At the final layer of negotiations, when the sun had begun to descend, and the attendants had been in to light candles and change out refreshments, the Cardinal spoke.
“The king will find this agreeable.” The man had pleasure in his hollow features. He turned to Guillaume. “You, of course, will be the vector for France and will maintain the king’s authority and oversight.” Then he reached forward to shake Borjigin’s hand.
Finally, Michel thought, it was done.
Borjigin, however, did not take the Cardinal’s hand in agreement. “No,” Borjigin said. “It will go through Michel.” Borjigin turned to speak to Guillaume. “I mean no disrespect to you, but I prefer to work directly with this one.” He nodded toward Michel. “He will be my contact. My only contact. I will deal with him directly.”
Michel’s eyes darted from the Cardinal to Borjigin. He hadn’t expected that.
The Cardinal, not used to being toldno, spoke up. “Trade at this level is typically done through someone with a title, like the Duke here.”
“I do not have a problem with this,” said Guillaume. “Michel put the work into this commodity. It’s his deal.”
The Cardinal leaned back, in thought. “What of Renault? He refuses to work with Michel now. He is an important administrator on this route.”
Guillaume threw up his hand. “Let Renault twist in the wind. He abandoned Michel.” He nodded to Borjigin. “And my future daughter-in-law. When they were in need.” Guillaume leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “He comes to askourforgiveness, not the other way around. Besides,” he continued, “this cashmere,” he let out a whistle, “will more than make up for what is lost through Renault and Kashgar.”
Borjigin spoke then. “Michel will be a Duke. My daughter will be the Duchess. Together, they know both ends of the agreement, both parties, and any commodities we trade. Eve will know the value of the cashmere. Michel will know how to manage the rest.” He nodded. “It will be him or no one.”
The Cardinal nodded. “Very well, if everyone is in agreement. Michel, we will rely on you.”
Michel nodded, accepting the responsibility. Proud of the trust from these men. “Of course,” he agreed, straightening his spine as he did. “I will do my best as always.”
Handshakes were exchanged, signatures made, and negotiations completed.
A quarter of an hour later, Michel walked with Borjigin back to the great hall, where the attendants would take him to his room so he could prepare for dinner. Michel felt the silence between them, but it did not feel strained. He decided to speak to the man while he could. “I appreciate you putting your trust in me to run the trade.”
Borjigin nodded.
Michel continued. “I recognize that it is Eve you wish to work with, but I will be the best liaison I can be to make that happen.”
He was silent, and Michel thought that was the end of the conversation. Then Borjigin spoke. “I do want Eve involved. That was not why I said I wish to work with you, though. I believe you are a good businessman. A good leader.”
Michel blinked back surprise that he didn’t want the man to see. “I appreciate that, Khan.”
“I am glad Eve has found you,” Borjigin continued after a moment. “If I trust you with my daughter, it should be no surprise I will trust you with some cashmere.”
“Thank you, Borjigin,” he said, careful not to appear too pleased, careful to control his emotion. “I will do my best to make you proud.”
Borjigin didn’t say another word to him for the rest of the night. But he didn’t throw any more rocks either.
ChapterForty-Five
Eve liked her new sister-in-law, Alex, very much. She was sweet but not at all subservient. Eve wondered at her ability with the sword. She had never seen a woman warrior before, and Eve looked forward to watching her spar. She delighted at the mention that Alex and her husband, Philippe, often sparred with each other. What a way to get out frustrations, Eve mused.
They spent the day watching Eve’s family set up their yurts around the palace. Alex showed her the Chevalerie gardens and all her favorite spots in the palace. The greenery was much different than her home. It was softer, smoother. The breeze on the hilltop did not attack her but rather brushed past in a hurry. From everything she saw, she already loved France. Philippe lingered around them, not seeming too happy about losing his wife to this assignment of chaperone, but Alex would calm him and send him away.
Her father’s proclamation that she must have a chaperone, Eve knew, at this point was purely ornamental. He had to make his final stand and complete Eve’s punishment for getting herself pregnant before marriage. He refused to drop the importance of it. Butoh,how she had been humiliated in front of her new family members and at the palace where she would one day be the mistress. She had come all this way to be scolded by her father in front of an audience.
At the end of the day, Eve lay in bed in what would be her room until she and Michel were married. She had been bathed and dressed in her night clothes by excited maids, while Alex made her laugh with stories of Michel and his brothers. Now, Alex lay on the bed, still dressed, as she had not yet prepared for bed, telling Eve the story of how she and Philippe had come to marry. Eve enjoyed hearing that these brothers had a tradition of showing up with an unexpected bride.
“So, perhaps it was not a great surprise that Michel showed up with me?”
“Michel showing up with a bride is a surprise. He’s always said he would only marry when it ‘suited his position,’” she said in a mocking tone. Alex tucked her hands together under her chin. “Now we will wait for Serge to come off the seas with a bride. That will be the true miracle.”
Eve felt warmth for all these new people. “I know Michel must be overwhelmed with all of this,” she said. “He is so used to being in charge of everything.”
“It is good for him to lose some of his control, especially to his wife,” Alex continued. “Marriage is a constant battle to be on top.” She grinned.
