by Jude Bayton
Another shout, and this time I saw Perry LaVelle climb onto the rock his friend had just vacated moments before. I turned away with embarrassment.
“I am sorry,” Dominic said kindly. “I did not consider anyone else would be here.” He looked up to the blue skies. “But it is a particularly lovely day, and warm too. No wonder Marik and Perry escaped here to cool off. They were probably trying to get away from a house full of people.”
“Dominic, they have just buried their cousin. It seems somewhat inappropriate to be here having fun under such sad circumstances.”
“You must not think ill of them for behaving like healthy young men. Being unhappy will not bring Marabelle back. They just want to release some energy after all that has transpired. I cannot fault them for it.”
We both turned to stare at the blue water. It did look inviting, and part of me really could not blame them at all. Perry swam over to the base of the waterfall where Marik trod water. Perry splashed his friend, and we heard them both laugh. Perry then swam towards the handsome Indian. Marik opened his arms and Perry drew closer. Puzzled, I watched them embrace. And then all the breath suddenly disappeared from my lungs, as their mouths joined together in a passionate kiss.
Chapter Twenty
“WAIT, JILLIAN.” I IGNORED DOMINIC’S request as I rushed to put as much distance between myself and the lagoon. I all but ran, though I did not know why.
“Jillian,” Dominic said louder, and the tone in his voice made me slow down and allow him to draw level with me. He took my hands and pulled me to a stop. “Come on, Jilly. Do not be troubled by what you saw.”
The image of the two men kissing found its way to my mind and I shuddered. “But they were together—like a man and a woman. It was all so—wrong.”
He gave a heavy sigh. “I grant you ’tis shocking to see two men in that way, especially when it is the first time. But you have to understand it is not so unusual. Some men cannot feel an attraction to a woman, by no choice of their own—and that is the case with Perry and Marik. I have long thought it odd Perry has not been attached to anyone nor married. But I never guessed it was because of this. They have been careful to hide their relationship.” Dominic’s expression was thoughtful, and he showed no disgust or condemnation.
“They were not hiding much just then,” I snapped. “To behave that way—in public.”
“Yes, Jilly. It was foolish.”
And he was right. Even I knew such behaviour was against the law.
“They were reckless,” he added. “For anyone could have seen them and then there would be trouble. Come.” He tugged me to begin walking again. “Let us go back to the farm, and we’ll have some refreshment. I am parched from the heat, and you must be too.”
THE WALK BACK TO WOLFE FARM was quiet. I still filtered through what I had witnessed at the lagoon. I was surprised by how shocking I found their actions. Of course, I was aware there were men who did not seek the company of women, but I had never witnessed it first-hand. Images of Perry and Marik at Hollyfield, and on the few occasions I had been in their company, whirled around my head. I replayed the scenes, searching for a glimpse of something I had not registered before. It was not repulsion or disgust which consumed me. I was quite simply shocked.
After a tall mug of cool water, I calmed. Standing in the kitchen with my back resting against the mantel, I watched Dominic pour himself a drink.
“I am sorry,” I began. “I do not know why I overreacted. It was wrong of me.”
Dominic smiled and came to stand before me. He cupped my chin in his hand and tilted my face to look into his own. “Oh, Jillian,” he said softly. “I understand. For most people, witnessing two men acting in a romantic way would be unsettling because they are unused to it.” He bent his head, and his lips brushed my own. Then he stepped away. “In London, I knew many men like Perry and Marik, especially within the artistic community. I learned long ago to think of it as natural. ’Tis just one human being caring for another when it comes down to it, after all. “
I could agree with that, but yet the notion was still foreign to me.
“Imagine,” he continued. “How it must feel to love another and live within a society which condemns you. Indeed, it was not so long ago, men were put to death for engaging in a relationship with another of their sex. A cruel and unjust punishment, and I am glad it is no longer so.”
“You are right,” I said. “No person should die because they care for another. Yet it is still against the law for two men to conduct an affair, is it not?”
“Yes. In the eyes of the world, or at least most countries, it is considered an unnatural act for the same gender to feel passion. Perry is foolhardy displaying any sign of affection to Marik while in public.”
“Will you tell Perry we saw them?”
“I shall say I was there, but I prefer not to mention you, Jillian. It is right they should know so in future they’ll not be so reckless.”
I finished my water and placed the mug in the sink while I mulled over Dominic’s words. He was far more liberal-minded than I, yet I agreed with his opinions and I had no right to judge them. There had never been the need to think about the subject before. But how would I feel when I saw Perry again? Would I think of him differently now? Perhaps.
Dominic walked with me from the farm back to the road. “Do this one thing for me, it might help you understand. Imagine if you will, a world where you and I could show one another affection in public. If it were so, I would embrace you and kiss you farewell right now. But society dictates if would be improper, that we cannot show our affection without a ring. If I kissed you here and now, your reputation would be tarnished should we be seen. Perry and Marik can never have a ring to bind their love. They are forced to hide their feelings for one another. In the eyes of the world their love is considered an unnatural love. That is how it is to be a homosexual.”
Something in my mind suddenly clicked into place. I gasped.
“What is it?” he asked with concern.
“In the eyes of the world, it is unnatural,” I repeated Dominic’s words. “Remember, the note said unnatural.” Dominic’s face was blank.
“Dominic, Billy’s piece of paper was from a blackmail note. Whoever wrote it referred to an unnatural act, and—”
“Dear God, you are right,” Dominic said in wonder. “Flynn must have been blackmailing Marik and Perry as well.”
THE NEXT DAY UNCLE JASPER LEFT for Wadham University in Oxford and would be gone overnight. Dominic planned to contact Victor, and visit Billy, but promised to stop by on his way home later in the day. There was nothing more to be done regarding Flynn until Victor had been brought up to date. By mutual agreement, we determined it was better for Victor to remain ignorant of our suspicions that Perry might be another victim of Flynn’s blackmail. Instead, Dominic would speak with Perry at the first opportunity, rather than cause the family any more trouble. They had already endured enough.
I was finishing up with a particularly tricky transcription when I heard a carriage outside, and I got up to look out of the study window. It was Evergreen LaVelle come to see me. I opened the front door before she had a chance to knock and bade her come in.
She was dressed in black, befitting for her state of mourning. Yet the jaunty angle of her little hat mocked the solemnity of her costume. Evergreen dropped into the armchair facing my own, waved away my offer of tea and gave a theatrical sigh.
“It has been abysmal at home,” she complained, her brow knotted with annoyance.
“I can imagine,” I soothed. “Losing a family member is never easy.”
“Nonsense,” she snapped. “I wasn’t referring to my clumsy cousin falling off a balcony, but the herd of miserable, boring relatives who came to pay their respects to Father. I cannot believe I am related to such a dull set of people, Jillian.” She rolled her eyes in distaste. “Of course, they are all Mother’s side of the family. I much prefer the Symingtons in India. Only the stodgy ones live in England.”<
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I shook my head and swallowed my admonishment. It would serve no purpose. Evergreen LaVelle might be educated and rich, but she sorely lacked manners. Instead, I asked after her father.
“Oh, he is busy as usual. Dominic came to the house this morning, and they’ve been closeted in the study the entire time.” She spread her gloved hand on her lap and stared at it. “From what I hear, you are spending a great deal of time with our bohemian painter, Jillian. I have known Dom long enough that I can help you if there is anything you want to know about him?” She smiled, but it was feline. I wondered again if she harboured feelings for Dominic.
“No, thank you. I do not require your assistance. Dominic and I are friends—lord knows he has needed them in abundance since Billy’s arrest. There is no peace to be had for him, well, not until Billy is acquitted.”
“Acquitted?” She was aghast. “Why would that happen? The boy killed Jareth Flynn, and he’ll swing for it.” Her voice carried no compassion. Indeed, I even detected a small gleam in her eye. How could Evergreen be pleased Billy Wolfe might hang?
“The fact his knife was used does not constitute his guilt.” I chastised. “A thorough investigation is still ongoing. Billy deserves a fair trial.”
“Jillian, you are new around here, and consequently, I bear that in mind when I listen to what you say. But mark my words, that idiot boy has always been strange. As a matter of fact, he has even scared me a time or two, though I never told Father, nor Dominic, for that matter.”
I stared at her pretty face in disbelief. Was she being honest? I could not tell, yet instinctively I did not believe her. Evergreen LaVelle would never be easily scared. I doubted she would hesitate to report Billy’s behavior if he had made her uncomfortable. I decided to change the subject. “How well did you know Jareth Flynn?”
Her shift in posture was noticeable, and I sensed her discomfort. This pleased me.
“Why on earth are you asking me that? You know, Jillian, your propensity for bluntness can be most disconcerting, but sometimes it is insulting.” Evergreen LaVelle was profoundly displeased.
“I do not mean to offend you,” I placated. “But I would like to know about your relationship with the blacksmith.”
She got to her feet and walked over to the parlour window. Evergreen stood with her back to me for a few moments and then turned to face me. I could see her irritation by the rigidity of her posture, and her colour was up. “I take it you have a good reason for this impertinent question?”
I nodded.
“Oh, all right, I will tell you. I knew Flynn as a friend. But you cannot tell another soul because my father would kill me if he found out.” She walked back to take her vacated seat. “Look, Jillian. I got myself into a little predicament in London. Nothing too terrible, but Father was livid about it. He sent me to Hollyfield to keep me out of trouble and for me to pay penance. I was bored out of my mind. I met Flynn when my horse threw a shoe. Of course, he was not the kind of person I would ordinarily associate with, but then, I could say the same about you.”
I ignored her barb.
“The man was friendly, handsome, and he made me laugh. We became friends. And that is all.”
“How often did you meet?”
“I beg your pardon.”
“Jareth. Did you and he meet up as friends from time to time?”
She had the decency to blush. It answered my question, but I was not yet finished. “When did you last see him?”
“The day before they found his body. We met near our boathouse as he had business at Hollyfield.” I wondered what that business was but did not press her. Frankly, I was surprised she had told me even this much.
“Jillian, I had nothing to do with what happened to the man. I admit to being guilty of a little flirtation, but that is all.”
“Yet you are convinced Billy Wolfe killed him. A boy in a man’s body, who had no motive to kill Flynn.”
“Yes, he did.” Her voice was firm. “Jareth teased Billy all the time, and he probably just snapped.”
“If that were the case, he would have hit the man, not killed him.”
“Oh, so now you are a sleuth? It seems you are bent on putting the blame elsewhere.”
“Perhaps it is that I do not understand your intense dislike of Billy. How can you think him a lower life form because he has an affliction which he was born with?”
“What would you know about my feelings?”
“I know you are harsh whenever you speak of him, that you despise his condition. But why? What has Billy ever done to you?” I already knew. Billy had the audacity to be an unwelcome, unwanted half-brother. I did not tell her I was privy to the family’s secret. I wondered if she would tell me herself.
She returned to her seat. “Jillian, you know nothing of me or the LaVelles, yet you are very swift to judge. I come from an ambiguous family. On my father’s side, we are from hardworking-class stock. My mother’s family were aristocratic, and frankly prone to nervous dispositions, especially the women.” She sighed. “Mother lost two children before Perry and I were born. Vincent was stillborn, and Lucien lived for six weeks. By the time she gave birth to twins while living in India, it took much out of her. According to our ayah, Simka, Mother often spoke of her lost boys as though they were still alive. She spent much time in her sickbed, and Simka took care of Perry and me. I do not know what was wrong with our mother. It was most likely depression. Because she committed suicide when we were two years old.”
I gasped, “Oh, no.” I felt shame in goading her. The poor girl was unhappy and with good reason. To lose her mother at such a young age was tragic.
“So, you see, Jillian, I have experienced what mental illness does first-hand. If I am cruel in my opinion of Billy, then so be it, I make no apology. Now—” she rose to her feet. “I must be off. I really did just need a break from the miserable house. That is why I came.”
I stood up, wracked with guilt. “I am sorry for making you feel worse by dragging up the past. Please accept my apology, Evergreen. I hope I have not made you unhappy.”
“Do not concern yourself,” she said, reverting to her usual flippant tone. “I have lived with the consequences now for nineteen years. I believe I can manage a little conversation like this.”
I walked her to the hallway.
She stopped at the door and turned to me. “Would you be able to visit Hollyfield on Friday? Come for luncheon, Jillian, and spend the afternoon with me.” She sensed my hesitation. “Oh, say you can, please, else I shall go mad with being alone.”
I desperately wanted to refuse, yet after my indelicacy with her mother, I could not bring myself to decline.
DOMINIC CAME TO THE HOUSE late in the day and I felt ridiculously pleased to see him. We went straight into the kitchen where he gratefully accepted a thick ham sandwich and a frothy mug of ale. Mrs Stackpoole was out visiting a neighbour and we had the house to ourselves.
There were many questions I burned to ask but thought it better to let him sate his hunger first. I initiated the conversation. “Evergreen called today. She was bored from having family company so long and sought to be entertained by me instead.”
Dominic frowned. “How did that go? I’ll warrant she was as pent up as a caged beast.”
“You could say that. I shocked her because I asked about the relationship she had with Flynn.”
Dominic raised one thick brow. “You were feeling brave.”
“Apparently. Although I was rather surprised because she actually answered my question. Of course, she did not confess to having any type of romantic attachment to him but said it was a light flirtation and that he made her laugh.”
“Is that the secret to making a woman yearn for a man, then? Dear me, I shall throw down my paintbrush and learn to be funny.” He grinned devilishly, and I smiled back in amusement.
“She also spoke about her mother. I was quite hard on her for the way she talks about Billy, but it seems she has a deep-rooted fear of any
type of mental indisposition.” I watched Dominic take a sip of ale. “Did you know what happened to her mother?”
He nodded. “Yes, it is no secret, though most people don’t speak of it out of respect for the family.”
“I was ashamed of myself for being so inconsiderate. Yet Evergreen brushed it off and went on her way. But I did discover she saw Jareth the night before he died. She said he was near the boathouse as he had business at Hollyfield.”
“Well, that explains the watch being there. I wonder what business a blacksmith could have with the LaVelles?”
“She did not say. I still think the watch must have come off in a struggle. What if Jareth was there the night before and Evergreen saw something. She will not step forward in order to protect her reputation. For some reason she is intent on naming Billy as the villain, and I wish I knew why.”
Dominic pushed away his empty plate. “Evergreen was incensed with Victor when she discovered he was Billy’s father. I think she feels tainted by his condition, that it somehow makes her pedigree ignoble. She might not show it, but she is fiercely jealous of anyone receiving her father’s attention.”
“Really? I would not have guessed that. Evergreen seems to antagonize him at every opportunity.”
“A sure way to earn his attention,” Dominic said. He was right. It was working. There was far more to Miss LaVelle than met the eye.
Dominic pushed his chair back from the table but did not rise. I got up and went around to take away his plate, but he grasped my wrist and pulled me onto his lap. His thighs were firm and strong as he easily supported my weight. His arm encircled my waist while mine slid up to wrap around his neck. I savoured the sweet moment of anticipation before his lips met mine and lost myself in the warmth of his kiss. It was endless, and when we finally broke for air, my mouth felt deliciously stung and swollen.
His breathing matched my own, and as we looked into one another’s eyes, he gently traced a line down my cheek with a finger. “You are so beautiful, Jilly. You are like a siren, with your cat’s eyes and sable hair. My god, I am tormented with the need to either take you to my bed or paint you.”
