The Chocolatier's Wife (79 page)

“Si
r
..
.
sir
,
someon
e
ha
s
broke
n
int
o
you
r
of
f
ice.
”
Th
e
youn
g
ma
n
i
n
th
e
unifor
m
o
f
a
n
office
r
looke
d
flushe
d
an
d
a
littl
e
scared.

The
y
straightene
d
s
o
quickl
y
tha
t
sh
e
almos
t
fainte
d
fro
m
th
e
abrupt chang
e
o
f
bloo
d
i
n
he
r
head
.
Lavoussie
r
snarle
d
a
t
th
e
unfortunat
e
man i
n
fron
t
o
f
him
,
sa
y
in
g
somethin
g
ugl
y
an
d
unintelligible.

Tasmi
n
turne
d
an
d
caugh
t
Ayer’
s
eye
.
“Run!
”
sh
e
mouthed
,
the
n
turne
d
bac
k
t
o
Lavoussier
.
“A
n
outrage
!
Yo
u
mus
t
g
o
immediatel
y
an
d
catc
h
th
e
scoundrel!”

“Sir
,
th
e
thie
f
ha
d
a
col
d
light.
”

Lavoussie
r
grinned
.
Col
d
light
s
wer
e
onl
y
availabl
e
here
,
o
n
these grounds
.
“The
n
tha
t
perso
n
mus
t
b
e
here
,
o
r
ha
s
been
.
Well
,
well
,
Miss Bey
.
Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
think?”

Oh
,
William.

Th
e
musi
c
change
d
t
o
a
tingling
,
spiralin
g
dance
.
Ayer
s
beg
a
n
to imitat
e
it
,
goin
g
i
n
an
d
out
,
threadin
g
himsel
f
aroun
d
th
e
columns
.

“Wher
e
i
s
you
r
intended
?
Where?
”

Sh
e
looke
d
somewher
e
els
e
quickly
,
hopin
g
he
r
gaz
e
ha
d
no
t
given thing
s
away
.
“
I
don’
t
know
!
Ho
w
shoul
d
I
know
?
I
hav
e
bee
n
dancin
g
wit
h
you
!
An
d
I
wan
t
t
o
kno
w
ho
w
dar
e
yo
u
accus
e
hi
m
o
f
suc
h
a
thing
,
whe
n
we hav
e
jus
t
see
n
him
?
I
s
ever
y
si
n
t
o
b
e
place
d
firml
y
o
n
hi
s
shoulders?”

“There
!
Ther
e
h
e
is!
”
Lavoussie
r
pushe
d
Tasmi
n
aside
.
Sh
e
grabbe
d
fo
r
him
,
bu
t
h
e
shoo
k
he
r
off.

Ayers
danced
around
the
columns
to
her
right,
playing
the
fool.
She reached
out,
using
her
ability
to
know
where
he
was,
and
felt
William. He was
at
the
columns
to
the
left,
and the
two
were
closing
in
on
each
other, doubtless
meaning
to
meet
behind
the
throne. She
ran
to
the
left,
to
warn him,
hoping
that
Lavoussier was
too
o
c
cupied
with
catching
up
to
the
jester magician
to see her move.

They
were
closer,
so
close.
She
raced
around
the
buffet,
darted
around the group of ladies forming
gossip circle.
She saw a
swirl of cape out of
the
corner
of
her
eye
just
as
the
jester magician
came
from
around
the column
and
grabbed
her
waist,
twirling
her
out
onto
the
dance
floor. His hands
were
warm
on
her
waist,
and
she
wanted
to
say
something
quite sharp to him,
but knew it must be saved until later.

“William
Almsley,
is
it?”
Lavoussier
said,
pushing
his
way
past
a
butterfly
and a swan to catch up to them.

“Of
course
it
is.
Do
not
be
a
fool.”
She
turned,
and
pushed
his
mask
up
onto his head, the foolish cap falling to the floor.

William smiled
at
her
and
produced
a
white
rose,
which
he
placed behind
her
ear.
A
pink rose
came
next, for
her
other
ear,
and
then
a
red, which he handed to her with a flourish.

Lavoussier looked ready to chew the floor.

“See?
Who
else
would
conduct
such
a
foolish
trick? Have we
not
been seeing him
perform it all this night?”

“Foolish?” William
seemed affronted.

“Very,” she said, with a flash
in her eyes.

“I’m
not
an
idiot,”
Lavoussier
said
for
their
ears
alone,
glaring
at
them both.
“I
know
you
were
the
one
in
my
office
this
night,
and
when
I
discover how
you
did
it,
you
will
both
be
very,
very
sorry.”
He
left
quickly, but
he made quite a
show of laughing, as if all were well.

“Well,
if that’s the best he can
come up with,” William
muttered. Tasmin
glared
at
him.

“But
that
is
for
another
night.
I
know
someone
who is going to be very,
very
sorry
this
night.”

He
sighed
and
slipped
his
mask
back
on.
Tasmin
picked
up
the
cap, shook
it,
and
put
it
on
his
head.
“Will
you
dance
with
me,
anyway,
my dear?”
he asked,
straightening it.