"Oh, he and Mandeville used to attend the same parties," said Imogen, hands fluttering. "He's quite dropped out of the social circles since all that nonsense."
Alex's lips twitched. "We have a different social circle now, I suppose," he said, twining his fingers with Julian's. "We do see Chudleigh fairly frequently, how do you know him?"
Imogen tittered. "Oh, here and there, the usual. But whathaveyou been up to these past few years? I must know."
"I'm a Guardian of a Way now, and a Journeyman Grower," said Julian, humour bubbling through the bond at her disbelief. People like them didn't get jobs, let alone become journeymen,and it was all very shocking. "Alex is my fellow Guardian, and a Charmer as well."
"Quite the charmer, if he's caught you, I should say," quipped Mortimer, chuckling at his own joke.
Alex nodded, smiling with him. "I've been lucky enough to marry him, thanks to the non-magical side of my charms."
"The magic is pretty impressive, too," teased Julian, ignoring the shocked look that flashed across Imogen's face.
"Oh, I heard there was going to be some sort of magical entertainment," she said, rather than anything too rude.
"Nothing to do with us," assured Julian, though he was sure Alex would happily have done so if asked. "We've mostly come for our friends, really."
That seemed to be all there was to say about that, and someone called Imogen over, another of the twittering wives they'd met briefly. There were easily a dozen couples here, plus a few singletons, including one single woman who'd worn her own version of a coat and trousers rather than the fashionable dresses on the rest.
Alex had rather liked her, but she hadn't stayed long, finding conversation more to her taste elsewhere.
Lucas and Geoff arrived at the doorway together with one last couple, who filtered over to the bar to get ciders.
It seemed that the party had officially begun.
Chapter 4
Alex was already bored despite Julian's attempts to entertain him with little pushes of feeling about this or that person through their bond, but he'd known it would be that sort of affair and failed to find an excuse to say no, anyway.
Alex was a lot of things, including someone with an unfortunate soft spot for his friends. He wouldn't have left Geoff to fend for himself unless it was a true emergency, not just because of boredom.
Not even for a society party.
"I'm lucky to have you to keep me sane," he whispered into Julian's hair.
Julian chuckled and kissed his cheek, then directed both of their attentions back to where Lucas was raising his cup and gently tapping on it to make it chime.
Everyone turned politely, conversations dying out, until all attention was on their host.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate a sort of housewarming, the opening up of the refinished west wing where you're all staying, as well as refurbishment of many other areas of the house and grounds to suit. There will be a tour this afternoonfor those interested, but for now please enjoy some light refreshment and enjoy the party!"
Servants streamed out from a hidden door bearing platters of warm canapés and other such treats. They began circulating among the guests while Geoff and Lucas made their way over to the place that had inadvertently been saved for them by the fire when no one else was brave enough to sit with Julian, Alex, Whitby, and Grover.
"I forgot you know the Chilcotts," said Lucas, settling in on the small settee with a tiny meat pie and a cup of cider, and Geoff by his side. Geoff also had a treat with his cider, and the two of them looked comfortable together in a way not a lot of other couples did at this soirée. "How is married life going for you two?"
"I'm very happy being a consort," Grover answered first, after a nudge from Whitby.
"Grover makes me absolutely joyous," said Whitby, face shining with the truth of it. "He lets me care for him utterly, and our life together is quite blissful."
"Ours is, also, when we're not working," said Julian, sounding smug as anything.
Alex chuckled. "We're happy not to be master and consort, but it's nice to see someone enjoying those roles despite not choosing them for ourselves."
"That was practically polite," said Geoff teasingly. "Julian must be rubbing off on you."
"Frequently," teased Julian, making them all laugh. "He's always had manners in there somewhere, he just didn't think most people deserved them."
"You're not wrong," said Alex, kissing Julian's hair. "So, when do you get to leg it back to the city?" he asked Lucas.
