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They were all waiting Since Mattheasn’t present, our friends and fauidance The burden of responsibility settled on my shoulders It was uncoregation set you free, Ysabeau?" I asked, my mouth still dry in spite of the tea
"Gerbert and I careement shortly after you arrived in Scotland," she replied breezily, though her smile told me there was more to the story
"Does Marcus know you’re here, Phoebe?" Sonation from Sotheby’s takes effect on Monday He knew I had to clear out my desk"
Phoebe’s words were carefully chosen, but the underlying response to my question was clearly no
Marcus was still under the impression that his fiancée was in a heavily fortified castle in France, not an airy town house in London
"Resignation?" I was surprised
"If I want to go back to work at Sotheby’s, I’ll have centuries to do so" Phoebe looked around her
"Though properly cataloging the de Clermont family’s possessions could takea vampire?" I asked
Phoebe nodded I should sit doith her and try to talk her out of it Mattheould have her blood on his hands if anything rong And soonna lass "Father H?"
"I think Father Hubbard has enough children Don’t you, Leonard?" Come to think of it, I needed to know that number as soon as possible--and how many itches and daemons
"I suppose so, Mistresser, Mrser--"
"The proper form of address for Sieur Matthew’s mate is ‘Mada to Diana," Ysabeau said briskly "It silass turned in Ysabeau’s direction, their faces registering surprise
"Sieur Matthew," I repeated softly Until now Matthew had been "Milord" to his family But Philippe had been called "Sieur" in 1590 "Everyone here calls me either ‘sire’ or ‘Father,’" Philippe had told me when I asked how he should be addressed At the ti more than an antiquated French honorific Now I knew better To call Matthew "Sieur"--the vampire sire--marked him head of a vampire clan
As far was Ysabeau was concerned, Matthew’s new scion was a fait accompli
"Madame what?" Leonard asked, confused
"Just Madame," Ysabeau replied serenely "You may call me Madame Ysabeau When Phoebe marries Milord Marcus, she will be Madame de Clermont Until then you may call her Miss Phoebe"
"Oh" Leonard’s look of intense concentration indicated he was chewing on these ain Ysabeau stood
"Marthe put you in the Forest Room, Diana It is next to Matthew’s bedchamber," she said "If you are finished with the tea, I will take you upstairs You should rest for a few hours before you tell us what you require"
"Thank you, Ysabeau" I put the cup and saucer on the small round table at my elboasn’t finished with ile porcelain As for what I required, where to start?
Together Ysabeau and I crossed the foyer, clioing
"You will have your privacy on the second floor," Ysabeau explained "There are only two bedrooms on that level, as well as Matthew’s study and a se things as you like, of course"
"Where are the rest of you sleeping?" I asked as Ysabeau turned onto the second-floor landing
"Phoebe and I have rooms on the floor above you Marthe prefers to sleep on the lower ground floor, in the housekeeper’s rooms If you feel crowded, Phoebe and I can move into Marcus’s house It is near St Jaine that will be necessary," I said, thinking of the size of the house
"We’ll see Your bedchalea in the rooray, and white The walls were papered with hand-painted depictions of branches and leaves against a pale gray background Silver accents gave the effect of ’s plasterwork appearing to be the source of the light A ghostly female face looked down from the mirror with a serene sht, anchored the four quadrants of the roo out in a smoky black drapery that was painted so realistically it looked like actual fabric
Silver stars were entangled in the veiling, catching the light from the s and the ree," Ysabeau said, pleased byoutside in the forest, under a moonlit sky Once this bedchamber was decorated, he said it was too beautiful to use and moved to the room next door"
Ysabeau went to the s and drew the curtains open The bright light revealed an ancient four-poster, canopied bed set into a recess in the wall, which slightly s were silk and bore the sae-scale es of trees on the wallpaper and sending the surface reflected the rooe s, the chaise by the fire, the glea flowers and leaves inlaid into the loalnut chest of drawers The roos must have cost Matthew a fortune
My eyes fell on a vast canvas of a sorceress sitting on the ground and sketchingon the wall opposite the bed, between the tall s A veiled woman had interrupted the sorceress’s work, her outstretched hand suggesting that she wanted the witch’s help It was an odd choice of subject for a va roo the house with someone
"I think Matthew made it for you--only he did not realize it at the time" Ysabeau twitched open another pair of curtains