“I know.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I just don’t know how to be what people need me to be.” He glanced at me. “Like you were, for me last night.”
“You’re there for your sister.”
He nodded. “Yes, but that’s different. She’s family.” He shook his head, as if to chase away a thought. “Tell me about your family.”
“I … I’m an orphan.”
“I’m sorry,” Henri picked at the comforter. “We have that in common, I suppose.”
“I suppose we do,” I agreed, suddenly feeling awkward. I stood abruptly, not wanting him to take my lingering as assent to ask follow-up questions. “I should probably clean this up. We’ll cause a scandal if we hole up in here any longer.”
Henri snorted. “True enough. And don’t mind if anyone gives you any sideways glances. I think half the staff believes we throw wild orgy nights when we send them off.”
I blinked. “Are you serious?”
“I don’t know.” Henri laughed. “It’s what I would think.”
I grabbed a pillow and lobbed it at his face. “Most people don’t have such filthy minds, Henri.”
“Oh, my mind is very filthy,” Henri said gravely, shaking his head.
I turned and walked from the room without a backward glance. “That, I believe.”
Since the whole château had been given the previous night off, Annette and I were given leave the following day. We walked into town together but parted at a bank where she claimed to have some business to attend to. Despite my earlier promise to share information with her, I’d kept what I’d overheard between Montoni and Schedoni to myself, given its sensitive nature. I needed to process the information before I did anything with it. I was hoping Bram would have some insight to offer.
I continued up the main street, only pausing when I noted a crowd gathered at the corner where I would normally turn toward Bram’s residence. When I realized the gendarmerie were there as well, I picked up my pace, wondering what could have happened. I hoped that the crowd I was seeing wasn’t the edge of a larger mass, since Bram’s house was so close.
But I needn’t have worried. The clump of people congregated in front of a shop. As I drew nearer, I realized that it was the apothecary I’d noticed Montoni observing previously. I paused at the edge of the crowd, craning my neck to see if I could make out what had happened. I saw that the front window had shattered, and it looked as if the door had been forced in, splintered nearly in two.
“All right, all right,” a gendarme stepped in front of the shop, holding his hands up imploringly. “Break it up now. Nothing to see here. Break it up.”
The crowd murmured in response, dispersing begrudgingly as I walked slowly up the adjacent street to Bram’s. This was my first opportunity to check in with Bram since he’d been banished from Château le Blanc. I didn’t want to leave him in suspense any longer than was necessary.
When Sybille opened the door for me, she greeted me with a warm smile. “He’s back in his study,” she told me, leading me along the familiar hallway. “Been spending more and more time in there lately. I hope you can pry him away for a time. It would do him good.”
“I’ll do my best,” I promised, and started as the door to the study opened ahead of us and Bram stepped out, lowering a top hat over his head.
“Monsieur, you have a visitor,” Sybille announced as Bram spun toward us with surprise. She nodded once to me and swept past with a wink my way.
Bram beamed. “Emile! You’re okay. I was getting worried.”
I lifted my eyes to his and found an earnestness there as he searched me. “I’m fine. I’ve been busy. Intentionally, I’m sure. You must have realized that Count Morano banned you.”
“Yes, I’d gathered that.”
“He saw us that night.” I lowered my voice and glanced up the hallway, as if Sybille might be lurking nearby to uncover our secrets.
Bram frowned. “Did he now? I take it he didn’t like what he saw.”
I licked my lips. “Clearly.”
Bram nodded back toward his study and withdrew his hat.
“I’m interrupting something,” I observed as he closed the door behind us.
“I was going to get a bite to eat. You’re welcome to join me.” He turned to me and pulled me to him.
“I mean, I think I have some time.”
