Beth's starting to give up on ever getting straight answers from Byerly. She probably should have given up weeks ago--but every once in a while, the way he looks at her, she thinks he's saying more than it sounds like.

This isn't one of those times. She doesn't recognize the gesture, and the answer isn't more than a joke.

"Your lords and ladies don't count?" Though she matches his tone, it's a genuine question. She doesn't really remember from school just how much power nobles had, back when people cared about them, and what she learned in history might not have anything to do with what they do on Barrayar.