The Chocolatier's Wife (66 page)

I
am feeling
quite out of
sorts this morning. My
mood is not quite the
best,
I
fear.
I
shall
take
it out on
my
students. I
feel
a trick examination coming on.

Yours,
e
ventually,

Tasmin

A few
steps
from
the
shop,
Tasmin
paused. “I
think
this
is
a
good
time
to
go
visi
t
ing.” She
reached into
her
pocket,
below
a
carefully
wrapped
bundle
of
chocolate
that
no
one
would
ever
dare
eat,
to
pull
a
slip
of
paper
from
it. “Are you certain this is his direction?”

“Nay
,
bu
t I
didn’
t
hav
e a
lo
t
t
o
wor
k
with
. I
ha
d
t
o
inquir
e
a
t f
iv
e
apothecarie
s
b
e
for
e
anyon
e
kne
w
who
m
I
meant
.
Really
,
‘small
,
dark
,
an
d
studie
s
nature
’
i
s
no
t
tha
t
muc
h
t
o
g
o
on.
”

Tasmi
n
winced
.
“Goo
d
point.
”
Sh
e
looke
d
a
t
th
e
pape
r
again
,
an
d
nodded
.
“Well
,
w
e
ca
n
onl
y
try.
”

Th
e
tw
o
ladie
s
walke
d
awa
y
fro
m
th
e
shor
e
t
o
a
n
en
d
o
f
tow
n
that seeme
d
a
littl
e
les
s
prosperou
s
tha
n
th
e
rest
.
Th
e
addres
s
wa
s
a
n
ol
d
book shop
;
fro
m
th
e
wi
n
do
w
display
,
th
e
ware
s
i
t
specialize
d
i
n
wer
e
bot
h
wel
l
use
d
an
d
undesirabl
e
t
o
a
youn
g
woman
.
The
y
wen
t
u
p
th
e
stair
s
t
o
th
e
plac
e
abov
e
it
,
knockin
g
o
n
th
e
door.

Th
e
doo
r
opened
,
an
d
Tasmi
n
breathe
d
ou
t
i
n
relief
.
“I
t
i
s
you!”

“I
s
it?
”
h
e
aske
d
shortly
.

“Yo
u
ar
e
th
e
gentlema
n
I
sa
w
th
e
othe
r
da
y
a
t
th
e
Admiralt
y
Barracks an
d
th
e
Apothecar
y
o
n
th
e
mai
n
street
.
D
o
yo
u
recall
?
Yo
u
ha
d
ordere
d
lenses?”

H
e
wa
s
wearin
g
a
blac
k
coa
t
s
o
dust
y
-
lookin
g
sh
e
longe
d
t
o
reac
h
ove
r
an
d
brus
h
i
t
off
.
H
e
stare
d
a
t
he
r
coldl
y
ove
r
silver-wire-frame
d
glasses. “An
d
wha
t
doe
s
tha
t
mea
n
t
o
you
,
Miss?
”

Th
e
desir
e
aros
e
i
n
he
r
t
o
leave
,
t
o
jus
t
tur
n
aroun
d
an
d
le
t
this disagreeabl
e
li
t
tl
e
ma
n
retur
n
t
o
whateve
r
i
t
wa
s
h
e
wa
s
doing
.
Tasmin too
k
a
dee
p
breath
.
N
o
goin
g
back
,
no
t
now
,
no
t
ever
.

“I
t
i
s
m
y
understandin
g
tha
t
yo
u
ar
e
considere
d
a
talente
d
naturalist, an
d
ther
e
for
e
yo
u
hav
e
a
n
understandin
g
o
f
plant
s
tha
t
rival
s
most others.”

H
e
frowne
d
a
t
her
.
“Youn
g
lady
,
ar
e
yo
u
goin
g
t
o
sto
p
flatterin
g
me
an
d
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
you’r
e
about?
”

“
I
gathere
d
fro
m
you
r
conversatio
n
wit
h
th
e
apothecar
y
tha
t
yo
u
have
a
ligh
t
m
i
croscope?
”
Sh
e
spok
e
no
w
lik
e
th
e
terro
r
o
f
th
e
schoo
l
roo
m
sh
e
coul
d
be
,
quietly
,
n
o
nonsense
.

“An
d
wha
t
woul
d
yo
u
wan
t
wit
h
that?
”

Sh
e
remove
d
th
e
poisone
d
chocolat
e
fro
m
he
r
pocket
.
He
r
bod
y
had warme
d
i
t
a
little
,
bu
t
i
t
didn’
t
matte
r
sinc
e
Willia
m
ha
d
throw
n
awa
y
mos
t
o
f
th
e
chocolat
e
tha
t
ha
d
covere
d
th
e
almond
.
“I
s
thi
s
reall
y
a
poisoned almond
?
M
y
intende
d
husban
d
swear
s
h
e
roaste
d
thes
e
..
.
thi
s
i
s
a
Halsey Almond
,
i
n
cas
e
yo
u
d
o
not..
. ”