Zechariah clarified that the information came through a newspaper. Chéri shook his head. “Not that! About…” then he stopped. Maybe he meant something else. Maybe Work didn’t know about… what was he trying to say?

Chéri listened better, fairly confused by Zechariah’s French, but the basics made sense: please don’t look gay. Please don’t act gay. Chéri sighed. “I will clean your house, sir, as well as anyone.” Probably taking it a little personal, thinking the man was not trying to warn him, but rather express some disapproval for… something about him, who was well aware of how foppish he must have looked.
Or he was saying something else.
He turned to Tristan with a pleading look. He thought he could be in danger.