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"Jessa?" Leesha asked "Bruna never mentioned a Jessa"

"Hah!" Araine barked "That’s no surprise" Leesha waited for the woman to elucidate further, but she did not

"I’d have made Bruna Royal Gatherer if she’d wanted it," Araine went on, "but the wretched old woman turned and headed back to the Hollow theto her All that mattered were her children in the Hollow"

The duchess irl? Putting the Hollow above all, even your duty to the ivy throne?"

Leesha met her eyes and nodded "It is"

Araine locked stares with her for a runted in satisfaction "I wouldn’t have trusted another word from you if you’d said otherwise Now, Janson tells me you claiain "Bruna gave intensive lessons on the topic, and I have years of practical experience"

Araine looked down her nose at Leesha again "Not too ive you that for now Can’t hurt, you checking her Everyone else has"

"Her?" Leesha asked

"The duchess," Araine said "My latest daughter-in-laant to know if the girl is barren, or if it’s my son that’s seedless"

"I won’t be able to deter the duchess," Leesha said

Araine snorted "You’d be out on your pert bottos first Have a look at the girl"

"Of course," Leesha said "Is there anything you can tell hness, before I examine her?"

"She’s fit as a courser, with a sturdy frame and wide breeder’s hips," Araine said "Not the sharpest spear on the rack, but that’s how an Angierian lady of quality is expected to be Her brothers are canny enough, so we’ll call it nurture and not nature After Rhinebeck’s last divorce, I picked her out of all the well-bred young hopefuls est of twelve children, two-thirds of them male She has three sisters, and all have children of their oo boys for every girl If anyone should be able to give the ivy throne an heir, it’s her Of course, all my son cared about was the size of her paps, but Melny hasbaby like Rhiney"

"How long have they been wed?" Leesha asked, ignoring the comment

"Over a year now," Araine said "The Royal Gatherer brews fertility tea and I have Janson close the brothels when she’s cycling, but still she reddens her wadding each h the maze of private halls and stairs used by the wole man Finally, they came to a plush bedchamber filled with velvet pillows and Krasian silks The duchess was standing before one of the great stained-glass s in the chareen and yellow silk, cut low in the front and laced tight at the waist Her hair was put up behind a gold and gem-studded tiara, and her face painted exquisitely, ready at any moment in case the duke should summon her to his chambers She was no more than sixteen summers old

"Melny, this is Mistress Leesha of Cutter’s Hollow," Araine introduced