"We left quickly," Rathiel said, ducking his head again. "I could have … I should have written. I'm sorry, Teo."
"It's all right," Teofil said awkwardly after a moment. "I mean, you had more important things to worry about."
"You
are
important," Rathiel said fiercely, glaring at him as if daring him to object. Teofil stared at him uncertainly, flushing a little. Rathiel stared back stubbornly, and Teofil reluctantly smiled because Rathiel had always out-stubborned him.
"I know you're here to deliver Cafon's present, but do you have time to stay for lunch?" Rathiel asked, running a hand through his hair and smiling crookedly. "I know some of what you've been up to, but I'd really love to spend some time with you."
"I have to get back," Teofil said, making a face. He had too many orders to stay, despite how curious he was. Rathiel was a marquis … that would take some getting used to.
Rathiel's face fell a little, and Teofil wrinkled his nose at him.
"Some of us have to work for a living," he informed Rathiel loftily. "I can come back?"
Rathiel laughed, nodding in agreement. "Dinner tonight, perhaps?"
Teofil hesitated—he really shouldn't. He had a lot of work … but he hadn't seen Rathiel in almost ten years.
"All right," Teofil accepted. "So long as you don't mind it being late. I have a big piece I need to finish."
"Late is fine with me," Rathiel agreed, smiling happily. "Come, I'll show you to Cafon's safe."
"Isn't his gift supposed to be a surprise?" Teofil asked, but he followed Rathiel from the sitting room without further protest.
Rathiel led him deep into the recesses of the mansion, through more gorgeous rooms that could have swallowed Teofil's entire house and still have room left over. He talked as they went, explaining how his mother had met the marquis when he'd been on the lam from his ex-wife; they'd married quietly and then escaped to the countryside before the woman could raise a ruckus.
Cafon's safe was in a study on the second floor. The desk was covered with stacks of paper in various states of disarray. Bookcases lined most of the walls, stuffed to overflowing with books. A few landscapes hung on the walls between the bookcases, and Rathiel crossed to one of them, swinging it aside to reveal a safe hidden beneath.
"Can I get a sneak peek?" Rathiel asked as he turned the safe's dial in the appropriate combination. Teofil averted his eyes politely.
"It
is
supposed to be a surprise," Teofil chided, not really sure why Rathiel was
asking
, when he obviously had access to Cafon's safe and could get at the earrings whenever he wanted to.
"I know," Rathiel admitted, smiling impishly. "But Cafon has had the occasional bout of poor taste before."
Teofil stifled a laugh. "Well, if you like your ring, you should like this," he said instead, relinquishing the box of earrings to Rathiel.
"You designed this, too?" Rathiel asked, eyeing the box curiously. He didn't open it however, just tucked it into the safe and shut the door.
"Yes," Teofil answered, flushing a little. "It matches."
"Excellent," Rathiel proclaimed with a smile, eyeing the ring on his finger with a smile. Teofil almost sighed, a little jealous. Rathiel and Cafon obviously adored each other; all Teofil got was a pair of creepy secret admirers.
"I can give you a proper tour of the house later, if you like," Rathiel offered as he led the way out of Cafon's study. "This is Cafon's house, but he won't be returning until tomorrow."
"Sure," Teofil accepted, trying to follow the twists and turns they took as they headed towards the front door. It was an impossible task, though. Teofil had no head for geography on his best days and Cafon's house, much like every other noble house Teofil had been in, seemed build to confuse.
"So I won't expect you until late, say eight o'clock?" Rathiel asked, leading him down a set of thickly carpeted stairs. "Or would nine be better?"
"Nine," Teofil answered, a little apologetic. "Maybe another day would be better?"
"Nonsense," Rathiel admonished, smiling cheerfully as they suddenly reached the front hall. "I should have invited you sooner. I refuse to wait another day."
Teofil shook his head, a little confused. How long had Rathiel known where he was? Not that he'd moved; his mother had gifted him with the house he'd grown up in when she'd remarried and moved in with her second husband.
"Nine tonight, then," Teofil accepted, deciding he'd figure out more later. Rathiel smiled happily, ducking his head a little shyly before impulsively leaning close and kissing Teofil on the cheek.
"It's good to see you again, Teo," Rathiel told him solemnly, a smile hovering about his mouth.
Teofil nodded, a little dazed. It was just a friendly gesture, he told himself firmly. Rathiel had Cafon and Teofil had seen dozens of nobles—granted, noblewomen, not noblemen—kiss each other on the cheek.
Bidding Rathiel farewell, Teofil left the house and headed back to the jewelry shop. He tried to focus on the necklace he'd be making this afternoon, an intricate piece with many tiny cascades of sapphires, but it was impossible. His thoughts constantly strayed back to Rathiel.
How had he never realized that Rathiel Forsycthe, Marquis of Westwood, was the same Rathiel he'd grown up with? They'd done jewelry orders for him before, Teofil was sure of it. But Teofil had never dealt with those orders, and he'd never waited on Rathiel directly.
If Rathiel had sent servants to deal with his orders, or if Teofil had been busy in the back room, it was possible that Teofil could never have seen him.
But how long had Rathiel known he worked at Wystan's shop? He and Cafon had obviously spoken about it, otherwise Teofil's part in the design of Rathiel's ring would still have been secret.
Resolving to get answers to his questions and to learn what Rathiel had been up to the last ten years, Teofil continued the walk back to the shop, his thoughts as far away from jewelry as they could be.
*~*~*
Teofil had maybe overindulged in wine. Accidentally, but the wine Rathiel had poured for them was much more potent that the wine he normally drank. Rathiel seemed unaffected, describing Westwood's country estate——and Teofil was fighting giggles because
Rathiel
owned a country estate.
Teofil set down his wine glass harder than he'd meant to, smiling a little because the wine was excellent. Rathiel paused in his description, looking amused.
"But here I am talking your ears off with silly things," Rathiel said, managing to put his glass down without the least bit of trouble. "How have you been, Teo? How's your mother?"
"She got married," Teofil said cheerfully. He liked his stepfather. "To Bimar, the shoemaker."
"No, really?" Rathiel asked, sitting up straight. "When?"
"Two years back?" Teofil guessed, then paused to think about it. "Three, almost. It was a fall wedding."
"She's happy?" Rathiel asked. "I'll have to send a gift."
"She is," Teofil confirmed. "You don't have to send anything. Just go see her, she'd love that. She worried more than I did when you and your mother disappeared."
"Ah," Rathiel murmured, looking away unhappily. "I
am
sorry. You worried about me?"
Teofil rolled his eyes, the wine or the delicious dinner loosening his tongue. Probably the wine. "Of course I worried about you. You were my best friend, Rath." Teo paused, narrowing his eyes when Rathiel ducked his head, probably prepared to apologize again. "If you say you're sorry one more time, I shall kick you," Teofil proclaimed, not really sure he could follow through on the threat. He'd probably fall over first.
Rathiel chuckled, lifting his head to meet Teofil's eyes. "So how are you doing then? I'm glad to hear your mother is well."
"I'm doing fine," Teofil said, shrugging liquidly. He eyed his wine glass speculatively but didn't reach for it. He'd probably had enough for a week. Tomorrow was going to be particularly unpleasant.
"That's not very descriptive, Teo," Rathiel chided, sipping at his wine elegantly. That wasn't something he'd picked up from being a noble, Teo noted. Rathiel had always been elegant and graceful. "And after I told you most everything that's happened to me these last ten years."
"I've just been working for Wystan," Teo said, shrugging again. "That's all."
"Cafon told me something interesting," Rathiel said, grinning wickedly. Teofil's face, already flushed with alcohol, heated even more.
"I don't know what you're referring to," Teofil denied. He'd managed to forget about the stupid secret admirers, preoccupied with reacquinting himself with Rathiel.
Rathiel laughed at him, his fingers curling languidly around his wine glass.
"Come now, isn't it flattering?" Rathiel asked, his movements lazy as he brought his wine glass to his mouth and took another sip.
"It's frustrating," Teofil groused, wondering if perhaps Rathiel and Cafon were behind it—but no, they'd been together five years and were obviously besotted with each other. No way they needed him for anything.
Though Teofil might not object if it were them; Cafon and Rathiel cut fine figures … and he'd obviously had more wine than he'd thought if he was entertaining such thoughts.
"Frustrating because of the secret?" Rathiel asked, a soft smile playing about his lips. "You never did have much patience."
"It doesn't make any sense," Teofil grumbled, managing to pick up his wine glass without knocking it over. Taking a healthy, fortifying swallow, he scowled at the cup when he realized it was now empty. "I'm just … the assistant to a jewelry maker. I'm not even pretty like Salib is."
Rathiel looked startled, and he stared at Teofil for a long moment before shaking his head.
"You're impossible, Teo," Rathiel chided, smiling. "You're plenty attractive, and it's common knowledge that Wystan has quite the genius in his assistant."
Teofil's face heated again, and he lazily waved away Rathiel's words. Rath was probably being nice because they were friends.
"I feel sorry for whoever is courting you," Rathiel said, shaking his head. He was smiling though, so Teofil just made a face at him.
"You did this to Cafon, didn't you?" Teofil asked, toying with his empty glass. "How long before you let him know?"
"A few months," Rathiel admitted. "And even then it was accidental."
Teofil sighed, wondering morosely how long it would take for his admirer to give up and approach him. Or leave him be.
"What did you send him?" Teofil asked, curious despite himself. Was there a secret admirer etiquette that dictated what to send to the unwitting victim?
Rathiel laughed loudly and Teofil flushed again, realizing he'd asked that aloud.
"Unwitting victim, really, Teo," Rathiel said, still laughing. "Aren't you being a little dramatic?"
"No," Teofil refuted morosely, shaking his head. "I am a victim of expensive gifts and … and someone breaking into my house to deliver them."
Rathiel laughed again, shaking his head. "You haven't got a romantic bone in your body, do you Teo?"
"Nope," Teofil admitted, finally setting the empty wine glass back down on the table with a loud clunk. Rathiel observed this with a smile, shaking his head.
"That poor soul, he probably thinks you hate him. Or her, I suppose," Rathiel said contemplatively. "Do you have any idea who it could be?"
"No," Teofil said, sighing. "But I think it's a 'them'."
"Really," Rathiel said, his eyebrows raising.
"It's not funny," Teofil said, scowling as Rathiel snickered at him. "Remember that poem my mother used to read us? That epic, by Masterson? They sent me that, on paper that probably cost more than my house is worth."
Rathiel was laughing again, and Teofil rolled his eyes, wondering if he should assault a peer of the realm for being an unsympathetic ass.
"Is that why you're upset? There's a couple behind it?" Rathiel asked when he managed to stifle his laughter.
"No," Teofil muttered, wishing he had more wine. "But two of them, that pretty much guarantees they're just looking for someone to play with."
"You don't know that, Teo," Rathiel said gently, laughter gone. "They could genuinely want you."
"Hah," Teo scoffed, frowning morosely at the table. "They'll go away eventually. I hope."
Rathiel shook his head, giving Teo a small, sad smile. Probably he liked the idea of Teofil finding someone the same way he'd gotten Cafon.
"Take a chance, Teo," Rathiel urged, tilting his wine glass towards Teo imperatively. "It could work."
"I don't even know who's behind it," Teo objected. "They're playing games now. How would that change when I find out who it is?"
"Teo …" Rathiel started, looking more upset than he should. Maybe it was the wine. Sighing, Teofil covered his eyes with his hand, forcing away thoughts of the entire debacle.
Forcing a smile, he let his hand drop and met Rathiel's unhappy gaze.
"I'm sorry, I made dinner unhappy," Teofil apologize, awkwardly climbing to his feet and almost falling over. "I should go, it's late and I have to be to work in the morning."