Chapter 29

By the time Henri arrived, the sun was climbing the horizon.

The boredom and slight annoyance in the roused apprentice’s voice sickened him. “Tristan found him. He did it with his apron strings. And Henri, he truly was a chocolatier to the very end, leaving a puddle beneath his swinging feet. Tristan found him, so he had to mop up his muck.”

The body was already hauled off the premises. 8

“When selecting licorice for a sweet tisane, it is best to cut down the youngest and liveliest of green shoots, for if one selects dry or old stalks, a sour, undrinkable batch is guaranteed.”

—From the salvaged notes of A., apprentice in the kitchens of Fontainebleau c. 1530s