Black Windows to the Soul

"Pardon me for being blunt but how much time do we have? Or should we rendezvous later on?" Mattheus asked after taking a sip of tea.

Antoine looked up from Brunilda, though the man's hands still focused on the feline as his friend continued a very convincing act as a cat. 

"Today is my day off," the honey-blond said simply.

Mattheus turned a bit thoughtful. "Are we to be doctor and patient or friendly peers?"

He had heard of Antoine Malbrowe from both Countess Marcel and the Duchess before as the other man had been quickly climbing the ranks of foreign affairs thanks to the peace talks. Neither women were prone to be swayed by a pretty face but had still remarked about personal details—probably because their female acquaintances were swayed by looks.

It was why he knew that Antoine Malbrowe was not that much older than himself, the dark-eyed baron being recently turned twenty-three sometime in March.