"Do you see this, brother?" Sedriil asked, his voice monotone and quiet.
"I would never have believed it, had I not," Skori said. "Meri and Alaema actually getting along …?"
"Don't feel alone," Sedriil said. "I'm scared too."
Mericlou and Alaema, noticing their brothers' presence, quickly disconnected from each other, fumbling around nervously for an explanation.
"Um … just how long were you looking at us?" Mericlou finally said.
"Long enough," their brothers answered in unison.
Mericlou and Alaema, noticing their brothers' presence, quickly disconnected from each other, fumbling around nervously for an explanation.
"Ah … just how long were you looking at us?" Mericlou said at last.
"Long enough," their brothers answered in unison.
"What was all the commotion about anyway?" Skori said, choosing to bypass awkward explanations. "You probably scared the neighbors with how loud you were." "Believe me, brother, it was worth it!" Mericlou said rapturously, and then took the wad of money from the kitchen table, where it had been abandoned in her impromptu dance-of-joy with Alaema. She handed it to Skori.
"Oh, Skori, just count it!" Alaema sighed, daintily placing her hand above her left breast. "I couldn't believe it myself!"
It did not take long to be counted, Sedriil discovered, but the volume and denominations of the bank notes were large enough to be noticeable in Skori's widening eyes.
"By the maker …!" He said at last. "Meri, this is … a lot of money!"
"One thousand and fifty, to be exact," Sedriil said, after having removed it from Skori's hand to count it himself. "Meri, are you sure you agreed to simply take care of his garden?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Mericlou said indignantly, snatching the money from him. "You make it sound like I'm sleeping with him, or something!"
It was a poor choice of words in present company. Realizing that she had made the statement aloud, Mericlou slapped her hand over her mouth, but knew that it was too late.
"And … are you, dear sister?" Alaema said, running an arm serpent-like around Mericlou's shoulder. She smiled wickedly.
"Of course not!" Incensed, Mericlou firmly shrugged her way out of her sister's close embrace. "Why would you even think that I'd do something like that?"
"Well, you'll excuse me if I don't believe you," Alaema said. "I may only be a Setru model, but after all, you're an Alerian model, aren't you? So it's not like you'd refuse it if someone offered it to you."