'Haven't I?' asked Laurent, chin lifted to study the system of cords and weights. 'I vetted all my suitors with an intricate system of pulleys and grain-filled clay pots.'

The thought was ludicrous, which made it all the more amusing to imagine a diplomat like Torveld attempting the feat to woo him. Hiding a smile, Laurent reached up, curling his hands over the topmost weight. He was a slight man, but athletic - he imagined his weight would add another one hundred and fifty pounds or so.

'And now?'