Michael

[borgiafatale]

Lucrezia rose from the table when Cesare did, and he embraced her. "Do not leave me for so long again, my Lucrezia," he said quietly in her ear. And then, a nod to Michael. "I will see you later tonight." Then he swept off.

Lucrezia picked up her purse and turned to Michael. "Do you have a pressing engagement, Michael? If not, I would be happy for some company on my walk home."

Comments

[trustearned]

Michael would do no such thing, of course. He knew better than to encourage his employer to put his sister at risk. He liked working for Cesare.

"Be yourself, and take your cues from him," he advised her after a second. "On the paper, it's hard to tell either way." You didn't get to be an MP by leaving your dirty laundry where anyone could find it, so there was no telling just yet.

[borgiafatale]

Lucrezia nodded. "Does he know my husband?" Though Allan was not a politician himself, his father was one of some importance.

[trustearned]

"He knows his father only peripherally, chances aren't very high," Michael answered.

[borgiafatale]

"I see," said Lucrezia.

They turned towards her and Allan's brownstone, and she led him up the steps. Though instead of opening the door, she turned to Michael. "You have always been good to me, dear Michael," she said. "You will tell me if there is ever anything I can do for you? You know that I can bend my brother's ear even farther than you can."

[trustearned]

Michael could not remember anyone ever calling him that, dear Michael. On anyone else's lips, it would have sounded ludicrous, but Lucrezia had a way about her. He had his own loyalty to her, for all that Cesare came first. So instead of turning her down (he would never take her up on her offer, after all), he only nodded. "Let me know when you want to resume our lessons."

[borgiafatale]

Even though she suspected he may not like it much, Lucrezia leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Perhaps this weekend," she said. "Thank you for seeing me home, Michael." And then she opened the door and slipped inside.

[trustearned]

Michael both disliked the gesture, and was oddly touched by it. So he failed to react in any way, and then simply turned around and walked away.