Page 24 of Centerpiece

Epilogue

Remi woke just beforedawn, used to rising early because he took his page duties seriously even if he wasn’t a page in the sense that many other pages were.The proof of that was the expensive silver clock in his room as well as the room itself.The private room didn’t see much use, save for where he dressed or studied, or sometimes, like the past few nights, slept because he didn’t think it was right for him to sleep in Their Graces’ bed when Their Graces were not at home.

Holburn thought this silly but didn’t stop him, merely remarking in his way that the servants already knew where Remi spent his nights.Which they did; there, Holburn did not lie.But that was only more reason for Remi to work as hard as he did, and help around the household wherever he could, and to keep to his place when Holburn and Ali were away.He wouldn’t want other servants to think he was getting above himself or out to lord over them.

They hadn’t shown any resentment, not that he’d seen.Some quiet shock and some disapproval from a few, but those hadn’t lasted long anyway.Remi didn’t think Holburn or Ali was responsible for that; they weren’t involved enough with the staff to notice tiny sneers or frowns.If Remi had to guess, he’d say Hilde had done it.Hilde’s word was law in this house and all of the Duke’s residences.Even the guards obeyed her.The Duke might bow only to the King, but, as Ali put it, Hilde was the one who saw that the Duke’s meals were how he liked them and that everyone was treated well, and that was really all Holburn cared about as far as household matters.

Aliette was a bit more involved, as Remi would have expected a lady to be.But that was for issues of decoration, or arranging for guests and parties, and, sometimes, taking the maids and kitchen workers aside to discuss matters of babies or no babies.The workers loved her for it, even the ones who walked to the nearby village every Sunday to hear Mass like Agreeable’s ma did.

There was no priest for the house at the moment.Holburn’s grandfather had never requested new ones after the last ones had died of old age, and Holburn had been in no hurry to replace them.Two years since he had taken the title, and he had ordered the staff to dust the chapel regularly and to keep the doors open for anyone who wanted to pray, but that was all.

“Providence brought you to me,” he had said when Remi had asked, “I’ll find a suitable priest the same way.”

Ali had quirked an eyebrow at her husband’s ways and said only, “You can’t expect another saint, surely,” before smiling at Remi.

But either Holburn or the King must have grown tired of waiting for Providence, because Holburn had received a royal letter and then he and Aliette had packed up to visit a cousin of his in a monastery.They had wanted to bring Remi with them as they did for most trips, but Remi had refused.

In a place like that, with expectations and eyes on him, it wouldn’t feel right to endanger Holburn’s position, even if Holburn believed himself safe.Anyway, Remi wouldn’t have gotten to sleep with them in such a place.A page would be with lower servants or postulants, likely sharing a room or an uncomfortable bed.He’d rather stay home—stay here, and be useful, and sleep in his little room to the side of Holburn’s, in his comfortable bed that faced his small writing desk.

Reading and writing took practice, and pages wrote and carried notes.Spying also required knowledge of letters.All of that was true.But it was also true that Ali enjoyed coaxing Remi through his lessons and rewarding him with pleasure, and that Holburn was aware of how proud Remi was to have gained such skills and of how Remi used them to assist around the house.

If Remi ever wanted to leave, or if Holburn and Ali grew tired of him, or if his presence in their bed endangered them, he would be able to find work elsewhere.That was important enough that even Holburn couldn’t argue against it.

He wanted to, but he couldn’t.When Remi said no, he meant it.

Remi smiled at the memory of Holburn’s sulky response but then frowned through the pale morning light at the clock, which showed he was awake before he needed to be.He listened for a moment, but there was no thunder or fierce wind outside, and certainly no sounds from Holburn’s bedchamber or from Aliette’s chamber beyond that.They weren’t due back for another day at least.

But then a faint, muffled thump from somewhere outside Remi’s door made him pause.No one should be lighting a fire or opening curtains in currently unoccupied rooms, and he doubted Holburn’s household held a thief—aside from Remi.In the capital, with newer servants or in the house of some noble friend of Ali or Holburn’s, Remi might have expected such things, or a nosy servant serving as a spy, or Ali stumbling in tipsy from a party and falling over a footstool.

He got out of bed, Holburn’s nightshirt falling to his knees as he tiptoed to the door to peek through the crack to the room beyond.

A trail of fine clothes strewn over a rug caught his attention immediately and drew his gaze toward the large bed that now held the shape of a man at rest.

Remi flew across the room to the bed.He didn’t even pause to stare at Holburn’s face or the shining mess of his curls because Holburn smiled and opened his eyes and said, “There you are,” in a sleepy, rasping voice and tossed aside the blankets to beckon Remi to him.

Remi went and was pulled down into Holburn’s arms, which were bare, because at home Holburn slept naked except on the worst winter nights, and preferred to see his nightshirts elsewhere.On Remi, or if not on Remi, then on the floor.

---