The Chocolatier's Wife (78 page)

Tasmi
n
narrowe
d
he
r
gaz
e
dangerously
,
abou
t
t
o
g
o
over
,
whe
n
she realize
d
ther
e
wa
s
somethin
g
wron
g
abou
t
th
e
movemen
t
o
f
tha
t
hand
,
th
e
arm
,
th
e
se
t
o
f
hi
s
shou
l
ders
.
Wait
,
no
,
d
o
no
t
le
t
you
r
eye
s
alon
e
lea
d
you
r
knowledge
.
Sh
e
looke
d
agai
n
wit
h
he
r
whol
e
mind
,
an
d
realize
d
i
t
wa
s
Ayers. He
r
ja
w
tightened
,
an
d
he
r
f
inger
s
stille
d
o
n
th
e
ste
m
o
f
th
e
win
e
glass
.
What ar
e
yo
u
u
p
to
,
yo
u
grea
t
bi
g
fool
?
An
d
wh
y
di
d
yo
u
no
t
tel
l
me?

“Ah.
I
see
your
intended
is
having a
good
time
...
or
is
he
not
your intended?
Are you
merely
trying
to
discover
what
lies
behind
the
mask?” Lavoussier
took
the empty glass from
her and
placed it on
a
tray.

“Come
now,
sir.
We
both
know you—being
the
cunning
investigator that you are—made certain to discover the whereabouts of my intended immediately.
I
am
merely
admiring
him
for
celebrating
so
happily
the
very reasons behind this day.”

“Meaning?”

“There
is
still
beauty,
and joy, and magic
to
be
had
in
this
world.”
She looked
up,
where
the
moon silvered
the
arches
of
ice.
She
thought
the palace
looked
like
a
spun sugar
cake.
Tonight
was
the
party,
tomorrow
there would
be
holy
services
during
the
morning,
then
presents
in
the
afternoon. For each day the place would change, like a chameleon,
to reflect
what was required.

“Ah,
Tasmin.” His
voice
brought
her
eyes
back
to
his,
which
were
filled with
a
pr
e
tense
of
both
awe
and
sorrow. “If
only
you
could
keep
such innocence. But it is not to be.”

“Come
,
now
,
sir
.
I
f
m
y
intende
d
wil
l
no
t
atten
d
t
o
me—
”
Dou
b
tl
e
s
s
W
illi
a
m
tol
d
Aye
r
s
t
o
a
voi
d
m
e
o
n
purpos
e
,
f
o
r
fea
r I
woul
d
dis
c
ov
e
r
hi
s
littl
e
tri
ck
.
“
—the
n
perhaps you will do
me the favor
of another dance?”

He
thought
for
a
moment.
Bonny
smiled
at
him
from across
the
room, plainly
wanting
the
next
dance
to
be
hers, but
he
turned
back to
Tasmin and
said,
“Of course.”

So
it
was,
for
a
bit,
that
Tasmin
and
Bonny
took
turns
dancing
with him.
Du
r
ing
Tasmin’s
last
turn
with
him,
she
grew
bored
and
decided
to
be provocative.
“Poor
Andrew,
his wife quite abandons
him.”

“You
must
feel
for
him deeply,
for
your
own
intended
pays
scarcely more
attention to you.”

“Ah,
but
William
is
under
orders
to
avoid
me
from
his
mother.
It
is inappropr
i
ate for
us to spend much time together before the wedding.”

“Oh
,
th
e
horror.
”
H
e
turne
d
he
r
s
o
the
y
wer
e
marchin
g
forward, stately
,
an
d
the
n
turne
d
he
r
again
,
fac
e
t
o
face
.
“I
s
sh
e
afrai
d
yo
u
wil
l
run awa
y
i
f
yo
u
ge
t
t
o
kno
w
him?
”

Sh
e
laughed
.
“Hardly
.
Sh
e
think
s
I
a
m
tryin
g
t
o
forc
e
Willia
m
into wedlock.
”

Turn
;
marc
h
forward
;
the
n
spin
;
spi
n
right
;
march
;
fac
e
t
o
fac
e
..
.

“An
d
ar
e
you?
”
H
e
lowere
d
he
r
t
o
th
e
lef
t
an
d
brough
t
he
r
bac
k
up.

“No
t
a
t
all
.
I
f
h
e
doesn’
t
wan
t
me
,
f
i
e
o
n
him.
”
H
e
lowere
d
he
r
t
o
th
e
right
,
an
d
smiled.

“Bu
t
yo
u
hav
e
n
o
choice
,
d
o
yo
u
,
m
y
pet?
”

He
r
eye
s
widene
d
a
t
th
e
endearment
,
an
d
sh
e
trie
d
t
o
f
in
d
something t
o
say
.
H
e
laughe
d
a
t
her
,
an
d
sh
e
wondere
d
if
,
fo
r
a
second
,
h
e
would dro
p
he
r
ou
t
o
f
cruelty
.
I
t
seeme
d
lik
e
tha
t
kin
d
o
f
laugh
.