Giving me a great day.
It had been a whole week since I’d been transported to this world.
Now, I knew all the men. They dined with me in the evenings (every one of them, as a courtesy at first, I guessed, but I was hoping was their preference now). One, two or most of them would always be at the breakfast table in the morning, coming or going or lounging with me and chatting while I ate.
There was Derrik, Achilles, Draven, Alek, Hans and Laures, There was also Remi and Gaston.
Hans had started my horseback riding lessons.
Laures, Gaston and Remi were teaching me to speak Fleuridian.
Achilles was teaching me a one-on-one board game called ricken that was a lot like chess but far more violent. In other words, every piece had a weapon and when you took it, you snapped the weapon off. Apparently “servants” mended the pieces when you were done playing, though I didn’t know how since they started out exquisitely carved and didn’t look mended.
I asked and Achilles didn’t know how either so I was getting what “servants” got up to didn’t concern their masters, just as long as they got up to it.
By the way, I sucked at ricken.
Also by the way, Achilles thought this was hysterically funny, as did Draven and Hans, who often watched, shook their heads and grinned at me with every move I made (you will note, they shook their heads and grinned, but they didn’t give me any advice).
But all the men were teaching me tuble, a card game that was a game of chance. We played it in the evenings after dinner. And I was good at that.
They were also teaching me how to cheat, which apparently you were supposed to do.
I was great at that.
And now they were giving me Benies.
Needless to say, the last few days had been better than the first few by, like, a lot.
This one the best of all.
And I didn’t want it to end.
So I had a feeling my eyes were beseeching when I looked up at Derrik and awaited his reply.
He continued to look down his nose at me with his clear blue eyes and I held my breath.
Then he murmured, “We’ll take you to dine at Le Pont de L’eau.”
I leaned back, clapped my hands and cried, “Yay!”
He smiled indulgently at me.
“Bloody brilliant,” Laures muttered. “Best veal in Benies.”
“Forget the veal, best whiskey in Benies,” Hans, also muttering, put in.
They were already moving to the elegant, shiny black carriage that brought me here (I rode alone, they rode their horses beside it) as I felt Derrik’s hand on my elbow.
When I looked back to him, it slid down the inside of my forearm and his big hand curled around mine bringing it up and tucking it close to the side of his chest. And hence, tucking me close to his side as he directed us to the carriage.
It felt nice holding hands and being tucked beside a protective hot guy in a beautiful city in a parallel universe, so I went with it.
“Also the best views, madam, of Benies and the Marhac Sea,” he said softly, his eyes on me. “It’s right on the water and elevated four stories.”
“Yay,” I replied softly back and his dancing eyes danced brighter.
I grinned at him then smiled at the carriage where Achilles was standing, holding open the door and also smiling at me.