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again, Vincent might mention it to him.
     
    “Why didn’t you tell us?” Bastien asked quietly. “Why the big secret?”
     
    “It wasn’t a secret,” Thomas said quietly. “Aunt Marguerite and Lissianna have known all along. So does Jeanne Louise and Mirabeau. And Etienne,” he added.
     
    “So only Lucern and I didn’t know?”
     
    “Well, dude, you never asked what my interests were, or what I do with my time when I’m not at Argeneau Enterprises,” he said simply.
     
    There was silence for a minute, and then Bastien said, “And only Lucern and I get the dude business.”
     
    Thomas grimaced, but didn’t say anything.
     
    “I know you only talk like that to annoy Lucern and me.”
     
    “What makes you think that?” he asked with amusement.
     
    “The first clue was that Lissianna gets this really amused look when you do it, Greg just looks curious, and you slip up all the time and forget to stick in the ‘dudes’ and ‘dudettes.’ I’ve overheard you have whole conversations with her and others that don’t include a single ‘dude,’ which means you only do it with us, and since it does annoy us, I’d guess that’s why.”
     
    “Hmm,” Thomas muttered.
     
    “Look, I know over the centuries, Lucern and I have sometimes acted like we think you’re a snot-nosed kid. But it’s just…” Bastien paused and when he spoke again Thomas could hear the frown in his voice as he tried to explain, “You’re like our younger brother, Thomas. When you were growing up you worshipped Lucern and me and wanted to do everything we were doing.”
     
    “Well, worship is kind of an exaggeration, but I did look up to the two of you,” he admitted wryly.
     
    “Yeah, well, we reacted like typical older brothers, being annoyed and condescending to you.”
     
    Thomas was silent as he realized it was true. They really had treated him like a younger brother, the same way they treated Etienne.
     
    “However, you’re well past two hundred now and I suppose we have to acknowledge that you’ve grown up some. So if you’ll try to cut out the ‘dudes’ and ‘dudettes,’ I’ll do my best to be less condescending and older brotherish.”
     
    Thomas felt his eyebrows rise at the suggestion.
     
    “Deal?” Bastien asked quietly.
     
    “Deal,” Thomas echoed.
     
    “Well, now that we have that out of the way…Since you’re going to be spending the next few days with Inez anyway, and will be right there to read her reaction, why don’t you just explain about us to her and—” He stopped when Thomas burst out laughing.
     
    “No thanks,” Thomas said. “Nice try at dumping one of your problems on me, though.”
     
    “I thought it was worth a shot,” Bastien conceded with a laugh.
     
    Thomas smiled faintly at his admission, and then said, “Surely, there is someone at the company here who could take care of it?”
     
    “You would think so, wouldn’t you?” Bastien asked dryly. “But no one will do it. I’ve always done it and they expect me to continue to do so.”
     
    “Nice,” he said dryly
     
    “Yeah.” Bastien sighed. “Okay, look. Just do the best you can to keep her from finding out. Wipe her mind if she sees or overhears something she shouldn’t, and I’ll bring her over for the indoctrination right after you find Mother.”
     
    Thomas nodded silently, and then remembered Bastien couldn’t see him and said, “Yeah sure.”
     
    “Good. Call that techie friend and then catch some sleep while you can. But, call me back if he is able to track her phone.”
     
    “Okay. Later.” Thomas’s gaze landed on the open binder on the table as he pressed the button to end the call. Scowling, he reached out and flipped the book closed. The music he was working on was for a comedy, and he wanted the music to be light and bouncy to reflect that. Unfortunately, it was difficult to write light, bouncy music for Vincent’s play when his mind was full of worry and concern for