Pearls

by L. M. Pruitt

  “She is doing well, Your Royal Highness. We appreciate your concern.” I started to raise one hand to fiddle with the pearls, freezing when Gaston sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing before he smiled knowingly. “Still, I daresay that was not the reason you sought me out.”

  “Oh, yes. I wanted to speak with you about Harriet.” His features shifted in to the adoring lines and somewhat goofy smile he tended to wear at the mere mention of his future bride. “I know it is rushing things somewhat but do you believe she will be able to be presented to the King during Nicolae’s visit?”

  “A formal presentation? No, Gaston.” I pursed my lips and shook my head. “Even if her manners were up to snuff, there would be no time to have an appropriate Court dress made. I am already having to hire an assistant to help ensure Ava finishes the gowns and tuxedos for the students before my ball.”

  “Ah, yes, I suppose you’re correct.” The Prince’s face fell and he sighed. “I had forgotten about the Court dress. They are terribly complicated, aren’t they?”

  “As someone who has been involved in the production of more than one, I can assure you complicated is quite the understatement.” I smiled to take some of the sting from my words, glancing up at the Duke. “I’ve driven the Duke to the point of hair pulling quite often while in the middle of designing a dress.”

  “Quite true.” The Duke shuddered dramatically even as he returned my smile. “Lady Saint-Laurent can be quite fierce when she believes someone is trying to copy her designs.”

  “I would not put it past her in the slightest.” Gaston laughed, some of the disappointment fading from his face. He drummed his fingers on the chair arm and chewed on his lip. “Perhaps at your ball, my lady? Nothing formal, of course, but if the King were to bestow some sort of favor on her before her presentation to the Court, it would go a long way toward cementing her position.”

  “It might be possible but I do not want to make you a promise and then find myself unable to deliver.” I tapped a finger on my chin, rapidly readjusting the timeline I had created for Harriet. “If you were able to assist me in a few matters, providing a sort of incentive for Harriet’s cooperation, so to speak, we should be able to polish her enough for the ball.”

  “I, uh… well, if you truly believe my presence would be beneficial then I will make myself available.” He tugged at his collar, a faint flush creeping up his neck and staining his cheeks. “Will you need me to provide anything or--.”

  “If you wish to bring her a gift or some other small token of your affections, by all means feel free, but otherwise, no.” I smiled in an attempt to ease his sudden and obvious discomfort. “Perhaps flowers to start? She is, after all, from the human district where such frivolities are scarce and is still quite young.”

  “Flowers.” The Prince looked relieved to have been given some sort of direction, heaving a deep breath and nodding. “Yes. Those will do nicely.” The relief fled as swiftly as it appeared, his eyes widening. “What kind?”

  Before I could answer, the curtain twitched open and the King appeared. “There you are! We have been looking everywhere for you.” He stared at the three of us for a moment before lifting His brows and wagging a finger. “We know a business discussion when We see one. Prince Gaston, We are pleased you are seeking to remedy your prolonged loneliness.” Clasping His hands together, He shifted His gaze to me. “Lady Saint-Laurent, if We might have a word with you in private?”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” I stared to rise only to freeze when the King bade me stay seated. With a flick of His wrist, He dismissed the Prince and the Duke, taking the former’s seat. I waited until the curtain was closed again before speaking. “How may I be of service, Your Majesty?”

  “You will no doubt find this quite ridiculous but We have been charged with playing messenger.” He reached in His impossibly tight waistcoat and withdrew an envelope. Passing it to me, He leaned back in His chair. “That came to Us this morning from Prince Nicolae.”

  “Prince Nicolae?” I might have been less shocked if He had informed me the message had come from the Lord God above. I turned the package over in my hands, noting the quality of the material and the delicate handwriting. “I am afraid I do not understand, Your Majesty.”

  “And We are afraid We are as lacking in knowledge.” Bienvenu undid a single button as He slumped in his seat and heaved an enormous sigh. “If We were to make an assumption—which, We suppose, is all We are able to do at the moment—We would assume the missive to be related to your school and not to anything involving the Court. Your loyalties are well-known.”

  “As they should be, Your Majesty.” I started to frown at Him, stopping myself at the last moment. “Still, the Prince has stated numerous times how little regard he has for my school. I do not know why he would show an interest now.”

  “The gossip which has reached Our ears is that his new paramour lives up to her name.” The King’s lips quirked upward and He began to chuckle. “We almost pity the Prince, to go from one as experienced and insatiable as Marcella to a slip of a girl who is almost definitely a virgin.”

  “If that is what he seeks, Your Majesty, then he will be sorely disappointed, for I do not have room for another student at the moment.”

  “If that is what he seeks, Lady Saint-Laurent, We would ask that you find some way to accommodate his wishes.”

  Now I did frown, snapping my spine in to a painfully straight line. “Your Majesty, forgive my forwardness, but You have given Your word that no one, not even Yourself, would be allowed to interfere with the school.”

  “And We would ask that you consider doing this task as a favor to Us.” The King sighed and pinched the bridge of His nose. “Happy subjects are loyal subjects, Lady Saint-Laurent. We hope you do not find it necessary for Us to expound on the underlying meaning of those words.”

  “No, Your Majesty.” I shook my head slowly as I studied Him. “If that is what is required of me, then I will find a way to aid the Prince.”

  “We thank you in advance, Lady Saint-Laurent.” He stood, buttoning His waistcoat before tugging it in to place. Offering His hand, He raised me to my feet, His face set once again in jovial lines. “Come now, let Us go and enjoy the players. We are sure they are anxiously waiting for Our arrival to start the performance.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The next morning, I looked up from my paperwork as the door to the front parlor opened. “Yes?”

  “Ah, there you are.” The Duke stepped in the room, closing the door quietly behind him. “I was beginning to think Sophie had coaxed you in to a game of hide-and-seek and you were proving to be quite the champion.”

  “No, I’m afraid I have no time for play today and more than likely not until after Prince Nicolae returns to the Northern Territories.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and rubbed my temple, doing my best not to squint. If I were to do that, Grégoire would immediately know I had the headache and he would whisk me off to bed in an instant. Between his attentions and Addy, I would not get any work done. “I must rearrange my schedule so I am able to offer private sessions not only to Harriet but to this Chastity as well.”

  “At least Nicolae is not expecting you to lodge her while they are in town.”

  “Only because he wants to be quite certain no one other than he is permitted to ‘demonstrate the application of romantic theory’, as he phrased it.” Deciding the bite of the stays would be no worse than continuing to sit tall and straight under the weight of exhaustion, I slumped in my chair, propping my elbow on the arm. “In addition to all this, I must still handle preparations for the ball we are to throw and the designs for our costumes for the Royal Masquerade.”

  “Royal Masquerade?” Resting his hip against the side of my desk, the Duke crossed his arms and frowned at me. “I confess, you have me at a loss. I have not heard of such an event.”

  “Nicolae mentioned it in his letter—apparently it is one more in the long list of requests he has made concerning his visit
, although he promises it will be the last.” I sighed and rolled my eyes as I wished longingly for a cup of coffee. And a beignet, coated with confectionary sugar. My sweet tooth was stronger than usual this morning, a sure sign my monthlies were due to arrive any day. Only one more cross I must bear this week. “I can only assume the King will honor the request, since He has gone out of His way to honor all the others.”

  “You are quite correct in that regard.” Reaching out, he cupped my cheek, stroking his thumb under my eye. “You have shadows here, Marguerite. And you are rubbing your forehead again.”

  I scowled and dropped my hand, more annoyed with myself for not even being aware of the action than I was at him for noticing. “I am tired, dearest. Normally I am able to rest on Sundays but yesterday was quite out of the norm. It has left me feeling somewhat out of sorts.”

  “I suppose the fact you will soon be subject to your woman’s curse has nothing to do with this extreme tiredness.” He chuckled when I groaned, tweaking the tip of my nose. “Little daisy, after fifteen years, are you truly surprised I am as intimate with the workings of your body as you yourself are?”

  “To my utter chagrin, yes.” Sighing, I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. “I do not have the time to be ill.”

  “No one ever has the time to be ill, darling.” A slight rustle reached my ears seconds before his hands sank in to my hair, utterly destroying the chignon I had forced myself to construct as a nod to propriety. He began massaging my scalp with the lightest of touches, humming under his breath. “Would you like some blood, Marguerite?”

  “I drank from you only two weeks ago, Grégoire.” I bit back a groan as some of the pressure began to dissipate. “It’s not necessary.”

  “I know it is not necessary, Marguerite, but I do not care to see you in pain and we both know a few sips of my blood would rectify that.” He paused, chuckling again after a moment. “At least until your curse arrives.”

  “Very funny, Your Grace.” Opening my eyes, I stared up at him through my tangled hair. “If it would ease your mind, dearest, I will take some of your blood.” Shoving the hair out of my face, I scowled. “But only after coffee and a beignet.”

  “A beignet, hmm? Yet another sure sign of what is to come in the next few days.” Smoothing my hair down in to some semblance of order, he pinched my chin before tapping me once on my forehead. “I will go procure both of those things, mayhap some chocolate as well.”

  I watched him cross the room, a thought striking me as he reached for the doorknob. “You never told me why you were looking for me earlier.”

  “I did not?” He turned with a frown, his brows drawing together over the bridge of his nose for a moment before his face cleared. “Ah, yes, I remember now. Octavian has finished conducting his inquiries. Sister Mary Catherine’s story is true. She is still willing to take the position, if we so desire.”

  “On a trial basis, under Addy’s supervision.” I sat up straight, glaring at him when he rolled his eyes and heaved an exasperated sigh. “I am not being paranoid. We did the same thing with Emily when she was first promoted to the position.”

  “Did we?” He scratched his chin, clearly pretending to think the matter over. “Oh, yes, we did. So you are not paranoid so much as overly attentive and exacting.”

  “If you are finished needling me, Your Grace, I could certainly use the coffee and sweets you promised me.” I glanced at the clock and winced. “I have only an hour until my private session with Harriet and Gaston.”

  “Of course, darling.” He bowed deeply, staying bent until I laughed. “Although it is my first day as a footman, I will endeavor to do a most admirable job.”

  I was still laughing when he closed the door behind him.

  “The Prince is here to see you, Miss Marguerite.” Addy stepped aside, allowing Gaston to enter. Adjusting her tignon, she said, “Would you like me to fetch Miss Harriet for you?”

  “Yes, but please knock before showing her in. I’d like a few minutes alone with the Prince.” Waiting until Addy closed the door, I smiled at Gaston and gestured at the sofa. “Please have a seat. I assure you, there’s no need to look so terrified.”

  “Is it the flowers?” He clutched harder at the bouquet of white roses, his fangs descending ever so slightly until they curved over his lower lip. At that moment, I realized I had never seen the Prince’s fangs—only one more indication of the depths of his nerves. “I was not sure what would be appropriate and I did not wish to be too forward and--.”

  “The flowers are beautiful, Gaston.” Settling in the chair closest to him, I reached over and closed my hand over his, stilling his fidgeting. “Harriet will be thrilled by them. I don’t believe she’s ever seen roses before.”

  “Oh.” He relaxed, his fangs ascending as he smiled tentatively. “I assumed as much. My mother was fond of saying every lady should receive roses when she is being courted.”

  I bit back a sigh at the unashamedly romantic words, knowing he would believe I was poking fun at him. Although I knew the Prince to be a good, just, and loyal man, it pleased me to find out he apparently also possessed a soft heart. “Your mother sounds like a very wise woman. I’m sorry for giving you cause to worry but the business I need to discuss with you is related to the King.”

  “The King?” Gaston frowned, leaning forward and setting the bouquet of flowers on the coffee table with exquisite care. Crossing his legs, he rested his hands on his knee. “Lady Saint-Laurent, despite my title, I will confess to not being as close with the King as the Duke.”

  “I am not seeking information about the King but rather information for him.” I hesitated, not entirely sure how to begin to broach the topic the King had asked me to inquire about while we were making our way to our seats last night. “You were at the opera last week so you are already aware of the incident which occurred between Vicomte Balogh and the Duke and myself.”

  “Even if I was not, I would have heard of it and I most definitely would have heard of the King’s punishment.” Gaston laughed and shook his head. “You were quite bold, Lady Saint-Laurent. Not many would have dared to ask for such an exorbitant fine.”

  “First, I have asked you before to refer to me by my Christian name. Second, I would have said the Vicomte’s words were bold—the punishment was simply fitting.” I shrugged my shoulders as I leaned back in my seat. “Even more so since he felt necessary to visit my home and terrorize my child.”

  “That is one piece of gossip which has not made its way through the Court.” The Prince whistled and shook his head. “Your family appears to be having quite the week.”

  “The Duke and I are praying quite fervently that this one is better.” I laughed with him, waiting until he had trailed off before speaking again. “You have connections with individuals who do business in the human district. The sort of individuals who will not speak with normal officials.”

  “And the King would like to find out exactly what Balogh is doing to pass his time during his exile.” Gaston nodded, understanding lighting in his eyes. “Yes, I can understand Bienvenu wanting to know what a slimy little worm such as the Vicomte was up to in an area where no one could see him.”

  I burst in to laughter again, unable to help myself. Pressing a finger to the corner of my eye in an effort to hold back my tears, I managed to rasp out, “That is the most accurate description of the Vicomte I have ever heard.”

  “Despite his opinion of himself, he is generally held in even lower esteem than you and the Duke.” The Prince clamped his teeth together, his eyes widening for a moment before he began to stutter apologies in both English and French. “My lady, words cannot express--.”

  “Please, do not concern yourself.” I laughed even harder, barely managing to wave one hand absently. “The Duke and I are all too aware of how the majority of the Court views us.”

  “Still, it was highly impolite for me to comment on it.” Readjusting his suit and cravat, Gaston uncrossed and crossed his legs, the ear
lier moment of joint levity forgotten, his formality once again rising to the surface. “I will make inquiries through multiple channels, both legal and… otherwise.”

  “You can send word of anything you find—or do not find—here to me. I will give everything to the Duke and he will in turn pass it to the King.” Satisfied I had done everything possible to aid the Bienvenu, I turned my attention to the true reason for the Prince’s visit. “Now, we have only a few minutes before Addy returns with Harriet so I would like to explain to you what we’re going to be working on this afternoon.”

  “I confess, I would find a little prior knowledge extremely helpful.” He fingered his cufflinks and smiled ruefully. “I am sure you have noticed I am not what one would call ‘comfortable’ in social settings.”

  “Even if I had not, I would have suspected as much, considering the remoteness of your territory.” I softened my statement with an encouraging smile. “In the past, you have had no cause to engage in any sort of display of affection under the eyes of the King and the Court. Once you are married, you will find that is not the case.”

  “But since, as you just said, no affection is allowed while in the presence of the King, I cannot begin to entertain what the point of this lesson might be.” Gaston cocked his head, his brow furrowing in concentration. “The way you are continuing to smile makes me think I am missing something very obvious.”

  “You are, but I think the rest should wait until Harriet has joined us.” Almost before the echo from my words had died away, there was a knock on the door. Giving the Prince another encouraging smile, I raised my voice. “You may enter.”

  The door opened a scant foot and Harriet squeezed inside. Her face was scrubbed clean, the perfection of the oval even more obvious with her ebony hair pinned back. Her gaze drifted from me to Gaston before dropping to the floor, her cheeks flushing pale pink. “Madame. Your Royal Highness.”