The Chocolatier's Wife (103 page)

“Three
,
i
f
yo
u
coun
t
you
r
mouth,
”
Willia
m
said
,
“an
d
al
l
o
f
the
m
unimpressive.
”
Lavoussier’
s
eye
s
narrowed
.
“
I
kno
w
you’r
e
goin
g
t
o
kil
l
me
,
n
o
matte
r
wha
t
Frann
y
manage
s
t
o
convinc
e
Tasmin
.
Don’
t
yo
u
wan
t
you
r
olde
r
brother
,
who
m
yo
u
resen
t
s
o
much
,
t
o
kno
w
jus
t
ho
w
greatly yo
u
outwitte
d
him
?
Ho
w
cleverl
y
yo
u
hav
e
avenge
d
you
r
honor?”

“Yo
u
ar
e
no
t
th
e
older,
”
Lavoussie
r
snapped
.
“No
t
b
y
an
y
means.
”

“Bu
t
still
,
I
a
m
th
e
on
e
wh
o
get
s
everything
,
an
d
you
,
th
e
byblo
w
o
f
on
e
o
f
m
y
father’
s
moment
s
o
f
weakness
,
ge
t
nothing
.
Ho
w
yo
u
mus
t
hav
e
hate
d
th
e
fac
t
tha
t
I
bea
t
yo
u
ou
t
o
f
ye
t
anothe
r
prize.”

Lavoussier’
s
eye
s
darkene
d
wit
h
spite
.
H
e
sneered
.
“
I
a
m
no
t
your father’
s
ba
s
tard
.
I’
m
ou
r
mother’s.”

Eve
n
Andre
w
ha
d
t
o
laug
h
i
n
disbelief
.
“Ou
r
mother..
.
”

“Wa
s
a
prett
y
..
.
well
,
prett
y
enoug
h
fo
r
a
bunc
h
o
f
me
n
who’
d
bee
n
ou
t
t
o
se
a
fo
r
month
s
withou
t
an
y
delicat
e
comfort
s
..
.
youn
g
thin
g
traveling fro
m
he
r
parent’
s
co
f
fe
e
f
ield
s
acros
s
th
e
se
a
t
o
Berengeny
,
ther
e
t
o
we
d
he
r
intended
,
whe
n
th
e
shi
p
fel
l
t
o
pirates
.
I
don’
t
reall
y
kno
w
whic
h
on
e
wa
s
m
y
father
.
I
lik
e
t
o
believ
e
i
t
wa
s
th
e
Captain
,
o
f
course
.
Especiall
y
sinc
e
h
e
wa
s
doubtles
s
f
irst.
”

“O
f
course
.
Yo
u
alway
s
di
d
lik
e
t
o
puf
f
yoursel
f
up.
”
Willia
m
didn’
t
feel anything
.
H
e
coul
d
se
e
hi
s
brothe
r
wa
s
deepl
y
upse
t
an
d
angry
,
bu
t
Willia
m
fel
t
quit
e
calm
,
despit
e
Lavoussier’
s
attempt
s
t
o
shak
e
him
.
“
I
suppos
e
th
e
peopl
e
m
y
parent
s
gav
e
yo
u
ove
r
t
o
tol
d
yo
u
th
e
trut
h
ou
t
o
f
pity.
”

Lavoussie
r
shrugged
.
“Perhaps
. I
di
d
tr
y
t
o
b
e
decent
,
bu
t
bloo
d
will tell
.
I
wa
s
a
c
tuall
y
a
ver
y
goo
d
captain
,
loya
l
an
d
al
l
that
,
lookin
g
fo
r
m
y
chance—unti
l
I
hear
d
o
f
th
e
Hear
t
o
f
Ithali
a
an
d
al
l
it
s
possibilities
.
I
wante
d
it.
”

“Bad enough to kill
the Port
Admiral?”

He
shook his
head.
“That, my
dear
half-brothers,
was
fate.
So
mi’dear wife
and
I
decided
to
see
what
we
could
engineer.
We
knew
one
or
the
other of
you
had
to
have
the
Heart.
All
we
needed
was
time.”
William
watched as
the
Skellitt
sprite
alighted
on
Eric’s shoulder.
He
didn’t
hear
what
it said,
partly
because
a
soft,
breathy
voice
was
saying—no, not
saying,
but communicating
that
Tasmin
said
all
was
well.
He
wasn’t
sure
if
he
believed it,
but he had no
choice.

“And
then,”
Eric
Lavoussier said,
“that
hell-bitch
of
a
mother
of
ours tried to po
i
son me.”
He cocked the pistols and
aimed.

Al
l
i
s
well
,
Willia
m
reminde
d
himself
,
an
d
h
e
reache
d
forward
,
grabbe
d
hand holding the closest pistol
,
an
d
yanke
d
Eri
c
forward
,
slammin
g
hi
s
hea
d
agains
t
th
e
othe
r
man’
s
har
d
enoug
h
tha
t
hi
s
ow
n
visio
n
blackene
d
fo
r
a
second
.
H
e
spun, an
d
Andrew
,
wh
o
ha
d
rouse
d
wit
h
William’
s
abrup
t
movement
,
succeede
d
i
n
trippin
g
Lavoussier
,
thu
s
helpin
g
Willia
m
thro
w
thei
r
hal
f
brothe
r
ove
r
th
e
roof
.
Th
e
Skellit
t
creatur
e
starte
d
t
o
screa
m
an
d
the
n
crumble
d
int
o
dust.