Fine dining with a Change of Plans | Wednesday evening

[Charles Audley]

Charles, despite his best efforts, (and likely to Darlene's disappointment, as might have occurred to him had he thought about it) remained caught up in pondering the potential Savoyard assassination plot. The implied engagement slipped right past him as he considered the logistics of murder and what he was to do with this news. Did he even put any stock in it?

I shall have to write to John in any case, he decided, and only then noticed Sophia's words.

Betrothal? What? Oh. Langdon and Darlene.

…poor woman.

"Congratulations indeed!" he offered belatedly, still not wholly certain where this talk of betrothal had come from or if he had interpreted it correctly, and raised his glass in salute. "I wish you every happiness."

Darlene did not seem inclined to linger on the topic, thankfully, and returned focus to their possible dockside adventure.

Not that that is necessarily better, of course. Sneaking aboard a ship with a trio of ladies? Difficult enough to be madness, even by my exalted standards.

"In my experience villains tend to neither linger nor plot in the holds of ships. Villains enjoy comfort as much or more as the next man, and the hold of a ship is cramped and malodourous at the best of times. The back room of a tavern or the like would be a better bet, to my mind," he said, making a show of considering it. The challenge was almost enough to win him, but he retained enough sense to see it was not worth it. "They would be easier to gain access to, as well. A guarded ship is devilish hard to sneak aboard, unless one is willing to swim, and even then..."

He shrugged and looked at Darlene.

"But before we make any decisions, do you know any more of this plot?"

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia didn’t care that York’s life was at risk. She was certainly not going to put her baby in danger for the likes of him. But she didn’t want to just sit around and talk. Her English was still not fluent, and she didn’t blame Darlene for misunderstanding her.. She was in the mood for adventure. Certainly they could come up with some way to make mischief together. Perhaps it would become a regular activity for the four of them.

 

She shivered when her friend mentioned spending time in the hold of a ship. It had not been long ago that she had spent weeks in a cabin on the way back from Spain. Though Sophia was slowly overcoming her terror of water, she would rather stay as far away from it as possible. She didn’t think she had ever told Darlene of her fear or she wouldn’t have suggested such a thing.

 

Thankfully, her dear Eros came to her rescue. Whether he knew that she was afraid of water or not, he didn’t believe that venturing into the hold of a ship was a good plan. “I like the idea of going to a tavern,” she agreed.  Sophia had never been to one before and she often wondered if more went on in taverns than just drinking.

 

Charles wanted to know more about the plot against the Duke of York. “I’m curious about it as well.” As much as she loathed the Duke, she did not wish harm on anybody. Not even him.