Helian and the Baron’s Bastard (5)

The next day’s “gathering of intellectuals” took place at an upscale private club not far from the madam’s boutique. To my surprise, most of them were closer in age to the baron, instead of being the young lord’s peers. I suppose his attendance at the event was more an attempt to curry favor and earn respect than it was an opportunity to party with his friends.

When Edie had suggested two different trend-setting evening gowns for me, Arsen had selected the one that showed the most skin and had the thinnest fabric. While he had been eager to show off his latest accessory at the beginning of the gathering, within an hour his mood soured – he had clearly not anticipated how much time it would take to fend off all the wandering eyes that came my way. After another fifteen minutes, he sighed and offered me his coat.

“Cover that up, Helian.”

I accepted the coat politely. “A shame, though. Your auntie did a fantastic job with this dress, and you seemed to like it quite a bit. Does it not suit me?”

He stared at me with exasperation. “You know it does. I’m just tired of dealing with all these animals. How are we supposed to have a proper conversation about algebra when half the group is staring at your chest?”

“A good question, Lord Arsen. A similar one came to mind during our first dinner together.”

“I… should apologize for that. It was a poor way to start this relationship. I hope you at least understand now that I meant no malice. I should have recognized your value sooner.”

I nodded and sipped my champagne. I had to remind myself that no matter how much this man’s behavior might improve, he was still the same character from the novel underneath. My only option was to manipulate him and manage his worst tendencies until the plot progressed, at which point I could get out from under his thumb - hopefully without any lasting injuries.

It was a shame the story left me so little freedom to move on my own in this period. If I had more time to myself, I could have helped the others… but thoughts like that were a luxury I couldn’t afford until the novel ended.

Arsen interrupted my thoughts by taking my hand and leading me out of the club. “I’ll make it up to you. Follow me, we’ll get dinner at my favorite place.”

------

His favorite place turned out to be a small café in a part of the city rarely visited by nobles, with a cramped kitchen and enough room to seat around 7 people in total. As we entered, he was visibly nervous and looked back to me for reassurance.

He was afraid I would look down on him. He had probably brought friends here in the past, or dragged along a girl he was hoping to impress. They had no doubt mocked him for it. What kind of environment had he grown up in if he was this desperate for my approval?

There were only two people working in the café, so we seated ourselves at an empty table and waited for the server. Upon spotting Arsen, he dashed over to greet us.

“Arsen! Good to see you again, and with company, no less!”

Arsen smiled. “Good to see you too, Rigo. This is Helian. She’s had a bad night, so I wanted to take her somewhere special.”

“Ah, of course! Well, you won’t be disappointed.” Rigo placed down two glasses of water and then offered me a menu, but the young lord quickly waved him away.

“We don’t need a menu, thanks. We’ll have two of the chef’s special and a bottle of Rosé.”

“Right away! Please, let me know if you need anything at all. I hope you enjoy your evening!”

What a sad waste of a man. In other circumstances, I could imagine him being a truly righteous and satisfied person. But instead, every hint of growth he displayed was undermined by his habits, his insecurities, and his basest tendencies.

------

After we finished our meal, Arsen walked me back to my lodgings in silence.

“Thanks”. 

What? I stared at him in confusion.

“I really mean it. Thanks for tonight, Helian.”

“… sure. Dinner was delicious.”

He smiled. “Father is hosting a party in a bit over a week. You should come. People will be attending from all over, you could make some great connections.”

I nodded.

“We can meet next weekend to see auntie again to arrange a dress, and then have dinner. It’ll be great.”

For a moment, I wondered. If I said no, would he realize his error? Or would he seal his fate anyway? But interfering with the plot like that was asking for trouble, and things could easily become much, much worse. So, I smiled and bid him good night.

“See you then.”

------

The baron’s men had stopped lurking around the premises, so it was much easier to get a good night’s sleep in my room. I finished my next day at work without any interference as well. My efforts had earned me at least a moment’s rest, it seemed, which was a relief. Even if the plot was set in stone, it was possible to make adjustments, small though they may be.

At present, Lady Herschel was interrogating me while Marie listened quietly.

“So, the young lord hasn’t laid his hands on you yet, I pray?”

I nodded. “Yes, madam. He seems to have calmed his temper after I humored him a bit. I suppose he likes my personality.”

“You mustn’t take him lightly regardless. He has a horrible reputation for good reason… I shan’t repeat the things I’ve heard from other parents. Promise me that you won’t be alone with him, and please let me or one of my children know before you go with him anywhere. If something happens, I swear I will do my utmost to help.”

I wouldn’t be able to keep this promise, but I was certain the lady wouldn’t hold it against me. “I swear, madam. Thank you very much for your concern. I will take your advice to heart.”

Marie clearly had a lot on her mind but seemed to realize that it would be dangerous to say the things she was thinking, even in private. “It’s so unfair. He just barged into your life for no reason, and now you must indulge his whims just because of who his father is.”

I smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “I’m not the only person in this kind of situation. We all do our best with the hand we’re dealt.” I turned back to Lady Herschel. “I’ll be accompanying him to a dress shop and then a café on the weekend, before attending a party at the baron’s manor the next day. I should be able to avoid any dangerous situations, I think, and I doubt he’ll misbehave in front of a crowd.”

Lady Herschel gripped my hand tightly. “Okay. Inform me if anything changes. If necessary, my husband and I can cash in some favors…”

While I wasn’t looking forward to upcoming events, it was some consolation that I could expect to be rescued before things went too far. Even if this novel was morbid, it always pulled back before inflicting anything truly heinous on its heroine. And the next act after Arsen’s might be fun, so I had that to look forward to.

After we concluded our conversation, the twins’ mother returned to her office (“I’ll put my work on hold for you any time, sweetheart”) and Evan joined us for a chat about work. Marie was settling in well at the agriculture ministry, and it seemed he had begun an apprenticeship with a local accountant to pick up more skills while waiting for the next administrative exam.

As the sun set, the head maid entered the sitting room to summon us for dinner. As before, the table was set for four.

Marie looked with disappointment at the head of the table, and then muttered “I hope he can take a vacation day next solstice, at least…”

How a Little Bird Learned to Fly (2)

Dame Selene came around once I explained my plan in more detail, though she clearly still didn’t trust me. I made certain that the countess stood to lose nothing if things didn’t work out, while if all unfolded as I hoped, she would be able to undermine the baron, eliminate a threat to Helian, and resolve the missing person cases in one fell swoop. To bait the trap, I promised Lady Solana she’d meet a good friend of mine (though I wouldn’t be able to make the introduction in person.)

“Well, I suppose that’s settled. Let’s consider this an early opportunity to demonstrate your value, little bird. I trust once all is said and done, you’ll fly back to my side?”

“Of course, Countess. I wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise. After all, I’ve much to repay you for, and I hope for a long and fruitful relationship.”

As it happened, the countess was already in possession of a detailed map of the Rydberg estate, so I was able to sketch out my intended path and mark the location where I believed she would find Arsen and Helian. As a back-up plan, we agreed on a signal I could use if something went wrong or circumstances changed, though I was confident they wouldn’t. We were so early in the plot that events were unlikely to deviate.

We agreed upon a balanced split of tasks for the near future – the dame would utilize some contacts to acquire the estate’s guard shift schedule, the countess would secure two invites to the party, and I would locate the young lord’s “vacation home” so we could send guards to secure the evidence before the baron could clean up the mess.

Lady Solana leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and sighed deeply. “Hm… You’ve worked hard today, I think. Consider this evening’s training canceled. You should take some time to relax since you have a stressful week ahead of you, after all. I’m sure your muscles are sore from all the exercise you’ve been getting lately… I know mine are.” As the countess uttered the word exercise, she opened her eyes and stared at me.

Selene coughed quietly. “Will you be needing anything further, Countess? If not, I have… paperwork to see to in my office.”

Solana smiled at her vice-commander. “That’ll be all, Selene. Thank you for your assistance, as usual. On your way out, please inform the servants to prepare dinner for two and bring it to my quarters.”

I supposed my dinner plans were set, then.

------

After dinner, the countess walked over to her bed and reached underneath, removing two rectangular leather suitcases. They were secured with pristine brass latches on each side, inset with small keyholes. She removed her gold necklace and used the small key hanging from it to open the suitcase on her left. “I’ve prepared some equipment for you, XXXXX.”

Once it was open approximately two thirds of the way, I was able to see its contents – most notably a pair of small daggers, but also a long chain, a coiled length of rope, and what appeared to be cloth handcuffs. She chuckled. “Oh, my mistake. This case is for later.” She promptly closed the case but neglected to re-secure the lock.

She then slid the other case over from her right, placing it atop the … toybox, and swiftly opened it. She gestured for me to approach and inspect the contents. “We can’t have you using that relic of yours at the baron’s estate, my dear. It’s too recognizable. And our agenda requires more than a single blade anyhow. Consider these an advance on your first month’s pay.”

The case was padded with red velour, indented precisely to protect its contents from any damage during handling or transportation. Those contents being five small daggers with notched blades (for carrying poison or tranquilizers, I expect), a rapier with a curved grip, a short main-gauche with an attached chain that could be bound to one’s wrist, and finally a concealed dagger with a stitched leather thigh holster. She had thought carefully to select the right tools for my mission.

“I thought it unwise to secure any beverages to pair with the appetizers under my own name, so that task falls to you.” She accompanied the word beverages with a slight wave towards the throwing daggers, to ensure I understood what she meant.

I nodded. “This is a tremendous honor, Lady Solana. I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations, and with such fine equipment I couldn’t be better prepared.”

“Now then, little bird,” the countess took both of my hands in hers. “Let’s set business aside and devote some time to recreation, shall we? Tonight feels like the perfect time to introduce you to one of my favorite hobbies.” Saying this, she handed the tool case to me, and reopened the toybox.