After a farewell kiss to Nikolett’s knuckles, he turned to leave.
Nikolett’s gaze slid to a table just behind Victoire as she settled in her seat. The woman was watching them. Nikolett glanced at the corner of the room, then pointedly at the woman staring.
“Already looking into her.” Grigoris’ voice came through Nikolett’s earpiece which was hidden by her loosely curled hair. He was watching from a command station across the street, looking at her both through the glass and via cameras. In addition, the dining room was peppered with various French knights and security officers dressed in elegant clothes loose enough to hide their weapons.
Victoire was smiling indulgently when Nikolett focused on her. “Do not worry, my people know what they’re doing.”
“I’m sure they do.” Nikolett smiled back, and it wasn’t entirely forced.
“You prefer English?”
“Please.” Nikolett wasn’t confident enough in her French to have a detailed conversation with a native speaker, but they were both fluent in English.
“Of course. Now then, we’ll start with wine, yes?” Victoire glanced at the sommelier, who appeared at the table a moment later.
She switched from English to French to order wine and appetizers.
They discussed general society business in vague terms through the first course. When the second arrived, the conversation lulled, approaching the point of awkward silence.
“Darling,” Victoire said after a moment, “what are we going to do about your marriage?”
Nikolett’s head snapped up, shocked both by the nickname and the question.
The tone wasn’t exactly motherly. It was theoretically possible for Victoire to be her mother, given that Victoire’s son Xavier wasn’t much younger than Nikolett. Still, this felt more like an inquiry from an elegant, favorite aunt.
“My marriage.” Nikolett put down her fork.
“I suggest you marry soon so Eric doesn’t get ideas.”
Nikolett hid a wince. “May I ask, do you… I mean, are you aware of…”
She sounded like an inane moron, and had no idea how to ask the question she needed to.
“You’re wondering what I know, and what I think, about your relationship with Eric.”
Nikolett cut a piece of delicate fish, shoved it in her mouth to keep herself from talking, and nodded.
“I’m a curious person, and I don’t know as much as I wish I did. But it is obvious that you have a personal relationship with him.”
Nikolett picked up her wineglass and finished it in one hard swallow.
“I don’t know what that personal relationship is. Sexual? Romantic? He treats you differently than he treats me or any other admirals. And you confront and challenge him in a way I fear I would not dare.”
“It’s inappropriate,” Nikolett acknowledged.
Victoire shrugged. “What is appropriate? It has not negatively impacted the society. You were the only one who felt empowered to act when he disappeared.”
“The Spartan Guard?—”
“The Spartan Guard hunted him because their job was to protect him, which they couldn’t do if they didn’t know where he was. You hunted him because he was shirking his duty, and you expected better of him.”
It was more than a little disconcerting how accurate Victoire’s assessment was, given Nikolett thought not many people knew about what had happened.
While she parsed her thoughts, Victoire signaled the sommelier for more wine.
“What I do not know is what exactly you and Eric mean to one another.” Victoire sat back, glass hovering near her lips. “Did you have an affair before you were admiral? Is that why he appointed you?”
Nikolett jolted in her seat. “What? No! Is that what everyone thinks?” Outrage and embarrassment made her face hot. “He didn’t appoint me because we had an affair.”
