He stood in the corridor and released the breath he had been holding. His chest ached with it. He decided once and for all to brace himself, because he was going to be done for on two fronts. He was going to lose the girl.
And he was going to lose his friend.
*****
Élodie prepared the princess as seductively as she could. Seduction, Élodie understood, was not in how much skin a woman showed, but in how carefully she suggested what remained hidden. She dressed Madeleine in a deep wine-coloured silk gown that clung beautifully at the bodice before falling in soft, elegant folds around her hips. The neckline was low enough to tempt the eyes. The sleeves were loose and sheer, embroidered with delicate gold thread. Her waist was drawn in tightly, the curve of her figure sharpened.
