"Edgar Carstairs, allow me to introduce Florian du Rochefort, a recent arrival from Paris."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir." Carstairs shook Florian's hand. "I hope you are enjoying your visit to our fair land."

"I am indeed," Florian assured him, freeing his hand, and taking a step back from the eager gentleman. He felt as if he was missing something important and his confusion must have been obvious because Roddy laughed and gave Edgar a thump on the back.

"Back down, Ed, I haven't told Florian yet." Roddy gestured toward the dining room and suggested, "Why don't we talk about it over dinner?"

Settling in at the table with Roddy at the head, Edgar on his left and Florian at his right, they suspended their discussion until they'd been served the first course. Over a flavorful cream soup Roddy introduced the topic that Edgar had traveled from London to discuss.

"I was planning on telling you about this tomorrow, Florian, but perhaps this is better. Ed is much more eloquent than I am. It's just… you know the letters that you've written to Noel? The ones with the charming drawings?"

"Yes," Florian said, suddenly remembering. "Noel said that someone had borrowed them."

"That someone would be me," Roddy told him before nodding to Edgar, "And I lent them to Ed."

"I showed them to my brother. He's my partner in our publishing company." Ed set his spoon down and leaned forward. "We want to publish them as a children's book. There's be some revisions, of course, changing names and such, but we are quite sure it would be well received."

"A book? But those were just letters and doodles."

"On the contrary, they are adventures. Exactly what our readers want to read." Edgar picked up his spoon again. "Surely you've read an adventure story or two."

"Quite a few more than that," Florian admitted. "My… cousin has an extensive library and, although he'd deny it, he's read more of those novels than I have."

"Henri kept the local bookseller busy when he first arrived," Roddy confided. "Noel was very vocal about the need for 'his Florian's favorite books'. The boy wouldn't go to sleep without hearing a chapter from one of them."

"Oh, dear," Florian said, placing his spoon across his empty bowl. "I didn't realize. I will have to apologize to Henri."

"Don't you dare," Roddy chided. "It's good for him to get his nose out of his ledger once in a while." He sat back as the servants took away the empty dishes and replaced them with the main course. Edgar liked shepard's pie and Roddy hoped that Florian wouldn't mind such plain fare. There was a trifle for dessert that should win him over.

"I brought along a sample so you could get an idea of what the book would look like." Edgar offered. "I'll show you after supper if you would like to see it."

"I would," Florian agreed, glad that they could drop the subject for the rest of the meal. He took the opportunity to consider the offer and the possibility of earning a little money. It wouldn't be nearly enough to repay his debts or to fully provide for himself, but it might allow him to use less of Ray's money. For that alone, it would be worth taking the chance.

The rest of the meal passed pleasantly with Roddy and Edgar telling him of their adventures, as schoolboys and as adults. They'd known each other since childhood, and it was comfortable spending time in their company. Florian allowed himself to relax and laughed along with them as they tried to outdo each other with ridiculous stories. By the time they retreated to Roddy's study, Florian was eager to see the sample book that Edgar had brought.

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"Did we upset you?" Roddy asked. He set his candle down on the hall table and joined Florian at the window seat at the end of the hall. Florian had excused himself hours ago to allow Roddy and Ed some time to linger over drinks and conversation. Roddy hadn't expected to find Florian, still formally dressed, staring out at the night.

"No," Florian assured him, "I just needed time to think."

"Stargazing?" Roddy asked, although it was a cloudy night without stars or the moon visible.

"Something like that," Florian replied without offering an explanation. How could anyone understand that the darkness made him feel closer to his distant love?

"I'll leave you to it then," Roddy moved away slowly and had only taken three steps when Florian called him back.

"Sit with me a moment? There's something you should know." Florian let the night comfort him and give him strength as he confessed the reason for his exile. When he finished, he met Roddy's sympathetic eyes and told him, "I'll probably make the same mistakes. I don't know how not to make them. You need to know that before you decide if you want me as a traveling companion. I'll understand if the answer is no."

"It's late and I'm tired," Roddy told him, taking his hands, and giving them a comforting squeeze. "Sleep if you can. We'll talk tomorrow."

Florian nodded and let him go, turning back to the window and the dark night beyond.

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