Chapter 2

“I’m surprised your Aunt decided not to accompany us today,” I said as I offered a hand to Samantha to help steady herself as she climbed into the sailboat. She was dressed for the water, wearing a bright yellow top and tan shorts over what I guessed was a swimming suit. She had on soft leather sailing shoes with appropriate soles that would give firm footing on a slick deck. It was apparent that she knew how to dress for our sailing excursion. It was also clear that her dancing gave her a fit, trim figure.

She laughed, taking my hand and easily stepping over the gunwale and into the boat. “Aunt Louise loves the sea air, but hates the sea,” she said. “As soon as you offered to take us for a sail, I knew she wasn’t coming. I’m just surprised she didn’t send a servant to watch over me.”

I followed Samantha into the boat, and stowed a couple of dry-bags in the cockpit. “She did ask for details of ‘the ship’ we would be sailing,” I said. “My guess is the four meter sloop is what put her off. I do assure you I know how to sail, however.”

Samantha threw her own bag into the cockpit and adjusted her hat and sunglasses as I slipped the stern-line from the dock cleat and moved to the rudder while raising the mainsail. She easily moved forward to tend the bow line as we caught some wind and moved toward the end of the pier.

“I’m glad you didn’t need me to teach you,” she teased. “It’s been a few years, but I loved to sail when we came here when I was younger. My brothers and sisters used to race in the mid-week regattas.”

She pulled in the fenders as we cleared the pier, without being asked to, and I finished tightening the mainsheet as we slowly moved toward the harbor mouth.

The next few minutes were spent settling in and raising the jib. As we cleared the breakwater of the harbor, I looked around and then turned us into a close reach to take us up the coast in the light morning breeze.

Samantha watched me from a seat on the windward side, her back to the coast, and smiled as I checked the sails and settled in with the rudder in hand.

“You did that all very well,” she said with a smile. “I would not have picked you for a sailor,” she added.

“It’s been a while for me too, but I did take a short sail last Seventh-day, and rediscovered how much I enjoyed it.”

“So where are we off to? I think you promised me a full day of fun, and some lunch as well.”

I nodded. “If the wind holds, we’ll be up the coast about a quarter of the way to Romanifo, in just over an hour. There is a sheltered cove there we can drop anchor in for lunch. If you feel up to it, we can take a hike up to a small vineyard I’ve been meaning to visit.”

“Oh, you did not strike me as a wine aficionado,” she tease.

I laughed. “I may purchase the property,” I countered. “It’s fallen into dis-use and is adjacent to my Grandmother’s vineyard.”

She shook her head. “You definitely are more than just a club manager, aren’t you?” It really wasn’t a question, so I did not reply. Even a small property on the coast would be beyond the reach of a mere manager. “Would you prefer I not mention it to my Aunt?” she asked.

“Let’s see how the day goes, and then decide. We wouldn’t want her to think she misjudged me by staying home today, would we? I’m sure she would worry I was trying to sneak some agreement from you to buy the property for me.”

Samantha laughed. “She totally would. She knows your family has money and power and still plays the silly chaperone game for all of the dinners and balls. She’s told the club that I’m only allowed access to the white areas. How silly is that? I typically visit the blue at home, and have been to the red wing on occasion. Without a chaperone, I might add.”

“It’s different in the season,” I said. “We just had a high guilder trap an aristo, possibly for marriage, at the club yesterday. If I saw you heading into the green, blue, or red here, unaccompanied, I’d try to talk you out of it.”

She looked surprised. I told her a few more details from the prior day without naming names or families. “It seems as if silly season brings out the worst in some people,” I concluded.

“Let’s leave the social drama behind us for a bit,” she said, “and enjoy our morning sail.”

I agreed and put us on a slightly broader reach, opening the distance to shore and catching just a little more wind. I moved closer to her, extending the handle on the rudder so we could sit comfortably beside one another and still control the simple craft.

She asked about some of the other things I did for fun in Cardino.

“I haven’t had as much time off as you would think,” I said. “Sailing last week was the first pure leisure I’ve had in a while. I do like swimming and have done some of that, but more for exercise than just fun. How about you? What do you do for fun? Besides dance, that is.”

She swatted my arm. “At home, I like to ride. We have a decent stable, but I’m not really a show rider. It’s more about getting away on my own, in the fresh outdoors. I dance for fun and exercise. I’m not really much for the clubbing scene. I’ve dabbled in painting and some of the other arts, but I’m not very good at those. I do like to cook,” she added shyly.

“Oh? What sort of cooking do you like?”

“I’ll try most anything. When I was younger, before my mother died, I used to love helping her in the kitchen. Now, when I’m making something there, it reminds me of her. I know it’s silly, but it brings me joy.”

“I think it sounds lovely. Do you have any favorites or specialties?”

“My favorites aren’t very exotic. We enjoyed simple fare mostly when we weren’t entertaining. My favorite is something simple that mother would make in the fall when the family was together for a simple lunch. It was one of the first things I remember helping her cook. I like making meat pies, believe it or not.” Her look dared me to laugh. I did not.

“You’ll have to make me some before the season ends.”

“Maybe I’ll make you one after the season. I’m on holiday now, and don’t feel like cooking for you yet.”

“You’d make me wait to sample your cooking? I’m likely to waste away waiting for such delicacies.”

“I’ve eaten at your Grandmother’s table. I don’t think you’re at risk of starving!”

I laughed. She was easy to talk to and gave as good as she got when I teased her, but she was also very sharp. Somehow, our conversation turned to politics and the recent shakeup in the Senate. The common news view was that a plot against the government by rogue high-guilders had led to the death of four Senators and two heads of families. Hints of aristocratic treason had not permeated to the public or those not directly affected. I was glad to hear that.

“Luckily, I hear the Emperor’s health has improved, so it looks like things will settle down for a year or two,” Samantha said. “Father says it always gets crazy amongst the families when the succession occurs. Plans and pacts are made for decades, and everyone starts last minute jockeying for some slight advantage as soon as there is a whisper of elections. I’m glad I won’t need to be in the Capital when the Senate returns to session. I’m sure the news will only be dire for weeks. Most of the agencies will side with the guilds and try to stir up confrontation to their own advantage.”

“I never saw that much bias in the news in San Mateo,” I said. “Is it more common in the capital?” I had not heard of turmoil during successions in any of my lessons. I would need to ask Grandmother about that.

“To hear my father and brother talk of it, they are just trying to sell sensational stories to entice the masses to buy their channels. A service that has honest reporting will have low readerships, but one that panders to the plebes and low guilders, calling for change or crying out about injustices, will have millions in circulation. It can make for dangerous situations when the Senate is in session.”

“Well, we are ruled by thirty, and there are only a few hundred that direct most of the Empire’s central policies. There are maybe a few thousand that have a real voice with a chance of influencing Imperial policy. The High Guild has what, thirty-thousand master members and our total population is about one hundred and fifty million? From a business perspective, it makes sense to sell what the largest customer base wants to buy.”

“I agree, so long as it is the truth. If they want to spread gossip, they should not package it as news, that’s all. What good do they do their customers, the ill-informed plebes and low-guilders, by inciting them to riot or protests when all that’s going to get them is the judiciary or army beating them down?”

I considered her words. On one hand, my family pretended to be high guilders, with privileges, but limited power. Having lived with all of the classes, I naturally had a different perspective than a ‘pure’ aristocrat. I knew that most plebe and low guilder families were more concerned about how imperial policy affected their livelihood and safety more than some lofty political ideal. They were not likely to protest unless they felt thay had no recourse to a threat to their safety and living conditions. In recent history, I had only studied a food riot when severe drought damaged crops in the south, and raised prices significantly.

I spied the pinnacle of rock that marked the cove I planned on visiting, which gave a convenient excuse to change the subject. I asked Samantha to get ready to drop the anchor as I made for the cove.

Two fingers of the ridge jutted out from the hillside and created an inlet sheltered from view both to the north and south. A pebbled beach with some rock ledges lined the cove. A trail led up toward the road and terraced vineyards rose above the area.

“I’m surprised no one has built in this cove,” Samantha said as I dropped the jib and luffed the mainsail to let us drift closer to shore. “It would be easy to add a warf along one of these ledges.”

“I’m glad they haven’t,” I said as I watched the water depth. “I like the fact that it is undisturbed. I’m sure folks like visiting it when they want to get away from the city.” I didn’t want to let her know my family owned this entire stretch of coast. The cove and the fallow section of the vineyard above would be one of the parcels Grandmother planned on me ‘buying’ from the trust soon.

“Let go the anchor,” I said as our progress slowed to a crawl.

Samantha easily dropped the hooked anchor and danced back to avoid the splash. I finished dropping the sails and furled them before leaning all the way forward to tie off the anchor and watch that it was holding. The crystal clear water let me see the anchor was well set in the pebbled bottom with some plant growth showing. We were in a couple of meters of water and the fish were already investigating the intruder that had dropped amongst them. Nothing would foul the anchor when it was time to leave.

“Are you up for a swim?” I asked. “We’ve got a little time before lunch.”

“Oh?”

I smiled. Twelve would be arriving soon on the road above the cove with our lunch. “I’ve made all the arrangements. There is a nice glade just up that path from the cove,” I said as I pointed. “Lunch should be ready for us in the next hour. I’ve got towels in the dry-bag, that I’ll take ashore for us. We can put shoes or anything else in the bag as well.”

“My aunt would not approve,” she said. “But I’m happy to take a dip and swim ashore.”

She did not hesitate to pull her top off, revealing a white bathing suit. Her shorts followed suit and I took the opportunity to look at her tight rear and well-toned legs. She caught me looking.

“Do you like what you see?” she asked teasingly.

“I do,” I said. “You’ve nothing to be ashamed of, that’s for certain.”

She blushed, then sat down and stretched her legs out in front of her while looking up at me.

“I think it’s your turn. I’ve only seen you in formal wear or clothes suitable for work before now.”

I was wearing shorts and an appropriate collared shirt even today. Grandmother insisted. I followed her lead and pulled them both off, revealing my own swimsuit beneath the shorts. She gave me a little frown, possibly for my loose fitting suit, and then made a small twirling motion with her fingers. I played along and turned as well as I could in the small space of the sailboat.

“I think you’ll do,” she teased. “Now, how about the ladder and those dry bags?”

I rigged the ladder over the stern and we collected the dry-bags with towels and some extra clothes to take ashore. I jumped in, carefully not splashing her, only to have her cannonball into the water near me as I came up to the surface.

“So that’s how you want to play it?” I asked as I sputtered and shook water from my eyes. She laughed and swam strongly for the shore, leaving me to grab the two floating dry bags and follow. I deposited the bags on the beach and then teased her with threats of a dunking. She laughed and swam away, keeping a wary eye on me as I returned to the water.

“The water feels wonderful. I’m surprised it’s so warm,” she said as we treaded water a few meters from shore.

“The cove is shallow and sheltered enough that the sun can warm it up. There’s a cool current coming down from the north that you can feel if you swim past that point,” I said. “Or at least that’s what I recall from when I was last up here.”

“And when was that, Cosimo?”

I thought about it. “I guess I was probably twelve. Maybe thirteen. It was one of the last full summers I spent in Cardino.”

“I’m surprised we never met before. We used to summer here most years before my mother passed.”

“Grandmother always had us doing things when we visited. My parents used to joke that they needed a vacation after our vacation with her here.” Of course, she always had ‘adventures’ for me to train myself with as well. Those were never about interacting with the aristo families and children in Cardino.

We swam for a bit and then moved ashore by mutual consent, drying off with towels from the bag. I was surprised when Samantha wrapped a large towel around herself and proceeded to shimmy her suit down and pull it off from under the towel. She gave me a small smile and patted herself dry with the towel still wrapped around her.

“If you could hand me that other dry bag, sir, I’d appreciate it.”

I had a wicked thought, but did as she asked. Moments later, she turned her back to me, dropped the towel and quickly pulled a solid blue sundress over her head. The sight of her well muscled back and butt was seared in my memory. She turned back to me, and beamed at the dumbfounded look on my face before placing her suit on a convenient bush to dry in the sun.

“I’m glad I can trust you to be a gentleman, Cosimo. I find myself relaxing around you in ways I never imagined.”

I stepped closer and then gave her a hug and a quick kiss. “I’m glad, too.”

Stepping back, I shook a finger at her. “Of course, Aunt Louise would have words for you. Don’t you know how dangerous it is to flaunt your beautiful body to a young man, while alone on a secluded beach?”

She laughed at me. “You work in a club where you can get literally anything. Half of the dance troupe performing there would jump you for a chance at gaining a touring contract. Hell, they all might for all I know. You have a reputation in Cardino that you want to protect, even if most of our class think what happens here stay’s here after the season ends. Not only do I trust you, I also know that you are worthy of that trust. I like you, Cosimo.”

I was humbled. We had spent only hours together and I could feel her worming her way into my heart. “I like you, too,” I said. “Now, shall we head up that path and see what we can forage?”

She laughed and put her damp towel near her suit to dry while I collected our other bags. She took my hand as we walked up the grassy path. After a short climb and a few turns through the thick sage brush and wispy conifer trees, we came to a clearing with a stone table and benches. Twelve was kneeling at the edge of the clearing, wearing her chef’s jacket and pants.

“Master Cosimo, lunch is ready whenever you and your guest would like to eat.”

Samantha beamed at me and went to the table, sitting to look over the cove with our sailboat floating at anchor. I joined her and motioned to Twelve to serve us.

The repast was simple and light, but very flavorful. Twelve poured us a crisp white wine to accompany the picnic lunch and we chatted about the remaining parties of the season, and Grandmother’s grand ball that was still a week away. Her annual masquerade was always a highlight marking the last day of the social season. After that, the summer frenzy would die down, but not end entirely as most of the social elite headed home or on to other pursuits before returning to work and school or just resuming their home life.

“If I were to come to the collegium here,” Samantha asked after we finished a sweet berry dessert, “Would you ask me out?”

I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Since you were so bold as to approach me during the season, I suppose I would feel obligated to take you on at least one date,” I teased.

“One date? And here I thought you were a gentleman. I guess you’re just a cad like all the rest,” she countered.

“I did say at least one,” I riposted. “I would hope we find enough in common to continue seeing one another, but we’ll both be busy with school, and I still have a fulltime job. Grandmother tasks me with extra work as well, so my time really is limited.”

She harrumphed, pretending to look put-out. “So I’d be a burden on your schedule is what you’re saying?”

I leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips. “A very welcome burden, but yes.”

She fought a grin and blushed, seeming to be pleased that I indicated it was a burden I would enjoy. Then a serious look crossed her brow.

“I like the way we tease each other, Cosimo, but would it be a mistake to move here for school based on my initial feelings? It seems very rash.”

I shrugged, but did not try to make a joking response. “You have an opportunity to try something new. I would encourage you to pursue it. Maybe we’ll date and find we are better off as friends. You still get to experience life away from home, somewhat on your own. Maybe we develop a relationship. In that case, you see me outside the social spectacles of the high season, and understand my family and work commitments. That can’t be a bad thing if we really want a relationship together. Maybe I see you away from the chaperoned crowds and experience you when you relax and let your guard down. The same goes, it can’t be a bad thing if we want a relationship. The only rash decision would be for us to move faster than we need to, for some foolish reasons. This is part of the whole reason for the social season. It gives us youngsters a chance to mingle and meet one another and then choose a path forward for a night, for the season, or for longer.”

Even as I spoke, I realized Aurora and I had never had the opportunity. We had met some social obligations, but as a couple. We then were driven back to our lives of school and family commitments. Maybe it was a good thing we had been forced apart.

Samantha looked directly in my eyes and then leaned in and kissed me. Her lips were as soft as they had been the other day, after the dance preview. This kiss was longer, with more feeling behind it. It was a promise as well as a reward. It was erotic and comforting at the same time. It made the breeze pause and the sounds of the water below us fade away.

When our lips finally parted, we were both breathless.

“Yes, I would date you if you came to school here,” I finally managed to say.

Her smile was ample reward.

After that, we left Twelve to pack up and walked further up the path hand in hand. We strolled to the terraced wall of the vineyard on the opposite side of the compacted gravel road that followed the winding shoreline and then climbed higher along the stairway built into the terracing. Samantha pointed out the rich soil as well as the repairs that would be needed for the trellises and irrigation system. We walked along one terrace, taking in the the view. We discovered an orchard, with stone fruit starting to form at the far end of the terrace, and Samantha mentioned the need for hives and how tasty the honey produced by such hives would be.

Eventually, we made our way back down to the cove and looked at the clear waters separating us from our boat and return to Cardino. Samantha hugged my side, slipping my hand around her waist before turning to me and lifting her lips for another kiss. I obliged. While I was tempted to pull her waist into me, I was contented to simply run my fingers up her spine, and open my lips just enough to brush her lips with the tip of my tongue. She shivered in my arms before our lips parted.

“I’ve had a wonderful day, Cosimo. I hope we can do something this fun again before the season ends.”

“If not before, then on your return,” I promised.

She stepped back and then went to her suit on the bushes. She looked back at me and motioned for me to bring the dry bag over.

“It would be a shame to get it all wet again,” she said with a mischievous look in her eye. She opened the bag and folded her suit before putting it in the bag with the towel.

I was shocked when she looked me in the eye and then reached for the hem of her sundress. She lifted it up and off in a smooth motion, dazzling me with her naked beauty. She added the dress to the bag and sealed it up before handing it to me.

At arms length, she looked me up and down while displaying herself as well. “Don’t wait too long,” she said with a smile. “It looks like you could use a cool dip.” With a laugh, she skipped down the beach and waded into the water while looking back over her shoulder at me.

I kicked off my shoes, stuffed them in the bag along with my shirt, and hurried to follow her as she began swimming for the boat.

I was shocked when I walked into Grandmother’s study. Seven had directed me there on my return from my day out with Samantha. My father was having tea with grandmother.

“Dad!” I said as I hurried to him. “Why didn’t you let me know you were coming? Where’s mother?” I asked as he rose and gave me a strong hug.

“She’ll be here in the next day or two,” he said. “Surely you knew we’d be here for the masquerade. I came early to follow a few leads from the note you received last week. Samhir will be bringing more information that might help us unravel this little mystery. Your grandmother was telling me how well you’ve been doing here and at the club.”

“There’s a lot to learn,” I said.

“And it never feels like there is enough time to learn it all, right?” He knew I had a history of wanting to know everything, all at once. When I was younger, my impatience had frustrated my desire to learn and do more. I thought I had grown out of it, but realized it was still there.

“Well, hopefully I’m managing my time better and not biting off more than I can chew,” I replied.

Grandmother gave me a tight smile. “You’ve been handling things very well, Cosimo. Honestly, I thought you’d struggle more than I’ve seen. Master Geraldo speaks highly of you and the other shift managers have gone out of their way to comment on your work ethic when I’ve dropped by.”

I was humbled by the praise.

“So, when do I get to meet Miss Dennison?” Father asked with a smirk. “You know I need to do it before your mother gets here and scares her off.”

Grandmother and I both laughed. “Who’ll be in more trouble?” I asked. “Me for introducing you, or you for telling her how to deal with Mother?”

Dad grinned. “I’m hoping you, but I’ll take that risk. Seriously, she’s met your Grandmother and made a good impression. I’d think you’d want me on your side as well before mother arrives.”

“Mom will be fine,” I countered. “She knows better than trying to chase Samantha off,” I insisted. “I actually think Samantha could hold her own, if mother tried something anyways.”

Grandmother rose and poured me a cup of tea before motioning me to sit and join them. “This is probably the safest room in the city for us to catch up on what’s been happening, Roger, so why don’t you tell us both what you’ve learned and need to do before Samhir arrives on first-day?”

Father nodded and sipped his tea, collecting his thoughts. Reporting to the Grand Dame of the club was more serious than chatting with his wife’s mother.

“It took some digging, but the cleaners found some files in the agency that hired your chaser.”

Our family used the club-conditioned slaves we placed with the families, and several other business to keep tabs on the aristocracy and high guilders who warranted our attention. One arm of our business that Father often helped manage was the network of commercial cleaning firms across the empire. Each would appear to be independently owned and operated, using a mix of low guilders, plebes, and voluntary indentures for cleaning staff, but they all reported into us. Mother and father were at the center of an elaborate net of assets. Their focus was on fusing all of the clues together to find the nuggets of information that we needed to keep an eye on plots and intrigues.

“And?” Grandmother asked.

“Someone in Muskeleon paid for the chaser.” Since the main branch was trimmed in the seizures, we can only guess that someone else on the distaff side was involved as well and is either looking for Sergey’s son, or trying to see if Sergey said something else to implicate the family further.”

“And what do you expect Samhir to add to the equation? Why do you need to wait on him if you know this much,” I asked.

“We need to make sure the chaser’s client is not looking for more than the son. Samhir is working a different approach, to see if anyone else from the lot is of interest to the Muskeleon family. He has a roundabout connection to Sergey’s aunt and is woking that to see if he can learn more. He’s let it be known that the club overbought at that fateful auction and is looking to move some of the trained CI’s off our books. If his contact expresses interest in any of them, we’ll know if there is more to the net than a spoiled son.”

I sipped my tea. “What do you think?” I asked my father.

“The son has been sentenced, so why seek him out? He either has to know something, or have access to something, that whomever is looking for him needs to protect or collect. Maybe it’s a bio-lock that only the right person or people can open. Maybe it’s knowing where something was stored. It’s too broad of a possibility set to just go and try to break the boy.”

“He’s been conditioned, now,” Grandmother said. “If we ask the right question, he will give us a truthful answer. We need more information to ask the right question. We need to know exactly who is looking for him, if he is the true target of this search.”

Father nodded. “In the meantime, I want to see what the new main branch of the Muskeleon family is up to. They have a house here in Cardino. I want to have eyes inside it when your chaser reports in. That’s going to take a few days to arrange. I also want to see if they have any other assets in the area in the event they are after the son. I don’t want to chase after them when something happens, I want to be ahead of the game by then.”

“But without raising notice, too,” I added.

He nodded. “That’s why the subtle approach is needed. I’ve already gotten Devon out scouting. The local plebe brigade will soon report everything that family does here.”

I had a thought. “Have we come at this from the other direction as well?”

“What do you mean?” Father asked.

“The high guilder, Seven’s father, was producing anti-aging drugs. What if that’s the real secret these folks are looking for?”

Grandmother nodded. “It’s logical. That part of the plot is valuable in and of itself. If the Muskeleon knew of that part of the plan, they would be looking for it to help rebuild their fortunes. Selling to the masses would give them huge profits and power outside the Aristocracy.”

“If that’s what they are looking for, it must be well concealed,” Father said. “We know that was their plan, but we did not discover the actual formulary in all of our investigations. We think three components were made separately and either combined to make a single drug, or used in some regimen to drive the desired effect. Without a sample, we can’t determine precisely how it worked or was planned to be used.”

“And that also means we need to consider other potential targets for this chaser’s client. Twelve, Eleven, or Seven could be the ones they are looking for, if they think one of them knew the secret or where it might be stored,” I said.

Grandmother frowned. “You need to investigate this, Cosimo. Now. Start with Twelve and see what she might know, even if she doesn’t know she knows it.”

I rose. “At once, grandmother.”

“Roger,” she continued as I headed for the door. “Let’s make certain the guards here and at the club are alerted to a possible threat.”