"Feeling better?" Roddy asked when he and Florian disembarked from the ship that had carried them from England to Belgium. It had been a rough crossing with storm-tossed waves making even the hardiest of travelers queasy. Florian had fought his usual sea sickness as fiercely as he could, but he'd had to retreat to his cabin and remain there until the waters calmed and they approached their destination. Roddy had managed the crossing with little discomfort but even he had been eager to return to land. Fortunately, most of their travels for the next ten months would be land-bound.
"I am, thank you." Florian assured him, although he was still a bit pale, his stomach was settling now that they were off the ship. He knew from experience that he'd be back to his usual health after a good night's rest. "Shall I ask the porter to call a cab?"
"No need, I think I see… yes, that's definitely Charles." Roddy called out to the portly man in the charcoal grey suit who was barreling through the crowd of disembarking passengers.
"Roderick, old man. Here you are at last." Charles Wilhaven came to a stop, wheezing and panting from his efforts to find them. "Brought the carriage. Had some business nearby and thought I'd save you and your friend some bother. This is him, isn't it?"
"Charles, allow me to introduce Florian du Rochefort, my friend and traveling companion. He's taking the long way home to Paris and agreed to accompany me on my travels."
"Hello," Charles shook Florian's hand, nodding as they studied each other. "Met a du Rochefort once in Marseilles. That one of your lot?"
"Possibly," Florian offered, having no idea which of his many distant relations Charles might be referring to. The man didn't seem too interested as he immediately returned his attention to Roddy and the advantages of stopping somewhere for a meal on the way to his house.
"You choose," Roddy insisted, with Florian's agreement when Charles had reeled off the names of six restaurants with no signs of stopping.
An hour later, they and their bags had been loaded into the carriage and they were headed to the first restaurant Charles had suggested. Charles pointed out a few notable sights along the way and Roddy and Florian relaxed and enjoyed the ride.
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"You're sure?" Roddy asked when Florian declined to join him and Charles for coffee and cigars that evening. The meal at the restaurant had been as good as Charles promised, and they conversation had been light and pleasant. The carriage ride to Charles' estate had been relaxing and entertaining as Charles mixed sightseeing with stories of his youthful adventures. Upon arriving at the house, Charles had given them a brief tour then shown them to their rooms to allow the travelers time to freshen up for a light supper. Now it was almost ten at night and Florian was desperate for some sleep.
"I look forward to spending other evenings with you and Charles, but I'm afraid I'd rather tired this evening."
"Of course you are," Charles waved him off grandly. "I won't keep Roddy much longer. You must both be exhausted."
Florian wished the men a good evening and retreated up the main stairway to the second-floor suite he'd been given for the duration of his and Roddy's three week stay. The room was comfortable and decorated in neo-classical style, far different from the Moroccan décor in Ray's home.
Florian allowed himself a moment to miss his lover, then put those feelings firmly, back into the mental box where Florian had been storing them. He'd made a commitment to accompany Roddy on his much-delayed European tour and Florian was determined to be a good companion and to enjoy himself. If he was lucky, the trip might also be a productive one. He'd already sent some sketches along with an account of their travel from England to Belgium. If Ed liked them and decided to publish, Florian would have a continuing income for at least the next ten months.
Once he was in his night clothes, Florian settled under the bedcovers and sighed. He wasn't completely comfortable with Roddy covering all of Florian's expenses for the duration of their travels, but even with the allowance provided by Ray, Florian couldn't have paid for such a trip. Thanks to Ed's advance payment for the book of Florian's letters to Noel, and to Ray's monthly allowance, Florian could cover the cost of incidentals and some meals for Roddy and himself at modest restaurants or cafes.
Florian had never been in the habit of acquiring souvenirs, but he did want to purchase some travel guides to use as reference for his journal and a reminder of this trip. He would annotate them and show them to Ray and Laila when he finally returned home. The one other indulgence he allowed himself was a Brownie 2 camera. Roddy had suggested it, and even offered to buy one for Florian as a gift, but Florian had politely declined. He allowed himself to think of it as an investment for his writing career, intending to take photos of their travels to use as reference for his sketches. Perhaps he'd make scrap books to show Noel, or anyone else who might want to see them.
Florian had practiced using the camera before they left England and hoped to finish up the roll of film while sightseeing in the next few days. He was anxious to have the pictures developed so he could see the results of his first attempts as photography. He'd only ever thought of photographs as the stiff, overly formal portraits he and his mother used to sit for every Christmas. His little Brownie was much less imposing than the professional photographer's camera and he looked forward to experimenting with it. If his pictures were decent, he might send one or two home. Laila might like to see them, even if Ray wasn't interested.
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