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In the interest of security, Sebastian ordered their chauffeur to take a long and relaxing vacation and drove the van himself. Traffic in Aurora was always thick, so leaving the city took some time, and from there, Sebastian took scenic back roads through the country where theirs was often the only vehicle to be seen. Perry hadn’t a clue whether Sebastian knew where he was going, or if he was driving at random to flush out any potential pursuers, but, whatever the case, they emerged onto the interstate several hours later and drove for several hours more before Perry recognized a road sign.
“Are you taking us to Gardenia Cottage, Sebastian?” he asked, twisting around in his seat to face his dragon. “Are you quite sure?”
“Extremely.”
“It’s been ages since we’ve been to visit.”
“I’m aware.”
Excitement brought a flush of warmth to Perry’s cheeks. “Is April too early for the gardens to have flowered? It’s been so long I can’t recall. But I suppose, with warmer weather here to stay, that we’ll be in residence long enough to see them flourish, even should we arrive before the first bloom. I simply cannot wait! Have the staff been made aware of our visit, or will they be in for a surprise?”
“They are not aware.”
“Poor dears.” Perry fidgeted with his seat belt, which had locked when he’d turned so hastily toward Sebastian. “Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. We’ll be gentle with them. I wouldn’t want any of them to feel ashamed over any potential shortcomings with the property’s upkeep. They are, after all, a skeleton staff meant to keep the house in order, but not necessarily in pristine condition.”
Sebastian grunted in acknowledgment, which was as sure a sign as any that he agreed.
“Oh, Gardenia Cottage,” Perry sighed. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until now. When is the last time we stayed, Sebastian? A decade ago? Longer?”
“It was years before the whelps were born.” Sebastian took the upcoming exit and followed the road away from the small hub of civilization clustered at the highway’s edge. “Fifteen years total, if I were to guess.”
“Fifteen years.” Perry shook his head. In terms of a dragon’s lifespan, fifteen years was barely any time at all, but Perry had been raised to believe he’d never see life past thirty, and even five hundred years later, fifteen years was a small eternity. “We must find time to come here more often once all is said and done and life returns to normal.”
Pake stuck his head between their seats to lay his chin on Perry’s armrest. Pleased, Perry took to stroking his head.
“We shall find time to bring the children before they are grown,” said Sebastian as they drove by dense, rich evergreen forests. “Perhaps for their next birthday. We must also find time to visit the palace near Beirut as well.”
“After the babe is born,” Perry said as he placed a hand on his stomach. “I would like very much to bring her.”
Sebastian nodded, and from there it was a quiet drive to their old, much beloved, home.
* * *
Gardenia Cottage was tucked into a clearing in a peaceful part of the forest not all that far from a large freshwater lake. It was a newer construct—only two hundred years old—and had been built in true English style. Perry, homesick for England, had begged for it, and Sebastian, ever the gentleman, had made it happen. At one time, it had been Perry’s fondest possession, and as Sebastian pulled up the long driveway, he remembered why that was.
Gardenia Cottage was surrounded by gorgeous dry-stone walls behind which were neatly manicured lawns, nary a weed in sight. There were lush gardens both in front of and behind the house, and in the spring and summertime, they bloomed in all shades of purple. Perry was fondest of the lilac trees, as they were the most constant of the flowering plants, and, in his opinion, some of the most beautiful. Time would tell if he’d get to see them at their peak magnificence this year. It both would and would not be a pleasure for entirely separate reasons.
The cottage itself was made of stone and was an impressive size. It boasted a modest fifteen bedrooms and its own tiny hoard, where Sebastian’s lesser treasures were stored. There was a large kitchen, a dining room, several sitting rooms, and an atrium designed for Pake, although it would work in a pinch for a family with a small number of whelps. It was into that last room that Perry ushered his beloved tortoise, prompting him to follow with a selection of fruit proffered to him by one of Gardenia Cottage’s befuddled Attendants. The staff’s confusion was understandable—it wasn’t often a dragon arrived at one of his seldom-visited properties with a mate and a tortoise in tow.
In any case, adjustments were made. Sheets were changed in a hurry, Cook launched into action, and a few of the braver Attendants even came to visit Perry and Pake in the atrium, where Perry taught them everything they’d need to know should they need to care for his tortoise in his absence. Sebastian, meanwhile, hovered nearby, nose buried in his phone and lips twisted into a menacing scowl that could only mean one thing.
It came as no surprise when he approached and broke the news to Perry. “I must travel on the morrow.”
Perry looked up at him from where he lounged on the grassy atrium floor, Pake at his side. “Your father?”
“Indeed.”
“I’m very seldom wrong, aren’t I?”
“Troublingly so.”
“Well,” Perry smiled, doing everything in his power to make it as charming as possible, “I can’t say that I’m surprised. I will be here, of course, and you needn’t worry—Pake will keep me company. Do you have any clue how long you’ll be gone?”
“No.”
“Business as usual, then.” Perry distracted himself from sighing by tracing the ridges of Pake’s shell. “I have faith you’ll have it done quickly and come home to me before long.”
Without hesitation, Sebastian dropped to his knees there in the atrium and leaned in to touch his forehead to Perry’s. It was so unexpectedly intimate that Perry inwardly gasped and closed his eyes, lost to the love between them.
