"The meal was excellent, Michel, thank you." Florian waited until his host stood before rising. He smiled when Michel held his hand out to Laila and asked her if she'd like to take a walk before retiring for the evening. Laila's eyes flicked towards Ray for a second before she accepted with a smile and the couple took their leave of Ray and Florian.
"That's the smile of someone with devious thoughts," Ray said in an undertone as he moved past Florian to leave the restaurant. Florian said nothing, following Ray until they were on the sidewalk in the mild early evening air.
"It's nice to see Laila like that, especially when she was so upset earlier about losing track of that woman." Florian shook his head slightly, casting aside the memories of that humiliating scene in the museum. "Michel may be a bit... flamboyant, but he treats Laila well and she seems to enjoy his company."
"You seem to enjoy it too," Ray muttered, setting off towards the park at a moderate pace.
"He tells the most outrageous stories," Florian replied calmly. "It reminds me of a gentleman who used to attend mother's parties. He always had a flattering word for the ladies and stories to make everyone laugh. No matter how dull the evening, he could always liven it up. Some of the other guests didn't approve, of course, and eventually there were enough rumors circulating about him that mother choose to remove him from her guest list." Florian's tone was matter of fact, but there was a hint of sadness there. Ray knew it was intended for the gentleman but wondered if a small part wasn't for Florian himself. Once again he wondered what kind of youth Florian had had, subjected to such merciless scrutiny all of the time. Ray was thankful for the part of his youth that had given him strength to ignore others who would judge him so readily and admired Florian for retaining his compassion among such people.
"I didn't get to enjoy this park last time I was here, but it is very nice." Florian looked around at the wide expanse of green with trees, hedges and flowerbeds creating interesting patterns. Paths meandered among them, crossing on occasion to send walkers towards the four gates that led back out into the city. It was late enough that shops were just closing and there were quite a few people either hurrying through or enjoying an evening stroll. Ray directed Florian towards one of the secondary paths and the two walked mostly in silence, just enjoying the fresh air and quiet.
"Let's sit for a few minutes," Florian suggested, indicating a small bench set under a large tree. They hadn't seen anyone else on their path and the spot seemed private enough for a conversation. There hadn't been time to discuss the substance found on Florian's spoon, certainly not while Michel was around, but it was on both of their minds. "I know you don't like the idea, Ray, but I really think I should go home."
"I understand your reasons," Ray said as calmly as he was able, when all he wanted was to wrap his arms around Florian and hold him tightly, sheltering him and reassuring himself that the blond was safe. "But I can't spare Laila to accompany you and I won't have you traveling alone. At least here, Laila and I can watch out for you and," Ray hated to say the words but he forced them out anyway. "I think we should tell Michel some of what has been happening. As much as he would deny it, he has contacts with many less than desirable people. That might be useful, especially since it seems more likely than ever that someone close to us is involved with whoever is doing this."
"What do you mean?" Florian's eyes went wide as he considered Ray's words; the possibility of betrayal by someone close had never occurred to him.
"I have my sources just as Michel does; you know that. These are not aristocrats who operate on honor, these are people whose allegiance belongs to the highest bidder. Clearly someone is involved who knows you well enough that they know you never take your tea without sugar. Think about it: Michel realized there was something on the spoon immediately, but you never once commented on it. It's possible that this was the first time and it's merely coincidence that your spoon was tainted, but I think it's more likely they knew you always stir sugar into your tea before you taste it. It's very likely that they were counting on that to mix the substance into the tea and have the taste covered up by the sugar."
"That could explain why I'm the only one who was ill, and why it seemed to come and go so erratically." Florian expression made it clear he was struggling to accept that someone could want to make him sick.
"But it doesn't explain the rest of it, and that's why I don't want you to leave," Ray insisted. "If you are here, I can protect you, and perhaps we can find some answers. If you go home, there's no guarantee that this will stop. The Pleiades gems are supposed to be cursed. It seems someone is determined to bring that curse down on you."
"But who would want to something like this to me? There isn't anyone I can think of. My immediate family are all dead. My distant relatives don't have much contact with me, most likely because they don't want to be associated with someone in my circumstances. Louise Tassel wanted to kill me because I interfered with her plans to steal the jewels in Noel's teddy bear, but she's dead. The only other person is..." Florian's voice trailed off, as if he couldn't bring himself to say the name of the man who had hurt him so terribly and then promised to kill him. "But he should be dead... Shouldn't he?"
More than anything, Ray wanted to say yes. He wanted to reassure the both of them that the man he'd once considered his dearest friend was no longer able to hurt them. He'd clung to that belief for more than two years now and didn't want to let it go. But some small amount of doubt had slipped into his mind and he wondered if he'd just been deluding himself. They'd believed Azura was dead before, only to discover he was alive and more cruel than ever. If he survived their last encounter, despite his wound and the flood...
Every one of Azura's threats against Florian replayed clearly in Ray's mind. It made him more determined than ever to keep Florian close.
"Let's get back to the hotel." He stood up abruptly, no longer finding the quiet spot comforting. Instead, he felt vulnerable and exposed, as if there were too many hiding places. He pulled Florian to his feet and set a brisk pace back to the hotel, only slowing when they entered the lobby. Even then he wasn't able to relax; the manager was watching them. It wasn't until they were in their room with the door locked, the windows secured and the curtains drawn that Ray felt he could calm down a little. Still, he prowled the room, looking in corners and even checking the wardrobe before allowing himself to take his coat off. He noticed that Florian was watching every move but not offering a single word of protest. That didn't make him much feel better.
After a long silence, Florian reached out to stop Ray as he passed by on another circuit of the suite. Florian pulled him close, looking up into his face with serious eyes. "Let me help, Ray."
"Florian?"
There were rare times when Ray needed to surrender, to entrust himself to Florian's tender care. This was one of those times, and Florian knew it. He rose, taking Ray's hand a led him into the bedroom, saying nothing as he slowly undressed his lover, caressing him and lavishing him with kisses. While Ray could be, and often was, gentle with Florian, their lovemaking was never like this under Ray's guidance. Florian worshiped Ray, adoring every part of his body and whispering soft, sweet reassurances into his skin. It was exquisite torture, and Florian was a master at it in much the same way Ray was a master of the whip, wielding it skillfully and rendering Ray helpless.
It took a great deal of trust and courage for Ray to allow Florian this level of intimacy and Florian was careful never to abuse that trust. He never pushed Ray too far, only enough so that their joining shattered the man and pieced him back together in a cocoon of safety and love. Florian held him afterward, wiping away his own tears and letting Ray taste them. It was Florian who tenderly cleaned Ray before surveying the suite one last time, turning out all the lights and checking the lock again before rejoining his languid lover, holding him while they drifted off to sleep.
XXXXX
"You're late." Ray's grin was positively evil and it earned him a grimace from Laila and a scolding look from Florian. The appearance of Michel looking not very awake just made Ray laugh and even Florian had to admit that it was nice to see Laila blush for a change.
"It was the fresh air," Laila informed Ray in her best imitation of a snooty aristocrat. "Michel and I took a long walk last night."
"It was a nice night," Florian offered, although he wasn't completely successful at hiding his smile. He'd been on the receiving end of her teasing enough that it made for a nice change to give some of back to her. He was glad to see her so happy, though, and he would tell her that... later.
"I'm hungry, let's go." It was a command, not a suggestion and it earned Ray a curious look from Laila and a smirk from Michel. Florian merely nodded and followed Ray down the hallway towards the stairs. Things were always a bit awkward between them after one of those nights. They both had to settle back into their usual roles and Ray always seemed a little angry with himself for allowing Florian to see him so vulnerable. As for Florian, those rare evenings reminded him of his own control and forced him to admit how much he preferred giving that control to the man he loved. The aftermath was one of the reasons their role reversal happened so infrequently.
"Crepes. Coffee." Ray ordered, almost snapping at the waitress. The woman just gave him a look and wrote it down. She'd clearly dealt with many cranky patrons. Florian tried to soothe things over by giving her a smile with his order, but she barely responded before moving on to Michel and Laila.
"Someone didn't get enough sleep last night," Michel teased, giving Laila a knowing look. Laila returned it and the two of them lost a moment staring at each other. They completely missed Ray's look of disgust.
"I suppose we should eat lightly today," Florian said wistfully, thinking of the plate of crepes that he'd ordered. "You do remember that we're dining with the Countess Kourey this evening before the opera?"
"Splendid!" Michel enthused, somewhat off topic, while Ray muttered something under his breath and looked around for the waitress, he really wanted that coffee. Michel leaned in to say something to Laila and Florian turned back to Ray.
"I expect it will be a long evening." When Ray didn't respond Florian added. "I'm sure I'll be seated beside Alais. She's very nice but we have very little in common and there's only so many ways one can comment on the weather."
Ray snorted in amusement and practically snatched the coffee from the waitress' tray as she approached the table. Florian gave Ray a look and waited to be served, but he was just as grateful for the hot beverage. He preferred tea, but after the incident yesterday, he decided to switch to coffee until they returned to Paris. He took a tentative sip and gratefully accepted the sugar bowl when Ray handed it to him.
When Ray seemed content to sit in distracted silence, Florian couldn't resist teasing a little. "It occurs to me that you have far more in common with Lady Alais. Perhaps I should mention that to the Countess." When the comment earned him a glare but no other response, Florian continued blithely. "Maybe you were unaware of Alais' passion for the written word? Why I suspect her collection of penny dreadful rivals yours." Florian hid his amusement by taking a sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving Ray's. It was the worst kept secret in the Courland household that Ray had a fondness for the cheap adventure stories. At one time or another, everyone in the household had borrowed from the stash and it wasn't at all unusual to overhear discussions of the latest chapter. Some of them were quite lurid and it amused Florian endlessly to happen upon his lover reading one concealed inside some weighty tome. He'd taken to reading them himself, and though neither would readily admit it, they occasionally playacted scenes in the privacy of their suite.
"Enjoy." The waitress said as she thumped a plate down in front of Ray. She served the rest of the table a bit more gracefully and left with the promise to check on them later. For a few minutes everyone concentrated on eating and there was no conversation. Once their initial hunger was sated, Laila and Michel returned to their private conversation, leaving Ray and Florian to plan their day.
"Dinner starts at five and the opera is at eight. We should be back at the hotel to prepare by four." Florian liked to talk through his day as a way of reminding himself and Ray what their obligations are. "You don't have any appointments today. Do you have plans to go anywhere or do you have to work?"
"I thought we'd take a walk this morning if you don't have plans?" Florian shook his head, a delighted smile lighting his face. He had expected to spend his day stuck inside working on Ray's correspondence.
"There's a bookstore a few blocks from here." Florian offered helpfully. He knew Ray could spend hours in a good bookstore, but he didn't mind. Perhaps he'd pick up a book or two for himself. Although Ray never said a word about it, he knew Ray had been adding titles to his regular bookstore orders that he thought Florian might like. They spent many a pleasant evening by the fire in Ray's study or even in bed together reading. Sometimes Ray even read Florian's books so they could discuss them over dinner. Florian had reciprocated a few times, but most of the time he found Ray's books dull - the man favored nonfiction, particularly history - a subject Florian had never excelled in.
"I'm certainly not spending a sunny day like this in a bookstore," Michel informed them, unapologetic at having interrupted their conversation. "If you can spare your lovely assistant, I'd like to take Laila out for the day."
"Of course," Ray waved the idea aside as if there would be any question he'd let Laila go. To be truthful, he was glad for Michel's presence in their lives if only for the fact that he made Laila happy. Since she'd turned her attentions towards Michel, things had been much calmer between her and Florian, although there were still uncomfortable moments on occasion, usually when Ray and Florian had been fighting. Still, as reluctant as Ray was to consider that he might have to give up his closest friend, he didn't begrudge her a future with someone who could give her a good life and who clearly made her happy. He wondered how much longer she would stay with him before Michel and the lure of traveling and adventure won her away from him for good.
"Ray?" Florian laid a hand lightly on Ray's arm, bringing the man's attention back to the here and now. Ray gave him a small smile and felt warm when Florian returned it. No matter when Laila decided to leave, at least he knew he'd have Florian at his side.
"Shall we meet in the hotel lobby at 4:30?" Ray asked as he placed enough money to cover the bill along with a generous tip on the table. Michel started to argue about paying but Ray waved him to silence. "Enjoy your day." Ray waited for Florian to join him and together the two men left the restaurant.
"So where are we spending our day?" Laila asked quietly, knowing from Michel's expression that a romantic interlude wasn't in the plan.
"I thought you might be willing to accompany me on something of a fishing expedition, my dear. I'm afraid we'll be going to places that one doesn't usually take a fine lady, but I thought you might find them interesting. Michel stood, smiling down at her with a familiar glint in his eyes. It was moments like this that Michel and Ray seemed more like brothers than cousins.
Laila smiled and took the hand he offered to help her to her feet. Her smile was enough of an answer for him and the two left the restaurant as quickly as good manners allowed.
XXXXX
"You certainly know how to show a lady a good time," Laila said with a laugh as they settled into a booth in the back of a shabby pub. It was the third such place they'd visited since parting with Ray and Florian after breakfast. They'd lingered in each of the seedy places long enough to nurse a glass of ale and observe the other patrons finally leaving when Michel decided they weren't going to find the person he was looking for.
It was looking like they were going to leave here empty-handed as well but just as Laila was draining her glass, Michel clutched her arm and leaned in close. "There," he hissed, directing her attention to the couple that had just arrived. Laila recognized the man immediately as the salesman from the jewelry store - the one who had tried to convince Florian to buy the bluish-purple sapphire. It took a moment longer to recognize the woman with him as the lady who had confronted Florian in the art museum.
"What are they doing here? Together?"
"You recognize them?" Michel made it clear he'd expected Laila to recognize them. She'd spent part of the previous evening telling him about their misadventures since arriving in Brussels and he'd questioned her intently about those two people in particular.
"They're the two I told you about, from the jewelry store and the art museum. But what are they doing here? And how did you know where to find them?"
"I confess I suspected who they might be as soon as you described them. You're looking at two┘ shall we call them 'associates' of the Black Hand. They don't actually belong to the organization, but they do special assignments for them" He glanced around before continuing. "I make it a point to have... information about the cities where I stay. I'd had a report that these two were asking questions about a Count Courland. My operative wasn't aware that Ray was going to be in Brussels at the same time so he assumed it was something involving me."
"Black Hand?" Laila almost spit out the hated name. "Why are they involved in this? What do they want?" She thought a moment, her eyes narrowing. "What do they want with Florian?"
"I don't know the answers to any of that yet, but I think it would be worth our while to try and find out. Michel made a discrete gesture with his hand and the waitress came over with another round for the two of them. Michel pulled out far more money than was required for the tab and pointed towards the table with the couple. The waitress gave him a toothy grin and a broad wink, tucking the money away before asking if she could get them anything else.
"Thank you, no." Michel said calmly and waved her away, turning his attention back to Laila. He started into another story about his seafaring adventures, weaving a tale so outrageous she was practically weeping with laughter by the end. After he'd dabbed her eyes with his handkerchief and fussed over her a moment she realized that the couple was preparing to leave. He gave her a devils grin and glanced over at the waitress who was leaning over the bar apparently flirting with a customer. After the couple left, the customer slammed back the rest of his drink and rose unsteadily from his seat. He staggered to the door and went outside just as the waitress came back to their table asking if they wanted anything else. She slipped Michel a folded note and left when he waved her away. He and Laila lingered for another minute, then left the pub appearing for all the world like a wealthy couple courting a little excitement in the rougher part of town.
They wandered past shabby store fronts, pausing to peer through grimy windows at the wares offered for sale. One particular shop drew Laila's attention and she pulled Michel inside before he could object.
There, among the second hand furnishings and out-dated clothing was a small display case with jewelry. Much of it was in poor condition, some was even missing stones, but among the rest was a set of earrings that made Laila's heart skip. They were rather plain with simple gold balls at the top and tarnished chains leading down to a plain setting holding a single stone, a sky-blue sapphire with twin stars.
"See something you like?" the proprietress was an elderly lady with a messy array of grey hair piled atop her head and a few teeth missing from her smile.
"Do you have any other pieces?" Laila asked in what she hoped was a casual tone. She didn't want to give away her intense interest in the earrings for fear of losing any chance at getting information from the old woman. "Necklaces perhaps?"
"I do..." the woman trailed off, studying Laila and Michel as if determining the likelihood that they might purchase something. "There was a young woman, a bit taller than you, with brown hair and blue eyes. Said she had been abandoned by her intended and had to sell her jewelry. She made me promise not to show it to just anyone, but she was sure the right couple would come along." The woman shook her head as if she had had enough of the fancies of young ladies but she reached under the counter for a cloth-covered tray and slowly brought it up to set on top of the displace case. "Paid her too much for these, I'm sure. I was always a soft touch for a pretty story. Here now," she removed the cloth to reveal a pendant and brooch, both twin star sapphires, one grayish-white, the other greenish-blue.
"They are very pretty," Laila said slowly, not wanting to drive the price up by showing too much interest. The old woman laughed.
"I'm too old for games, my dear. My price is on the tag. If you want them, or if your gentleman wants to buy them for you, pay me what's written and we'll all be happy, otherwise, go about your day and I'll go on with mine."
Laila reached over and straightened the tag, quickly adding the price of the two items on the tray along with the earrings to come up with a figure that, while large, was not unreasonable for rare sapphires.
"I'm afraid I don't carry that much on me while traveling in this part of town. However," Michel leaned in as if to share a secret. "I can offer you this for the earrings, necklace and brooch." He fanned an array of bills, letting her take in the assortment of zeros.
"I suppose I can make an exception," The old woman said as she snatched the bills from Michel's hands. They disappeared into the fold of her clothing before she leaned down and rummaged under the counter, finally unearthing a small, slightly battered wooden jewelry box. "This is the best I can do," she told them as she wrapped each of the pieces in ragged-edged bits of cloth and set them in the box. "Now then, something to make it less noticeable. As you said, this isn't the part of town you're likely used to." She shook her head as if unable to comprehend the foolishness of the rich. Sliding the box into a plain cloth bag she cinched it closed and handed it to Laila.
"Now off with you, back to your place with those beauties, and thank you most kindly. Stop back again when you're in the area." She waved them off, seeming anxious to be rid of them. Michel suspected she'd close shop as soon as they were out of sight and hide the money away.
"Perhaps we should find a cab." Michel suggested, anxious to get back to the hotel and examine their find. Laila just smiled and shook her head. She was headed towards the street market with a determined pace. Ray could spend hours in a bookstore and afterward, it was likely that he'd want some time alone with Florian. Laila didn't want to waste her day waiting for them.
Turning left at the next corner, they emerged into a sunlit square lined with vendor stalls and fragrant with the wares of flower sellers and bakers. Laila wove her way through shoppers and merchants, feeling just the smallest bit of nostalgia for the markets of her youth. In those early days when she and Ray traveled together, they'd often come to places like this for a bit of comfort. The sounds and smells were quite different in Europe compared to her memories, but she enjoyed them anyway.
With the little box tucked safely away in her skirt pocket, concealed by yards of cloth, they sampled warm sweetbreads and watched street performers. Several hours passed pleasantly before they both agreed it was time to return to the hotel to prepare for dinner with the Countess Kourey followed by the opera.
:end part 12: