“Come on, sweetheart. Give me that damn bag. It’s far too heavy for a sprite like you.”
“Hah,” she laughed. “Last time we met, you called me an elephant, if you recall.”
“You were treading on mymaps, ifIrecall...” His cheerful chuckle made even Lucas smile.
“Then I’ll beg your pardon again, and accept your offer. Here.” Laughing, she unceremoniously dumped her bag into his waiting arms, then turned to Lucas. “It was a pleasure to renew our acquaintance, Sir Lucas.” She nodded regally at him. “I must now get this extremely important bag into my aethercoach.” She glanced at Julian. “Think we can manage it without dropping it all over the place?”
“Probably not,” he grinned, “but we’ll give it a go.” He glanced at Lucas. “I’ll be in touch. You’re at the Cottage?”
“Indeed yes. I’ll look forward to it.” Lucas watched as the two of them settled the bag and envelopes. “Good luck.”
Verity turned back, and for one moment she shot him a soft smile that could well have set his breeches on fire if she’d done it for more than two seconds.
Then they were gone.
Turning towards Alastair’s study, he took a long deep breath. His business was important, and he didn’t need any distractions. Especially one with a pair of misty grey eyes and a waist a man could easily span with both hands...
*~~*~~*
It wasn’t difficult to discern that Alastair’s study was his—for want of a better word—nest.
Beautiful furniture, bookcases, cabinets, and a desk to make anyone’s mouth water, all arranged just where they should be. And all their flat surfaces held either books or papers, with the occasional pen abandoned among them.
Navy blue velvet curtains, closed now against the night, covered the curved bow windows, and made Lucas wonder what the view was like in daylight.
Since the door was open, he tapped. “Hello? Alastair?”
The older man’s head appeared from behind a plinth, dark shining wood topped by a marble bust of Cassian Morholt. HisPrinciples of Ordered Exchangehad laid the foundations of Arcvale’s financial system, generations ago. His expression was as serene as the architect himself.
“Come in, Lucas. Come in.” He pushed a few papers off a chair or two. “Yes, it’s a mess in here, but it’s my mess, and I know where everything is.” He paused, a slight frown creasing his brow. “Would that mean it’s actuallynota mess?”
Lucas chuckled. “I haven’t a clue. But if you’re happy with it...”
“I am.” He nodded to the desk. “Come, sit. We have matters to discuss, don’t we?” Seating himself behind the desk, Alastair settled comfortably, leaning back a little and watching Lucas as he took the chair on the opposite side, and nodded.
“Your letters have been most valuable, you know,” he said. “Learning that you’re seeing the same things that I am, even though we’re in two different places? Most revealing and—although it sounds silly—reassuring.” He frowned. “At first, I couldn’t put my finger on it, which was damned irritating. After all, I designed the damn thing. It shouldn’t have developed oddities.
“It’s concerning me, lad. Deeply.”
“Yes, I agree.” Lucas leaned forward. “Have you noticed anything new since our last correspondence?”
“I have,” he sighed. “But...for some ridiculous reason, I don’t seem to be able to put my finger on the exact spot where something blows the cogs out of alignment.” Shaking his head, he shuffled a paper or two, and withdrew one, passing it across the desk. “This was just last week. If you review the fourth column, you’ll see that those accounts balance. But...butoddly.Oddly enough to make my ears itch.”
Lucas frowned at the paper. “Hmm.”
“And then there is this report on returns, I obtained yesterday. They’re slightly lower than expected. In and of itself, that isn’t anything remarkable, but...”
“But...” Lucas glanced up. “It contributes to the puzzle.”
“Exactly.” Alastair leaned back and sighed. “Hearing you say that is certainly reassuring. At my age? Well, I’m learning that I’m no longer the brightest spark in the furnace.”
“You are the brightest light in the damn financial Forge, Alastair. I’ll hear no more of that nonsense.” He looked at the paper again. “Do you have these reports for...say...two or three months ago?”
“I do, yes. Actually they’re in the cabinet behind you. Second drawer, third or fourth file, I believe.”
Lucas couldn’t help a chuckle. “Not the brightest spark in the furnace, huh?” He withdrew the file and held it up. “That won’t grease the gears, Alastair.”
The older man brushed Lucas’s comment aside with a shrug. “Well, nevertheless...” He lifted his chin at the papers Lucas held. “In there, you’ll see...well, I’ll let you make your own opinion.”
