“You don’t mean that.”
“Can’t you see I’m busy? You’re preventing me from getting my life in order.”
Stepping back, I felt the ache in my chest burrow deeper.
“I have a car coming for you. I’ve left an envelope on the kitchen table with more than enough francs to take care of you. Go pack. Cameron will meet you at the airport.”
“Don’t.”
“Now, please.”
“Can we at least talk about it?”
“There’s nothing else to discuss.”
“What’s changed?” I asked softly.
He looked distracted. “What?”
“Talk to me.”
He shook his head. “I’m not ready.”
“You have a new symptom?”
He raised his hands and stared at them.
“Your hands?”
“They’re numb. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Come here.” I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight. “Cancel the car.”
“You were never meant to be my nurse, Scarlet. I don’t want this for you. Please, help me by going quietly. No fuss. I don’t have the strength to fight you.”
I broke away and walked over to the greenhouse. “I need some gloves.”
“Remember me for who I am now. I don’t want you to see me crumble.”
“Okay, I’ll use your gloves.” I slipped them on and reached up and slid out a panel, giving it a tug, pulling it out of its frame.
A swarm of butterflies flew at my face. I squealed and tripped backward, tumbling onto the grass. I lay there watching them flutter above my body.
Danton loomed over me.
“Fuck everyone!” I snapped.
He lowered himself to the ground and stretched out beside me. “You can’t be angry too.”
“I can.”
“You must never let negativity affect your mood.”
“Are you serious?”
The multicolored insects swarmed above us.
I pointed. “It’s a kaleidoscope of butterflies.”
“Yes, it is.”
I turned my head to look at him. “Now how else would I have known that’s what one calls a group of butterflies? You taught me that.”
He reached up and let a butterfly land on his fingertip. We stared at it for the longest time.
“I’m staying,” I whispered.
He took my hand and kissed my wrist.
Chapter 19
France
A WOMAN’S VOICE called out from the foyer and I rose from my corner chair in the bedroom. Danton was fast asleep. I didn’t want to wake him. He’d been sleeping a lot lately and I knew he needed it.
I left the bedroom and headed down the hallway, peering over the banister. My hands gripped the handrail when I saw a young dark-haired woman with two men standing behind her, both dressed in nursing scrubs. One of them pushed a wheelchair.
My friendly wave hid my dread as I made my way down.
The attractive woman began speaking to me in French.
I rested my hand on my heart in a gesture of sincerity. “My French isn’t that good. I’m sorry—”
“American?”
“Yes.”
“Where’s my brother?”
“Danton? He’s asleep.” I glanced warily at the two men. “Why are you here?”
She pushed past me and headed up the stairs. “Are you his nurse?”
“Girlfriend.”
She paused halfway up and stared back at me. The look on her face sent chills up my spine. “We’re moving him to the hospital.”
“But he wants to stay here.”
“Don’t put ideas in his mind.” She continued climbing the stairs. “He needs to be surrounded by good people.”
My world began to unravel as I followed her up the steps. I doubted I’d be able to make her respect Danton’s wishes. I’d never even considered the possibility I would have to do battle with his family to fulfill his dying request. In all the months we’d been here, no one had ever visited us.
“Can we talk before you go in?” I hurried toward her. “Please don’t wake him.”
She burst into the bedroom.
I was panic-stricken when I realized there was no reasoning with her. She stood a few feet from the bed staring down at him and I saw no affection in her eyes, just a woman on a mission to get her own way.
“I’m Scarlet.” I reached out and gently touched her on the arm. “I’ve been taking good care of him.”
She jerked away. “How do you know him?”
“We’re together.”
I wanted to say we were lovers, but was unsure how much Danton wanted her to know about us.
Slowly, she turned to look at me. “You know who he is?”
“How do you mean?”
She narrowed her gaze to make her point. “You know he’s one of the world’s most famous cellists. Right?”
“He plays for me…” The words sounded so infantile when held up to the light of her revelation. My gaze fell on Danton as I tried to understand why he’d never shared that truth with me. He was always so humble and gracious.
And he’d wasted his talent on me.
He had given so much and yet so much was being asked of him now. His wish to die at home was going to be violated.
“He’s so very good,” I added softly.
“He’s a profound maestro.” She sighed. “Well, he was.”
“He’s not leaving here. This is what he wants.”
She looked me up and down. “Like you have any say.”
“Tilley?” Danton stirred and peered through one eye. “What are you doing here?”
She sat beside him on the edge of his bed. “I’ve been so worried about you, Danton. You didn’t return my calls.”
He pushed himself up. “Scarlet, can you close the curtains, please?”
I ran over to the window and pulled them shut.
“Why are you here?” He looked past her at the men. “Who are they?”
“They’re with me.”
“We agreed there would be no fuss.”
She threw me a sharp glance. “You need to be in a place where people know how to care for you.”
“Please tell them to leave.”
The two men moved closer to the bed.
“Would you like to get some fresh air?” asked Tilley.
My gut wrenched at her deceit.
“Then will you give me some peace?” Weakly, Danton swung his legs over the bed and waved off any help. “I can manage.”
In a flurry of activity, Danton was pulled out of bed and placed in the wheelchair.
“Danton?” I said in a panic, realizing he didn’t understand what was happening.
Tilley glared at me. “Give us some privacy.”
“It’s okay, Scarlet” said Danton, trying to reassure me. “She’s my sister. Go make us something to eat. We have that salmon. There’s more than enough.”
With Tilley leading the way, he was wheeled out of the room and down the corridor.
I followed them out. “This is not what he wants. Please, listen to him.”
When they reached the top of the stairs, Danton was lifted out of the wheelchair and carried the rest of the way down.
“Danton, they’re taking you away from here.”
“We’re just getting some fresh air.” He reached back for me but I was too far away. “Walk with us. Tilley, you should see the garden. Scarlet’s helped me keep it up.”
At the bottom of the staircase, they placed him back into the wheelchair and he was pushed through the foyer.
And out through the front door.
Trembling, I grabbed at Tilley’s arm.
She stopped suddenly and stared at me. “I’m having his will voided. He’s not of sound mind.”
“What will?” I asked.
She yanked her arm away. “Shame on you.”
“No, I don’t want anything. Please, don’t take him away.”<
br />
She slid open the back door of a large black minibus. “Say goodbye.”
“What are you doing?” Danton looked panicked.
I sprinted toward the minibus and stood between Danton and the men.
“This is not negotiable,” said Tilley. “You’re too weak to stay here, Danton.”
“Will you be with me?” He looked up at her. “Will you stay in the hospital when the time comes?”
She smiled at him. “It will be easier to visit you in Paris.”
“Take me back in.” Danton grabbed one of the men’s arms.
“Hurry, please,” Tilley said to the men. “We need to avoid rush hour.” She glared at me. “Get your things. I’m locking up the house.”
I threw my arms around Danton in a panic. “Tell them, Danton. Tell them what you want.”
“Scarlet,” he whispered.
“I’m not letting go.”
He kissed my cheek. “The cavalry’s here.”
I followed his gaze toward the midday sun, shielding my eyes from the glare.
A long black Rolls Royce slid into the driveway and came to a stop before the house. Cameron Cole climbed out of the passenger side.
My heart leapt with relief.
I ran into his arms. “You have to help us.”
“Cole. About fucking time.” Danton waved at him. “Get me out of this thing.”
“Who are you?” Tilley looked warily at Cameron.
“I’m his doctor,” he said. “Gentlemen, take my patient back inside. Right away, please.”
Allowing myself to breathe for the first time since Tilley had arrived, I watched Cameron follow Danton as he was wheeled back into the house.
I stood just outside the front door, my hands still trembling from the shock of almost losing Danton - and from the overwhelming relief I felt that Cameron had come to our rescue.
“Come on, Scarlet.” Cameron tucked his hands into his pockets and glanced back at me. “That was one long flight. I need a cup of tea.” He winked.
Chapter 20
France
WITH DANTON COMFORTABLE back in his bed and the house quiet again, I made myself busy in the kitchen.
Just as Danton had taught me, I prepared lunch for all three of us, placing three fresh salmon filets on a baking tray and sprinkling them with a little salt.
Cameron sat on a barstool at the center island, sipping his tea. “Thank you for all you’ve done for Danton.”
“Of course.” I lowered my gaze. “I only hope Tilley doesn’t come back after she realizes you’re still a medical student.”
He shrugged. “I know as much as I need to…for this.”
I shoved the baking tray into the oven and lifted the door shut. “You tricked me into going to Hillenbrand.”
“I see you standing in a beautiful seaside house. Living with the man you love. The title ‘Domestic Goddess’ comes to mind.”
I washed my hands under the faucet and wiped them with a tea towel. “You knew he was seriously ill?”
“Yes.”
“And you knew I was suicidal?”
He held my gaze and gave a nod. I was more than a little annoyed with Cameron.
“How can you be sure that after he dies I won’t be so grief-stricken that I end up killing myself?”
He looked away. “That would be a dreadful betrayal of Danton’s wishes.”
“I’m so…” I shook my head, unable to express how deeply I felt for him.
“Me too.” He added a teaspoon of sugar to his tea. “What are his symptoms?”
“His hands go numb.”
“His sight?”
“He’s having difficulty seeing through his left eye. I told Doctor Pier. Nothing can be done, apparently.”
“Thank you for taking such wonderful care of him.”
“This is what he wants…to be here instead of in a hospital.”
“And who wouldn’t want that? To be surrounded by the ones you love.”
My chest heaved. “Why does he have to die?”
Cameron came around and hugged me, a flash of vulnerability reflected in his gaze.
“How’d you meet him?” I asked.
Cameron sat back down on the barstool. “We were at boarding school together. He was a few years older than me.”
“He never told me that.”
He shrugged. “Even then he showed remarkable talent.”
“Did he play for you, too?”
He nodded. “Like you, I was one of the lucky ones.”
“When did you discover you had the same penchant for kink?”
“I spent a summer with him in Paris. He took me to a party. I was seventeen, but looked a little older because I’m so tall. He snuck me into a private club near the Boulevard de Clichy and I was mesmerized by the scene.”
“BDSM?”
“Every kink imaginable.” He gave me a lazy smile. “I was enthralled.”
“That’s why you opened D'envoûtement?”
“Yes. I realized there were others out there like us that needed a safe haven.”
“And Danton spent time at Hillenbrand.”
Cameron took a sip of tea.
“You knew he’d want me for himself when he saw me?”
“As I wanted you when you fell through my club’s window.”
“But you and I have never been lovers.”
“Nor will we ever be. We must carve out a friendship that tolerates no intimacy of that nature.”
“Because I will always belong to Danton?”
“You will.”
Cello music carried through the house and I recognized it as Bach’s Prelude. And it made me smile to think he was playing it again, the numbness leaving his hands as it sometimes did.
“His sister told me he’s a famous musician.”
“Yes, and there’s quite a bit of speculation as to where he is right now.”
“His sister’s a little scary.”
“Well, there’s the will you see. There’s a lot riding on it for her. His musical rights have to go to someone.”
“Maybe a charity?”
He gave me a gentle smile. “I’ve taken some time off from Harvard. I’m here for the duration.”
“Oh, Cameron. Thank you so much.” I broke his gaze, not wanting to share how scared I’d been about facing the end with Danton alone. “The ocean’s just a short walk away.”
“I know.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“Many times.”
I studied him carefully. “Were you and Danton ever…lovers?”
Cameron placed his cup back onto its saucer.
A loud crash reverberated upstairs and the music came to an abrupt stop.
We ran from the kitchen, sprinted up the stairs, and flew into Danton’s bedroom. To my horror, we found him lying on the floor, his cello beside him.
Chapter 21
France
DANTON LIKED FOR us to read to him.
He sat up in bed with his back resting against the headboard and put in his requests for which books he wanted. Cameron and I would happily head off to the library to find novels by Charles Dickens or anything by Hemingway. Danton even made me read works from Edgar Allen Poe, and then he’d laugh when I acted freaked out over the macabre stories.
We spent the long days just talking and laughing at silly things, and I’d sit riveted as Danton and Cameron would reminisce about their time together at boarding school, or Cameron’s time at Harvard, or Danton’s recollections of studying music in Paris.
I’d massage Danton’s hands to relax him. We were all comfortable enough to not be threatened by those long silences that brought the peace Danton needed for his headaches.
My education continued as they both chose subjects they thought I’d benefit from, like the arts or music or travel. They shared places they thought I should visit, many of them countries they’d both been to in the past.
As the days passed us by, I came to realize their
closeness.
Our closeness.
We all appreciated the sacredness of our friendship and it felt as though we were becoming more…becoming a family.
The one I’d never had.
This was more than I’d envisioned true love to be, and though fearing his death, it also brought with it a stark reflection of the profoundness of life. Every butterfly that visited us through the open doors on those warm, lazy days and every bird’s song that reached our ears became something sacred.
Danton’s wishes would be honored and this house would remain a serene sanctuary - nothing but adoration would fill these rooms.
Together, Cameron and I turned Danton’s bedroom into a beautiful space where nature and art morphed into one. I placed potted plants out on the balcony; daisies and bright colored roses, their soothing scent filling the room.
Cameron proved just how versatile he was when he worked high on a ladder in the center of Danton’s bedroom, changing out the ordinary light fixture and hanging one of those upside-down tulips in its place.
More medical supplies were dropped off by Doctor Pier and Cameron reassured him he had everything covered and was more than qualified to provide the best care.
When Danton could no longer drink and the homemade soup I’d cooked for him could no longer be tolerated, Cameron set up an intravenous infusion in Danton’s left arm to keep him hydrated and make him comfortable. Now and again he administered morphine to ease Danton’s pain.
He slipped in and out of sleep.
The ocean glistened as the sun reflected off it by day and the moon by night.
We kept open the double doors of the balcony so he could enjoy the greenery, watch the birds swoop by and take in the sea view beyond, though his sight was fading now.
Despite everything, there was a sense of serenity.
There were no disagreements as there was nothing to argue about, merely a mutual respect that we were all here for each other.
That final evening started out like any other, with Cameron sitting on the bed on Danton’s left and me snuggled up on his right, resting my head on my lover’s chest and savoring his every heartbeat - breathing through the terror I felt but wanting to be strong for him.
Danton pressed his lips to my head in a warm kiss.
I raised my face to better see him, my brow furrowed in a question.
“Do you see how wonderful life is?” he asked weakly. “How important you are as part of it?”
Enthrall Secrets (ENTHRALL SESSIONS 7) Page 11
