Page 48 of Measure of the Stars

“You won’t have to,” Wes said.“Ah.Ah, Delauney...”

“Wesley,” Delauney said, biting Wes’ ear.“I love the way you say my name.I love how clever you are.I love how spiteful you can be over the strangest things.I love that you whipped that horrible little man so that I could find you at that military council.”

“I love that I whipped him, too,” Wes said, and Delauney drew back to catch him smiling.

“Of course you do.”Delauney kissed him again, stroking him faster, feeling Wes’ breath catch against his mouth.When Wes came, it was with Delauney’s name on his lips.He held Delauney by the shoulders as he came down, and Delauney was so close that he could feel Wes’ heartbeat drumming in time with his own.

They returned to Delauney’s usual inn at Redmason in much higher spirits.Ned was waiting for them at one of the empty tables near the back, and when he saw Delauney’s face, his expression lit up as thoughhe’djust been accepted into the Aviary.

“That’s my boy,” Ned shouted.Several people across the inn turned to stare.Ned gestured to Delauney and Wes, raising his voice so that it boomed over the dining area.“You lot are looking at the future of astronomy!”

Delauney, who had happily stripped naked for a bar full of strangers, considered digging a hole straight into the center of the earth and burying himself there.“Ned, I swear by all that is holy, if you don’t lower your voice...”

“Invented a telescope and everything,” Ned bellowed.Someone near the bar awkwardly applauded, looking confused.Delauney covered his face in both hands as Ned strode toward them with his arms out.“Come on, old friend.Let me celebrate you.Go on.”

“I’m not embracing you when you just roared my praises in front of—oof.” Delauney squeaked as Ned wrapped him in a crushing embrace.

“I knew you could do it, Laney,” Ned told him, and Delauney found his eyes stinging with tears for the first time that afternoon.Ned drew back and extended a hand to Wes, then paused.“Doyouwant a...”

“No need for an embrace, thank you,” Wes said.It was also thewrongthing to say with Ned’s current mood, apparently, because Ned swept Wes into a hug that lifted him to his toes.

“There we go,” Ned said at last, releasing a wide-eyed Wes.“Now we’re all family.Sit down.I have news of my own for you when you’re done telling me all about it.”

Ned was a good audience.He groaned and cursed when Wes described how Ulysse received them, and insisted on ordering food since they’d had nothing at Ulysse’s house.When they’d shown Ned the recommendation letter and explained why Doctor Monroe was the best instructor for their purposes, Ned leaned back with his mug of tea and looked them both over.

“You’ll be like him one day, then,” he said.“I can see it.I bet you’ll have dozens of apprentices before your time is done.”

“Ned,” Delauney pleaded.“I can only take so many compliments in one sitting.”

“You need to hire a dom to tie him up and praise him a bit,” Ned told Wes.“Our boy could use a little ego.”

If Delauney expected Wes to be on his side in this, he was sorely mistaken.Wes raised his glass to Ned in a toast.“Already working on it.”

“You’re both terrible,” Delauney muttered.

“Keep up your good mood, Laney,” Ned told him.“You’ll need it.Look what I found in the letterbox for theManatee.”

He slid over a thick card with gold edges and thick, cursive script.Delauney inwardly groaned.He was getting better at reading, if he took his time, but elaborate, looping handwriting was still a nightmare.

Wes leaned over Delauney’s shoulder without needing to be asked.“It says Leonide de Mazet is getting engaged.There’s a party happening in...wait, how many days out is that?”

Ned pulled out another card from his vest pocket.“Five.Peter and I also received an invitation.I think most of Duciel has been invited.”

“Leo’s engaged?”Delauney asked.“How?”So far as he knew, Leo hadn’t shown much interest in anything other than managing the household accounts.Unless they’d suddenly come across hard times and needed a dowry from a wealthy submissive, he couldn’t see why Leo would agree to an engagement.

“It’s Anastasia Bellecourt,” Wes said.He frowned slightly.“I thought the Bellecourts were selling their title.Or they were when I was a boy,” he added, when Ned gave him a curious look.“My parents were interested in noble gossip.”

“Maybe it’s a love match,” Ned suggested.

Delauney wasn’t so sure.They’d grown up next to the Bellecourts, and while Anastasia was a nice enough girl, she hadn’t exactly been very interested in men, and Leo hadn’t seemed interested inanyone.The only reason Leo would marry her would be as a favor to the family, since the Bellecourts and the de Mazets used to be close when Delauney was young.He was fairly sure that their parents had all been in bed with each other for at least a few years.He supposed that was reason enough for Leo to step in and help manage the Bellecourts’ remaining lands.

“I suppose I should attend,” Delauney said, flipping the card over.“We do have a few weeks before we need to set sail.”

“You can ride in my carriage,” Ned said.“And it’ll be a good chance for you to tell your family where you’ll be living for the foreseeable future.”

Delauney groaned aloud at the mere thought of telling his parents about the Aviary.Leo would probably be proud of him, but he could already imagine his mother’s wide-eyed, lip-trembling,But why?

Ned gave Delauney a stern look.“It’s better to get it all out in the open now, Laney.You don’t want them to find out when you’re already gone.”