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dandelion. It looked like Sylvia.
    This time Henry did not say no to a drink – lemonade, but not hard. “You have quite the establishment, if I do say so myself.” Henry sat on a lounge chair but did not relax. “And I do.”
    “Thank you. It took a while to put together, but I have been pleased with the outcome. It’s always nice to fulfill a service that’s so sorely needed in an area.” They lived close enough to one of the biggest financial centers in the country. Not everyone was a rich mogul, but it was big enough to attract other rich people from all around the world. Those circles were small. Once word got out about the Château after a soft opening, clients busted down the doors until Monica had to turn them away and be more stringent about reservations and appointments. So while a part of her wasn’t surprised by Henry’s interest, she did admit she didn’t think she would see him so soon. “I’m glad you found it to your liking. Now you know what I have to ask.”
    Henry lowered his drink, letting it dangle between his legs. “Certainly. You want to know if I want to whip or be whipped.”
    She suppressed a laugh, solely because she had no idea he would put it like that. “I would say it that way. Except I want you to know that I will not judge you for your tastes. Nobody here will. Everyone is completely at your discretion. We take privacy very seriously, and if one of our girls happens to ever break the NDAs she signs for every client – and none of them ever have, I’ll have you know – they do not get a second chance in this house.”
    “I appreciate it. I may not be married, but…”
    “Do you have a girlfriend?”
    Monica didn’t know why she blurted it out like that. It didn’t matter one way or another if Henry Warren was attached to someone. Not Monica’s problem. That was all up to his sense of morality – and for all she knew, the girlfriend was in on it like with Grace’s patron.
    “No, I don’t.” Henry sat up straight, closing his legs and holding the drink off to the side. “I have no moral qualms with what’s going on here or my possible involvement with it. I only have one question, really.”
    “What is it? There isn’t a question I can’t answer.” The truth. Monica made it her mission to know everything about her own business. That was good financial sense. “Go on. Try me.”
    “It’s a boring question, I’m afraid. I only want to know how a man becomes a patron.”
    That’s it? Too bad Monica had some unfortunate news for him. “I told you, Mr. Henry, all of the girls currently have patrons. None of them seem interested in leaving anytime soon, so you may be waiting a while. However…”
    “Yes?”
    “As I also mentioned, I am thinking of hiring a couple of other girls. In which case I would send out an announcement to regular clients saying they’re open to a patronage.”
    “You still haven’t answered my question, Monica. I would like to know how a man becomes a patron. Under usual circumstances, of course.”
    Monica looked between him and the garden, wondering which specific spiel she should give him. By now the sunlight was descending toward the western hills, and a slight glare reflected off Henry’s glass. “First, as soon as you have confirmed that a girl is available to take on a patron, you send her an expensive gift that is in care of the Château. This way you make sure I see it and know your intentions.”
    “Expensive, huh? How expensive?”
    “That I can’t say. It’s up to you to decide. However much you want to invest in your relationship with this girl, I suppose.”
    “So it’s like a backward dowry.”
    “I suppose you could look at it that way. This is a business, Mr. Henry. At the end of the day you’re securing a service, even if human emotions do happen. You don’t want to hurt your bottom line, but you also don’t want to risk offending the girl… or me.”
    “Naturally. I would imagine offending you is the