Inheritance
The letter arrived while Count Courland and his entourage were in Greece. It joined the small pile of correspondence addressed to Florian Rochefort and remained there until the group returned home three days later than expected and exhausted from traveling. It was another two days before Florian opened it.
"Ray..." Florian walked into the study without knocking, his attention focused more on the paper in his hands than on the path his feet were taking. He came to a stop in front of the desk without looking up. It was a full minute before he realized he'd interrupted something.
"Sorry," he muttered, backing away quickly from the annoyed look Ray sent him.
"Get back here." Ray waved his servant Luc away after shoving a handful of papers at him and focused his attention on the letter in Florian's hands. "If that's another invitation to some half-wit's masked ball..."
"Hardly," Florian responded with forced lightness. Fallen aristocrats didn't receive invitations to mingle with polite society, unless it was a ploy to discover the truth behind the rumors. As a member of the royal Rochefort family whose mother died in mysterious circumstances, whose uncle disappeared without a trace, and who now lived as the property of his foreign-born cousin, Florian inspired more than a few rumors.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Florian stepped forward and handed the single page of heavy stationery to his patron. "It's from the family solicitor. Something about an inheritance."
Ray snatched the page away and frowned at it as he read the short but formal missive. "An inheritance left in trust by your father to be presented on the eve of your 23rd birthday." He glared up at Florian who was looking a bit pale. "I thought you were penniless. What could have been left for you to inherit?"
"I have no idea. I thought that cursed jewel was all my family had left before..."
"Before I bought you?" Ray rose gracefully from his chair and stalked closer to Florian, the glint of ownership in his eyes. He reached out and cupped Florian's chin, turning the man's face upward slightly so his eyes shone brightly in the lamplight. His fingers caressed Florian's soft skin tenderly and he was glad to see that Florian accepted the touch without flinching. It wasn't so many months ago that any physical contact made the man uncomfortable.
"Your birthday's on Friday, isn't it? So we should expect a visitor tomorrow?" Ray slid his fingers lightly down Florian's neck, leaning close to add softly, "I'll stay with you if you'd like."
Florian nodded, not meeting Ray's eyes. He stepped back slowly and whispered, "thanks" before retreating from the study.
Ray returned to his desk, frowning at the abandoned letter before setting it aside and returning to his work.