping from it.

Olivia glanced up at her husband, wondering whether he recognised these people.

As they passed the others, a light of recognition went off in his eyes. With a few discreet gestures, he stopped both his wife and the publican. Bending down over the older woman, he gave her a quick hug, keeping it light in consideration of what he understood to be her frail health.

"Aunt Gloria, so good to see you again after so long. You remember my wife Olivia, don't you?"

He looked up and acknowledged the other two with her. "I'm afraid I haven't the pleasure of your acquaintances, though by context you must be kin. I'm Ethan, Lord Greywood; this is my wife Dr. Olivia Bahlmis-Greywood."

"Oh, Lord Greywood!" Gloria's face lit up. Bracing with her hands on the table, she pushed herself up to standing and then curtsied to her lord. "I'm honored, but you and Lady Greywood didn't need to come to fetch us. I'm sure you both are extremely busy."

She remained standing, turning toward her companions. "These are my grandchildren, Liev and Vivien. They kept an eye on me and made sure I got here instead of running off with the first handsome young man who smiled at me." Despite her little joke, it was easy to see that she was proud of them, a pride that derives more out of love than their accomplishments.

"It's lovely to see you all," said Olivia warmly, her generous smile encompassing all of them. "Whenever you're ready, we can come with you through the gate and make sure you don't have any problems. Then we can head for the Manor. You're staying with us for as long as you're here, of course."

If she was a little disconcerted to see how old the two grandchildren were, she did not show it.

Vivien rose and curtseyed smoothly. She wore an 'I thought so' expression which somehow managed to be charming on her round face. "Thank you, Lady Greywood, Lord Greywood. It's so nice of you to take us in."

"We're delighted," said Olivia, with more kindness than truth. "Where is your carriage? We could go back to the manor now ... "

Belatedly she realised that these poorer relatives might have travelled post to reach Aquila, and blushed slightly. "Or we could take our carriage. It's very comfortable."

She smiled at Gloria, hoping to cover for her lapse.

As always, Liev was a step behind in protocol. Standing awkwardly in a half crouch he hopes would pass as a bow he says, "Yes, thank you Lady Grey... and Lord, of course, or first ... very pleased to make your ... but I'm Liev."

Half turning to his grandmother he asks "Should that have been first? I reviewed the data card on the voyage, but I'm not sure I quite..."

Then remembering the question from her ladyship left hanging, "I enjoy a walk, particularly after a long flight, but perhaps the ladies ..." Liev gestures to his family. "The carriage, I mean, of course, whatever is most suitable."

Ethan stepped in. "We'll take ours, now. If Aunt Gloria, Vivien, and Liev have brought one of their own, we can send Angelo and Marcos back for it later." He paused for a beat. "On second thought, let's eat first. And we shouldn't forget to collect any relevant luggage.

"There is a Council meeting I'm supposed to attend in late afternoon, but my day is otherwise open, today. I can't say whether Olivia was planning to head back to the hospital this afternoon or not; we haven't had the opportunity to discuss it."

Vivien noticed the blush and guessed at its meaning, but her expression remained open and ingenuous, her smile continuing to dimple her face. Inwardly she was burning with curiosity about the manor and the city, and the idea of a ride in Lord Greywood's carriage appealed to her no end, but she did not want to seem as eager as she was. She, too, waited for Gloria's response.

Gloria nodded. "Lunch sounds wonderful. The breakfast here was nice. But... we can't impose upon you. Please let it be my treat." She smiled warmly at her hosts, reaching with her hand to grasp for a faded change purse.

"Oh, but we can't!" said Olivia. "You must be our guests here in the city!"

She glanced at her husband. "Well," she said cautiously, "perhaps just a light lunch."

Vivien was not yet hungry again, but she smiled and nodded anyway. "This will be lovely. I'm sorry, but way out in the sticks we've only heard a little about you. Would you tell us something of yourselves?"

Olivia smiled, taking a seat at the long wooden table.

"Well, I must be your cousin by marriage. I'm Olivia, and I am married to your cousin Ethan. We have three children and ... I'm a doctor." This last was said with a little smile - outside Aquila's walls there were - as far as Olivia knew - no female doctors (and precious few within the walls either).

Vivien's eyes widened. "How marvelous," she said. "I didn't know there were any women doctors... But I'm glad to be mistaken."

Gloria patted Vivien's hand. "It was one of the reasons your Aunt Rhody wanted me to come to the city." She glanced over at the doctor. "Dr. Lint's cures were getting odder and odder. She said one of his cures might do me in one day, but I think she was exaggerating. I've known him all his life. He wouldn't do a thing like that."

Olivia laughed. "We might finding your Dr Lint has some things to teach us. My cousin Lucas - Dr Bahlmis - has pioneered finding and using Aquilan remedies for illnesses. He might be interested in your doctor if he uses native herbs and plants.

"I can't treat you myself, Aunt Gloria. It's not considered ethical to treat a family member. But I have a very good young assistant who I would highly recommend. Another woman doctor too - her bedside manner needs some polishing, but she's first rate. Or I'm sure Lucas will recommend a male doctor if you prefer. One of his good looking young students, perhaps?"

She smiled again at her new relatives. There was no doubting that this doctor's bedside manner would leave little to be desired.

Ethan returned his attention to his relatives after a brief conversation with the publican. "If we'll step this way, there should be a light repast available shortly. When we're finished, we can adjourn to the family's in-town estate. I've got a meeting to attend this afternoon, but that should give you some time to settle in."

Vivien nodded and rose, preparing to follow Ethan. "That sounds lovely," she said. She stood just close enough that Gloria could hold on to her if she needed help rising.

Olivia rose to her feet and moved to join her husband - but it was clear that she was watching Gloria, presumably to see if she could discern a medical diagnosis from the older woman's movements.

Gloria slid her feet into careful position and rose slowly, her hands pressing against the table for support. The movement was not elegant or smooth, but her face showed no sign of pain for the effort.

"Vivvie?" she asked, a little reluctantly. "Could you hand me my bag? I forgot and left it on the floor."

Vivien bent gracefully and lifted the bag from the floor, then waited until Gloria was ready to take it.

Gloria looked over her shoulder, smiling at her grandson. "Liev? Since Lord Greywood is taken, could you be my handsome escort?"

Ethan led the way across the common room toward the small private dining area in the back. A few windows opened onto the courtyard between the inn proper and its stables, decorated with red-and-white checked half-curtains. The tables had been well made at one point, but were old and in need of refinishing.

Shortly after they took seats, a midday meal of soup and salad was brought out.

As they ate, Lord Greywood enquired of his younger kin as to whether they had any particular desires for their stay in Aquila.

"To see the sights, meet some new people, that sort of thing," Vivien said casually.

"Mostly just to be useful," Liev replies. "I suppose I could just live off my pension. But after so long at the monastery I'm afraid some of the jesuit must have got in to my blood."

Looking up from his lunch, Liev smiles tightly. "It doesn't seem right to lounge about when there's work that could be done." Setting his utensils down, Liev takes a small morsel from his plate and holds it up by his neck. After a brief pause, a small furry hand reaches out to snag the food, followed soon after by a face, and then body.

The small monkey scrambles out of Liev's shirt to sit on his shoulder, dividing his attention equally between chewing on the treat and looking around the tavern. The monkey secures his position by wrappping a long prehensile tail around Liev's neck.

"This is Malthus, by the way," offers Liev by way of explanation. "He's been a bit shy since coming through decom at the port."

"So you see this as a brief visit, rather than a longer stay?" asked Olivia as she cut into a rich crusty porkpie.. She sounded a little disappointed. "We can make certain you see the sights, of course. And perhaps, Gloria's health permitting, we could hold a little reception ... what do you think, Ethan?"

"Oh!" Vivien exclaims, bending forward slightly to regard the monkey. "Why, he's darling, Liev!"

Looking up and regarding Olivia with twinkling eyes, she adds, "And I'd love to stay - as long as I'm welcome. I've always wanted to see the city."

"You're welcome until you decide to leave -- all of you.

"As for being useful, Liev -- that's something that can be arranged. Is there some particular way you'd like to contribute?"

"Vivien, you can explore the city on your own if you'd like, or we can probably arrange some sort of guide. I'm afraid that even our oldest is a bit young for playing tour guide, even excepting the fact that he's out in the country at the moment."

Ethan was genuinely interested in what they had to say, and began thinking about how to best arrange it for them.

"Oh, I'm sure I can manage the first day on my own," Vivien replies warmly. "Perhaps after that, once I have a better idea what I'd like to explore in detail, a tour guide could be arranged."

Gloria was watching Liev’s little monkey, her fingers twitching slightly as she estimated measurements. She had some scraps of linen and ribbon that she might be able to piece into a vest for the little one.

Turning her head back to the conversation, she gently intervened, “Lord Greywood, you’re being most kind, but please don’t let us impose ourselves upon you too much. I don’t want our visit to interfere with any important business you have.”

"It will be a pleasure!" said Olivia. "Ethan and I have been getting far too old and frowsty, and too set on our work. It will be nice to take some time to entertain our guests - even though, as you'll appreciate, we do both work ... "

"Indeed -- on both counts," said Ethan.

She smiled. "And that's a lovely monkey, Liev! I don't recognise the breed - is it an offworld species? Lady Bahlmis has a shanalythe. It's lovely, about the size of a house cat, but it looks more like a cross between a monkey and a miniature lion. It has a pointed muzzle like a lemur's, and the most heavenly large sky-blue eyes, short, dense body fur of a dark red-brown, and a long, silky, cream-colored mane on the head and shoulders. Oh yes, and a tuft of hair on the end of its long tail.

"May I stroke your pet? What's his name?

"And Vivien, we must visit the warehouse and see what we can do about some gowns for you - certainly something for our Reception."

Vivien's eyes lit up at the mention of gowns, and a reception. "That's lovely of you," she practically gushed. "And I'm quite adept at altering gowns if they don't fit quite right. What Reception?"

Gloria allowed the comments about a reception to pass once again without commenting. The idea of it was just too much for her. She and her grandchildren had come to Aquila without invitation, and yet the Lord and Lady of the House have welcomed them to the Manor and want to have a reception. She had heard good things about the Lord and Lady, but their generosity just amazed her. Gloria promptly steered the conversation.

"She speaks the truth, my Lady. I think Vivvie was the best dressed young lady in town due to her skills."

Vivien smiles at this and squeezes her grandmother's hand very lightly, waiting for Olivia's reply.

"Then perhaps we should call at the warehouse on the way home," said Olivia. "Ethan will be delighted, won't you, dear? Or ... perhaps you are too tired and we should leave it for tomorrow?"

"Of course I'd be delighted. If we had to, we could even drop her off and let her call the house when she's finished. If it gets to be too late, I may have to bow out to make the Council meeting."

"That sounds fantastic," Vivien agrees.

Once the meal was finished, Olivia suggested that her new-found relatives collected their belongings, and then met them once again at the carriage.

Once they had departed, she looked at her husband with some amusement. "I wonder how much they have brought. They seem a little old fashioned, don't they? Although the girl has style. It will be interesting to see how she responds to the latest fashions - and to life in the city.

"Her brother ... he seems rather withdrawn for someone who has lived off-world. I wonder what his experiences have been ... or whether he is still suffering from culture shock!"

Patiently, she waited for the others to return.

Vivien had already packed, which explained her rather late arrival at breakfast that morning, so gathering up her bags and boxes was a simple thing. She turned on the charm to recruit a passing man to help her carry things down, and thanked him as she joined Ethan and Olivia.

Gloria arrived soon after, carrying only the large tapestry bag that she brought down that morning. She smiled as she passed Vivien's latest attendant and clucked her tongue in a gentle disapproval as she joined the group.

"This is all I have right now," she said. "Most of my household things were sold before our trip, to have enough money to travel and find a new home. Roland said that he would send the rest later, once I'm settled. He did say that, didn't he?" Gloria looked about for reassurance.

"Who is Roland?" asked Olivia. "Is he another cousin?"

Lady Greywood was used to the fact that her husband's family were far-flung, with many unknown bearers of the Greywood name.

"Roland is my son, and Liev's and Vivvie's father," Gloria explained. "I know, there are a lot of Greywoods to remember. It's not quite as bad as the Hoberty family, but not as easy as others. Do I remember correctly - you were a Bahlmis, Lady Greywood?"

There was a time when Olivia had learned to recognise that acknowledging her House brought scorn and hostility. But that had been twenty-five years ago, when everyone's memories of the Bahlmis coup had been fresh and raw. The subsequent rule of Rosalor and Head of House had done much to restore a reputation for integrity (if not the family fortunes). So Olivia nodded easily.

"Yes, that's right," she agreed. "So are you House Greywood by birth, Gloria?"

A reasonable question - for often distant cousins within the same overall House would marry; often it was only the noble Heads who looked outside for alliances.

Liev stood up and adjusted the strap to the shoulder bag containing his few personal possessions. The size of the carry all was a bit deceptive as he had left a number of cartons at the space port containing tools and reference materiel.

He had been torn, but eventually agreed to have the items delivered to Greywood Manor. Although he was concerned over the presumption, several attempts to carry the bulky storage containers proved impossible.

But, truth be told, twelve years with the zaibatsu had left him with few enough material possessions. In fact, fewer than he retained from a year at the monastery.

He had once calculated that of the twelve years with the company, he had spent slightly over a decade in various holo and V/R tanks. Being Liev, the actual calculation extended to six decimal places with a margin of error for the difference between perceived and universal calendar time.

His personal apartments had consisted of little more than virtual reality hardware. For the most part, his other fixtures had reverted back to the company, were given away as gifts or sold before joining the Jesuits. The few gadgets he retained that had been left at the space port as they violated local tech restrictions.

Taking a final look around the table to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, or that anyone else had, Liev joined the rest of his family outside.

Vivien directed her young attendant to put the boxes and things on top of the carriage, listening half-heartedly to the conversation.

Olivia smiled at Liev, and directed the coachman to show him where his carry all could be stowed as she waited for Gloria's answer.

"Like you, Lady Greywood, I was fortunate to marry into this handsome family," Gloria replied. Her gaze took in Lord Greywood and her grandchildren, but the twinkle in her eyes came from the memory of her husband, Esteban. "Actually, I was a Windhaven by birth, but I've considered myself a Greywood for many more years than I was ever a Windhaven."

Olivia nodded, understanding.

"The old adage, eh? 'A daughter's a daughter until she's a wife, but a son's a son for all of his life.' Of course, I had ceased to be a daughter in practical terms long before I married Ethan - for my parents died when I was young. But I was a daughter of the House."

She did not bother to add that although her mother had died in bearing her stillborn young brother, her father's end had been as a result of his involvement in the coup to unseat Duke Atropos. Olivia never talked of the coup - but she knew that Gloria was of an age to remember, and that Vivien and Liev were not. And better that way.

As the attendants bustled around the carriage, Gloria took measure of the transport. The step seemed awfully high to her.

"Are we set to go?" she asked lightly, trying to keep her voice free of apprehension.

"Oh yes," said Vivien, waving to the men who had helped her and were now heading back to the inn. "Isn't it exciting, Nana? How grand the carriage is."

Olivia signalled to the coachman to assist Gloria, and then smiled at Vivien.

"I only hope that Aquila might live up to your expectations," she said.

Gloria walked slowly toward the grand carriage. When the coachman appeared at the door, his gloved hand extended, she shuffled a bit faster in relief. It took a bit of tottering and some discreet help from the coachman, but Gloria soon maneuvered her way into the carriage. She leaned out the doorway with an enthusiastic smile on her face.

"This could be the adventure of a lifetime," she declared to those still on the ground.

"Oh, I hope so," said Vivien, climbing nimbly up after her grandmother.

Aquila was a bustling and lovely city. When they first drove through the gates, it was in to a largely artisan quarter, arranged either side of a cobbled road leading upwards. All the way up, the shops were open for the evening trade. There were several booths selling wine, rather than proper inns, but most of the shops were given over to foodstuffs, clothes, cobblers, haberdashery and household goods as well as locksmiths, ironmongers, coopers, dyers, fullers, tinkers and stationers.

Gradually the shops and stalls became firstly more grandiose, and then sparse. As they reached the top of the hill, and a great open square, there were more shops - but these were crowded between the great buildings of State; the towering Cathedral taking up most of one side; the Town Hall, taking up most of the side opposite to that; and, immediately facing them and taking up the whole side of the Square entirely, was the Hall of Aquila where once, on a balcony long ago, Delan Anderon had appealed to the people of Aquila to stand fast against the Bahlmis coup.

"The Nest - the Duke's residence - is some distance away," explained Olivia. "But of course you will see it soon. And our home is a little further out - when I first met Ethan, it was really on the edge of the city with countryside around it on three sides! But now the city has spread up to and around us - although we still have a fair measure of land around the house, of course."

Vivien was leaning half out of the window, looking at everything. She was struck at once by how big everything was, and how lovely - and how little any of the people moving about outside seemed to notice it. She did not want to look like a country yokel, but that was what she was, after a fashion, and... was that enormous structure a church?

Gloria was staring out her window, comparing the view to what she remembered from her other visits. The cathedral looked as grand as ever and she crossed herself as they passed. A movement in the corner of her vision drew her attention back to the carriage.

"Vivvie! Get inside!" she gasped in surprise, tugging on her granddaughter's sleeve.

"I'm sorry," she said to her hosts, looking slightly embarrassed. "Hearing stories about the city are never quite like seeing it. With neighbors living closer to the manor, have you been able to continue the tradition of the grand hunts? Esteban loved telling stories of the hunts."

Vivien slid gracefully back from the window to sit completely inside the carriage. She looked neither abashed nor particularly embarrassed, and continued to peer out the window.

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