The manor stayed quiet until well past noon, with only the sound of distant footfalls and muted voices carrying up the staircase. Lucas dozed and woke in intervals, luxuriating in the weight of Trevor’s arm and the rare absence of urgency. When a discreet knock finally came at the outer door, Windstone’s voice followed immediately, low and steady: "Family only, sir."
Trevor stirred but didn’t rise. "Alistair?" he guessed.
Windstone’s answer carried a note of humor. "And Mr. Benjamin LaVierre, who insists his work be admired in situ."
Trevor sighed into Lucas’s hair, the cedar scent a calm undertone now. "They’ve found us," he murmured.
Lucas opened one eye, green glinting. "The only cousin you like and your jeweler? I suppose that’s allowed."
By the time they’d pulled on soft trousers and half-buttoned shirts, the two men had been shown into the sitting room adjoining the bedroom. Alistair Fitzgeralt stood from the sofa as they entered, tall and broad-shouldered with the same family air but a far easier smile than most of Trevor’s relatives. He clasped Trevor’s forearm in greeting, then, to Lucas’s surprise, did the same to him.
"You look... human," Alistair said with a grin. "Must be country air."
Lucas laughed under his breath. "Or freedom," he said. "We’re still testing the hypothesis."
A theatrical sigh cut through their exchange. Benjamin LaVierre was already on his feet, a plume of cobalt cashmere and gold hardware, phone in one hand, velvet ring box in the other. His bracelets and signet flashed as he gestured like a conductor.
"Finally," he announced, his voice carrying as though the manor were a studio set. "I braved a commercial flight full of screaming children and bad Wi-Fi to behold my creation where it belongs. Do not make me wait another second!"
Lucas blinked at the outburst, then obligingly held up his hand. The platinum ring caught the sunlight, a bright flare against the muted room. "You flew first-class," he said dryly. "Two hours, maybe two and a half."
Benjamin clasped a hand to his chest, staggering back a step as though mortally wounded. "Two hours of pure torment. The coffee was lukewarm, the seat wouldn’t recline to the advertised angle, and someone tried to sell me an energy drink. I suffer for my art."
Alistair smothered a laugh behind his hand. "Lucas," he murmured, "never try to use reason on Benjamin. He thrives on drama."
Benjamin spun toward him, one perfectly shaped eyebrow arching. "Drama? This is devotion. This ring is my magnum opus and it now graces the hand of Palatine’s most scrutinized omega. I have earned my theatrics."
Lucas tilted his head, green eyes glinting, and extended his left hand a little farther so the platinum band flashed again. "It’s beautiful," he said simply, letting a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "Even if the journey nearly killed you."
Benjamin’s phone disappeared into his pocket; with surprising delicacy he caught Lucas’s hand, turning it this way and that to catch the light. For a heartbeat the theater melted away. "Perfect," he murmured. "It fits as if it had always been there."
Trevor, leaning against the doorframe with arms crossed, watched the scene with an unguarded warmth. "I warned you," he told Lucas. "He’d inspect it like a proud father."
Benjamin’s head snapped up, eyes glittering. "Proud artist," he corrected, then flicked an invisible speck of lint off his cashmere sleeve. "Though in this case, perhaps also a proud godparent."
Alistair shook his head, chuckling. "And here I thought the country air might calm you."
Benjamin sniffed. "Nothing calms genius."
Lucas laughed quietly, sliding his fingers free of Benjamin’s and flexing them so the ring caught the sunlight one more time. "Well," he said, "that’s enough for a day."
Benjamin pressed a dramatic hand to his chest. "So soon cast aside? Very well. My work is done; I can wither in peace." But his eyes were warm as he said it, and he reached out to squeeze Lucas’s shoulder before turning away.
Alistair stood, stretching to his full height, his easy smile still in place. "We’ll let you two get back to being newlyweds," he said. "Windstone promised coffee in the east sitting room. Come find us later if you feel social."
Trevor stepped up beside Lucas, arm sliding around his waist. "We will," he said. "Thanks for coming."
Benjamin waved a languid hand, bracelets flashing. "I expect good lighting next time. And a proper photoshoot. You’re both far too photogenic to waste on candid hallway glimpses."
Lucas shook his head, amused. "Go get your coffee, Benjamin."
Alistair herded the jeweler toward the door with a gentle nudge. Windstone opened it before they reached it, already anticipating their exit. As the door closed again, the manor’s hush rolled back in like a tide.
Trevor leaned down until his chin rested on Lucas’s shoulder. "Alone again," he murmured.
Lucas turned his head slightly, the platinum band on his finger glinting. "For now," he said, a faint smile playing at his lips. "Let’s find a quiet corner before Benjamin changes his mind and comes hunting us down."
Trevor gave a low chuckle, cedar warm against his skin. "Smart man. He’s probably already sketching a new design on a napkin."
Lucas laughed softly, reaching back to lace his fingers with Trevor’s. "Then we should disappear before he tries to measure me for something."
Still holding his hand, Trevor guided him out of the sitting room and down a side corridor lined with tall windows. The manor’s hum faded with each step until only the muted sound of their footsteps and the distant birds outside remained. Sunlight pooled on the polished floor, glinting off their rings with every movement.
"Where to?" Trevor asked quietly.
"The library," Lucas decided. "Nobody ever looks for me there. It smells like paper and dust and you can see the garden."
Trevor squeezed his hand, smiling. "Perfect. We’ll make it our hideout."
They slipped through a side door into the long, high-ceilinged room, shelves rising on either side like dark walls. Afternoon light spilled through the windows onto a pair of deep leather chairs tucked into an alcove. Trevor pulled Lucas gently down into one, drawing him onto his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"See?" he murmured, lips brushing the edge of Lucas’s hair. "Our quiet corner."
Lucas exhaled, melting back against him, the tension of the morning ebbing away. "Until Benjamin finds the scent of coffee and decides he needs an audience," he said.
Trevor chuckled again and tightened his arms around him. "Then we’ll have had at least a few minutes of peace," he replied.