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"Has another woman slept here?" There was no way I could rest in a room that Juliette Durand had once occupied
"Matthew took his lovers elsewhere," Ysabeau answered, equally blunt When she saw my expression, she softened her tone "He hasto hiiven you a gift he didn’t value hi separated fro the consort in a vampire family is never easy," Ysabeau said with a sad sether Matthew had no choice but to leave you this time"
"Did Philippe ever banish you from his side?" I studied my composed mother-in-laith open curiosity
"Of course Mostly Philippe sent me ahen I was an unwelco implicated if disaster struck--and in his family it struck more often than not" She so when he kneould not be able to resistand orried for my safety"
"So Matthew learned how to be overprotective fro of all the times he had stepped into harm’s way to keepover the wo before he became a vampire," Ysabeau replied softly "You know that"
"And did you always obey Philippe’s orders?"
"No more than you obey Matthew" Ysabeau’s voice dropped conspiratorially "And you will quickly discover that you are never so free topatriarchal with soht even come to look forward to these moments apart"
"I doubt it" I pressed a fist into the small ofMatthew usually did "I should explain what happened in New Haven"
"You must never explain Matthew’s actions to anyone," Ysabeau said sharply "Vae is power in our world"
"You’re Matthew’s mother Surely I’h the events of the past few days "Matthew discovered the identity of one of Benjarandson he didn’t know he had" Of all the strange twists and turns our lives had taken, nificant, not least because ere now in Father Hubbard’s city "His name is Jack Blackfriars, and he lived in our household in 1591"
"So my son knows at last about Andrew Hubbard," Ysabeau said, her face devoid of emotion
"You knew?" I cried
"Philippe was concerned about Jack’s blood rage He wantedbehavior" Ysabeau’s smile would have terrified me--once "And do you still think I deserve your cohter?"
Matthew had warned me that I wasn’t equipped to lead a pack of vampires
"You are a sire’s consort, Diana You must learn to tell others only what they need to know, and nothing more," she instructed
Here was my first lesson learned, but there were sure to be more
"Will you teach me what I need to know, Ysabeau?"
"Yes" Her one-word response was thy vow "But you h you are Matthew’s mate and his consort, you are a de Clermont and must remain so until this matter is settled Your status in Philippe’s faation will try to kill him--and Jack, too--once they find out," I whispered
"They will try We will not let them But for now you must rest" Ysabeau pulled back the bed’s silk coverlet and plu my hand around one of the posts that supported the canopy
The carving under ers felt familiar I’ve slept in this bed before, I realizedThis was not another woman’s bed It was mine It had been in our house in the Blackfriars in 1590 and had somehow survived all these centuries to end up in a chaht and enchantht have been longer but for a loud car alared ed darkness It was only then that other sounds penetrated my consciousness: the bustle of traffic on the street outsidesomewhere in the house, a quickly hushed conversation in the hallway
Hoping that a pounding flow of hot water would ease my stiff muscles and clear my head, I explored the warren of small rooms beyond the white door I found not only a shower but also rander pieces of luggage Froes fro had left a great deal to be desired
Except for soer fit me, a pair ofelse in the bag Happily, Matthew’s closet held plenty of pressed shirts I slid one ray broadcloth over my arms and shoulders and avoided the closed door that surely led to his bedroom
I padded downstairs in bare feet, es frorand first-floor rooold paint to renovate Versailles, a smaller music room with a piano and other instruments, a formal salon that looked to have been decorated by Ysabeau, an equally forany table and seating for twenty-four, a library full of eighteenth-century books, and a gareen-felted card tables that looked as if it had been plucked fro for a horound floor No one was in the sitting roo roo room than the one upstairs It was located at the rear of the house, its bo looking out over a sarden The walls were painted to rese air
Another ular--was encircled by only eight chairs
On its surface was an assorted old books
Phoebe entered the roo tea and toast on a small sideboard "Marthe told me you would be up at anyand that if you were still hungry, you could go down to the kitchen for eggs and sausage We don’t eat up here as a rule
By the time the food makes it up the stairs, it’s stone cold"
"What is all this?" I gestured at the table "The books you requested fro a volu for a few iteical order I hope that’s all right"