Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

éTIENNE

December 24, 1765

Chateau de Maintenon

I remember the last time I attended a réveillon on Christmas Eve. I'd been a young man—not yet a vampire—and it was one of the last times I'd been in the room with my father without us having an argument. It had been a magical evening filled with family, food, and an exchange of small gifts. At midnight, we looked outside and saw huge, fluffy snowflakes falling, and my mother insisted on us going out to play in it. It remained one of my favorite memories of my life before everything changed…before my turning, my father's disgrace, then his death. In the years that followed, I wouldn't celebrate Christmas.

Until now. Until Daphne. The one woman who would consent to celebrate an eternity of Christmases with me. Hopefully, they wouldn't all involve parties of snobbish aristocrats and dangerous plots to capture jewel thieves.

Knowing Daphne, that's more likely than not.

I finished buttoning my gold brocade waistcoat and pulled on my overcoat. I wasn't looking forward to having to spend my night attending to Madame Catherine. I dreaded seeing the Marquise de Balay even more. If it wasn't for Daphne, I probably would've told the Order to find the missing jewels themselves and leave us alone to spend Christmas Eve the way we really wanted to, unwrapping presents— and each other —all evening long.

Alas, I thought. It didn't matter now. I was on my way to her chateau for what would certainly be a thrilling evening.

The snow that had started to fall earlier was coming down in earnest now—fat, white clumps that stuck to trees and streets and houses. If I'd been among the living, I probably would have shivered. Nevertheless, there was something quite special about snow on Christmas Eve.

I arrived at Daphne's chateau in record time, despite the bad weather. Everything looked spectacular. She'd decorated the estate in festive holiday splendor, with large braziers and torches along the front drive flickering in the falling snow. Evergreens, mistletoe, and holly boughs tied with large, crimson ribbons covered the impressive manor's fa?ade. Two footmen escorted me from my carriage to the grand hallway, which was awash with the golden glow of hundreds of candles. Several other guests had arrived already. I saw them laughing and toasting champagne in the ballroom ahead. I shucked off my cape and handed it to Gaston, the butler.

"Has the duchesse come down yet?"

"Not yet. I believe she's waiting for you in the library," he said with a bow.

I thanked him and went upstairs to find her. I knocked at the closed library door and was bade enter by a voice that was not Daphne's—it was Charlotte's.

"Monsieur de Noailles!" she greeted with genuine enthusiasm. "I'm so glad you've arrived! Daphne is being dreadfully dull and will not cease working. You must entertain me while she finishes writing her letters."

"Of course! Mon amie, you look absolutely divine this evening," I said. "Pink is certainly your color."

She wore a shining gown of pink silk adorned with crimson ribbons. Her hair was swept up in a mass of powdered curls atop her head and pinned with jewels and feathers. As lovely as she looked, what caught my attention was the wreath of enormous red rubies wrapped around her neck, paired with matching ruby earrings. I hadn't seen jewels as fine on the queen herself.

She caught me eyeing the rubies and rolled her eyes. "They're quite obscene, are they not? I mean, certainly the stones are lovely, but the setting is so unfashionable. I've been meaning to have them reset but haven't gotten around to it. They were a wedding gift from my nefarious former husband—quite possibly the only thing he did right in our marriage."

"They're exquisite, but they pale in comparison to your beauty, dear Charlotte," I bowed over her hand and kissed it.

"Such flattery! If only you were not spoken for by the best of all possible women, I might think to steal you away," she joked. We had always had an easy flirtation, mostly because there was nothing behind it.

"You do realize I can hear you," came a voice from the hallway. "You're both so uncommonly loud in your philandering, you would make truly terrible adulterers."

Daphne stepped into the room, and I felt my knees wobble slightly. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. She wore a gown of pale lavender with gold embroidery that glittered when she moved. Her bright violet eyes flashed with laughter, and her luscious rosebud lips kicked up in a saucy smirk. A thrum of desire pulsed through my body, beating a tattoo— mine…mine…mine.

"Let's get this over with," she said. "This damn diamond is heavy."

Dieu! I hadn't even noticed. Around her neck was the biggest canary yellow diamond I'd ever seen, surrounded by dozens of smaller white diamonds. I let out a low whistle.

"That'll certainly attract the thief," I said. "But it'll be difficult to figure out who it is until they try to steal it tonight, since I'm sure everyone will be overly fascinated with it."

"Naturally," agreed Charlotte. "It doesn't hurt that it sits right above your cleavage, Daphne. I don't know if the lecherous Marquis de Balay will be more fascinated with the jewels or your breasts."

I felt an immediate and irrational desire to break something. "If the marquis can't keep his bloody eyes in his own head, I'll pull them out," I growled.

"That's sweet, chéri, but wait until he tries to take the necklace," Daphne said, patting my arm. "We must catch the thief in the act. D'accord, allons-y!"

We went down to the ballroom, Daphne on one side of me and Charlotte on the other. Most of the other guests had arrived in our absence, including Madame Catherine, the Cagnés, and the Marquise de Balay. I did not see her husband, though.

Charlotte and Daphne nodded at each other and peeled off to shadow their respective targets. I made for Madame Catherine, who was scowling over by a potted palm. I bowed before her.

"Madame! Such a pleasure to see you this evening. It's been some time since we've conversed, no?" I tried in my most charming voice.

She regarded me suspiciously. "Monsieur de Noailles," she said with a slight incline of her head.

"How do you fare this evening? Not too chilled by the snow, I hope?"

"No," she said.

"Ah, good, good. And do you have plans for Christmas?"

"No," she bit out again.

"No trips to the country, or…"

Dieu, I was dying here. Madame Catherine regarded me like some kind of pest, which wasn't something I was used to. Most of the women at court adored me—at least, they did before Daphne came into my life and I lost the desire to flirt with anyone else.

"No. I'm staying in Paris for the holiday with my aunt. She is in poor health and may pass on at any moment, if you must know," she grumbled.

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that," I said with a frown. Her aunt, a cranky, old duchesse, was well-known for her poor temperament and her obscene wealth. It was also well-known that she had no other living relations, which meant her entire estate would pass to Madame Catherine. There was no reason for her to steal anything.

I gave up trying to charm the widow and made my excuses. I was just looking for Daphne when I heard a familiar cutting voice.

"Bonsoir, ma bête."

I turned and found myself face-to-face with the Marquise de Balay.

"Good evening, Henriette," I said, returning her cold smile.

"I'm pleased to see you here tonight," she continued. "Though a little surprised. I thought you would have tired of the duchesse by now. You've never been one for lengthy romantic pursuits."

I opened my mouth to reply, but Daphne swirled to my side.

"Oh, Madame! I'm so glad you could join us this evening. But I'm afraid I don't see your husband. Not out at the gaming tables again, is he?" she said with false sweetness.

The marquise looked like she wanted to strangle Daphne, but the look was gone in an instant. Her eyes darted to the necklace at Daphne's throat, then back up.

"Madame," she said, inclining her head. "He sends his apologies. I'm afraid he's at home with a fearful attack of the gout."

"That's terrible news," Daphne replied. "You must send him well wishes from my fiancé and I." She wrapped a possessive hand around my arm, and I fought to keep the smirk from my lips.

A muscle in the marquise's eye ticked.

"Of course," she said. "I think I see the Cardinal over there. If you'll excuse me." She made a hasty retreat, and I could no longer keep my laughter in.

"I dare say you've made a powerful enemy there," I murmured in Daphne's ear.

"Tant pis," she said with a shrug. "Did you see how she eyed the necklace? If she is the thief, I'm certain she'll try to steal it tonight. If not for money, for revenge."

The gong sounded for dinner, and we went through to the dining room. Each course smelled more delicious than the last, but I abstained from eating any of it. I would drink from Daphne later. I could eat regular food, but the flavors were diminished to my palate—despite enjoying the aroma, everything tasted like bland mush to me.

Every now and then, I caught the Marquise de Balay scowling at me, but I didn't see her look at Daphne or Charlotte's jewels. Could she be the thief? She certainly doesn't seem interested in either necklace. She seems angry, of course, but she always seems rather splenetic.

I turned to watch Charlotte and the Cagnés. She seemed to be having a terrible time trying to keep the Comte de Cagné from groping her leg beneath the table. The comtesse seemed oblivious—in fact, she seemed rather drunk. I didn't think the thief would be so focused on sex or so unprofessional as to become intoxicated before a robbery. No one here seemed to be a criminal mastermind. Was there something or someone we'd missed? Maybe the thief wasn't here after all. Maybe The Order had been wrong about their suspects.

Suddenly, there was a shriek from Charlotte's end of the table. She had dumped an entire decanter of wine into the lap of the Comte de Cagné. The comtesse was screeching with drunken laughter and Charlotte pretended ineptitude.

"Oh, Monsieur, I am so sorry! How unbelievably clumsy of me! I hope I did not ruin your lovely breeches," she pouted. The comte narrowed his eyes at her and without a word, yanked his wife up from the table and stormed from the room. There were some scandalized gasps and a few snickers, but for the most part, everyone carried on with their meal. Would they go straight home? I wondered. Or hide and wait for the chance to steal something?

The rest of the evening passed in relative peace. By the time the last of the after-dinner drinks had been polished off, it was well after one o'clock in the morning and only a few guests remained. The Marquise de Balay had disappeared, and I wondered if she was off plotting somewhere or if she'd slunk back home to her gout-riddled husband.

As Daphne waved at the last departing couple, I came up behind her and planted a kiss on her neck.

"What do you think?" she asked. She stifled a yawn.

Charlotte approached us. "To be honest," she said. "I have a hard time imagining any one of them as a brazen jewel thief."

"Yes," I frowned. "I must agree."

"Well, all we can do now is wait," Daphne said. "Our trap is baited and set."

"I'm going to have some coffee," Charlotte said. "I have a feeling tonight will be a long night."