The Chocolatier's Wife (62 page)

Oh,
I
am
certain
you
would
.
She
said,
though,
“What
is
it
you
wish from
me?”

He
walked
around
the
desk.
“None
of
this
conversation
has
been
for my
benefit,
Tasmin,
but
for
yours
and
yours
alone.
The
Mating
Spell
that determines
our
fates
is
a
good
thing,
but
one
never
quite
knows
what
one is
getting
into, does
one? I
heard
about
what
happened
to
your
dress.
A malicious
act,
and
one
that
must
have
left
you
feeling
quite
afraid.
Who would
do
such
a
thing? I
would
feel
much
more
at
ease
if
you
were
to
come under
my
protection.
I
have
rooms at
the
Admiralty
that
would
suit
you well.”

She could hardly argue that she was safe
at her husband’s family’s house,
but
even less
could
she
accept
such
an
invitation. “Sir,”
she
said,
and meekly as she could, “you do me too great an
honor.
And
if what you say is true
...
”
As
if
I
could
b
e
lieve
such
nonsense.
“Then
I
am
in
grave
danger. But
this
is
the
life
the
fates
have
given
me,
and
I
cannot jeopardize
it.
You are,
doubtless,
a
handsome
man.
And
spell
or
no
spell,
rumors can
be
the cruelest things,
especially when one is already an
ou
t
sider.”

“Well put,” he said,
sounding a
bit surprised.

What,
am
I
a
fool
in
your
mind?
Good.
I
hope
you
continue to underestimate
me.
She
rose,
and
curtsied.
“I
must
beg
your
forgiveness, but if that is all,
I
pray you allow me to leave?”

H
e
wave
d
toward
s
th
e
doo
r
an
d
sh
e
left
,
feelin
g
a
s
i
f
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
put throug
h
a
gauntlet
.
Th
e
guar
d
le
d
he
r
toward
th
e
front
,
bu
t
th
e
hal
l
wa
s f
ille
d
wit
h
men
,
i
n
th
e
unifor
m
o
f
of
f
icer
s
a
s
wel
l
a
s
thos
e
o
f
abl
e
sailors
.
“Blast
. I
forgo
t
tha
t
a
ne
w
lo
t
o
f
sai
l
or
s
woul
d
b
e
comin
g
i
n
t
o
ge
t
pai
d
off fro
m
th
e
voyage
.
I
shan’
t
tak
e
a
lad
y
throug
h
tha
t
press
.
Men
,
fres
h
fro
m
the sea
,
the
y
ma
y
no
t
respec
t
yo
u
a
s
the
y
should
,
i
f
you’l
l
forgiv
e
m
e
fo
r
saying so
,
Miss.
”
H
e
starte
d
t
o
lea
d
he
r
bac
k
th
e
wa
y
the
y
came
,
toward
th
e
o
f
fice.

She
smiled
up
at
the
man;
he
looked
like
someone
who
had
spent
many years
at
sea,
salt-cured
and
wind-dried
to
his
very
elements.
Since
she
was busy
looking
at
him,
she
did
not
notice
that
she
was
crossing
into
the
path of another man,
small and
thin and
dark,
talking
to a
golden-haired lion
of a
man
in
the uniform
of a
Navy
ca
p
tain.
“I
am
a
scientist,
sir.
If
the King of
Berengaria
is
serious
in
his
desire
for
further
naturalistic
studies
...
young woman,
will you look
where you are
going?”

“Excuse us,
sir.”
The sailor
gently pulled her out of the way.

“Who is
that?”
she
asked
as
he
led
her
back
through
the
hall. She
was trying to place where she’d seen him
before.

“Oh,
that’s
one
of
the
King’s
naturalists.
Dr.
Harrington.
A
bit
into
his work,
he is.”

She
was
pondering
this. Naturalists
and
Herb
Mages
were
deadly enemies
in
some
ways,
for
they
tended
to
try
to
put
the
other
out
of
business. Things
like
magic,
une
x
plainable,
did
not
exist
to
the
naturalist’s
mind;
yet if
it
was
explainable
it
could
no
longer
be
magic. Still,
if
he
was
the
same man she’d
seen
in
the
apothecary,
he
could
be
of
use.
Her
thoughts
were interrupted
by
the
slowing
of
her
escort.
The
door
to
L
a
voussier’s office was
open,
and a
maid
was
taking
in
tea.
Through
the
door,
she
saw
Bonny relaxing in
a
chair,
smiling sweetly at Lavoussier.

The
door
shut
before
she
could
make
out
more.
“I
wonder;
what
is
she
doing here?”

“Do you know
her,
Miss?”

“Oh,
nay,”
she
said,
lying
easily
and
for
no
reason she
could
think
of except that it seemed wiser.

“Then
you
don’t
want
to,
Miss.
A
lady
of
your
refinement
don’t
want to
make
a
c
quaintance
with
a
bit
of
fluff like
her.”
He
opened
a
door
to
a covered courtyard.
She could see that it was still raining
quite hard.

Tasmin was
usually
pretty
quick
to
understand,
but
this
stopped
her. “Is
she
well
known
for
her
...
fluffiness?”
He
bit
his
lip
and
coughed,
trying not to laugh. “Oh,
go on,
laugh, but just tell me what you meant.”