There were a few people in the antechamber, but my attention focused on Claude. I hadn’t seen him since his earlier temper tantrum, and I wondered if he too was thinking of that when our eyes met, because his cheeks flushed. I didn’t think it had anything to do with the blonde half sprawled in his lap. Her eyes were unfocused as Claude tapped her on the hip, urging her to rise. She half slid onto the empty portion of the settee, and I had a feeling she’d been enjoying the laudanum-laced wine that was often served for the Baron’s closest friends.
“How are you feeling, pet?” the Baron asked as I approached him.
Immediately, I caught the sickly sweet stench of Midnight Oil, and I had to stop myself from launching into a tirade. “Well. What is going on?”
“I’m not sure. We have unanticipated guests,” he shared as he guided me away from the settee, his steps sluggish. He kept his voice low as Grady approached us. “It is a member of the Royal Court that has requested shelter for him and three others for the evening.”
Every part of my being tensed. Members of the Royal Court were often chancellors. “That is uncommon.”
“My sentiments exactly.” We stepped back from those in the chamber. “He isn’t saying why he’s here, claiming that he’ll speak with me in the morning when . . .”
“When what?” I asked when he trailed off.
“When, as he said, ‘I’m of clear mind’ or some other variation of that.” Claude’s cheeks deepened in color, and I suddenly understood his flush. I too would be embarrassed if a chancellor arrived with potentially important business to discuss and I was too intoxicated or high to do so. He cleared his throat, chin lifting. “I would like for you to go to him and see if you can ferret out his reasoning for being here.”
Aware of others around us, I kept my voice low. “You can’t wait to find out yourself in the morning?”
“It’s not the waiting that will keep me up all night stressed. It’s not knowing what he wants by the time we meet. I need to be prepared for this meeting.” He sounded positively aghast at the notion. “You already know how hard it is for me to sleep.”
It was hard for all of us to sleep, but I didn’t think the Baron was aware of that.
“I am . . .” He dipped his head as he brushed a strand of hair back from my shoulder. “I am worried that he brings word from the Royal Throne— the King. I may be a . . . tad bit late on the quarterly tithes.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered.
A rather high-pitched giggle escaped Claude, and my brows shot up as I stared at him. “Sorry,” he murmured, lips twitching. “I need your special aid, pet.”
What Claude needed was to indulge less in his party favors and stop spending coin on frivolous bullshit.
But what none of us, those who relied on him keeping his shit together, needed was for Claude to get himself even more worked up. That would likely result in him smoking more of the Midnight Oil and being a complete mess by the time he was to speak with the chancellor of the Royal Court. And if this was because he’d failed to pay his quarterly taxes, Claude would need to be in top form to plead for any necessary forbearance and forgiveness.
“Okay,” I sighed. “I will do this.”
A toothy smile appeared. “Thank you— ”
“If you promise me that you will go to bed,” I interrupted. “You need to rest.”
“Of course,” he agreed too quickly. “That is the plan.”
I eyed him.
“I swear,” he added, a flop of dark hair falling over his forehead. “I want to be fresh as aired laundry— ” He giggled again, this time at himself. “I will be sleeping very soon.”
“You better,” I warned.
“You are a rare jewel,” he exclaimed, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. “Enjoy yourself, Lis.”
The Baron patted my shoulder again, and I turned from him before I did something reckless, like knocking him on his ass.
Followed by Grady, I crossed the antechamber, catching sight of Naomi. Her gaze briefly met mine as I passed. I glanced pointedly in Claude’s direction, and she rolled her eyes, but nodded. This wasn’t the first time she was tasked with making sure the Baron made it to his bed alone. She wheeled toward Claude, a laugh spilling from her lips— beautiful, but I caught the hint of annoyance in the sound. For some reason I recalled the first time I’d been asked to do whatever it took to ensure I could gain what Claude wanted, which required me to behave as a courtesan. It had been Naomi who had taken me aside, took what limited knowledge I had when it came to the various degrees of intimacy, and prepared me for what was to come. After all, I had been a virgin before meeting Claude, having experienced only a few hasty gropings that ended with me hearing things I’d wished I hadn’t.