"I am happy," he admits. More sentimentality. Christ Jesus, he's gone soft in his old age. But Jean-Claude won't fault him for it. Jean-Claude won't betray his trust; he's proven that time and time again. "This is quite the gift." He scrubs at the last of the tear tracks on his face, trying to hide all trace of his embarrassing emotional spectacle before they rejoin the party.

"The others won't thank you for it," he cautions. "Joss Fitzthomas in the daylight once again while they're stuck in the dark. I've skipped the queue because the Duke of London's playing favorites." He raises an eyebrow. "Of course, I'm not ungrateful."