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“Nice!” Rudy glances at his wristwatch. “We better get going.”
“Nice,” I parrot his half-assed compliment.
What I’d like to say to Camille is much too raunchy for public use.
Fortunately, something practical springs to mind. “The necklace!”
I fumble in the pocket of my pants and rush to Camille.
Planting myself behind her back, I pull the box out. “May I?”
She hangs her head by way of consent.
I open the box and produce an intricate piece of handmade jewelry. Marianne takes the empty box from me. I hold the necklace up to Camille’s eyes so that she can appreciate its workmanship.
For heaven’s sake, don’t ask how much it cost!
“How much did it cost?” she asks. “My guess is the annual GDP of a small developing country.”
“It cost exactly what it’s worth,” I retort, draping it around her neck.
Unable to resist, I let my fingertips brush the sides of her neck. My thumbs bear down on her nape, and my palms press into her shoulders. The ephemeral caress lasts no more than a few seconds before I come to my senses and fasten the adjustable clasp so that the necklace matches the cut of her dress.
I take a step back and spin her around. “Now your attire is complete.”
Rudy springs to his feet. “We really must go now.”
“Madame Emissary?” I offer Camille my arm.
Will she take it?
She does.
* * *
“Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!”Director Edward Idrissi of MINDFUCH smiles at our guests.
The chatter dies down.
“The Modern Institute for the Neat, Diligent, Fair and Useful Conservation of Heritage is honored to host the first reception for Mount Evor’s new Emissary to France,” Edward says.
Everybody claps.
I incline my head. Camille smiles at the crowd.
Edward points toward us, bowing lightly, then turns back to the guests. “Please welcome their Graces Louis-Philibert and Camille de Valois, the Duke and Duchess of Arrago!”
They clap and cheer and raise their glasses.
The party is on.
MINDFUCH’S reception hall is chock-full of people. Everybody who was invited showed up, which normally never happens.
Is it because they’re so eager to meet Mount Evor’s new emissary? I doubt it. At least half of the people present here have met me before in my capacity as emissary to Portugal. Which reminds me that my inaugural reception in Lisbon wasn’t nearly as popular as this one.
No, I think it’s something else. They’re all curious to meet the new emissary’s unexpected wife. The woman who lived in a trailer until three weeks ago. The woman whose sister had set fire to the royal palace in Pombrio, killing six people and disfiguring the crown prince.
Well, folks, here she is, the enigmatic, unpredictable, mulish Tinker Bell that Grandpa made me marry!
