When Devin wakened a few hours later, a piece of paper had been shoved under the door. He picked it up, recognizing Marcus’s untidy scrawl: I am on deck. M. Devin washed his face and straightened his clothes. The single porthole in his cabin showed the sun already lay low in the sky. He glanced at his watch. It was almost 7 o’clock; nearly time for dinner. He hadn’t meant to sleep that long. After he locked his cabin, he knocked softly on Gaspard’s door and received a muffled response. The knob turned easily in his hand.
Gaspard sat on the edge of his bunk, his hands clasped between his knees, his dark hair rumpled and standing on end. He glanced up at Devin with bloodshot eyes.
“Ah, my kidnapper shows himself at last.”
Devin’s stomach clenched. “Had you decided not to come with me?”
Gaspard regarded him icily another moment and then laughed, shaking his head back and forth. “Of course, I meant to come with you, you idiot! Did you think I wanted to stay in Coreé with my father ranting on about my irresponsibility? I hope you didn’t tell him I was going with you. It will do the old bastard good to worry about me for a change.”
“I’m sure he does worry about you,” Devin said. “My father came down to the docks to see me off. He insisted on going to tell your father, personally, that you’d gone.”
Gaspard rolled his eyes. “It’s more than the old man deserves.”
Devin sat down on the bunk beside him. “What did he say to you?”
Gaspard leaned his head against the wall, one arm propping himself upright. “After I gave up on my exams, I went down to Antoine’s to get seriously drunk. The next thing I knew my father was in my face, telling me how I had failed him and the entire Forneaux family. He insisted that I spend the summer under a tutor, of his choosing, and attempt to be reinstated at the Académie in the fall.”
Devin ran a hand through his hair. “God, I’ve made things so much worse. I’m sorry.”
“Worse?” Gaspard said with a hollow laugh. “How could things be worse than a summer in Coreé with my father breathing down my neck?”
“But he must have forbidden you to go with me.”
“Oh, he did. He threatened me, in fact, said if I went on this trip he’d disown me.”
“Gaspard!” Devin protested. “My father knew none of this when I talked to him. He’ll be furious at me for dragging you along.”
Gaspard grunted. “I’m afraid that is your problem, mon ami. I have enough of my own at the moment.”
“But I’ve complicated the whole thing! Maybe you should take the first ship back to Coreé when we reach Friseé. I’ll write a letter to your father and explain what happened…”
Gaspard straightened abruptly. Grabbing Devin’s lapels, he shook him.
“You’re not listening, Dev! I don’t want to go back! I need this time away to decide what I’m going to do with my life. Fifteen months is a long time, my father may relent by then and if he doesn’t…so what? I can’t be responsible for his happiness as well as my own.”
Devin shook off Gaspard’s hands and stood up, pacing the tiny room. “There must be something I can do to help.”
“Pay attention!” Gaspard shouted. “You have done the best thing possible! I can’t thank you enough! Now drop it!” He lay back on the bunk, his feet still on the floor and stared at the ceiling. “All the tutors in the world wouldn’t have gotten me through those exams. You did what you could for me; spent hours going over all the information.”
“What happened?” Devin asked.
“With my exams?” Gaspard replied. He shrugged. “I froze, Dev. I looked at those examination questions and it was as though there wasn’t one scrap of information left in my head. I couldn’t have told them how old I was let alone who founded the archives!”
“Pierre Gaston,” Devin murmured involuntarily.
“I know that!” Gaspard snapped, then his voice softened. “I know it…now. But I couldn’t have told you then. My mind doesn’t work like yours, Dev. I get so on edge about taking an exam that when I sit down with the papers in front of me anything I ever knew just flies out the window.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I can’t thank you enough for getting me out of there, honestly. Fifteen months away from school – away from Father – sounds like heaven to me. I don’t know that I will ever go back. Maybe you could leave me on some deserted beach in Andalusia. I’ll spend the rest of my days in seclusion.”
“I’ve heard seclusion isn’t much fun,” Devin said.
Gaspard laughed. “That from you! You lock yourself up for days at a time, studying ancient documents.”
“I enjoy it.”
“Well, thank heavens you have other attributes that are more appealing!”
Devin pulled his watch from his pocket. “Can you eat? It’s time for dinner.”
Gaspard sat up. “A couple of hours ago, I wouldn’t have welcomed that suggestion but I could eat something now. Did you pack me a change of clothes or will I have to spend the next year in these ratty things?”
Devin dragged Gaspard’s knapsack up onto the bunk. “I packed very light. We’re going to be doing a lot of walking. If there’s anything you need that I left out, I’ll replace it when we get to port.”
Gaspard sat for a moment, his hand on his knapsack. “There’s one other issue…”
Devin twisted to look at him. “What?”
Gaspard turned out his pockets. “I’m penniless. I spent the last of my money at Antoine’s.”
Devin shook his head. “That’s not a problem. You had no time to pack.”
“You did kidnap me,” Gaspard pointed out.
“I did,” Devin agreed. “To be frank, I couldn’t quite face going without you.”
Gaspard snickered. “You didn’t think Marcus would show you a good time?”
Devin laughed. “Absolutely not! Believe me, when I say that I never expected to have a bodyguard assigned to me.”
Gaspard’s face sobered. “Marcus may be an asset. My father’s a dangerous man, Dev. He is furious with me but now he will be angry at you, too.”
“He was already angry at me. My father said he was one of the Council members who objected to this trip. We’re on our way. Let’s put that behind us. And as far as money is concerned, this is my trip and I’ll take care of the expenses.”
Devin was also on the Council’s payroll now, but something kept him from sharing the information. Now wasn’t the time or the place.
Gaspard’s smile was pensive. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m sorry. I’ve always thought I should be the responsible one. I’m three years older than you. I should be like your big brother; instead, you are always bailing me out.”
Devin laughed. “I have far too many big brothers! I’m much happier to be traveling with a friend. I’ll go find Marcus while you change. We’ll meet you in the dining room.”
Devin passed no one in the passageway. Down the hall he could hear the clink of glasses and silverware and the low murmur of voices. Henri LeBeau laughed louder and longer than necessary and Devin cringed as he went up the staircase.
He braced himself as he crossed the deck. Lowering purple clouds filtered the sun’s rays, sending bright shafts of light to illuminate the water. Feathered fringes glowed gold and orange in a glorious display, unencumbered by the clutter of land, trees, or buildings. Their appetites and the rising wind had apparently discouraged any other passengers from admiring the view. Only Marcus stood on the forecastle, his arms resting on the rail. Clutching his jacket around him, Devin stopped beside him.
“It’s quite a bit colder but that sunset is spectacular,” he commented. “What did Captain Torrance say?”
Marcus turned to face him, the wind blowing his hair into his craggy face. He swiped at it with a massive hand.
“The soldier is the only one who booked passage just before we left. His name is Bertrand St. Clair and he is stationed in Coreé, a member of the Militaire de l’Intérieur.”
Devin raised an eyebrow. “Does that qualify him as a thief?”
“Not ordinarily,” Marcus replied. “But his haste to come aboard makes him suspect.”
“Perhaps René Forneaux sent him.”
“Perhaps, but I imagine Monsieur Forneaux didn’t know for certain where Gaspard was until your father told him this morning. I think St. Clair’s plans were made earlier. He pretends to be on leave but he doesn’t act like a man on a holiday.”
“I think it’s possible that René Forneaux may have had Gaspard followed,” Devin said, and then filled him in on what Gaspard had told him.
Marcus sighed. “You’ve left your father with a pretty mess to sort out.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Devin said. “But there is nothing I can do about it now. I’ll write him a letter tonight and send it back on the first ship. Surely he knows I wouldn’t have brought Gaspard if I’d known he was forbidden to go?”
“Oh, he’ll realize it once he’s calmed down but I doubt he’ll be very happy with either of us. I wish I hadn’t encouraged you to bring Gaspard along,” Marcus admitted. “The best thing would be for him to go back and face his father.”
“He won’t go,” Devin assured him. “If I book him passage on another vessel, he’ll simply disappear. There’s nothing we can do now but proceed as we had planned.” They stood a moment at the rail in silence. “Did you tell the Captain that I’d had something stolen from my cabin?”
Marcus shook his head. “I decided not to. He would have said it was your own fault for leaving it unlocked. Besides, there might be some advantage to letting the thief think you haven’t missed it yet.”
“I still think he should know,” Devin protested. “His other passengers may be at risk too.”
Marcus bowed his head, acquiescing. “Then feel free to tell him, monsieur. You’ve heard my advice on the matter.” He crossed the deck and disappeared down the stairway.
Devin watched him go. Marcus had made it clear that Devin was in charge but he felt out of his depth. He was facing issues he had never expected to deal with. And now, the missing itinerary seemed less important in light of their other problems. Had he and Gaspard come alone, would he have sacrificed this trip to persuade him to go home? Should he tell the Captain that his itinerary had been stolen or keep the information to himself? He lingered for one more look at the smoldering sunset and followed Marcus below deck.