by Amy Cross
“I...” He paused. “I will not be long,” he said after a moment. “When I get back, I will make the Tenderling tell me everything.”
“So these things can talk?” Kate asked cautiously, staring down at the hideous creature.
“No,” Nixon said. “They can't, actually.”
“Then I will teach it to speak,” Edgar said darkly, “just so that it can confess its sins, and then I will peel it apart piece by piece while it screams for mercy.” With that, he turned and left the room.
“How's Estella really doing?” Kate asked after a moment, turning to Nixon.
“About as well as can be expected for someone who was attacked in the middle of the night, on her own, by a creature straight out of a nightmare world,” Nixon replied. “Physically, she has some cuts and bruises, but emotionally... I know this sounds like a crazy thing to say, but I hope Edgar actually gives her some support for once, because she's going to need it. I think she's also a little peeved about...” His voice trailed off, as if he was having second thoughts about finishing the sentence.
“About what?” Kate asked.
“Oh, just this and that,” Nixon replied cautiously. “Hopefully nothing that'll cause a big problem.”
***
As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, Edgar realized that he could hear someone sobbing in one of the rooms at the far end of the corridor. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, before making his way toward the door, only to stop as he realized that the sound was coming not from Estella's dressing room but, in fact, from a room that was much closer, a room that he had not visited for some time. Pausing, he reached out to open the door, before an errant thought suddenly struck him.
Knock.
He should knock.
He raised his fist, but the situation felt ridiculous. The mansion was his now, so there was no need for him to knock on any its doors. At the same time, he could hear a voice in the back of his mind, telling him that he should show a little restraint.
“Knock, Edgar. For God's sake...”
The voice was Kate Langley's. It was as if, somehow, she had wriggled her way into a corner of his soul.
Sighing, he knocked gently on the door.
Silence.
He waited, wondering what he should do next.
Finally, he knocked again. Hearing no response from inside, he reached out and turned the handle, before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
“Madeleine?” he said cautiously.
Seeing a figure curled up on the bed, convulsing with sobs, he paused. His first instinct was to leave and continue his search for Estella, but at the last moment he found himself imagining some more of Kate's advice:
“She's your sister. Go and comfort her.”
Realizing that he had no choice but to at least check if Madeleine was okay, he carefully closed the door before making his way across the darkened room and stopping next to the bed, where Madeleine gave no indication that she'd even noticed his arrival as she continued to cry. He paused, wondering how to break the silence, and feeling – for the first time since he'd inherited the mansion – deeply uncomfortable in his own home.
“I...” he said finally, struggling to think of the right thing. “Madeleine... Are you okay?” He immediately winced a little, feeling as if he'd shown some weakness.
The sobbing stopped for a moment, and finally she looked up at him. Her eyes were red and sore, with tears running freely down her cheeks, but there was a hint of shock in her eyes, as if she didn't quite believe what she was seeing.
“I was passing,” he continued, somewhat awkwardly, “and I heard... a noise, coming from your room.”
“It's okay,” she replied, her voice trembling with emotion, “I'm fine. You can go back to the party.”
Edgar opened his mouth to reply, but as music continued to drift through the house from the ballroom, he realized that although Madeleine had explicitly told him that she was fine, there was a distinct possibility that she was lying.
“Talk to her, you idiot,” he imagined Kate saying. “She's your sister. It's not enough just to care about her, you have to show it as well.”
Still feeling distinctly out of place, he sat on the bed next to her. The bed creaked a little.
“Edgar,” Madeleine whimpered, clearly on the verge of breaking down again, “I don't want to fight right now.”
“Neither do I.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because... Because you're upset.”
She stared at him, as if she genuinely couldn't believe the words that had just come from his mouth.
“Have you...” She paused. “Have you been possessed or something?”
“This is about him, isn't it?” he continued. “Benjamin Wood, the human with whom you've been having a dalliance...”
“It's not a dalliance,” she spat back at him. “I love him.” She paused again. “You don't have to worry about it, though, because it's over. I told him to leave me alone. The last thing I want is to drag him into this mess.”
“What mess?”
“Us, Edgar,” she replied, wiping her eyes. “The mess that the Le Comptes create wherever they go.” She sniffed back some more tears. “I've seen what's happening to Estella and I can't let the same thing happen to Benjamin.”
“Estella?” He paused, confused by his sister's words. “Is something happening to Estella?”
Smiling, she shook her head. “You're really something,” she told him. “Did you know that? You create so much drama and crisis wherever you go, but you really don't notice it, do you?”
“Estella is happy,” he replied. “She wants to marry me, and she wants to carry my children, and that is what's going to happen. Why would she not be happy about -”
Suddenly Madeleine broke down, pressing her face into her pillow as she began to sob again.
“You should not have ended your relationship with Benjamin,” Edgar told her. “I went and spoke to him recently, and I found him to be a very agreeable type. For a human, at least.”
“It's over,” she replied between sobs. “Just let it be, Edgar.”
“It doesn't have to be over,” he continued. “If you truly love this man, and if he truly loves you, then...” He paused, trying to find the right words. “I see no reason why you should not at least make an effort.”
“You don't understand,” she replied. “Just go, Edgar. You're really bad at talking about these things.”
“I'm trying to help.”
“Since when do you ever help?” she asked, turning to him again.”What's your endgame here, Edgar? Is this some kind of a trick? Are you setting me up just so that you can knock me down again? I know how much you delight in hurting people.”
“Madeleine -”
“I'm pregnant!” she shouted, sitting up and fixing him with an angry stare. “Are you happy now? I didn't know it at the time, when I told him to leave me alone, but I'm certain now... I'm carrying his child!” She broke down sobbing again. “What the hell am I going to do with it, Edgar?”
He stared at her for a moment, before finally moving closer to her and putting an arm around her shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she whimpered.
“Comforting you.”
She wiped more tears away and turned to him with a shocked expression.
“Are you ill?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“Are you... doing this for a bet?”
“No.”
“God, Edgar,” she continued with a sigh, “you're really starting to freak me out, do you know that? Whatever's wrong with you, whatever's causing you to suddenly act like you care, it's really goddamn weird.”
They sat in silence for a moment, as Edgar tried to think of something appropriate that he might say. He tried to imagine Kate giving him advice, but he couldn't quite manage to come up with anything.
“Are you certain that you're carrying his child?” he asked finally.
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br /> “I am.”
“And he does not know this?”
“He can't. It would complicate things.”
Edgar paused for a moment. “Is it not traditional,” he said eventually, “for two people, when they love each other, to want to be together? Especially if there is a child involved.”
“And how can Benjamin and I be together?” she spat back at him.
“Being in the same room as him might help,” he replied.
“Just so you can tear him apart?”
“I'm not a monster, Madeleine. A child is...” He paused, searching for the right words. “You must reconsider your decision. I am certain that this Benjamin, if he is indeed a man deserving of your love, must be a good person who will do the right thing. If you invite him up here -”
“You have got to be joking,” she replied, wiping away more tears. “Edgar, I don't know why you're trying to act like you care, but it really doesn't suit you. I can deal with this myself, the way I deal with everything, so why don't you go and do whatever the hell you do most evenings, and I'll deal with this situation, and then we can meet at dinner occasionally and smile at one another like nothing's wrong!”
“I am your brother,” he told her, “and your guardian. I want to see you happy, and if a union with this man would do that, then you have my blessing.”
“He asked me to marry him,” she replied, “and I turned him down.”
“You did?” He paused. “You can be very confusing sometimes.”
“I told him I hated him,” she continued. “I told him I was just playing with him, that he was lucky I didn't kill him. At first he didn't believe me, but over time I persuaded him and now... There's no way back, Edgar. I made my decision, and I stand by it. It was the only way to push him away and make sure he never tries to get me back.”
They sat in silence for a moment, before Edgar finally removed a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.
“What about the child?” he asked as she wiped her eyes. “This complicates things a great deal. Any child born to you will be a Le Compte.”
“I can't raise a child,” she replied, her voice tense with emotion. “You know I can't, Edgar. Don't patronize me by claiming otherwise.”
“I think you can do it with help,” he told her. “With my help, and perhaps Estella's and Kate's too.”
“Kate?” She stared at him for a moment. “She seems to have moved into your inner circle rather quickly, brother. Is there something I should know about?”
“Kate has already helped me a great deal,” he replied, looking down at her belly. “Don't try to change the subject, Madeleine. The child will not wait for you to make a decision. This house is not an ideal place for anyone to live, but while I must stay and ensure the survival of the Le Compte name, it might be possible for you to travel.”
“Edgar -”
“This is my offer to you,” he continued, interrupting her. “I will give you all the money you need, and you can take Benjamin and travel anywhere in the world. You can raise the child free of the influence of this island, and I truly believe you will have at least a chance of happiness. There will be Le Compte blood in your offspring's veins, but that cannot be helped.”
She shook her head.
“Please,” he added. “Think about it.”
“And leave you here?” she asked. “I'm sorry, Edgar, but that isn't going to happen. You might not want to admit it, but you need me, and you'd never be able to make this place work if I was gone.” She wiped more tears away. “Thank you for cheering me up with the idea, though. I do so love it when you make me laugh.”
They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the sound of music in the distance.
“Your parties are better than father's,” she said eventually.
“I know,” he replied, with his arm still around her shoulder. “I seem to have a knack for these things.”
***
“The sun will be coming up soon,” Kate pointed out as she washed her hands in the mansion's kitchen. “I feel as if this night has been going on forever.”
“His Lordship's parties often continue until sunrise,” Jacob replied, heading to the back door. “Never later, though. By the time the sun is up, the guests are always gone.”
“And where do they go to?” Kate asked, turning to him.
“To wherever they must wait,” he told her, “until the next time they are called. The truth is, they are always around, in one form or another. Edgar just chooses when the rest of us can see them.” Opening the door, he headed outside, leaving Kate to make her way to the counter and start drying her hands.
“Well that's not creepy at all,” Kate muttered, turning to dry her hands on a towel.
Hearing the door again, she assumed that the old man must have returned.
“Edgar must tell you things, though,” she continued. “Has he ever discussed all those dead souls? Why does he keep them around, anyway?”
“I think,” Estella replied, “that he likes to pretend they're his friends.”
Turning, Kate saw that Estella was still wearing her tattered ballgown, and that there were several cuts on her face and neck.
“Sorry, I thought you were -”
“Jacob,” Estella said with a faint smile, “yes, of course you did. I'm sorry, Kate, I must confess that I was loitering, waiting for him to leave you alone. I dislike having private conversations in front of the staff, I feel like they can't help but listen and sometimes one simply must find a moment to be alone.”
“Are you okay?” Kate asked, heading over to her. “Has anyone looked at those cuts? They seem nasty.”
“They'll heal.”
“But there might be an infection.”
“I doubt it,” she replied calmly, “and if there is, I can always deal with it when it arises. The island has many naturally-occurring remedies for such things, one simply has to know which plants to pick. But I suppose you have no idea about that sort of thing, since you weren't born on Thaxos. It doesn't matter how long an outsider stays here, they can never know all the island's secrets.” She paused, eying Kate with suspicion. “You and Edgar were gone for quite a long time, I believe. I myself was out for a while, but as I understand it, the pair of you went to the stone circle.”
“We were following up a few leads.”
“That seems like rather unusual behavior, considering you were supposed to be merely attending a party.”
“We wanted to check something at the stone circle,” Kate replied. “Didn't Edgar tell you when he came up to see you just now?”
“See me? Oh, Edgar didn't come up to see me. I was in my room for a while, so he certainly knew where I was, but I'm afraid he didn't see fit to come and make sure that I'm okay. I suppose he had more important things to be doing.”
“He did?” Kate paused. “I'm sorry, I thought he was coming to you. I told him he should, and he seemed to realize that I was right.”
“You told him? Well, that's very sweet of you.”
“Edgar can be a little intense sometimes,” Kate continued. “He has a tendency to focus on certain things and ignore others, and from time to time that means he neglects things that are important.”
“I know all of this,” Estella replied. “With the best will in the world, Kate, I don't need you to tell me about my fiance.”
“Of course not, I just -”
“There is a side of Edgar's life that I will never see,” she continued, “and that I should never see. I gather than in the world from which you came, women have a different role in life, but here on Thaxos, in this day and age, a woman has to accept her place. It's certainly not for me to go running off with Edgar to have some grand adventure, not even after our wedding, because that's simply not something that a wife should do with her husband. Maybe I'm old-fashioned by your standards, but you must understand that there are certain ways that we do things here, Kate. You can't expect to come racing through and start ripping our rules to pieces.�
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“I'd never dream of doing that.”
“Then I hope we understand one another,” she added. “I also hope that you'll still help me prepare for my wedding. I would so dearly like it if we could be friends, even if I've had to... reset things a little.”
“I'd be honored,” Kate replied.
“Then we're in agreement,” Estella said, turning and heading for the door. “The party is coming to an end. I'm sure Edgar will arrange for you to be taken back into town.”
“I'm sure he will,” Kate replied, turning to look at the window just in time to see the first rays of dawn starting to show on the horizon.
IV
“Well?” Nixon asked a short while later, looking up from his book as Edgar returned to the study. “Did you -”
He stopped as soon as he saw the mess of blood and flesh in Edgar's hand. Reaching the desk, Edgar dropped the Tenderling's dead body in front of Nixon, leaving him in no doubt that the creature had finally been killed.
“Looks like you're done with the little chap, then,” Nixon said, grimacing as he took a fountain pen and used the end to poke at the corpse, exposing sections of broken bone. “I don't suppose he gave up anything of interest?”
“I was able to see into its mind,” Edgar replied darkly. “Just flashes, really. The mind of a Tenderling turns out to be a messy, disorganized thing that makes little sense, I can't even imagine how they're fumble to make their way through the world, but still...” He paused. “I saw glimpses of the day when it was sealed into the chamber. As we've always suspected, there was indeed a religious order on Thaxos many centuries ago, and they're the ones who are responsible for all of this.”
“A religious order?” Nixon asked, poking at a piece of the corpse before realizing that it was the remains of the creature's head. “Of what denomination?”
