Mansourah sat down and stretched his legs out. “I hope you kept yourself sufficiently busy tonight.”
“Polishing your boots, of course,” Acair said, attempting a casual lean against the mantel. “Pedestrian labor, of course, but I’m nothing if not accommodating. How was the pretender tonight?”
“As unpleasant as he usually is,” Mansourah said with a gusty sigh. “I’m surprised someone hasn’t poisoned him yet, but perhaps no one finds him worth the effort. His magic could certainly use a bit of propping up.”
Acair agreed, of course, but that was probably best left unsaid. As for anything else, the things he knew about Simeon of Diarmailt’s desires for a substantial bit of additional magic would have given the rest of the world nightmares, he was sure.
“Léirsinn, what did you think?” Mansourah asked.
“I didn’t like him at all,” she said carefully. “His solar was not a place I would have cared to linger.” She paused. “I’m not sure why anyone would want to pay a visit there.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Acair said. “’Tis a bit overdone of late, if you ask me, particularly that new settee—”
The chamber went rather silent. Acair supposed that waswhat happened when men with lesser wits were having things occur to them that required all their powers of concentration. He preferred a few gasps echoing in any given chamber before silence fell, but he was that sort of lad. Theatrics were his lifeblood.
Now, if he could learn to curb his instinct to slander poorly appointed solars when the opportunity presented itself and keep his own bloody mouth shut instead, he might have something.
Mansourah shifted in his chair and gaped at him. “You were in his solar tonight!”
Acair decided there was no point in denying it. “Someone had to make certain you didn’t have too much wine.”
“I amnotAdhémar,” Mansourah growled.
“I never said you were, old thing,” Acair said soothingly. He removed the book from where it resided halfway dug into his lower back and placed it carefully on the mantel. “I had business there of my own, so I thought I might as well pop round and see that you two were safe.”
Mansourah pointed at the book. “What—and please don’t think I’m actually curious—isthat?”
“It is,” Acair said slowly and distinctly, “a book.”
“I can see that!”
“It never hurts to clarify these sorts of things for those with lesser minds.” He shrugged. “Trust me, Simeon will never notice what’s missing until we’re very far away from here—”
A pounding on the door had him quickly revising his opinion of the king’s ability to sense when he’d been robbed. He tucked the book back into his belt, then rubbed his hands together.
“Time to go.”
“Time to go,” Mansourah repeated incredulously. “What do you mean—and whatisthat book?”
“Best you not know,” Acair said promptly. “Now, if you would be so good as to do something about my lady’s clothes?”
Léirsinn looked at Mansourah, startled. “My clothes?”
Mansourah was, as Acair found himself forced to acknowledge with regularity, a gentleman. The prince shouted a demand for a moment to prepare himself to receive guests, then looked at Léirsinn.
“My apologies in advance,” he said with a wince.
She would no doubt have protested, but before she could apparently blurt anything out, the change was made. Her gown was gone, to be replaced by very fine traveling clothes, a sturdy but obviously warm cloak, and an exceptionally handsome pair of boots. Acair didn’t bother to ask if he might have a similar outfit. He suspected Mansourah would prefer to leave him standing there in his altogether just for the sport of it. He would simply make do with less.
“I don’t suppose you’re going to bolt out the window,” Mansourah said grimly.
“It seems preferable to attempting the same through the door,” Acair said. He looked at Léirsinn. “Are you afraid of heights?”
“I love them,” she said through gritted teeth.
A fine lie, he had to admit, from a truly sporting gel. He reached for her hand.
“I’ve already been up and down a perfectly safe route tonight, so not to worry.” He looked at Mansourah. “I don’t suppose you’d be good enough to keep the rabble at bay for a few more minutes.”
