The next day, Janine was back in the kitchen helping Magdaline, when a male slave walked in. He looked at Janine.
"You. Lord Michael requests your presence." he told her. Magdaline's face paled.
Janine rolled her eyes, not seeing the woman's expression next to her. She wiped her hands off, and stood up. "All right, lead the way.
The slave lead her into the huge room she'd walked into the second day here. The day she and Michael almost had it out. Michael was sitting at a small table off to the side. He glanced up as they walked in.
"You may go, Daniel," he said. the man next to her, bowed then left the room, leaving them alone. Janine looked at him warily.
"Yes, my lord?" He stood up, smiling at her. "Come over here, Janine. Have a seat." He waved towards the table. "I noticed the other day, you happened to move a piece on the chess board in the hall. Do you play?"
Janine froze. "I apologize my lord. I..."
"No, don't apologize. Do you play?"
"A little," she admitted. He waved to the seat again, gesturing her to sit down. "Would it to too much of an inconvenience to join me in a game?" She looked at him, knowing full well what his answer would be if she refused him. "Of course not, my lord. I'm not needed anywhere right now."
He smiled. "Excellent. Let's begin."

Christopher walked out into the garden. He knew Raymond and Janine went out here when they were together. She'd told him one evening that Raymond had asked her to teach him how to dance to impress Lady Marianna at the ball in the next month.
He'd walked through the garden's small maze, finding Raymond in the middle, looking bewildered. "Where's Janine," he asked, approaching his brother. "I need her this afternoon."
Raymond shrugged. "I don't know. I figured you kept her longer than usual."
"I haven't seen her since this morning."
Raymond looked worried. "I think we'd better find her."

The two men walked into the house, to be confronted by Magdaline. She bowed, keeping her head bowed.
"My lords," she started.
"Where's Janine," Christopher asked. The woman looked up startled. "My lords, Lord Michael demanded her presence in the main room. I don't where she is now."
Both men looked at each other, knowing full well wheat she was suggesting, then rushed towards the main room.
"Check," Janine said. Michael's bemused expression turned to disbelief, as he looked down at the board. "Well done. Your old master taught you well."
Janine smiled. Michael moved a piece. "But not well enough. Check."
She looked at the board, trying to figure out her next move. She wasn't sure how he would react. If she played to win, then he may take it as an insult. But if she threw the game and he figured it out, he may be insulted. The one time she managed to actually win against Peter, he mumbled about it for the rest of the day and wasn't happy until he beat her in the next game. Finally she moved a piece.
Christopher and Raymond rushed into the main room, skidding to a halt by the front entrance, both not expecting what they were seeing. They expected anything, but the chess game they saw being play out in the room. Michael moved a piece and sat back, smiling.
"Checkmate."
"Good game, my lord."
"You play well Janine. We may have to continue this at a later date," He glance behind her, noticing his brothers at the door. "In the meantime, I believe you may have some prior commitments."
She stood up, bowed slightly, then turned back to the door, seeing Christopher, and Raymond at the doorway.
"I'm apologize, my lords." Raymond opened his mouth to speak, but Christopher stopped him. "Janine, I need you in the lab."
She walked passed them and rushed towards the stairs. Christopher looked over at Michael who was still sitting, eyeing his brothers in amusement.
"I warn you Michael, " Christopher threatened, "If she is damaged in any way, I will make sure you regret it."
Michael smiled. "I promised you I won't harm her until your little experiment is finished. Besides," he added. "She amuses me."

Egon slammed down his screwdriver. This was the fourth time he tried to start working on this project, and the fourth time he gave up in frustration. He shook his head in annoyance, trying to get his mind focused on work, but it refused to budge. It'd been three days since Janine left for the retreat and she still hadn't called. Granted, usually when she took a day off she didn't call, but this was a week, away from New York, with a temp sitting in on her job. She should've called at least twice by now.
The logical side of is brain said she was only gone for three week, that she was having fun and probably forgot to call, and she was perfectly fine. Yet there was the small annoying voice in the back of his head that refused to go away. The voice that kept telling him something was terribly wrong and he should at least call the retreat to see if she'd made it there without any complications.
He shook his head again, and picked up the screwdriver. He'd call later. He didn't want anyone to think he was checking up on her.