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.At the left, there was a large china spoon with something inside, some sort of single-bite treat in a sauce that matched its curving brushstroke; in the middle was a curl of raw tuna dotted with green wasabi-infused caviar, surrounded with a Zen circle of some sort of thick, brown sauce; last was a puff of pastry resting atop a straight, wide stroke of something richly red-brown.It all looked delicious, and Alex hoped he could manage to eat without embarrassing himself.Water and wine were also poured, and everyone waited patiently, napkins properly in laps, until Julian himself lifted up his spoon and gracefully downed its contents.“Mmm,” he said happily, licking a stray drop of sauce from pink lips.Alex had to swallow for a moment, before he lifted his own spoon and tried to emulate Julian’s grace.The treat proved to be a mussel in a warm, beefy broth with fresh herbs atop it, smooth and delightful on the palate.“Delicious,” he said, licking his own lips to get the last taste of the rich broth.Julian looked quite pleased.“It’s one of my favourites,” he said with a grin.“We got them at a restaurant one night, Cecil and I, and I pestered the chefs for weeks until they figured out the recipe.”“It was well worth the effort,” said Willoughby, who was sitting at Pembroke’s right.Rather than participate in the ensuing barrage of compliments, Alex used his outermost fork to smear the tuna in its circle of sauce.The fish was perfectly chilled and the thick tamari soy sauce rich and sweet, with the spicy tobiko popping as he chewed.This bite was both delicious in and of itself, and a palate cleanser after the richness of the first miniature dish.“Mmmm,” said Julian, enjoying his own mouthful unabashedly.There was a natural sensuality to him that led Alex’s imagination to places inappropriate for a man supposedly investigating a murder.Here in this glittering room, surrounded by the very society he’d long eschewed, Alex was starting to feel as though it was all a dream, or a very bad idea indeed.“Your chef has an excellent sense of pacing,” said someone down the table; Whitby Chilcott, Alex thought.“He has been with the family for many years,” said Ms.Fitzhugh, to whom he was closer, though he had been addressing Julian.That was their cue to break into smaller conversational groups, which Alex avoided for a bit longer by spearing his puff of pastry and downing it in one bite, as it was meant to be eaten.It proved to be filled with a delicious, tangy cheese, and lightly infused with the sauce it was sitting on, a tomato-thickened relative of the sauce that had cradled the mussel.There was a hint of sweetness that proved to be a chunk of lobster hiding in the cheese, the perfect surprise to match the seafood in the first two appetisers.Alex dabbed at his mouth with his napkin and took a steadying sip of the light, crisp wine that had been served with this course, smiling at no one while he tried to think of a topic of conversation that would be safe.“The lobster puffs were Cecil’s favourite,” said Julian, quietly enough that only Alex and Pembroke could really hear him.“I can only say that he had excellent taste,” said Pembroke, the seemingly callous words carrying a world of sympathy and meaning.Alex took another sip of wine and added, “The world is a bit less for having lost him.”Julian looked up, surprised, and then said wryly, “But if he were here, you would not be.”Alex smiled sadly and nodded to acknowledge his point.“I would gladly give up my place to know you were happy.”He was of course sincere, since a living Mandeville would mean Alex was still happily investigating much simpler murders at Lapointe’s side instead of on his own in a sea of manners and hidden meaning.That sincerity must have shown on his face, because Julian looked genuinely touched.Pembroke just looked annoyed.Alex called it a win and rewarded himself with one more sip of wine.He wouldn’t drink too much more than that with each course; he had a very long night ahead of him, and would need his wits about him.CHAPTER 6In Which a Great Deal of Food is Eaten, and a Few Things LearnedIt didn’t take long for their empty plates to be whisked away, and their wine glasses as well.If there were fifteen fresh glasses needed for each of seven courses, it was no wonder that Ms.Fitzhugh needed to buy more crystal, thought Alex.Soon enough there was a dry, light red wine in front of him, along with a steaming bowl of thick, creamy wild mushroom soup.The soup was earthy and delightful, just the sort of thing Alex felt he could eat ten times as much as he’d been served, had he not had many courses yet to come [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]