The Chocolatier's Wife (59 page)

“Mere
woman.
Bah.
Anyway,
Ayers
reminded
me
that
Lavoussier was not
pleased
that
we
beat
him
to
the
Pandora
,
because
in
the
Navy,
when
a ship
is
taken,
it
is
sold,
and
the
wealth
divided
among
those
involved
...
and the
Pandora
was worth quite a
lot.”

“And
on it
was
something
very
valuable,
correct?
I
remember
in one
of your letters, you said the Bishop convinced you to chase her because she had something dange
r
ous aboard.
What
was it?”

He
shifted
on
the
cold
marble
bench.
“Well,
I
don’t
rightly
know,
as
I
said before.”

“You
can
tell
me,
William.
I’m
not
going
to
pass
it
on;
I
just
want
to
know
what would send you after such a
vastly more
powerful ship.”

“Prize money.”
A
quick
shrug
of
the
shoulders.
“The
Bishop
promised me
som
e
thing
unheard
of:
that
if
we
took her,
we
could
have the
prize money.
We
had
su
f
fered
a
great
loss,
and
I
liked
the
idea
that
the
men would
have something
on
top
of
their
wages
to
show
for
it.
Also, I
didn’t mind
turning
my
own
profit.
‘Twas
enough
to
buy
the
shop
outright,
rather than
renting.”

“You were willing to die for
prize money?”

“Please,
your
voice,
dear.
Even
I
have
trouble
comparing
it
to
the
dulcet sighs of a
n
gels when you shriek
like that.”

“And then
you
risk
this unfathomable amount of money on
a
chocolate shop
that
may
or
may
not
succeed.
Not
that
I mind,
but
you
didn’t
ask
me,
did
you?
I
mean,
‘tis
very
well
possible
that
chocolate
gives
me
hives
or something.”

“I
would have
hoped you would tell me,
as
I
sent so much of it to you?”

She slanted him
a
look.

“Ah,
right, I
suppose
you
wouldn’t
complain
about
a
gift.
But
the
shop is
a
good
investment.”
He
gestured
towards
the
house.
“I
suppose
...
I
didn’t ask
because
my
pa
r
ents
were
so
against
it,
I
figured
you
would
be,
too, especially when you realized I
was taking
you from
this.”

“You
think
I
regret
losing
out
on
this
mausoleum?
I
wouldn’t
wish
this place on
the person who killed the Bishop.”

He laughed, and
she placed her chin
on
his shoulder.

“Don’t
feel
guilty.
Just
know
that
when
you
are
a
wealthy
and
successful busines
s
man, I
expect
you
to
build
me
a
new
house.
With
turrets.
I
like turrets. And
a
bay window. And
a
second story porch,
and
a...
”

“Sounds rather
elaborate.”

“It’ll
make this
place
look
like
a
toy
shed.”
He
liked
seeing
her
smile, was
glad
that
she
was
comfortable
enough
to
be
a
little
silly
around him. After
a
moment,
she
returned
to
the
subject
at
hand.
“Lavoussier
can’t get the prize money back
by di
s
gracing you,
right?”

“Nay
,
‘twa
s
a
clea
n
battle
.
I
f
suc
h
a
thin
g
coul
d
happen
,
th
e
sho
p
woul
d
b
e
sol
d
an
d
th
e
mone
y
give
n
t
o
th
e
admiralt
y
o
r
th
e
crown
,
certainl
y
no
t
t
o
him.
”

“So,
he
hates
you
and
the
Bishop
for cheating
him
out
of
a
hefty
purse.
He killed the Bishop and
framed you for
it out of revenge?”

“On
the
surface
that
sounds
sensible,
but
why
would
he
risk
everything he
has
a
l
ready
earned
for
it?
I
would
think him
craftier
than that.
I
would think
he would have
to stand to gain
more
than
just satisfaction.”

“And both your homes were thoroughly searched.”

He sighed. “I need to find
out what was on the
Pandora
.”

She
nodded.
“Now,
tell me
how
you
managed
to
get your
supplies back?”

“Someone
sent
me
a
note.
I
don’t know who, though
I
am
of
a
mind to suspect
it
was
Bonny. I
shall
explain
that
part,
later.
At
any
rate,
the
note told
me
where
my
supplies
were
and
that
they
were
being
taken out
of
the city
to
be
sold.
My
family,
or,
more
likely,
my
father,
decided
to
turn
a
profit on
it
since
he
did
not
want
me
to
have
it
for
the
shop.
Anyway,
I
got
there
in time to convince
the men there to allow me to have
it.”

As
he
spoke
he
could
see
her
expression
grow
grimmer.
“Do
you
really think
your
family
would
be
so
underhanded
as
to
try
and ruin you
to
force you to return
to the business? And
would you,
even if the shop failed?”

“It
is
possible.
I
cannot deny
that
they
know
that
stealing
my
supplies would
have
crippled
me, perhaps
to
the
point
where
we
could
not
recover. And
that
would
force
me
to
return
to
take
my
place,
but
only,
I
must
admit, for
your sake.
I
would not see you suffer for
me,
I
beg you to know
that.”

She smiled at him for a second. “But wouldn’t Andrew fight?”

“He’d
be
grateful.
Besides,
he
has
no
say, and I
know
father
would punish
me
for
abandoning
them,
he
would
also
place
me
back
where
I
was, if for
no
other reason
than
that I
have
a
better head for
it.”