Whatever that meant, Jonathon appeared to be right. Amon greeted us himself, matching me in long white pants and a golden tunic that bared a glimpse of his smooth chest. He stopped still as Ezra handed me out of the carriage, studying me in such detail it made my skin prickle.
"What a gift you are, my star," Amon said, stride liquid as he descended the last few steps, greeting me with extended kisses over either side of my throat. "I can barely wait to unwrap you."
"You don't have to," I breathed out, and all my gentlemen stifled their laughter.
"True," Amon agreed with an indulgent smile. "But then I might not stop until you were too weak to take more, and you deserve a good meal in you before we start all that."
I opened my mouth to ask for the specifics on 'all that' and then jumped with a squeak as Auguste pinched my side, shaking his head in warning.
Fine, I would play the part of the lady for the time being. At least I wasn't suffering impatience alone. With every step I took up to the doors, someone's touch brushed against me, all of five of them as greedy for contact as I was.
Amon's home was brilliant and open, so well lit with candles it could've been daylight, all the warmth from the small flames soothing me in my thin dress. There was no sign of a nearby servant, but Amon didn't seem the sort to manage on his own, so perhaps they were instructed to keep out of our way, or maybe they were like the pixies at the theater, too small to note.
"They are setting dinner now. Would you like a drink or a tour, my star?" Amon asked as I gaped up at the spiraling staircase to the upper story, at the vase overflowing with lilies.
Amon and Auguste had a similarly lush and lavish taste, it appeared, with bright, open spaces.
"I'll take a tour," Ezra offered.
"Drink," I countered immediately, wondering how much Ezra could sneak into his pockets on a tour.
Amon grinned at me, taking my hand and tucking it into the crook of his arm. "This way."
I glanced at the others, relieved to see that Booker had his hand on Ezra's shoulder, keeping him with our party and unable to sneak off.
* * *
I lickedhoneyed alcohol off my upper lip, my eyes flicking up to catch Amon's at the opposite end of the table, through candlelight and over heaps of fresh fruits and perfectly tender meat. Auguste sat to his right, the two of them chatting occasionally, often while staring at me, and I was surprised Amon had placed Ezra to his left. Although that was perhaps to keep an eye on him. Amon had a permanent smile on his mouth through dinner, reminding me of the man I'd met in my desert dream again.
We were finding our peace together at last.
The table was grand, as was the rest of Amon's home, but not so large we couldn't all speak to one another. Amon's servants were brownies, as Jonathon explained to me, a fae species inclined to service, and they looked like Cork from Auguste's home. I was a little ashamed to say that I barely noticed them coming and going with fresh drinks and plates. I suspected it had to do with their magic or my absolute absorption in admiring my dinner party of men.
Amon's eyes hooded as I licked the chocolate off the pudding spoon, and I exaggerated the flick of my tongue in answer, making Jonathon chuckle.
"Wicked little tease." I grinned at Jonathon, and his shoe nudged mine under the table. "You can't help it, can you?"
I shrugged. "I'm not sure I ever bothered trying," I admitted.
Amon cleared his throat from the other end of the table, catching our gaze and then stiffening in place. His eyes flicked back and forth between us all, and a moment later, I came to the impossible conclusion that he appeared nervous. It was such an un-Amon-like thing to be that I could only stare dumbly back at him until he spoke.
"I did have a specific motive for asking you all here," he said eventually, straightening. "I would like to discuss…your—your future, Esther."
"Her future?" Auguste repeated, frowning slightly.
"With you, you mean," Ezra added, looking equally serious.
Amon sighed, shoulders sagging slightly, but he only met my gaze. "I considered that this decision is only Esther's to make, but I didn't want any appearance of cutting you out. So, no. With…us all."
He said the words a little stiffly, but it seemed more like he was unaccustomed to the words, rather than uncomfortable with them.
Amon swallowed hard and continued. "You enjoy Rooksgrave, I know—"
"I enjoy you," I interrupted, glancing at Auguste. "I do enjoy Rooksgrave, but…" I couldn't find the words, my mouth parting several times but not making a sound. Still, the men around the table waited in patient silence. "I don't know that I would be unhappy with others, but I do know that I am happy with you, with you all. And if any of you would wish to leave the arrangement, I would—"
I would be heartbroken. When had it happened? I'd never been in love before, and now it seemed to fill me up until I was all but bursting.
"We don't, mon coeur," Auguste said.
"The opposite," Amon agreed with a nod. "The timeline is entirely up to you, Esther. We might continue your patronage at Rooksgrave indefinitely, or we might be…more to you. At any time you choose."
"I've heard the girls at the manor talk, puisín," Ezra said, his smile winking at me. "Lots of them look forward to riding off into the sunset with one of their gentlemen. You could just have five. When you're ready."
Was I ready? Would Magdalena be offended if I walked off with her clients?