He would leave Clermont with the finest memories to keep him warm through the rest of the winter and beyond. And who knew? Perhaps he could become a regular acquaintance of his when he returned to England in the future.
“If you will excuse me, gentlemen,” he said, pushing his chair back and standing. “I feel the need to bring Christmas cheer to one who is in desperate need of it.”
Thurleigh laughed gently, and so did Haythorne, but Haythorne added, “Really, do have a care, Bradford. Clermont is not one of your usual playthings,” as Howard walked away.
That charge hit Howard awkwardly. He did not see his companions, regardless of how short a term he knew them, asplaythings. They were friends, comrades of the night, not disposable bodies to enjoy then leave. It had never occurred to him that there might be some out there who saw his enjoyments as cruel in any way.
He pushed those disturbing thoughts to the back of his mind as he reached Clermont’s table and helped himself to a seat next to the young man.
“How is it that you have so much to occupy yourself when Christmas is mere days away?” he asked by way of instigating a conversation.
Clermont sucked in a quick breath and looked up at Howard with wide eyes. There was a hint of wariness in those eyes, but Howard saw sparks of lust and curiosity as well. If he had not, he would not have continued.
“Have the numbers stolen your ability to speak?” he asked, nodding to the books in front of Clermont.
“No, no, not at all,” Clermont said, quickly putting down his pen and closing one of his ledgers. “I can speak when spoken to.”
That statement, too, struck Howard entirely wrong. “You can speak as freely as you’d like around me,” he said, boldly taking one of Clermont’s hands and holding it in both of his. “I have been told that I am a comforting ear to tell things to,” he continued, smiling invitingly at the young man.
“Oh?” There was a shiver in the single syllable of Clermont’s response.
“Yes,” Howard said. “I have seen much of the world, known many people of all sorts, and learned a great deal about the ways of the world. Some say that makes me an ideal counselor in times of trouble. And I understand you have seen some troubles?”
Clermont lowered his head and pulled his hand out of Howard’s grasp. “I do not wish to inconvenience you with my lowly life.”
“Nonsense,” Howard said. He shifted closer, lowered his voice to a purr, and went on with, “Let me take you out on the town tonight. I know of a magnificent restaurant that serves onlythe finest, French fare. You would enjoy that, would you not? And after, we could take in a play at the Royal Theater.”
“Oh, no,” Clermont said too quickly, shaking his head and flushing. “I…I could not do that.”
“I can assure you that you would be perfectly safe in my presence,” Howard said, taking his hands again when he started wringing them. “I am both powerful and discreet.”
“It is not that,” Clermont said, his breath coming in shorter and shorter gasps. “I cannot go out. I…I simply cannot.”
Howard’s anger for the men who had done this to such a sweet angel doubled. He vowed to himself that he would do whatever he could to discover whether the threat against Clermont’s freedom still existed, and once he obliterated that threat, he would set his young angel free.
But for now, he quickly devised other plans.
“We shall dine privately in my suites here at the club tonight, then,” he said with a smile. “I shall have the club’s cook prepare a special holiday meal for us with roast and Yorkshire puddings.”
Whether it was the promise of Yorkshire pudding or a night alone with him, Clermont’s expression filled with longing and his agitated movements stilled. “Yes,” he said so quietly it was almost a whisper. “Yes, I think I would like that.”
“Good,” Howard said with a nod, settling back in his seat and letting go of Clermont’s hands. “The matter is settled, then. You and I shall dine together in seclusion this evening.” He stood, then took Clermont’s hand one last time, bringing it to his lips to kiss his knuckles. “Do not worry yourself about a thing,” he said before letting it go. “I will make all the arrangements. You need only arrive at my suite at seven o’clock this evening.”
Clermont sucked in a shuddering breath, then blew it out and said, “Very well.”
Howard winked. If he could have without spooking the young man, he would have leaned in and kissed him soundly. Therewould be time for that later, though. For the moment, he had preparations to make.
It was only breakfast time, but he set to work immediately, heading into the kitchen to discuss his options with the club’s head chef. The man was a wellspring of ideas for dishes that were both festive and alluring. After his visit to the kitchens, he sought out the club’s domestic staff and instructed them on how his suite was to be prepared and decorated for the night.
When that was done, he left the club to take himself on errands, scouring London for the finest wine and the most beautiful hothouse flowers he could discover. He wanted to stop by a jeweler he knew to purchase something beautiful and shiny for his angel, but even he knew it was too soon and too garish to ply Clermont with gems in exchange for a few nights of passion.
By the time the clock struck seven that night and Clermont knocked timidly at Howard’s door, everything was ready.
“Good evening, Mr. Clermont,” Howard greeted him as he opened the door.
Clermont’s sweet eyes grew large at the sight of him. Howard had to admit to a certain eccentricity in his manner of dress that night. Instead of an ordinary jacket, he wore a long, maroon brocade dressing gown trimmed in ermine with his suit. He’d washed and trimmed his hair and beard, and had donned just a dab of cologne that he’d purchased in Paris the year before.
Clermont, by contrast, was dressed in an ordinary suit of clothes, but he’d brushed his hair and smelled as though he, too, had bathed before coming up. That more than anything was an indication that the young man knew what sort of evening he was in store for.
