Strawberry Fields

by Pelaam

  The concept appealed to Nicolas and he nodded enthusiastically. “That sounds perfect. I’ve made all of those things.”

  “Excellent.” Ernst clapped his hands. “We are currently looking at a city center location, in the prime shopping district, naturally. We can showcase parts for the more specialized customer, as well as expanding our market. We see this as an excellent way to move our businesses forward.”

  “That’s marvelous. But surely this is a long-term investment. It will take time to make such items.” Nicolas’s head whirled. He was enthused, excited, and anxious in equal measure.

  “Oh, Nicolas, how exciting for you.” Nathan’s bright smile lifted Nicolas’s spirits even higher. If I can make a success of this, I can give Nathan the life he deserves.

  “Don’t worry, Nicolas.” Gerhardus patted Nicolas’s shoulder. “We have a couple of excellent men already employed in making the small goods we want, and one other who has your special talent currently overseeing them. But he’s getting old and would welcome a younger man’s help and talent. It’s taken us a long time to find a man such as yourself.”

  That didn’t surprise Nicolas at all. “Those like me tend to prefer to remain in the shadows. People fear and mistrust that which they cannot understand, or which is different.”

  “You’re right, of course.” Ernst nodded. “My brother and I came here from Germany when children. This is our home and has been for many years. But there are still some who see us as outsiders or interlopers.”

  “And we appreciate talent, Nicolas.” Gerhardus leaned forward. “You and Nathan are men of talent, even if that talent is vastly different.”

  “Enough of work. We can discuss things more after lunch.” Ernst rubbed his hands, and an eager smile curved his lips. “And we can introduce Nathan to the hatter who thinks so highly of the work he saw.”

  “It was just one hat.” Nathan immediately demurred, but Nicolas wasn’t going to allow his lover to bring himself down.

  “But it was quite exquisite, Nathan,” he said.

  “Indeed, it was, Nicolas.” Ernst nodded. “Langdon Weller is a hatter of repute. He, like us, knows and appreciates talent. The lady who wore that hat was the talk of the day, and fully intends to order more such hats, as do her friends. Of course, the milliner your delightful sister works for won’t be able to complete such orders, and our friend has the ear of some of the other ladies. Without causing any embarrassment to Miss Amaretta, he’ll suggest they put in an order with him. With Nathan at his side, they will produce such hats as to turn the heads of every woman in town.”

  “I don’t know—” Nathan started, but Gerhardus held up a hand to stop his protests.

  “But we do. And, more importantly for Nathan, Langdon does, too. Now, no more worrying, and no more talk of work. Amias, kindly bring our carriage around and we’ll go for lunch.”

  “Yes, sir.” With a wink to Nicolas, Amias hurried off.

  “He’s a good man. He’ll go far in life.” Gerhardus watched Amias with an affectionate expression. We found him in a ditch. Raised him ourselves.”

  Nicolas looked from brother to brother. “You have no children of your own?”

  “No. We never married.” Gerhardus’s smile was wistful. “There was always something we needed to do, somewhere we had to go. Time flew past us. Then we found Amias. Although we didn’t have wives, we found ourselves a son. All of this will be his one day. He just needs to take care of us in our dotage.”

  “I’m sure that’s very many years away.” Nicolas shook his head.

  “Amias says the same.” Ernst laughed heartily. “At least it’s not imminent. We both still have all our faculties. Now, this way.”

  After several pleasurable hours with the brothers and Amias, Nicolas and Nathan were taken to meet Weller. The restaurant was one of the city’s finest, but the brothers merely shooed Nicolas and Nathan before them.

  The restaurant’s maître d’ came over and bowed the moment he saw the brothers. “Welcome back, sirs. I see you have guests.”

  “Well, actually, we’re all the guests of Mr. Langdon Weller. He has a table booked?” Gerhardus spoke up.

  “Yes, indeed, sir. If you would care to follow me?” The maître d’ turned smartly on his heel and led them deeper into the restaurant.

  Walking slightly to the left of the brothers, Nicolas got his first look at Langdon Weller. The man wore a dark blue velvet suit, with a white frilled shirt, and the cravat at his throat that matched the blue of the suit. His thick shock of dark hair had a liberal sprinkling of grey, but his face was open and friendly, and there was no mistaking his enthusiasm as they approached. The man’s gaze darted back and forth as he looked for Nathan who remained hidden by the Wolfestan brothers.

  “My name is Langdon. It’s a pleasure to see you all and have you as my guests for lunch.” Langdon gave a theatrical bow. Gerhardus and Ernst shook his hand in turn.

  “Thank you, my dear Langdon, a warm welcome indeed.” Gerhardus stepped aside and indicated Nicolas who came forward. “This is Nicolas Broadberry, who is going to come under our wing. And this is the virtuoso of design, whose talent has so caught your attention. Mister Nathan Smith.”

  Nicolas received a swift handshake, a flash of a smile and then Langdon’s gaze settled on Nathan and his smile widened.

  “My dear Mr. Smith, you have a rare talent. A rare talent indeed.”

  “Langdon, may I just point out that Mr. Smith and Mr. Broadberry are a couple.” Ernst spoke quietly, but there was a definite inflection that Nicolas didn’t miss.

  Not that he felt any need to be concerned about Nathan’s safety. He sensed nothing dark about Langdon. To his delight, Nathan slipped his hand into Nicolas’s.

  “Yes. We are.” Nathan gazed with undisguised love into Nicolas’s eyes, and for a moment, nothing and no one else existed for Nicolas. He felt cocooned in Nathan’s love.

  “Ah, I see.” There was a hint of disappointment in Langdon’s voice, but when Nicolas looked at him, his lips were curved into a more affectionate smile. “And a very fine couple you make, too.”

  “Now, we will enjoy a good lunch before turning conversation to such mundane matters as work.”

  “You wound me, Ernst.” Langdon clutched dramatically at his chest. “How can you say that such glorious art as Nathan can create is merely mundane? You don’t mind me calling you Nathan, do you?”

  “Uh, no. Not at all.” Nathan shook his head.

  There was a glint of mischief in Langdon’s eyes as he took his seat, and Nicolas found himself warming to the theatrical hatter as quickly as he had the brothers. Finally, his and Nathan’s lives seemed to have taken a turn for the better.

  Work they would each enjoy, employers that gave Nicolas a good feeling, and a way of getting out of Secundus’s slum-like accommodation and into something of their own. The latter may take longer than Nicolas would prefer, but for now, the future was looking bright.

  Very bright indeed.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Three weeks sped by and Nicolas could scarcely believe how fast they went. Lady Valentina extended her stay with her cousin, much to Nicolas’s relief. Although to all intents and purposes Nathan’s room was Nicolas’s old attic room, in reality they slept entwined in one another’s arms every night in Amaretta’s old room while she continued to occupy Lady Valentina’s.

  Nicolas was enjoying working for the Wolfestan brothers. He couldn’t imagine working for anyone who cared as much for the welfare of their employees. Nathan was equally happy working for Langdon.

  That evening was going to be very special. Both he and Amaretta were excited, but in Nathan’s case, the excitement was tempered by anxiety. Langdon had been so enthused by Nathan’s hat designs, he’d arranged for examples to be made up and was hosting a showing at a prestigious hotel to whet customers’ appetites and encourage hat orders.

  Nicolas was attending as Nathan’s guest, and Amaretta insisted Jasper escort her. E
ven Lady Valentina was travelling in with her cousin to attend. While Nicolas was immensely proud of his lover’s achievement, he also knew how nervous Nathan had been over the last few days.

  No expense had been spared by Langdon for Nathan’s show. It was being held in the Adelphi Hotel, with champagne and canapés for the guests. Thanks to the generous wages he was being paid, Nicolas had bought new clothes for himself and Nathan, and Amaretta was not only going to wear her best gown, but a hat, especially created for her by Nathan.

  Given their room was so small, Nathan had dressed first and now waited for Nathan to join him. Wanting his lover to have center stage, Nicolas had opted for a more conservative suit in black velvet for himself, while Nathan’s was blue. Nicolas knew Nathan would look stunning in the color.

  A moment later, his lover walked into the room and Nicolas couldn’t have stopped his gasp of admiration, even if he’d tried.

  “It’s perfect. You look amazing in it. You’ll shine like the star you are tonight, my love.”

  “I hope and pray I don’t let any of you down. Do I really look good in this?” Nathan hurried over to Nicolas and laid his head on Nicolas’s shoulder.

  “Yes, you do.” Nicolas kissed the top of Nathan’s head just as a loud rap sounded on their front door. “That’s bound to be Jasper. Mother is going straight to the hotel. As soon as Amaretta is ready we can go.”

  Thirty minutes later, Nicolas led the way up the hotel’s steps. Although it had meant Nathan worked late into several nights in the run up to the exhibition, they were all wearing his unique hat designs.

  Amaretta’s hat was a lady’s wide-brimmed topper in copper jacquard material with a band of deep brown silk. On the front of the brim, Nathan had created a miniature of Poppet. At the back, with Nicolas’s help, was an elegant, fully-working timepiece in the shape of a grandfather clock, surrounded by tiny gears and golden filigree. At the side were several partridge feathers, pinned by an amber brooch.

  The hat matched perfectly with Amaretta’s bronze and gold dress, and even Nicolas had to admit that she looked amazing. Jasper stood tall at her side, just short of strutting like a peacock. But hers wasn’t the only specially designed hat for the evening.

  Jasper’s derby not only held his goggles, but a small pistol, expertly disguised within a collection of cogs, a few spare bullets, a miniature magnifying glass, and a skeleton key. All of which were fully functional.

  Nicolas’s own topper in black silk had a gold silk band which held an assortment of miniature tools of his trade, and one of the eyepieces of his goggles had extra magnifying lenses that could be pulled into place for very close or intricate work.

  But the hat that turned the heads of the older ladies was the one Lady Valentina wore. Her midnight-blue velvet hat matched her dress to perfection. A lighter blue silk band was decorated with a blue silk rose at the side and a blue and gold cameo brooch at the front. The back was a riot of purple, blue, and dark green feathers.

  With Nathan on his left, and his mother on his right, her cousin walking behind with Jasper and Amaretta, Nicolas led the way through the hotel foyer and into the conference room that had been converted for the show.

  Whether whimsical or practical, Nathan’s hats caused an instant stir. A hubbub of sound grew around them as they walked into the room, and across the marble floor to take their place as Langdon’s guests of honor at the top table.

  There were still a few empty tables where the guests had yet to arrive, but Nicolas had no concerns. According to Nathan, Langdon had even declined requests for seats. Tickets had sold out, once word had spread. Those guests already in place were all well-dressed, but even the most flamboyant hat paled against Nathan’s creations.

  A swell of pride suffused Nicolas. The Wolfestan brothers, along with Amias, were already seated, and within minutes, everybody at the table was chatting as if they were long-time friends.

  Nicolas relaxed as waiters buzzed back and forth with dainty finger food and topped up empty champagne glasses. The lights dimmed, and Langdon made his appearance on the stage to loud applause. With his trademark effusive bow, Langdon greeted the audience.

  “Welcome, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, a heartfelt welcome to you all. Now, as you know from my invitation, this show isn’t to celebrate me. Although I do fully claim the credit for discovering such a rare talent. But before I reveal the newest additional to my exclusive team of hat makers, you’ll want to see for yourselves why I’m so excited to have him.” Langdon backed away, waving expansively toward the back of the stage.

  One after another, allowing the audience to coo and gasp their appreciation, two models—a man and a woman—came onto the stage, showing off Nathan’s creations. When the hubbub died down a little, the waiters refilled plates and glasses. After a few moments, the models came back onto the stage wearing different hats.

  Eight hats in total were revealed and the audience’s enthusiastic reception was all Nicolas could have hoped for Nathan. When Langdon came back on to the stage, he received loud applause, but he held up his hands, shaking his head.

  “Thank you, I thank you one and all. But the applause isn’t due to me, but to my protégé. Please welcome onto the stage, Mr. Nathan Smith.”

  “Go on, my love. Take your bow. You worked hard for this and you deserve it all.” Nicolas urged Nathan, who seemed rooted to the spot, and when Nathan looked up into Nicolas’s eyes, Nicolas nodded energetically. “Go on up and take a bow, Nathan. I’m so proud of you.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without you.” Nathan shook his head. “You should be beside me.”

  “The talent is yours and yours alone. Go and receive your accolade. I’ll be here cheering louder than the rest.”

  The trembling of his hands betrayed Nathan’s nervousness, but he gave a resolute nod and rose to his feet. Nicolas rose with him, clapping loudly, and the rest of the table followed his lead.

  A spotlight guided Nathan from his seat and onto the stage. As Nathan reached Langdon, he finally lifted his head.

  The sharp screech of a chair against the marble floor, temporarily distracted Nicolas. He looked around just in time to see a man hurry from the room. It wasn’t important, and Nicolas focused his attention back to Nathan.

  By now all the guests were standing and applauding. Nathan’s face seemed lit from within, and Langdon puffed out his chest like a proud father.

  “I’m very pleased to see you and Nathan doing so well.” Jasper leaned in close to make himself heard and Nicolas nodded. “Nathan in particular has come on so well since leaving Strawberry Fields.

  “Yes. I do believe our lives have finally turned the corner and things are only going to improve. I’ll soon be able to afford a better place for us and Nathan is looking more to the future than the past. Although he still wants to know who he truly is.”

  “I’m pleased to hear it. I haven’t given up on unravelling his mystery. I have some contacts to question, and a few leads to follow, but let’s not worry about that now. Tonight is for celebrating.”

  “Yes, indeed.” Nicolas wholeheartedly agreed. To see Nathan so happy made Nicolas’s own heart soar. They both had work they enjoyed, and their shared aim was to get out of Secundus’s cottage.

  Nicolas stole a quick glance at his sister. Although Amaretta wasn’t happy working in millinery, Nicolas hoped Langdon would find a role in his establishment for her. That, at least, would be a start.

  “Now, please enjoy your canapés and champagne. My clerk will visit your tables and make bookings for those who wish to commission a hat from Mr. Nathan. Thank you, thank you all.” Langdon took a final bow, encouraging Nathan to do the same, then led him back to the table.

  “Congratulations, my love.” Nicolas held Nathan tight as he pressed close, his lover’s heart was thundering so hard that Nicolas felt the vibrations.

  “I can’t believe it, Nicolas. All those people. They like what I do. They really like it.” Nathan pulled back, his eyes sh
ining with excitement.

  “Yes, they do, and so they should. You’re very talented.” Nicolas feathered a kiss to Nathan’s cheek.

  “I have a surprise for you all.” Langdon rubbed his hands, a bright smile on his face. “I knew how well this evening would go, so I’ve ordered supper, and you are all to be my guests here tonight. No arguments.” Langdon held up his hands as Jasper started to speak. “If only a half of those who’ve said they’ll commission a new hat do so, I’ll have work enough for months. Not only that,” Langdon dropped his voice, so everyone had to lean in closer, “but I invited a couple of writers for fashion magazines, French, as well as English. They’re going to include articles on Nathan’s creations in their publications.”

  If Langdon had danced a jig there and then, Nicolas wouldn’t have been surprised. His joy and excitement were so infectious, that Nicolas laughed out loud.

  “Congratulations. To you both.”

  “It’s all down to Nathan. He’s a natural.” Langdon patted Nathan’s shoulder. “Now, walk with me Nathan. That’ll encourage buyers. You’ve an affinity with people. You just need to learn to be more outgoing. Won’t be long.” Langdon gave a wave before linking an arm through Nathan’s and leading him away.

  “With Langdon as a mentor, Nathan will be one of the best hatters in the country.” Amaretta nudged Nicolas. “I’m so pleased for you both.”

  A waiter hovered offering more champagne and Nicolas accepted a glass as he watched Langdon guide Nathan to each table in turn.

  “Langdon’s only regret is that he didn’t open a salon in America.” Ernst leaned in close to Nicolas as he accepted a drink for himself and his brother from the waiter. “He has a couple in Paris, and in London, of course, but he always dreamed of conquering New York. Who knows? Perhaps with Nathan as a new inspiration, he will.”

  “We hoped for the same, brother.” Gerhardus nodded, taking the glass.