Chapter 35

I made my way upstairs to change. We were due to meet downstairs shortly. Johnny was reading a report as I entered the common area.

He looked up. He was dressed for lunch and had on his questioning look, which meant he was curious as to how I was doing.

“There you are,” he said. “I heard you come back — or at least I heard Bruni’s return. I think she shook the entire house.”

“Yes, she had a moment of pique.” I sank into one of the leather chairs. They were remarkably comfortable.

“Relationship over?”

“Not exactly — simply a new phase. Apparently, I visited her in her dreams. It was passionate. She woke up besotted and nearly went ballistic at breakfast. We went for a walk, and she realized after we spoke that I did not feel for her with the same intensity. She bolted and nearly broke the front door. There are also additional complications: Elsa. I visited her last night as well.”

“Good God! I was wondering about that. By the way, I must ask you before we continue, how are we doing?”

“We are fine. Not to worry. You’re the only friend I really have, so you’re stuck with me.”

“I hoped as much. Once again, I offer my sincerest apologies.”

“It’s behind us. Let’s speak no more of it. You’re forgiven. What we need to do rather quickly is get our wits around the future. We really do need to consult with Stanley. There are several questions I have: First, what happened last night to me mentally, and what are the implications going forward? I’ve most definitely changed. There’s a part of me now that seems to perceive things in a way I’ve never experienced. I get insights. It’s like a form of intuition. I don’t mean to sound crazy, but there it is.”

“Is it a bad thing?”

“Neither good nor bad. It simply is. It manages to cut through my mental clutter and make observations. It’s quite detached — cold, almost. I can’t describe it more clearly, only to say that I instinctively trust it. It’s pretty smart.”

“I’m cheered, if it helps you. At least something positive came out of last night. You said you had several questions.”

“Yes, besides the Elsa business, the last two are about that troubling little bargain you made and that figurine.”

“The last is easily answered. I gathered up all the fragments and stuffed them in a shoe box that lies at the bottom of my closet. I have no idea what to do with them. I suppose that is best left to Stanley to advise. As to what happened to you, I can hazard a best guess, and that is that you and the demon rubbed off on each other. He got part of you, and you got part of him. Last night, you and he traipsed about. As to what that means exactly, we’ll just have to see. I also have no idea if it’s a permanent condition. I should think your late-night wanderings as an incubus were a one-time deal. Your intuitive part is likely more permanent. The more you use it, the more likely it is to unite with you going forward. If it’s not a bother, it might be quite an asset. How do you feel?”

“Good, actually. Calmer and more certain. The Bruni situation is a good example. I am much more grounded and less influenced by her manipulations. I see them as such. It doesn’t change the fact that I like her. I like her very much, but she may rethink how she feels. I’ve changed from a lap dog to a Robert, and that’s not for everyone. She’s married, by the way, but winding down. My inner voice says they have a very physical relationship but can’t live together without fighting tooth and nail.”

“So, what do you intend to do?”

“I would rather have her as a friend than an enemy, and something more, if possible. She’s nice to look at and very smart. We’re locked together in some way. We just have to sort out the details, and that might take some time.”

“Message from your intuitive part?”

“I think so. Whether it’s a wish, or a truth, I don’t know. I have to become more familiar with that part of me to know for certain.”

“No chance of a snappy little fling on my part, then?”

“Probably not. Were you thinking about it?”

“After dinner last night, I did indeed. While you were rubbing elbows with her mother, she and I had quite the little chat. You were a featured topic. She pumped me for as much information as I was willing to give, which was more than you would have liked, I’m sure. Just the same, she is remarkably sensual, and she got my juices flowing. But after thinking over our little escapade late last night, I’ve decided to retire from the field. It’s my penance.”

“Penance?”

“You heard it right. I endangered you and did you harm.”

“Don’t be so sure. Sometimes what we think are our worst misdeeds turn out to be the opposite, and what we hold up as our shining best is anything but, given time. You may do your penance if you wish, but I don’t require it. Really, I don’t.”

“So, I’m free to woo the fair maiden?” said Johnny with a happy smile.

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Just pulling your leg. She and I would never work. Great sex, I think, but our personalities would clash, and over it would be. On a cautionary note, it will take extraordinary skill to keep her. I think she’s like Alice in that way. Kindred spirits.”

Johnny had moments of extraordinary perspicacity. I had to agree with him.

“At this point, it will take real skill to simply salvage a friendship, but enough of that; what about the bargain you made last night?”

“I’m at a loss. Frankly, it’s not something I want to deal with but something I must. I leave that to Stanley to interpret, as well as your opinion. If my rubbing-off theory is correct, you probably have a good idea of what it means.”

“I’ve thought about it. The good news is it’s vague, and there was no time limit stipulated. ‘Him’ could be anyone.”

“Or you. Let’s table the subject until we sit down with Stanley. Right now, I feel like Hercules. I now have a task, a labor, although rather less defined. I will just have to do the best I can.”

“Cheer up. You’re not alone in this. I’ll carry your club and be right behind you, goading you on. It will be quite a reversal of roles. I’m rather looking forward to it.”

“Very funny. Although that also crossed my mind, but to put the ball back in your court and off my little diversions, this Elsa thing really concerns me. If Bruni’s bad, the baroness is far worse. She’ll have you squirming and pressed up against a wall in no time at all.”

“That’s if she knew it was me, which I doubt she does — unless mother and daughter compare notes.”

“Hadn’t thought of that. You really know how to complicate matters. Those two seem quite close, so have a care. You must promise me one thing. Don’t be alone with that woman. Even if nothing happens, should the baron ever get a whiff of it, the sins of the father will most surely be visited unto you. There are too many parallels, and he has a brutish, calculating nature. Vengeance will enter his mind like a worm. I shudder to think what he might do. I am most earnest in this.”

“You’re more than correct. I’ll watch my step.”

“Very well. Now, we best get a move on.”

I changed and put on a jacket. It was time for lunch, and the assembling for meals ruled our days and nights.