The Scent of Winter

Chapter 2: Capture the King

As soon as the car cleared the city, Kingsley took his phone from his coat pocket and called Juliette.

"Bonjour, mon roi," she said.

"You're in on this, aren't you, you wicked girl?" He spoke in French to her so the driver wouldn't understand their conversation if he felt like eavesdropping.

"I had no part in the planning," she said. "But I did give a certain tall blond someone my permission to have you...relocated."

"Relocated? I've been kidnapped." Albeit very politely kidnapped. Someone had even left him a picnic basket full of fresh fruit, nuts, cheese, and white wine in the backseat.

"You're so happy you're about to explode, aren't you?" Juliette giggled like a school girl. "I can tell."

"I am very happy, yes." Très heureux, oui.

"You need this. You haven't been yourself for too long. I know when it's time for you to go away and be someone else for a few days. And it's past time. You'll come home in a much better mood," she said, her voice still flush with barely suppressed laughter.

"This isn't good for my ego, you sitting there laughing at me while I'm being abducted. You could at least pretend you'll miss me."

"You'll only be gone three days and two nights. And we'll be too busy to miss you. I'm taking Céleste to visit her grandmother for a few days—with your permission, of course. We'll be home in time for réveillon."

"You'll be safe?" he asked.

"Nora is coming with us, if that makes you feel better."

"Much better," he said. Nora could watch Céleste while Juliette tended to her mother. "Yes, you have my permission. Give la Maîtresse my thanks. She takes good care of both my children."

"In very different ways," Juliette said.

"Don't remind me," he said.

"I love you, mon roi. And I will miss you. So will your daughter."

"Tell her I love her and give her a thousand kisses for me."

"Always."

"And a thousand and one kisses for her beautiful, naughty mother."

"Parfait," Juliette said. "I'll tell her and kiss her. But you tell your priest something for me."

"What is that?" Kingsley asked.

"Tell him to send you back in one piece, s'il vous plait."

Kingsley laughed. "You know the priest. No promises."

"Two pieces then," Juliette said. "One for him and one for me."

They said their goodbyes, and Kingsley hung up.

He'd stayed up most of last night reading through the clubs' account books. He should sleep if he could, as he had a long night ahead of him. The car was spacious and the interior comfortable, the temperature warm and the ride smooth. The driver rolled down the partition an inch.

"Would you like me to put on some Christmas music, Mr. Edge?"

"If you like," Kingsley said. "But nothing modern. If I hear even one bar of 'Wonderful Christmastime,' I'll be forced to violently commandeer the vehicle."

"Christmas classics it is, Mr. Edge."

He rolled the partition up, and Kingsley leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes.