“I’m fine,” Yves said. Had the fire truly only been the night before? It seemed as though a year had passed between the moment Yves had seen fire through the window and waking up in Charon’s bed. “Tell Mother that the fire wasn’t even close.”
“It sure looks close to me!”
“My dear.” Lord Marteau approached and held out a hand to Pearl. “Perhaps you should sit down and let Yves explain what happened last night.”
Pearl was a submissive like Yves, but she had no experience in turning down a dominant. Yves tried not to sigh as she melted under Lord Marteau’s attention. “If you say so, my lord.”
Lord Marteau winked at Yves and took the tray. Yves looked over his shoulder to try and catch Charon’s eye, but Charon was talking to Laurent now, his expression dark. “There isn’t much to tell. Someone set fire to the House of Silver.”
“But it isn’t safe here. You have to admit that.” Pearl grabbed Yves’ hands and dragged him toward the door. His suitors closed in, trying to murmur words of comfort, but Yves kept glancing at Charon. Charon’s brow was furrowed in concern, and his shoulders were tense and tight. Something was wrong.
“We’ll keep him quite safe, young lady,” Lord Yeltsey said.
“Mother found someone for you,” Pearl whispered, eyeing Lord Yeltsey suspiciously. Lord Yeltsey, who was the most harmless noble Yves had ever met, backed away like a kicked puppy. “He’s not handsome like these fellows, but he has money, and he’ll keep you out of danger. Or maybe you can just come home, and you can live with me when I get married. I won’t mind.”
“When areyougetting married?” Yves asked. Pearl had always been an anxious shadow at home, emerging only when Yves was around to coax her out. Simply being in the city, surrounded by strangers, had to be jarring for her.
“Eventually.” Pearl’s voice shrank to a squeak. “I’m old enough, you know. I was thinking I could find a nice house and bring you, Sunny, Tony and Peter there.”
That would be effectively moving the family away from their parents, but Yves thought better than to mention it. “That’s sweet, Pearl, but…”
“But nothing!” Pearl’s squeak rose until it was almost audible to someone who wasn’t pressed to her side. “Someone’s setting fires in the Pleasure District! I’m not going toburyyou.”
“You won’t have to, my dear,” Lord Marteau said. Pearl tightened her grip on Yves. “I have it on good authority that the man responsible is dead.”
“What?” Yves felt something heavy drop in his stomach. He looked at Charon, and Charon nodded shortly. “Why? How?”
“Someone saw fit to remove him, I suppose.” Lord Marteau waved a hand. “The crown may be merciful, but there could have been nobles in that house last night.”
“Here, now, Theo,” Lord Yeltsey said, going pink in the face. “There were still courtesans and servants inside.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Lord Marteau turned to Yves. “Any loss of life would be deplorable.”
“That was nice of you to say,” Pearl whispered to Lord Yeltsey.
Yves blinked tears out of his eyes before anyone could notice. “Are you sure someone killed him?” he asked.
“Allegedly,” Lord Marteau said. “But not to worry. I can post my own guards at the doors of the House of Onyx if you wish.”
“That will be entirely unnecessary, Theodore.” Laurent swept through them all with the same brusque dominance in his voice that had shaken onlookers out of their stupor the night before. “My lords, if you would please vacate my house so that I may assess our safety to my own standards?”
It wasn’t a request, however prettily Laurent said it. Lord Marteau looked like he might object, but Raul scuttled out with the faintest nod to Yves. Lord Yeltsey paused before he left, gazing into Yves’ eyes.
“You have a kind heart,” he said, “if you’re sorry for a man who could have killed you.”
“I’m not…” Yves struggled to get the words out.
“It’s all right.” Lord Yeltsey took a step back. “That’s what I like about you.”
Pearl frowned as he left. “Well, some nobles aren’t terrible. But that doesn’t mean you should marry them. That one probably has lovers hiding in his attic, or illegitimate children who will show up one day to duel you for their inheritance.”
“Lord Yeltsey is immune to scandal, Pearl. It’s almost impressive.”
“Men like that are the ones you need to watch. People are already killing each other. Do you really feel sorry for the one who set the fire?”
“He was just a boy,” Yves said. He thought of the way the boy had shaken when he inched toward the water jug, and his stomach rolled unpleasantly.
“And already a killer.” Pearl shuddered.
