"But it wouldn't be right," said Julian, helping Alex extricate himself and sit up so the bed tray could go across his lap. It was nearly big enough for them both to fit beneath it, but Julian planned to hover, as befit a worried husband and his ailing darling.
"It wouldn't, but that doesn't always matter," said Smithson, pulling the tea leaves and pouring for them both. Julian felt Alex's magic riding their bond, looking for strange botanicals, but it was just good black tea with no flavourings or poisons whatsoever. The cats sniffed both him and the cups, but otherwise were cooperative for once.
"It matters to us," said Alex. "Besides, you brought us poison-free tea. You're our hero."
"Not to mention the food," said Julian.
Smithson looked over the arrangement and nodded. "You call me up if you need anything, me and Alice got assigned to you two special now."
"We will," said Julian. "We're planning to hide in here all evening, anyway, so no one should be able to poison us."
"We hope all the nobles do, but it seems unlikely," said Smithson, rolling his eyes. "Sir's going to make a rule about no food or drink if people still want dancing or cards, anyway."
"Smart rule," said Julian, sipping his wonderfully unadulterated tea, taking it black just this once.
Smithson bowed and left, closing the door which Julian locked behind him. Horace hopped over to the sugar bowl and clinked his beak against it as if to remind Julian that he needn't suffer black tea if he didn't want to. "We really need to do something about poison with our amulets," said Julian wryly, sitting on the edge of the bed and stealing a little tea sandwich to nibble on. Beef and tomato and cream cheese made a nice combination, nothing fancy but good and filling.
"It may have helped some," admitted Alex. "You know, the fancy one's almost got its many strange pathways filled up with power, and there's a bit about toxins in there somewhere, though I think I intended it for things like smoke inhalation."
"I hope it did help," said Julian, taking another sandwich and nudging Alex's foot. "Eat, hungry man."
"Right, sorry," said Alex. He took a big swig of his own tea, which he'd fiddled around with adding sugar and milk to, and then set it down in favour of some of the little savoury tartlets piled up on another of the plates. "Stomach's still a little gun-shy, I guess."
Julian gave him a fond smile and a wave of sympathy through their bond, glad that he hadn't been taken out by the waves of strangeness that had come across while Alex was under. They'd broken up on the shores of Julian's self, though, so he'd managed to keep his head and stay upright and in control.
"Just eat slowly," said Julian, nudging his foot again, and Horace chirruped his agreement. "We have all night."
"Yeah," said Alex with a wry laugh, "I guess we do."
Chapter 22
Nobles, it turns out, are terrible at following rules.
They were nearly done with their meal when another knock came at the door, this time in the form of Lady Gallowglass with a guilty expression.
"I know you know that magical belladonna can be taken in a controlled way for prophetic dreams," she said by way of hello.
"So you had some, but now you don't?" asked Julian shrewdly, keeping her over by the door and away from their food.
"So I had some, and now I don't. I still have the milkweed potion I use to keep the nausea away, but the bottle of belladonna extract is missing." She showed them the tiny chest with one bottle nestled in velvet, and an empty spot for a second, smaller one.
"Did you have anyone in your rooms?" asked Alex, though he stayed right where he was rather than struggle up from under the bed tray and the cats still piled around him.
"No, but I didn't lock them," said Gallowglass with a shrug. "I mean, who does?"
"Not even us," admitted Julian. "We weren't keeping poisons around, though."
"I hardly think of it as poison, it's just illicit dreams," she protested, but it was weak.
"Keep the box in your rooms and bring it up to the police," said Alex firmly. "Do not tell anyone else about it."
Her face looked guiltier.
Julian sighed. "Who all have you already told?"
"Well, everyone knows about my poison gardens now," said Gallowglass. "I was talking to McGuinness and a few of the girls about the various poisons and that a few had real uses but most are just deadly and decorative."
"And you don't know which girls?" asked Alex, despairing.
