The Courtship of Julian St. Albans (27 page)

“Drawers are okay,
boxes are not?” asked Jacques, just making sure.

“Pretty much, just ask if you’re not
sure,” said Alex. There was a nice big space on his work bench cleared for
him to line up ingredients, and Alex put Con and his bounty down there to
peruse his collection. “Remember,” he said teasingly, “guests
don’t acquire items from their hosts.”

Con chuckled. “I weren’t thinkin’ anything
of the sort,” he replied innocently, sitting down to stare at the various
items. There were half a dozen bits of semiprecious stone, nothing Alex
couldn’t replace easily, and a few different choices of pre-made settings that
Alex could magic into shape to fit with whatever stone he chose. None of it was
very valuable, but once it was charmed it would make a nice gift for Con’s
lady.

Con was muttering to himself about the
properties of the stones, which Alex listened to very carefully without being too
obvious about it; there was a great deal of insight to be had, listening to an
earth sprite natter on about his chosen element. Eventually he chose a
filigreed brass fitting with a warm garnet that was almost heart-shaped, if one
held it just right.

“Do you want me to shape the stone a bit,
or make the light beat like a heart?” asked Alex, setting the two pieces
aside and sweeping the others into his hand, putting them away while they
chatted.

“Won’t cost no
more?” asked Con curiously.

“No, no, it’s all very simple
enchantments, though there’s something charming about the lopsided shape, it
might be good to curve that one bit a little more.”

James was in his way, so Alex handed him the
three unused settings. “Put those in that drawer there?” he asked
sweetly.

James grinned. “Yes sir,” he said,
pulling the drawer down to look at the other things in it, cheap rings with no
stones, empty charm bracelets and other such costume jewellery settings. Alex
didn’t often use that sort of thing, but it was good for a temporary charm, or
to make fancy dress pieces for a special occasion.

He’d made a fair amount of spare change in
university selling sparkling baubles to impress people’s dates, or one-shot
luck charms for exams.

“You make it as nice as you’re
willing,” said Con with a grin, standing up and reaching out a hand for
Alex to gather him up. “It’s time for me to be going, but I’ll be back for
my bauble before the moon is up.”

“Will do,” agreed Alex, dropping the
last bit of peridot in the right bin and then turning to oblige the sprite.
“Now, the brownie?”

“Oh, aye,” said Con. “Put out a
one o’ them little callin’ flutterby charms, the ones that ain’t forcin’ us,
an’ send it lookin’ for Brownie Nat, an’ he’ll come findin’ you within the
hour.”

“Will do, Brownie Nat,” said Alex,
nodding. “I’ll put out a bit of something by the door again tonight,
too,” he said, half to himself.

“It’s
appreciated,” said Con agreeably.

Alex gently shooed the Guardians out of his
work room, but promised them they could go back and look later if they were
good boys, which amused the sprite immensely. Alex set Con outside the wards
and whistled a little tune to reset them to keep him out unless re-invited.
“You were a good guest,” said Alex, eyeing Con’s face to be sure it
was true.

Con looked perfectly at ease, however, and he
nodded. “‘Twas a good meal, and a good bargain, you were a most excellent
host.” Then he vanished, as was his wont, and Alex closed the door,
leaning back against it with a sigh.

James locked it while Alex had his moment of
drama, amused by the whole thing. “You have had a very long day indeed,
Mage.”

Alex could only agree. “I think I am going
to have that bath, if either of you wants to freshen up before I take over the
bathroom for an hour.”

Jacques chuckled. “I will, and then I’ll
make you a big mug of herbal tea to help you get a good, restorative
sleep.”

“For tomorrow we will go once more into
the breach,” said Alex, heaving himself off the door and limping over to
the couch to look at the spot where the sprite had sat. “PT and then our
date, I wonder if I’ll survive.”

James grinned. “You’ve done all right so
far,” he said, gathering up the dishes and empty bottle. “Sounds like
we need to put some whiskey on the shopping list, though.”

Alex laughed. “That we
do.”

CHAPTER
21

In Which We Have Dinner and a Bit of Excitement

Alex did sleep deeply and well, and his
Guardians woke him up in time to shower and make it to PT, even though he’d
completely forgotten to set an alarm. They had lunch at the Temple with Stephen,
which was a new experience for Alex, the food simple and plentiful and the
company quietly pleasant. It didn’t stop him from fretting over his choices for
the date now that it was too late to change them, however.

Stephen did suggest to Alex, out of the
Guardians’ hearing, that Alex might consider making them some sort of personal
protection charm as thanks for their service, which Alex immediately put on his
growing to-do list. “Is there some kind of donation to the Temple that’s
the usual thing?” he asked, trusting his old friend not to mind the faux
pas.

Stephen chuckled. “Yes and no, we don’t
ask but usually one does follow. From you, service might be preferable to cash,
if you wished to assist our mages for an afternoon or two.”

“Once I’m safe and well, I’ll make the
time for it,” said Alex, glad he’d asked. Victor would probably make the
requisite cash donation regardless, but this was something he knew the Temple
needed that was unique to him, which felt right somehow. “Any idea what
sort of protection?”

“I suggest you ask,” said Stephen
with a smile, gesturing to the two Guardians who were just returning from a
chat with their superior.

“Ask what?” said
Jacques, curious as always.

Alex smiled fondly. “What sort of
protection a mage such as I might offer to Guardians such as yourself, once I
have a bit of time and energy to spare,” said Alex. “I’d have to ask
you for ingredients, anyway, if they’re going to be proper protection
charms.”

James smiled widely. “We’ll talk about it
this afternoon, to distract you from your fretting.”

“Not that anything will
for long,” added Jacques, sounding very amused.

Stephen chuckled. “It is sometimes very
nice to be free of those particular worries.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “If you’re quite
through, I’d like to go home and commence fretting in my own flat.”

Stephen surprised Alex by stepping forward,
cupping Alex’s face and pressing a soft, cool kiss to Alex’s forehead, one that
spread coolness all through him, calm and peaceful as a meditation pool.
“Go in peace,” he said serenely.

Alex ducked his head, then smiled back all wry
and genuine. “Thank you.”

They filed out, each of them filled with the
peace of the place in their own way, and rode back to the flat in silence.
Jones dropped them off, promising to be back in plenty of time to take Alex out
to pick up Julian.

And then the waiting
commenced.

Jacques made a pot of tea for them all and they
waited for the cleaning service to come by, Alex having made special
arrangements to re-start his regular schedule with today’s kamikaze fix, the
dust of the past few weeks whisked away by his usual lady and two helpers,
while Alex hid in the kitchen and nursed his tea, Jacques cooked some sort of
elaborate sweet for later, and James watched them carefully and glowered in a very
convincing manner.

Once they’d gone, a generous tip in hand, Alex
couldn’t help but laugh. “You were very effective,” said Alex.
“Shall we search the place to be sure no little trinkets got left
behind?”

“No, you set up your things for tonight,
I’m certain they were fine,” said James, back to his usual demeanour.
“Once I started the suspicious glaring, though, I couldn’t hardly offer
them an apology cuppa.”

Jacques poked him. “You’re lucky Alex is
generous enough to make up for it,” he teased. The maids had had no idea
what to make of Jacques, a big and obviously dangerous man busy in the kitchen,
though he’d moved for them whenever they needed to clean around him.

“Smart,” countered James, with the
ease of a long, comfortable friendship.

“Meanie,” said Jacques, hands busy
making up another pot of tea, this one a calming herbal brew.

“Wimp,” said
James.

Alex giggled. “I’d tell stories about
this, but no one would believe me, so instead I’ll borrow one of you to help me
set things up, since I haven’t two hands for carrying.” His leg had felt a
little better this morning, but the physical therapy, while useful, had set up
a throbbing pain in his thigh that he couldn’t ignore.

“James can do it as penance,” said
Jacques. “I’ll bring tea in a moment, then I want to check on my
treat.”

“All right,” said James agreeably,
and they headed back to Alex’s lab to start setting things up on the coffee
table.

Once that was done, there were still several
hours of waiting and nothing much for Alex to do, so they played gin and drank
calming tea and made jokes about Alex’s sex life until it was time for Alex to
take a second shower and dress. He put on another new suit, this one charcoal
grey with thin pinstripes in a cold, pale yellow, a matching shirt in the same
colour, and a charcoal cravat. His accessories were family heirlooms made of
yellow diamonds, to which the suit had been made to match, and the newly
re-tailored coat fit him perfectly. He just needed a top hat (which he’d
adamantly refused) to make him look every inch the gentleman from a bygone era,
cane and all.

They bundled him into the back of the car with
plenty of time to spare for traffic and mishaps, and headed back out to the St.
Albans estate with Alex’s good knee bouncing and his fingers tapping on the
head of his cane.

“If you don’t stop that,” said James
mildly after about ten minutes, “I might kill you myself and save your
enemies the trouble.”

That startled Alex into laughter, and he
relaxed, calling up the memory of Stephen’s gift of cool peace. “This is the
first date where I’ve admitted to myself I want to keep him,” he
explained, sheepish and shy.

“He wants to keep you,” said Jacques,
without looking away from the car window. “Stop worrying so much.”

“Easy for you to say,” shot back
Alex, “you’ve got a life partner and you don’t even have to swallow.”

That startled both the Guardians into laughing,
and the good-natured teasing lasted all the way out of town. Even Jones joined
in, so that when Alex stepped out of the car into the crisp autumn evening, he had
a smile on his face, albeit a wry one.

Alex knocked on the door, smiling brightly at
Godfrey when he opened it with the sort of expression one normally reserves for
unpleasant things on one’s shoe. Godfrey stepped aside to let him in, and Alex
was amused to see his gift on display in the hallway. The cheap little easels
had been replaced with substitutes that had an intricate, hand-carved design
and made him wonder if they cost more than the art they were holding up.
“Are these just for me?” he asked Godfrey, mostly just to annoy.

“I don’t know what you mean, sir,”
said Godfrey, in a tone that suggested he was being uncouth but it was only to
be expected of him.

Alex grinned toothily.
“Is Julian ready?”

Godfrey sighed. “This way, sir, you are a
bit early.” He led Alex back to the warm parlour, where Alex shed his coat
and looked around again. There was cider once again on the sideboard, and this
time Alex poured himself a cup for something to do while he waited. He sat in a
chair away from the heat of the fire and closed his eyes, fondling his watch
fob and listening to the magic in the house.

He felt great satisfaction that the evil thread
of enchantment that had once tainted Julian’s home was now gone.

There were other things here and there, things
he might have explored if he were ever allowed unfettered access to the house,
but for now he just made mental notes and listened for Julian’s distinctive
melody to draw close. There was so much to listen to here, rich layers of magic
big and small, attached to objects and people and the building itself.
Everything from the spell on the fireplace that kept the fire where it belonged
to the one on the foundation that kept the house sturdy and safe, that one so
old and ingrained that it was like the sound of the ocean at a beach, permanent
and implacable.

Alex turned his “ears” inward,
listening to the thrum of his own magic, to the soft susurration of blood
through his veins, to the various melodies of his shoes, keys, watch and fob.
When he brought his awareness back outside of himself, he smiled to hear
Julian’s familiar melody coming closer, the unifying theme that he identified
as uniquely Julian as head of a subtle symphony of mood and magic and
everything he carried with him. Alex opened his eyes and stood, facing the
door, waiting eagerly.

“Alex,” said Julian, a smile breaking
out in answer to Alex’s grin. “How are you?”

Alex held out his free hand, the other occupied
with his cane, and said, “I’ll be better if you kiss me hello.”

“How could I deny an injured hero?”
teased Julian, taking the hand and snuggling close for his kiss, warm and
sweetly familiar. “You look very dashing.”

“I feel a bit silly,” said Alex,
“but my family swears the colours suit me.” He stole another kiss,
and then another. “You look wonderful, yourself,” he said, stepping
back to look at Julian properly.

Julian blushed and did a little twirl. He was
wearing a mossy green suit with a proper frock coat, a waistcoat with beautiful
golden brocade on a darker green, and a crisp white shirt with a green cravat
and amber tie-pin. The amber was clear and flawless, carved into a cube with
beveled edges and set to the pin on one corner, and it glowed softly when
Julian touched it. “I’m glad you like it,” he said shyly.

Alex pulled him in for another kiss. “I’d
like you in anything, but this is very elegant, and you and I will be terribly
overdressed where we’re going.”

“Ooh, a hint!” said Julian, and then
he looked around Alex pointedly. “But no gift? Have you decided to go with
my suggestion?”

Alex laughed. “It’s back at my flat, where
we’ll spend the evening after dinner. I’ve got a plan.”

“I do like a man with a
plan,” said Julian with a grin. “Shall we, then?”

Alex snagged his coat. “Let’s,” he
said, taking a moment to put it on when Julian paused to get his own elegant
brown wool coat and golden scarf from their cupboard. They headed out with a
wave to Godfrey and got in the car, where James and Jacques were patiently
waiting.

“I’m surprised you two didn’t follow him
inside,” said Julian, snuggling up to Alex’s side just as he’d done at the
house.

“He was only in danger of being glared to
death by your butler,” said Jacques, amused.

“You two needed a moment alone,” said
James, still watching out the window.

Alex kissed Julian’s hair, “You don’t mind
they’re coming for dinner, do you?”

Julian shook his head.
“They’ll keep us both safe.”

James turned and smiled,
surprised and proud. “Yes, we will.”

~ ~ ~

Padma looked very impressed when Alex came in,
Julian on his arm and the Guardians following behind. “Putting you two in
the corner room is like hiding my best jewels in their box,” she teased,
leading them back to their table.

“The best jewel here is you,” said
Julian, his voice gently teasing, “and we mere men couldn’t possibly
outshine your beauty.”

She laughed. “He’s a
charmer, Alex, what’s he doing with you?”

Alex sighed, “I’d ask, but I’m not sure I
want to know the answer.” He held Julian’s chair and pushed it in, then
took his seat next to Julian.

“As long as you know you’re lucky,”
said Padma, patting Alex’s shoulder and laying down menus.

The Guardians helped to move the screen across
the doorway before taking a seat across from them, backs to the screen but
between their charge and the door. “Thank you for including us in your
meal,” said Jacques.

“We could hardly let you stand outside and
go hungry,” said Alex. “Besides, Julian likes you.”

Julian giggled. “I do, it’s true, I’m only
sticking with Alex because you two already have each other.”

James chuckled. “Well,
we have our vows and each other, anyway.”

The discussion moved to the food, and Alex
assured Julian that whatever they ordered would be eaten, if not tonight then
as leftovers. They ended up with a huge variety of foods, including spicy and
mild dishes, curries and Tandoori, appetisers and raita and lassis and at least
four kinds of naan bread. Julian was delighted by everything, and Alex ached a
little to think he was so sheltered he’d never had something so simple as a
good restaurant curry.

“So, you don’t mind coming down to my level
once in a while?” asked Alex teasingly, as they nibbled on papadums and
waited for the first wave of food.

“It’s nice, to be somewhere normal people
go instead of all those ridiculous posh places,” he said. “Oh! It was
so funny, one of the other men took me to Nihon and we got the same waiter, he
was just as grumpy the second time.”