Godsmother, Part Three
Squire Alan is stuttering such that Catherine has decided is the most incredibly annoying she's ever heard. Eleanor, however, doesn't seem to mind it at all. She is smiling in a way that's almost but not quite condescending, and very kind, and making her look even prettier than she already is.
"Tell us about what it's like to be a squire," she says, actually sounding curious. "I've always wondered what goes on outside the convent." As if you didn't make sure to find out all of that as soon as you were situated in the palace, Catherine thinks. Of course Eleanor knows what goes on outside the convent. Sometimes it seems to Catherine as if she knows everything.
"It's terrible," says Alan. Then he swallows visibly and his face gets red. "I mean, I'm not very good at it. I mean— I mean—"
"He's certainly not very well-spoken," Catherine whispers in a tone that she doesn't really mean for Alan to hear, but of course it can't really hurt for him to learn manners. And obviously he has heard, for now he's blushing harder than ever.
Eleanor glares at her and says to Alan, "I'm sure it is very hard. I mean, I can't imagine that it would be pleasant. What kinds of things do they make you do?"
That's another thing she already knows, another thing she found it in her first day at the palace. But, Catherine supposes, that's only the point of polite conversation. You can't control the way it's going if you don't know the answers to the questions you're asking.
"Well, there's training," said Alan, "and there's lessons." Catherine wants to role her eyes at the complete obviousness of the statement, but for Eleanor's sake, she refrains. "The lessons aren't so bad, but I've never been very good at the combat kinds of things."
"I'm sure I wouldn't be, either," Eleanor says, smiling. This time Catherine does roll her eyes. Really, it seems Eleanor is as bad with boys as Squire Alan is with girls.
They continue talking in a nonsensical fashion. Catherine decides that she'd rather go somewhere else, and does so. Eleanor gives her this look, which makes her feel rather guilty, but then she didn't say she'd stay by Eleanor's side the entire evening.