“It is a lot to remember.But at least they’re all nice.I was very worried I’d be thrown out on my ear when I arrived.It never occurred to me that I might be invited to stay for any length of time.”He turned back to the candle and blew it out before lying down on his back.“So I daresay I’ll get used to the crowd.”
The gentleman beside him made a non-commital noise before blowing out his own candle and curling up on his side with a long sigh.
* * *
The next morning,Conrad woke with the sunlight dappling on the covers, and Mr.Ravenwing pressed up against him.This time, the man’s head was on Conrad’s pillow, with one arm flung across Conrad’s chest, and their legs tangled under the sheets.Conrad smiled to himself and breathed in deep.The scent of rose oil surrounded him and Mr.Ravenwing’s body was slight and warm against his.
It occurred to him that he ought to keep one of Roger’s books by his bedside in the future, if he was going to always be so delayed in getting out of bed.He sighed a little and made more lists in his head: what ingredients he needed to request for his cleaning spells, the best methods for traveling to Roger’s father, the best methods for traveling to London, and a to-do list for when he got to London (assuming he had the position).
Like the previous morning, it took another hour or so for Mr.Ravenwing to wake up.And, like the previous morning, he snuggled closer before waking, the arm over Conrad’s chest wrapping around his shoulder and Mr.Ravenwing’s face nuzzling against his cheek.Then the gentleman froze and tensed.This time, however, he didn’t immediately move to the other side of the bed.He huffed against Conrad’s cheek.
“You could shove me away, you know.”
“That seems rather rude.”
Mr.Ravenwing tilted his face a little and his breath was hot against Conrad’s ear as he murmured, “Does that mean you like waking up with me plastered against you?”
“As I said yesterday,” Conrad said, turning to face him with a smile.“I find it quite companionable.”
Their faces were close and Mr.Ravenwing seemed to search Conrad’s expression.Then at last he pulled away with another scoff.“You are the strangest creature I’ve ever met.”
Conrad chuckled as he swung his now-free legs off the bed.“I’ve certainly heard that before.”
“Going down to breakfast at a ridiculous hour again, are you?”
“Yes.Care to join?”
“Certainly not.”
Conrad got dressed and then pulled the rest of his clothes out of the sack.He stared at each item and started mentally calculating how many times he’d need to do his cleaning spells, and how many ingredients to ask for.
Mr.Ravenwing shifted on the bed to watch him.“What are you doing?”
“Trying to determine how many ingredients I’ll need to clean these.”
“Clean—you do realize there are servants here who can do that for you, yes?”
Conrad met the other man’s gaze in surprise.“That didn’t occur to me.I’ve never had servants before.”
Mr.Ravenwing grumbled as he got out of bed.He scooped up Conrad’s clothes and dumped them into a large basket in the opposite corner of the room.The gentleman turned to face him and pointed at the pile of fabric within.“The servants will collect these when we’ve vacated the room.There’s no sense in you doing their job for them.It’s what they’re paid to do.”
“Thank you,” Conrad said as the other man climbed back into the bed.“Only, where will they put them when they’re done?I don’t want them to think my clothes should go with yours.”
Mr.Ravenwing’s gaze raked over Conrad’s body.“No one in their right mind would mistake us for the same size, Mr.Moore.They’ll probably place them in the wardrobe, but I have no doubt I’ll be able to locate them.Our tastes are decidedly different.”
Conrad laughed and stowed his bag back under the bed.“That’s very kind of you.I appreciate it.”
Mr.Ravenwing flopped back onto his pillow with a grunt.
Conrad paused with his hand on the door handle.“And, as it happens, I’m not sure I’d say our tastes are all that different.I think the way you dress is very fine.Although I’m sure I couldn’t pull it off half as well as you do.I may be many things, but elegant isn’t one of them.”
He opened the door and was nearly out of the room when he heard Mr.Ravenwing mutter, so softly he almost missed it, “Nonsense.You would look very well in a pastel palette.”
Conrad smiled to himself as he proceeded down to breakfast.
