The journey home was quiet, save for Sébastien attempting to make small talk with Lucien. Lumière kept his eyes on the road, fearing – like his master – what would greet them at home. Knowing nobles as well as he did, Lumière had no doubt that this baron would make a grand entrance to bask in the glory of returning the young vicomte to his respectable, higher-ranking parents. This was not boding well for them at all.

But every now and then to distract himself, Lumière stole a glance at the beautiful baronne for a pleasant change in scenery. He knew it was wrong, but he could not help himself. With the baron engrossed in conversation, it was too easy and the lady did not discourage it. She would smile, wink, and sometimes be so bold as to make a few faces at her husband's rambling.

But that diversion came to an abrupt end. At one point, Lumière made the mistake of laughing a little too loudly at Loida's expression, and Sébastien turned on him.

"What is so funny, boy?" the noble snapped.

Lumière bit his lip, lowering his head. "Nothing, Monsieur le Baron," he said. "Just…a sight outside!" He laughed weakly. "It was…very amusing!"

"Oui, I am sure the slightest things would amuse someone of your station," Sébastien snarled. "Tell me, were you at least taught anything about respect?"

"Bien sûr, monsieur."

"Then prove it and do not interrupt your superiors again!"

Lumière stayed silent, thanking the heavens that this man was not his master. Lumière's own employer, Lucien's father, the Comte Armand de Bontecou, was one of the most admired men in Paris. Throughout his life, he had earned the respect of everyone he met, from the common folk to nobles and royals with his intelligence and benevolence. All the servants in his household knew that they would never find a better master to serve. Meeting people like this baron reminded Lumière how lucky he was to work for a man known far and wide for his kind heart.

Let's hope he remembers his heart now, Lumière thought as the chateau came into view. He glanced nervously at Lucien, who returned the look. What in the world were they going to do?

Lucien swallowed before turning a grin on Sébastien. "Well there it is!" he said, gesturing Lumière to open the door as the carriage pulled to a stop. "We appreciate your generosity, monsieur. Very, very much."

They began to climb out when Sébastien started to follow.

"We made it this far," the baron said. "Surely we can see you inside…"

"Non!" the boys protested, startling him.

"Non, merci," Lucien said, calmly. "You have done more than enough already."

"And there is no harm in doing a little more," Sébastien insisted, unwilling to lose this opportunity to meet and make a positive impression on nobles far above himself. "It is no trouble!"

The boys looked back at the house, terrified that he would wake the household with his loud, jovial volume. Stuttering, they turned back to him, thinking quickly for excuses to let them sneak inside by themselves.

Loida shook her head, resting a hand on her husband's arm. "Really, querido, where have your manners gone?" Before Sébastien could make his usual retort, she gave him a hard look, adding, "The Comte and Comtesse are surely still asleep at this hour. It would be rude of us to wake them."

Sébastien opened his mouth to speak, but his face relaxed after a moment's thought. She was right. If all were still asleep, it would not be in their favor to wake them.

"Très bien," he said, not noticing the boys' relieved faces. "But surely your family shall be at His Majesty's ball this Saturday, oui?"

Lucien nodded. "Of course we will. I will be more than happy to introduce you then."

Lumière shot a subtle glare at him. Introductions would mean having to tell their parents what they had done. Lucien merely kept a cool head, watching Sébastien's beaming smile at his promise.

"We look forward to it!" Sébastien replied. He bowed his head politely. "Until Saturday, Monsieur le Vicomte!"

Lucien returned the gesture. "Until Saturday," he said.

Sébastien closed the carriage door, and the boys bowed as Loida bid them farewell. Before they drove off, she added a mouthed wish of "Good luck!"

After it was out of sight, the boys turned to head silently towards the chateau.

"Just how do you plan on explaining how you met them?" Lumière hissed when they reached the door.

Lucien shook his head. "Right now, I have no idea. But if we get inside without a hitch, I'll get a little sleep and then have a few days to think about it. So hush, get up to your room, don't get caught, and I'll take care of it."

Lumière nodded his understanding. Neither one of them made another sound as they entered the chateau and parted ways with a muted "good night!"

Once he neared his room, Lumière took his steps more cautiously. With any luck, his father, Chanlet, would be so deep in slumber that he would not hear the commotion outside, courtesy of the baron.

But unfortunately, luck was not with him. Glancing to the left and right, Lumière breathed more easily when he saw that Chanlet was nowhere in sight. Upon entering his room, however, his breath caught in his throat. Chanlet was not in the hall because he was seated inside the room, waiting.

"I-I thought you w-were in bed," Lumière stuttered. "Did I wake you? I…I went for a midnight snack."

If he had not been so angry, Chanlet would have laughed. "That was your worst yet, mon fils," he said, his voice unnaturally calm. One would think this would ease Lumière's worry, but it was quite the opposite. Chanlet rarely yelled, thus this was his disappointment tone.

Still, Lumière dared to play dumb. "Papa, it's late," he said with a feigned yawn. "I don't know what you mean."

"Where were you, Lumière?" Chanlet asked firmly, clearly in no mood for games. "I have been waiting here since midnight, and we are now fast approaching dawn. Where have you been this whole time?"

Lumière mulled over possible answers in his mind before settling on a simple "Out."

"Out where?"

Lumière averted his eyes to random spots in the room, thinking fast. "Out…for a ride," he lied.

"A ride? This late at night?"

Lumière nodded quickly. "Absolument!" he said. "You know how busy a day can get. There is never any time to do anything leisurely."

"And yet I catch you 'taking a break' whenever you get a free chance," Chanlet countered.

"Well, uh…this is the better time to ride."

"Is it now?"

Lumière nodded again. "Oui, it is much cooler at night," he said. "So much more relaxing and serene…"

"Dangerous too in the pitch black darkness."

"I brought a lantern with me, I swear," Lumière reassured.

Chanlet inspected the boy's scraggly appearance. "Did you fall off? You are a mess."

Lumière's hand shot around to his back, and he winced overdramatically. "Unfortunately, I did. The lantern…blew out, and I didn't see a tree branch coming."

"Poor thing," Chanlet said, clicking his tongue. "You should not have been out there all alone," he said before brushing Lumière's hair away from his neck. "Although…from the looks of that lip rouge on your collar there – very nice shade! – it seems you were not." Chanlet paused, waiting to see if Lumière would reconsider. "Who were you with that was wearing lip rouge? The horse? And do I want to know why a horse would be wearing it?"

Lumière's eyes went wide. "Oh that…I-I uh…"

Chanlet firmly asked one more time. "Where were you?"

Still Lumière said nothing, unable to think of another lie that would save him now.

Chanlet nodded slowly. "Très bien, I figured it would a bit kinder to let you admit what you have done to me personally. Spare you from Germain's wrath in the morning in front of the entire staff, because you can only imagine that he will find out about this. I thought maybe if I knew about what happened, I could honestly say that I took care of your punishment myself. But if you want to do it the hard way, then so be it." He headed towards the door. "I guess this is bonne…"

"Wait," Lumière interrupted with a sigh. Anything that Chanlet could do to punish him would be ten times easier to bear than what Germain was known to come up with.

Sinking onto the bed, Lumière explained, "Lucien and I went out into the city. We w-went to Les Deux Frimés."

Chanlet stopped and faced him. "All alone, this late at night? Have you lost your mind? That was foolhardy and dangerous! Anything could have happened!"

Lumière's jaw clenched. "Something did happen," he admitted. "We were pick-pocketed."

"How? By who?" Chanlet asked, this time genuinely concerned. "And how much did you lose?"

"Everything! She stole my entire money purse! It was humiliating!"

Chanlet raised an eyebrow. "She? This looks like it may explain the lip rouge."

Lumière closed his eyes, wishing that he had kept his mouth shut. "We were playing poker with an older man who had two ladies with him," he said, feeling himself digging his grave deeper and deeper. "The man was thrown out, I don't know exactly why, but the ladies…well, you know…"

Seeing his normally brazen son begin to blush, Chanlet felt a tiny bit of sympathy for him. "I can imagine," he said. "So, this lady 'distracted' you and stole your money, oui? And the same happened to Lucien?"

"It sounds crazy, but it's true!" Lumière swore. Then, thinking of the girl, the way she'd looked and moved and spoken, his face grew reminiscent. She may have wanted the wrong thing, but the thought of her, it was something to be remembered. "She was really something, Papa," he said distantly.

"I imagine so," Chanlet said, a tiny smile on his face.

"If you had seen her…"

"I would understand?" Chanlet finished. "Maybe, but I am also old enough to know when someone has honest intentions or not. In a place like that, I guarantee that you will not find a lady that is looking for anything more than a way to separate you from your money."

Lumière lowered his eyes again. "I know," he said quietly.

"Nor would I want you going out looking for girls of that sort."

Lumière shook his head adamantly. "We weren't, Papa, I promise! That is why she stole the money. I refused to pay and take things further."

"I am very pleased to hear that," Chanlet replied, mentally thanking the heavens for it. "I was your age once. I know what it feels like to be around a pretty girl. But ones like that, I would prefer you stay away from."

Lumière looked up at him with half a smile. "Because I can do better than that?" he asked, aiming for humor.

Thankfully, Chanlet took the bait and chuckled gently. "But of course you can," he laughed, relieving the tension a bit. "You are my son after all, the latest in a long line of heartbreakers." He took a deep breath and continued. "But seriously being with a girl like that could ruin a fine reputation. You are a good boy, well on your way to being a respectable young man despite some mishaps here and there. I would hate to see that destroyed over a one night affair."

Lumière nodded. "A gentleman first above all else, I remember."

Chanlet grinned, but then grew silent. "But reputation aside, it could be dangerous. You do not know where those girls have been, or whom they have been with. What if she has caught some disease from another customer? It could be deadly." He stopped, shaking his head. "I already lost your mother, Lumière. Do not be foolish, because I could not bear to lose you too."

"I know, Papa," Lumière replied solemnly. He looked thoughtful for a minute before he asked with a hint of a smile, "What would Maman have done if she were here right now?"

"Oh, mon fils, you do not want to know," Chanlet said, shaking his head as he laughed.

"I would be murdered?" Lumière asked, joining in the laughter.

"Murdered and buried is more like it," Chanlet jested. Fading to a simple smirk, he said, "Actually, knowing Maman, she would have caught you before you even left the chateau. She practically had a sixth sense with you sometimes. She would wake up in the middle of the night, seemingly for no reason. But then you would start crying, and I would hear her whisper, 'I knew it!' Then she would always know what you needed; it was amazing. So I can just picture her earlier, waiting for you outside the bedroom door with a look on her face that would scream 'Get back in bed, or else!'"

Lumière laughed heartily. Taking a risk on his newfound good luck, he asked, "Which one of you would be the more forgiving, understanding, compassionate parent in all this? You, right?"

"Oh, do not think that you are out of the woods yet just because of a fond reminiscence," Chanlet said, once again firm. "I have not forgotten. Very nice try though!"

He appeared to be in a state of great mental debate, and Lumière cringed thinking about what to expect.

"I was speaking to the master after dinner tonight," Chanlet finally said. "We both agreed that it is high time your apprenticeship in becoming a maitre d' began. Learn the real family business so to speak. Oui, I have put it off long enough. Lucien does not need you at his side during his studies. It would be a perfect time to teach you!"

Lumière's spirits lifted. That did not truly seem too bad.

"In my opinion, the first thing to learn in running the kitchen and dining room…is understanding your staff and their labors," Chanlet continued. "For as long as I deem necessary, you will be working alongside the serving staff – making the dining room clean and tidy, washing the dishes, polishing the silverware…"

And there is the catch, Lumière thought with a frown.

"…and finally helping to serve the meal each night," Chanlet concluded after the long list ended. "Is that clear?"

"Oui, Papa."

Chanlet nodded, satisfied. Patting Lumière on the back, he rose for the door with a broad smile. "You start tomorrow after breakfast. Sweet dreams!"

ooo

Loida said nothing throughout the entire ride back to their Parisian residence. Her mind was reeling. The young vicomte, of course, was not a possible choice. She had already risked honor at home with a higher noble's son. It would be ridiculous to do it again, and in France of all places. Sébastien was threatening enough in Spain. To ruin him in his homeland would make death her only escape route. No, Lucien would not do.

But the little valet…yes, he was perfect, she thought, an involuntary grin turning her red lips upward. What harm was there with a mere servant? No one would find out; a servant would be anxious to avoid the wrath of a noble, and would certainly keep his mouth shut. There would be no outraged father to contend with this time, no foolishly lovesick young man expecting her to leave her husband for him. There would just be fun, nothing more. Not to mention, this one in particular would be a pretty little sight to wake up to in the morning. Stunningly handsome, he was far from it, but he was promisingly adorable, sure to grow into a fine specimen when he was older.

"You are thinking," Sébastien said, staring at her in the mirror's reflection as Loida finished braiding her hair for bed. "A woman should never attempt to do so."

Loida rose from her seat, gliding like an elegant lady to the bed then sliding in like the temptress she was. She caressed Sébastien's smooth chest – one of his finer features – and leaned in to nuzzle his shoulder.

"You never complain about my thinking when I do it here," she purred, with a little love-bite at his throat.

He took a sharp intake of breath, unable to fully resist her, but his hand immediately shot to hers, holding it still.

"If you think for one moment that you can talk me into allowing you to seduce the Bontecou boy…"

Loida raised a mockingly indignant eyebrow. "I would not do anything of the kind!" she said. "In fact, you will be surprised to hear that I agree with you. I have learned my lesson, and therefore, he is the furthest thing from my mind."

"Bon, you do have common sense in there, after all," Sébastien replied. Relieved, he took aggressive control, looming above her and assaulting her skin with his kiss. "Now then, for being such a good little wife…I believe a reward is in order…"

Loida closed her eyes tightly. Reminding herself that it would be over soon enough, she lay there, conjuring ways to make her precious new toy her own.