Chapter 10
Alex was still quite peckish by the time he was served the sixth course, a hearty plate of venison with sautéed mushrooms, mashed tubers, Brussels sprouts, and a rich gravy over all of it.
He'd been given big portions, much more than his neighbours, and a glance showed Julian, too, receiving a filled plate that would keep them both going through the next part of the evening.
His conversational partners had largely proven themselves to be worth their salt, thankfully, with Gallowglass bold as anything, Winterson hiding a surprising brain behind her fluttering, and Tsukiko possessed of a biting wit that kept Winston-Smythe in his place.
Quentin McGuinness cheerfully went along with any topic and didn't appear to have a mean bone in his body, which meant even when silly things like Alex's appetite came up, he didn't bother to take the bait.
"I hope there's some spirits at the next part," Quentin was saying, after being served yet another mediocre wine.
It wasn't the worst wine, just nothing special, and Alex felt fine about leaving his in its glass after a single sip.
"We get a lovely honeyed whiskey from a local distillery," said Alex. "It goes wonderfully in tea."
"Oh, I think I've had that. In tea, you say? That would be smashing, it's too sticky-sweet on its own for me." Quentin looked very pleased indeed to have started a conversation, or perhaps just be able to talk about alcohol.
"It's also good over treacle pudding," said Gallowglass with a sharpish grin. "The whiskey helps cut the rest, especially with a nice custard to help it along."
"Oh, I've always liked rum on my winter puddings," said Winterson. "Especially the spiced sort."
"Spiced rum is a good winter's drink, for certain," agreed Quentin. "Lovely in a cocktail, too."
"Perhaps the bar will be open after dinner," suggested Winston-Smythe. "Or the den, for that matter. We can have a cigar and a brandy away from the fripperies."
"Are you not still single and seeking, Lord Winston-Smythe?" asked Tsukiko. "I would think you'd want to focus on the fripperies, as you call them."
"Ah, well, this isn't really that kind of event," Winston-Smythe prevaricated. "Chudleigh never was much of the matchmaking sort."
"Perhaps you'll find love with Lord Camellia," said Alex innocently, having felt his Julian's growing dislike of the man through their bond.
Leslie had been fine during the courtship, but was showing his arse a bit tonight with his superior attitude.
The Winston-Smythe family weren't even baronets, and Leslie wasn't in line to inherit anyway, so Alex wasn't sure where the attitude came from.
Too much coddling as a boy, perhaps.
Leslie sputtered a moment, while Tsukiko smirked at Alex, clearly amused by the gambit.
"Camellia is hardly my type," said Winston-Smythe after a moment. "You ended up with young Julian, he's much more to my tastes."
"I'm not sure you could handle him as he is now," said Alex, smile showing teeth now. "He's grown into his magic and his confidence both."
"I'd heard you dragged him into your magic thing," said Winston-Smythe condescendingly.
"He has an incredible natural talent," said Alex. "I simply gave him room to grow into who he wants to be."
"Well, that's hardly a consort's place," said Winston-Smythe, "so I suppose it's well for you that he canceled the whole Courtship in the end."
"Yes," said Alex, "it is." Then he took a deliberate bite of his food, chewed and swallowed, and said, "This venison is tender and delicious, don't you think?"
"All the food's been good tonight," said Gallowglass. "None of those tiny portions, either, especially for you."
"I haven't been able to finish all my courses," said Winterson, "but everything's been so good I wish I could."
"I asked the servant to bring bigger portions for myself and my husband," admitted Alex. "We're both using sensing magic constantly, so we're hungry all the time."
"I never judge a man for his hearty appetite!" said Quentin, "Nor a woman, either. A stout woman is a joy!"
Alex smiled at that, thinking that Quentin probably made a lot of women happy by staying available for a pick-me-up when they needed one. Winterson giggled and gave him sweet eyes, which he didn't seem to notice, as was probably for the best.
Gallowglass was also eyeing him up like rare meat, and Alex wouldn't like to see what happened if Winterson got in her way.
"All women are a joy to the right person," drawled Gallowglass, "and all men, in their own way."
Winterson sighed a little sadly at that. "I'm not a joy to anyone much," she said softly.
"You'll find your person," said Alex. "You've been a delightful dinner companion, anyway."
That started everyone talking about other dinners they'd been to, for some reason, and Alex took it as an excuse to stuff his face with tender venison, fluffy potatoes, and delicious rich gravy. He even ate his vegetables, which he'd grown to appreciate now that he had Alys in his life.
He had just cleared his plate when a servant came to take it away, another replacing it immediately with a small glass of digestif, bitter and bracing.
Alex downed it, feeling like he'd need a little fortifying for whatever entertainment was to come.
Especially if it was dancing, though none of the ladies were really dressed in what he thought of as the swirly dresses, the ones they liked best for dancing, so maybe that was tomorrow.
An actual dessert followed a few minutes later, steamed puddings with caramel sauce and custards, loaded with alcohol-soaked fruits and calories alike. Just what Alex and Julian needed, if not the rest of the party, and he dug in despite the aroma of rum that had not entirely cooked off.
"Looks like you got your wish," said Alex, turning to smile at Lady Winterson once his first bite was swallowed. "They're quite good, lighter than they look."
"Oh, well, maybe just a few bites," said Winterson, who'd been looking like she might not even try the sweet.
Alex rather wanted to bite whoever made her so self-conscious about enjoying the simpler things in life like pudding.
"Go on, you'll have plenty of time to work it off when there's dancing," said Tsukiko, having a dainty bite of her own sweet. "I suspect tomorrow, as none of us were warned by the maids to wear gowns."
"Is that how you'd find out?" asked Alex. "I'm just kind of wandering through blind, myself."
"Servants are an invaluable resource at a party like this," said Winston-Smythe, unlikeable as ever in his superior tone. "I suppose you wouldn't have brought a valet, but one can always ask the house staff."
"I'll keep that in mind for tomorrow," said Alex. "We don't have a valet, it's unnecessary for our lifestyle."
"Do you do your cravats with magic?" asked McGuinness, perking up.
Alex chuckled. "Afraid not. Julian does ours both, as I never got the hang of it. They weren't in fashion for boys when I was last anywhere near society."
"I suppose you were too young to be much of a force before you left us," said Winston-Smythe with a bitten-lemon look on his face.
"I also hid in the coat room a lot," said Alex. "I really have never been one for parties, but friendship and all that."
"It's a bit curious, you being friends with Chudleigh after the whole Courtship debacle," said Tsukiko, not quite making it a question.
Alex shrugged. "Julian quite liked him, and so did I. Once Julian was mine, there was no reason to keep them apart. And then we introduced him to Dr. Tamlinson, and that cemented our friendship."
"And also assured yourself he was no rival," said Winston-Smythe.
Alex couldn't help but look smug now. "No one is a rival now, we're bonded for life, my Julian and I." He sent a wave of love and smugness and got love and a little confusion back, along with a sense that Julian, too, was enjoying the rich pudding.
Tsukiko giggled at that, hand over her mouth and looking a little surprised at herself, though Alex wasn't quite sure what he'd said to elicit the reaction.
Winston-Smythe's stink face got stinkier than ever, though Alex couldn't imagine the man wanting magical bonds with anyone, let alone a consort.
Winterson, of course, sighed in pure romantic envy.
Quentin and Gallowglass were having a discussion about the rum in the food, and ignoring everyone else as they hit upon a passion for both of them.
Alex had another bite and sent Julian just a little more of that smugness, and a wink when he looked over.
Eventually the food was eaten and everyone ushered into the ballroom while dishes were cleared.
"I thought tonight we might all mingle and play a game called Wink Murder," said Chudleigh, once the full party was assembled. Twenty-five people hardly filled the room, but that would be good for dancing later. Less chance of Alex running into anyone, out of practice as he was.
"What's that?" asked someone up front, right on cue.
"Everyone takes a slip of paper from Frederick there.
Most people's say 'guest,' but there is one 'killer' and one 'detective.
' If someone meets your eye and winks at you, that's the killer, and you must fall down dead and be escorted to the drawing room with your fellow victims. It's the detective's job to try to catch the killer, and they will get three guesses.
" Chudleigh beamed, and Alex just hoped he wasn't the detective. He didn't need to work at a party.
"When will there be dancing?" one of the women asked.
"Tomorrow and Sunday," assured Chudleigh. "I want to give the musicians time to show up, or if not, the sound system needs a little love to get working right, though Marie assures me it will be right as rain by evening."
The boy came by with his bowl of slips of paper, and Alex and Julian were both relieved to simply be guests.