Chapter Twenty Seven
‘That was an interesting story,’ Scott admitted. ‘I can understand why it may not have been put into print.’
‘Why do you say that?’ George asked.
‘It could offend the church.’
‘There has been plenty worse that has gone into print. The story does have some sort of moral I guess,’ George offered.
‘What could that be then?’ Scott asked.
‘Whatever you want, I guess. Here let’s look at another one. This could be worth reading,’ George said as he picked another manuscript from the pile.
What follows is the manuscript that George had selected:
The Servant of Two Masters.
He sat and waited. He had been waiting for the best part of an hour. While he waited he grew ever more tense in anticipation of what was to follow. This had become an almost nightly ritual for several weeks. He tried to recall just how many weeks he had been back in the family home following his time at university. That had been the best time of his life to date. Never had he enjoyed so much freedom. Here at home he was bound by the strict protocol that was observed by people that his father referred to as ‘our class.’ Wealth and position had its vast advantages but those who benefited from its power and influence were continually in the public eye and bound to behave impeccably if they were not to be hounded by those who sought their downfall. These were difficult times; the shift from the land into industry had brought about a change in the attitudes of the peasantry. They were forming unions and a new radical political class was speaking out against the autocratic rule of the monarch. He was being denounced as a tyrant and his secret police was kept busy rounding up dissenters who, once arrested, disappeared into the dark confines of the ancient prison in the heart of the city never to be seen again.
When studying abroad he had his own rooms where he could entertain in private. Here, back at home he had his own bedroom and bathroom but even that was not truly private as any visitor would have to pass through the house under the eyes of both family and the household staff. He needed his own space with a separate entrance so that his guests could come and go unhindered. For now he was obliged to use the boathouse. It was a stone building with a lower section to accommodate the small motor launch his father used on the lake and an upper floor that served as a sitting room cum diner and a small room for changing for swimming together with a bathroom. Quite ideal for a clandestine meeting such as that he had in mind.
He was Felix, the son and heir to the estate and Felix was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Bruno. A year or so his junior, Bruno had recently joined his father’s household staff and Felix was immediately attracted to his slim, fit looking body, his dark and brooding eyes that had long lashes that were the envy of the women who saw him. In fact women all but swooned when they saw the handsome young man and many wondered what it would be like to coax the duke’s new footman into their bed; women who would be grieved to know that what they had only thought about had been achieved by the duke’s equally attractive son.
There was a sound as the door to the boathouse opened and closed followed by footsteps on the creaking wooden stairs. Felix stood to greet the newcomer his face alight with the expectation of Bruno’s arrival. But it was not Bruno but Alicia his sister that entered the room. She must have noticed his sudden look of disappointment when she asked, ‘Felix, what are you doing here at this hour?’
‘I might ask the same of you?’ Felix replied. His sister sat in a chair and looked up at him, wondering why he was looking so distraught. ‘Felix, you would tell me if something is wrong?’ she said her voice full of concern for her adored brother. ‘Only I have seen you leave the house and come in this direction at night on several occasions.’
‘No sis, nothing is wrong. That is to say nothing is troubling me apart from the fact that you are here now and you should not be out at this time of night, you should go back to the house quickly.’
‘But I have also seen someone else come this way, someone who would seem to be following you. Are you sure there is nothing wrong?’
‘Nothing that you would understand, Alicia. Now you must go.’ Felix replied, his anxiety growing as he heard the sound of the ground floor door being opened again and the tread of feet on the stairs.
‘There is someone!’ Alicia exclaimed and she stood up looking in the direction of the stairs, he eyes wide with surprise when she saw Bruno. The footman was an unusual sight for the young woman, who had only seen him in his uniform as he went about his duties. Now he was wearing a loose shirt and a pair of cotton trousers, his hair ruffled and a look of surprise on his face. Ever a quick thinker, Bruno summed up the situation and in an effort to cover the true intent of his presence asked, ‘I saw you come this way sir, and I thought I would come to see whether there is anything you need now that the rest of the staff had retired for the night.’
‘Err, nnn...no,’ Felix stammered unsure as to how best to respond. ‘The Lady Alicia and I were merely having a conversation.’
‘It is you,’ Alicia said. ‘You are the one that I have seen coming here nightly. ‘Felix, tell me why are you and this footman meeting here like this?’
‘Alicia, you don’t know what you are asking. I must ask you to leave and go back to the house. If you love me, do not say anything about this to anyone. Just go.’
‘I think I do understand... tell me, is it true... you are lovers?’
Bruno had stood silently during this exchange now he looked at Felix, fearful of what he might say. By admitting their love for one another, Felix could jeopardise them both, in any event his position could be on the line if Alicia was to speak of this.’
‘Alicia, if you will not go back to the house, then I will explain but only if you swear by all that’s holy that what I tell you is to be a secret between us. Unless you give me your solemn promise, I can tell you nothing.’
‘I’ll keep your secret; it will not be the first between us, Felix dear. You know I would never do anything that would harm you in any way.’
‘I am not as other men. I have known for as long as I can remember that Ii am attracted to my own sex. You realise what that means?’ Felix implored.
‘Yes, I do understand and know what the penalties can be if you are betrayed. I promise not to speak of this but ask you to put this... this... infatuation behind you. You are to be engaged to my dearest friend this very week. How can you deny her?’
‘Emmaline has been like another sister to me. Our fathers have decided our union. I cannot, I will not enter into marriage with her for both our sakes,’ Felix said tears rolling down his cheeks.
‘How can you say that? How can you back out of the arrangement now that you have let it go this far?’ Alicia cried.
‘I am planning on leaving here tomorrow, Bruno is here to discuss the final arrangements with me, now please leave us and be true to your promise, say nothing of this.’ Felix said. His sister angrily turned on her heel and left the building. Felix watched through the window as she made her way over the lawn and out of sight through the trees as she sped back to the house.
Until now, Bruno had stood silently watching the exchange between the siblings. ‘I am sorry,’ he said. ‘I am late but your father kept me. His valet has taken the night off as he in unwell and the master wanted me to help him prepare for bed.’
‘It was probably as well you were late, imagine my sister’s reaction had she seen us together; it is bad enough that she knows of our relationship.’ Felix said as he reached out to Bruno and clasped him in a tight hug. ‘I have waited all day for this moment and now that it has come, I fear that I am too agitated by what has happened here this evening to stay longer. We must go back to the house separately, of course. I will meet you at the stables at nine o’clock tomorrow. No one will suspect us at that time as I usually go for my morning ride at that hour and you will have completed your morning duties.’
‘Felix, my only worry is that I shall have to wait on your father in the absence of his valet and you know he can be tardy in the morning. I will do my best to meet you at nine.’
oooooOOOOOooooo
The following morning Felix was stamping his feet as he stood in the cold outside the stable block. ‘Where the hell is he?’ he muttered to himself as he checked his pocket watch for the hundredth time. Bruno was late. The coachman was becoming impatient and the horse between the shafts of the carriage was also showing signs of his eagerness to be underway. Just when Felix was about to give up all hope, Bruno appeared running in his direction. The two young men piled into the carriage and Felix told the coachman to head for the rail station with all speed as they will otherwise miss the train.
‘What kept you? I had almost given you up and gone on alone,’ Felix said angrily.
‘Sorry, it was your father. He insisted that I waited until he had had his bath. I then had to help him dress and he changed his clothes some three times before he was happy with what he should wear for the morning. I am only glad that I shall not be there to help him change later in the day or for dinner this evening!’
‘Well you won’t have to worry about him any longer. When we step off the train in Paris and set up in our new home you will be a gentleman like me and we shall have servants of our own!’
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