The Darkness of Perfection

by Michael Schneider

  He didn’t seem nearly as scary now as he had all those years ago. Then he opened his mouth. It seemed I was too hasty in my assessment.

  “Get those damn dogs away from the door. Judge Phillips will be arriving after dinner,” he barked.

  “Hello, Father,” Nicholas said.

  He faced us after the guard walked away. “Nicholas. Dinner is going to be ready soon. William is already here and Daniel should be here by the time you’re dressed.” He tilted his head back and sniffed the air. “Aw it’s going to be a glorious night.” Then he lowered his head and narrowed his eyes on me. I shuffled my feet, feeling at a distinct disadvantage standing in front of him in my bare feet.

  “Yes, a glorious night indeed.”

  Nicholas chuckled beside me. “Don’t tell me you’re getting sentimental in your old age?”

  “Not sentimental. Just willing to accept when I’m wrong on occasion,” he replied.

  “We’re going to get changed for dinner and we’ll see you in a few minutes.” He opened the door for me and turned back to his father, who pulled a cigar out of his jacket pocket. “Father,” Nicholas admonished.

  Richard held the cigar up for inspection. “I’m not gonna light it. I’m just gonna chew around on it a bit,” he hedged. He pointed it at Nicholas. “But mark my words, I’ll be lighting it in less than a year.

  Wouldn’t be a celebration without cigars.”

  Nicholas’s only response was laughter as he led me back in the house.

  I surveyed my appearance in the mirror, wanting to be certain I would measure up. If Nicholas was pleased then maybe he would continue to let me out of our room. Dinners must be a lot more formal than I remembered or William’s announcement called for a celebration. The dress he chose for me was white silk, a halter style with an open back, which stopped just above my knee. My hair was pulled up in a twist leaving my neck bare and my makeup was light and natural. Diamond earrings were my only jewelry. Everything was as he requested right down to the four-inch-heeled sandals on my feet, though I was in no position to argue.

  It reminded me of dressing for prom, except my mom wasn’t here to help me get ready. My dad wasn’t snapping a hundred pictures. And Kevin wasn’t tugging on his tie and complaining about his

  shoes pinching his feet. No, maybe it didn’t remind me of getting ready for prom after all. I shook my head in disgust at the direction my thoughts were going. It was wrong to compare the wonderful life I had before to any part of this atrocity now. I would have to guard against doing that, because if I found comparisons then I’d begin to relax, and then how many more steps was it to that surrender Nicholas claimed was inevitable?

  I looked at Nicholas in the mirror. He was just slipping on his black suit jacket over a starched white shirt, the top two buttons were undone and he was wearing black boots, giving him an air of casualness despite the suit. He patted his pockets and finally looked over to me.

  He slowly stalked across the room, coming to stand behind me. I shivered at the feeling of his knuckles trailing down my bare spine. I felt the heat of his gaze as he stared at me in the mirror taking in the plunging neckline in the front that bared the curve of my breasts. His breath whispered over my bare shoulder where he pressed his lips and my eyes closed involuntarily.

  “Inevitable, Jayden,” he declared, chuckling softly. “No.”

  “Yes.”

  I moved to pull away from him only to be stopped by his hand snaking around my waist to hold me firmly in place. His lips glided across my shoulder and up the side of my neck, stopping just behind my ear where he paused to suck lightly on the skin. He continued to watch my reaction in the mirror while he pressed his lips to the pulse at my neck. His eyes took on a knowing look, feeling the pounding of my heart in my vein.

  “I hate you,” I whispered firmly, though I shivered again when his teeth grazed my skin.

  He placed a last kiss at the crook of my neck and nodded. “For now,” he acknowledged. “I look forward to winning this battle with you as well.”

  He turned to pick up the delicate white shawl that was lying on the bed and placed it over my shoulders. “Tonight is very important to my brother and to my family. Along with my family my friend, Daniel, will be there and Judge Phillips is coming by after dinner to settle some business. You know what I expect from you tonight. You will not say or do anything to embarrass me. Remember my promise if you try to seek anyone’s help. I also won’t hesitate to use the cage if you give me even the slightest provocation. I want your promise or we don’t leave this room.”

  I thought of my family and Nicholas’s threats. I would do anything to keep them safe. “I promise.”

  He held out his arm expectantly and I placed my hand in the crook so he could escort me to dinner, playing the part of any normal couple.

  We entered the living room, causing his father, his brother and another man around Nicholas’s age to pause in their conversation and turn toward us. I recognized William right off; he took after their father the most. They all had the same powerful build and height, but where Nicholas had inherited his mother’s sandy blond hair, William’s was dark like his father’s used to be. I figured he wouldn’t be any different than the rest of the men in his family so there wasn’t any reason to give him more than that brief notice.

  I turned my attention to the man I didn’t know. He was taller than average but still fell short of the Harrison men in stature, and had short black hair and grey eyes. He was handsome, but not striking like Nicholas. That thought gave me pause. I was judging another man’s appearance using Nicholas as the measuring stick.

  Katherine was sitting on the sofa speaking quietly with another woman. She was young, maybe only a couple of years older than me so I assumed she was William’s wife. She was pretty with her high cheekbones, eyes so dark they appeared black from where she sat, and thick, long black hair. The fact that she was Hispanic didn’t shock me as much as the expression of love on her face when she looked at William.

  They took notice of our entrance and offered me a sad but encouraging smile from their place on the sofa.

  The man speaking with Richard and William excused himself and stepped forward to greet Nicholas with a handshake and wide grin. Turning his attention to me, he gave me an appraising leer. Nicholas didn’t appreciate his attention on me and slapped his chest with the back of his hand to regain his notice.

  “Knock it off,” he warned. “Jayden, you probably don’t remember Daniel from before, but this man has been my best friend since we were kids. His father was our family lawyer and now Daniel fills that roll.”

  “Pleasure to meet you,” I murmured politely, keeping Nicholas’s threats firmly in mind.

  Daniel leaned forward and kissed my cheek in greeting. When he pulled back he let his eyes rake over me once again, making my skin crawl in revulsion at the stamp of approval in his eyes, before he turned back to Nicholas and laughed.

  “I have to admit, I agreed with everyone else and never thought I’d see the day. Good thing I didn’t bet the farm on it.”

  Nicholas slipped his arm around my waist and tucked me closer against him, staking his claim clearly to his friend. “You’ve brought the paperwork that needs to be signed? Judge Philips will be here after dinner.”

  “Have I ever let you down? I’m your best friend, remember? It’s all part of the job description.”

  Their conversation turned to legalese and contracts so I stood silently and let my gaze wander around the room. Richard and William were having a heated discussion in the far corner. Their voices were low, but William’s tense stance and clenched fists were a clear indication he wasn’t happy with whatever was being discussed.

  He must have sensed my stare because he turned and glared in my direction. His expression held so much anger and disgust that I cringed like I’d been physically slapped.

  My movement must have caught Nicholas’s attention. He paused in his conversation and looked down at me and then across
to see what had caused my reaction. At seeing his brother’s glare, he leaned down to kiss my temple.

  “Don’t mind William. He has a lot on his mind tonight,” he explained, dismissively. “Trust me, his animosity isn’t directed at you. He’s just being disagreeable.”

  I was distracted by a soft touch on my shoulder and turned to see Katherine had joined us. Her eyes held so much sadness and her smile appeared forced, but her voice was sincere when she spoke. “You look very beautiful, Jayden.”

  “Thank you.”

  She turned to Nicholas, taking in his appearance as well. She reached to touch his cheek, but halted when he pulled back slightly, causing her to drop her hand back to her side. “You look very handsome this evening, Nicholas.” She looked at me again briefly, before turning back to Nicholas. “Please reconsider. This isn’t-”

  “That’s enough, Katherine,” Richard cut in. His tone was sharp and demanding when he and William joined us. “Is dinner ready?”

  Her eyes dropped to the ground, clearly intimidated by her husband. “I’ll check on it now. I’m sure you could move into the dining room.”

  She slipped quietly out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen. Seeing more of the house, I was beginning to remember where everything was.

  “Well, you heard the little wife,” Richard announced. “Looks like dinner is served.”

  Dinner was interesting. The men discussed politics and business, both legal and illegal. Katherine and Grace I’d finally learned her name when William had taken a moment to introduce us - sat silently unless conversation was directed toward them, which was rare and consisted mainly of being ordered to pass something on the table. I found myself watching William and Grace often from the corner of my eye. I saw the warmth in his expression when he looked at her and the way his fingers would brush against the back of her hand resting on the table between them. Seeing their interaction, I wondered how long she had been trapped before she caved under the pressure. Would I succumb as Grace obviously had, caught up in circumstances beyond my control, and become just another mindless drone?

  When their staff had finished clearing the table, William cleared his throat and stood, gaining everyone’s attention. “If I could have everyone’s attention, please? Grace and I have an announcement to make.” He held Grace’s hand and looked down at her sitting beside him. His expression was filled with so much love when he touched her cheek I felt like I was intruding on a private conversation. She looked up at him and her eyes were filled with joy and happiness. “We’re having a baby,” he announced. He was grinning widely, his own happiness evident in his expression.

  Katherine’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, William! Grace, I’m so happy for you both.”

  Richard snorted. “We’ve heard this before, William. Nothing to get so excited about.”

  William turned to his father and I was shocked at the pure hatred that flashed in his eyes before he schooled his expression to cold indifference. “Yes, we have,” he said slowly. “However, she is four months along. The doctor said everything looks positive and we’re taking every precaution with her health.”

  Richard only grunted in response. “Well, forgive me if I don’t rush to break out the cigars just yet.

  Give me a grandson and then we’ll see if you made the right choice after all. I always knew it was a mistake to mix blood.”

  My jaw dropped in astonishment at the ugly prejudice coming out of his mouth directed toward his daughter-inlaw. Granted, we were no better than slaves, kidnapped and enslaved to this life, but the fact that he obviously disapproved of William’s wife was probably the biggest shock I’d had to date.

  Then Nicholas stood and surprised me even further.

  “Father, that’s quite enough,” he snapped. He walked around the table and grasped his brother, who was still glaring at Richard, his face turning red in his anger, by the arm. Nicholas turned William to wrap his arms around his shoulders, slapping him on the back. “I, for one, am happy for you. I’m sure everything will be fine. Don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything you need.” He turned to Grace next and squatted down beside her, which seemed to shock the hell out of her as much as me. “You take care of that little one in there.” He smiled and pointed to where her hand lay on her stomach as if protecting her unborn child from Richard’s ugliness. “If William gives you any trouble, you let me know and I’ll set him straight,” he joked.

  A servant came in the room at that moment, announcing Judge Phillips had arrived.

  “All right, enough of this, why don’t we all adjourn to the garden and then have dessert?” Richard invited. “We still have some celebrating to do this evening.” He stood, signaling the end of any further discussion regarding their good news.

  “Nicholas-” William started.

  “William, your concerns are duly noted, but enough already. You’re giving me a headache with all of your damn bellyaching,” Richard interrupted.

  Nicholas stood and turned to stare pointedly at his brother, smirking at the harsh reprimand. “You got yours, now I get mine,” he stated mysteriously. He walked back around the table to pull my chair out, and his hand was warm against my lower back as he guided me out onto the patio with everyone else. I noticed the guards and dogs were absent now, which seemed odd, but before I could think about it further Nicholas was introducing me to the elderly man who had joined us.

  “Jayden, this is the Honorable Eugene Phillips. Eugene, I’d like you to meet my Jayden.”

  Judge Phillips looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties and if ever anyone epitomized the stereotypical sleazy lawyer or politician, it would be this man. His hair was slicked down against his scalp and his comb-over did nothing to hide the fact that he was almost completely bald on top.

  Really, he would probably have looked better if he just gave it up and shaved his head. He certainly wouldn’t have looked any worse. He was almost as tall as Nicholas and probably weighed close to three hundred pounds. His bulbous nose, ruddy complexion and potbelly were a clear indication that his favorite beverage was alcoholic.

  He reached for my hand and I fought to keep a straight face and not show the revulsion I felt when his hot, sweaty hand engulfed mine. He tilted his head slightly to the side and narrowed his eyes, studying me critically. I assumed I passed his inspection when he offered me a broad smile and a wink.

  “You’ve certainly led our boy here on a merry chase, haven’t you? You appear worth all the trouble he’s gone through, though.”

  Nicholas distracted him. “How about a drink, Eugene?”

  I was quickly forgotten as a servant brought a short glass filled with ice and amber liquid to him on a silver tray. He drained the glass completely and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then handed it back to the servant, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

  He turned his attention back to me and shook his head. “Tut tut. Every pretty girl needs flowers,” he decreed. “Just not right without them, in my book.” With his hands on his hips, he looked around the patio for a moment before waddling over to a large planter in the corner filled with white geraniums.

  He snapped off several flowering heads and brought them back, handing them to me with a smile.

  “Thank you.” I offered him a genuine smile in return for the flowers. It was unnecessary, but still a thoughtful gesture. It seemed I had been too hasty in my judgment and maybe he was a nice man after all who just drank too much.

  Nicholas shook his head and laughed at him. “You know if you aren’t careful, word’s going to get around that you’re just an old softy and hopeless romantic at heart, Eugene. Anyone who comes into your court is going to think you’re a soft touch.”

  Judge Phillips bellowed, his potbelly shaking with his mirth while he shook a finger at Nicholas. “You know the only soft touch I have is for my Anna, God rest her soul, and my godsons. You and William are the only family I still claim. Everyone else can go to hell
as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Eugene, you’re beginning to babble,” Richard warned, though there was a hint of laughter in his voice which was surprising.

  Judge Phillips snorted in Richard’s direction. “I’m not babbling. I’m stating facts plain and simple.

  You got two good boys despite the fact that you’re their father. My Anna and I were never blessed so you’ll forgive me if I feel a little partial to my godsons.”

  He cleared his throat, tugged his jacket down over his round middle and used his hand to smooth his hair, unnecessarily.

  Nicholas clasped my free hand in his and brought it to his lips. “Eugene was right. Every girl needs flowers.” His expression was filled with warmth and a hint of something else. He turned back to Judge Phillips and nodded his agreement.

  “Thank you,” I murmured and lowered my gaze again to the flowers in my hand.

  I couldn’t shake the odd feeling like I was missing something vital. I wasn’t sure what to make of Judge Phillips. He appeared to be a lonely old man, but he was involved with the Harrisons so that meant he was probably aware of their illegal activities and condoned them as well. I couldn’t see what everyone else was doing behind us and wondered briefly why no one else came forward to visit with him or why he didn’t move on to visit with the others either.

  Judge Phillips offered me an encouraging smile. “I bet you didn’t know I knew your mother, did you?

  Lovely woman, but not like my Anna. She was the gentlest creature God ever created.” He shook his head sadly. “Shame she isn’t here gathered with the rest of the family on this glorious night.” He sniffed slightly and cleared his throat. “Now for the record, I hear you like our Nicholas. Is that a fact?”

  There was something odd in the way he spoke to me that gave me a feeling of trepidation, but again, I couldn’t put my finger on it. Nicholas squeezed my hand and I looked up at him quickly. His eyes narrowed in warning. Hearing that Judge Phillips knew my mother from before made me uneasy. He was old and couldn’t hurt anyone, but Nicholas could. If anything, he simply reminded me again who my actions could hurt, so I took a deep breath and plastered a smile worthy of my high school theater teacher and replied. “Yes sir, I do.”