pot of tea.” He passed over several large coins Cornelius had given him earlier. “As quickly as possible.”
She bobbed a curtsey and hurried away, and Valentin made several very French noises. “Are you so stupid you think you must literally drink tea as you read it?”
“The letter asks Cornelius to take a sea voyage. But the clue to find the ship makes no sense. Then there is the tea. Also, his mother was a spy.” Johann rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “I think this is code. I think this is not the message.”
Valentin appeared to be warring between disdain and intrigue. “A spy code? You use every third word, yes?”
Johann tried variations on skipped words, but nothing made sense. “I want to try the tea.”
“Tea is disgusting.” Cornelius slid free of Valentin and curled like a cat against Johann’s side. “Darling, have a drink with me.” He ran a finger down Johann’s nose. “Not tea.”
Johann willed himself to resist, but flirty Cornelius was almost as intoxicating as absinthe. “We must reach the docks by ten, or they will leave us.”
“I don’t want to leave Calais.” Cornelius pressed an openmouthed kiss on the exposed skin at Johann’s neck. “I want to take you home and make love to you.”
He sucked lightly at Johann’s neck, and Johann gripped his hair, though he couldn’t seem to bring himself to pull Cornelius away.
Valentin crossed his arms over his chest. “Where is your peg leg?”
It was difficult to form his reply in French as Cornelius made love to his neck while re-unbuttoning his shirt and sliding a hand into the back of his trousers. “It…is clockwork.”
“He gave you a clockwork leg?” This seemed to upset Valentin more than anything else. He glowered harder.
The barmaid returned with the tea, setting it on the table near them. “Here you are, sir.”
Johann extricated himself from Cornelius as best he could and lifted the lid on the pot. It seemed steeped enough, though he wondered if he shouldn’t let it go a bit longer, in case. But as he set the lid back on, Cornelius slipped a finger between his nether cheeks, and when Johann yelped and startled, he spilled the tea all over the letter, which he’d laid on the table.
As the liquid sloshed in thick droplets across the paper, most of the words faded, but a few of them remained.
Buzzing with triumph, Johann picked up the teapot and poured it liberally all over the letter. He hadn’t even placed the pot back down before the old letter had vanished and a new one entirely remained.
Dearest Cornelius,
Danger, this letter is false. Hide yourself and tell no one where you are, not even friends. Do not trust your father. Stay away from France and England at all cost until the war is over. Pray God that day comes soon. I love you always, my darling tinker boy, and hope to see you again soon.
Thinking of you always, Mama
Valentin squinted helplessly at it. “What does it say?”
Before Johann could attempt to translate, Cornelius, abruptly sober, swiped the letter from the table and stared at it intently. Lowering it, he stared first at Johann, then at Valentin, his pain acute even through the haze of his inebriation. “I must leave Calais. Not by the sea ships. Those men mean to kidnap me. They forced my mother to write the first note, and she hid this one inside.” He stared again at the letter, looking as if a new wound pierced deep. “She says I’m not to trust my father.”
Valentin paled. “You cannot leave. Wherever would you go?”
“I have a ship waiting,” Johann reminded them. “We must leave now and go to the pirate docks.”
“You think you get to take him to safety?” Valentin puffed up, indignant. “ I am his oldest friend. I will keep him safe.”
Johann clenched his jaw, hating Valentin, despising having to fight through French to express himself. “My ship is good. Many men will fight to keep him safe.” He switched to English to soothe Cornelius. “They are
She bobbed a curtsey and hurried away, and Valentin made several very French noises. “Are you so stupid you think you must literally drink tea as you read it?”
“The letter asks Cornelius to take a sea voyage. But the clue to find the ship makes no sense. Then there is the tea. Also, his mother was a spy.” Johann rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “I think this is code. I think this is not the message.”
Valentin appeared to be warring between disdain and intrigue. “A spy code? You use every third word, yes?”
Johann tried variations on skipped words, but nothing made sense. “I want to try the tea.”
“Tea is disgusting.” Cornelius slid free of Valentin and curled like a cat against Johann’s side. “Darling, have a drink with me.” He ran a finger down Johann’s nose. “Not tea.”
Johann willed himself to resist, but flirty Cornelius was almost as intoxicating as absinthe. “We must reach the docks by ten, or they will leave us.”
“I don’t want to leave Calais.” Cornelius pressed an openmouthed kiss on the exposed skin at Johann’s neck. “I want to take you home and make love to you.”
He sucked lightly at Johann’s neck, and Johann gripped his hair, though he couldn’t seem to bring himself to pull Cornelius away.
Valentin crossed his arms over his chest. “Where is your peg leg?”
It was difficult to form his reply in French as Cornelius made love to his neck while re-unbuttoning his shirt and sliding a hand into the back of his trousers. “It…is clockwork.”
“He gave you a clockwork leg?” This seemed to upset Valentin more than anything else. He glowered harder.
The barmaid returned with the tea, setting it on the table near them. “Here you are, sir.”
Johann extricated himself from Cornelius as best he could and lifted the lid on the pot. It seemed steeped enough, though he wondered if he shouldn’t let it go a bit longer, in case. But as he set the lid back on, Cornelius slipped a finger between his nether cheeks, and when Johann yelped and startled, he spilled the tea all over the letter, which he’d laid on the table.
As the liquid sloshed in thick droplets across the paper, most of the words faded, but a few of them remained.
Buzzing with triumph, Johann picked up the teapot and poured it liberally all over the letter. He hadn’t even placed the pot back down before the old letter had vanished and a new one entirely remained.
Dearest Cornelius,
Danger, this letter is false. Hide yourself and tell no one where you are, not even friends. Do not trust your father. Stay away from France and England at all cost until the war is over. Pray God that day comes soon. I love you always, my darling tinker boy, and hope to see you again soon.
Thinking of you always, Mama
Valentin squinted helplessly at it. “What does it say?”
Before Johann could attempt to translate, Cornelius, abruptly sober, swiped the letter from the table and stared at it intently. Lowering it, he stared first at Johann, then at Valentin, his pain acute even through the haze of his inebriation. “I must leave Calais. Not by the sea ships. Those men mean to kidnap me. They forced my mother to write the first note, and she hid this one inside.” He stared again at the letter, looking as if a new wound pierced deep. “She says I’m not to trust my father.”
Valentin paled. “You cannot leave. Wherever would you go?”
“I have a ship waiting,” Johann reminded them. “We must leave now and go to the pirate docks.”
“You think you get to take him to safety?” Valentin puffed up, indignant. “ I am his oldest friend. I will keep him safe.”
Johann clenched his jaw, hating Valentin, despising having to fight through French to express himself. “My ship is good. Many men will fight to keep him safe.” He switched to English to soothe Cornelius. “They are
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