A Proper Lover (Ganymede Quartet Book 2) (50 page)

“Sir?” Martin had laid down his cards and was looking at Henry with a worried frown. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” Henry was shaking, but at pains to hide it.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Jesse said, sounding genuinely sorry. “Really, I just assumed you knew, Henry.”

Henry hated his father! Loathed him! All these years, he’d thought that Uncle Reggie had just grown tired of him, that the kindest adult in his life (barring Nurse) had lost interest in him, but in actuality Reggie had been exiled.

Jesse put his arm around Henry’s shoulders and gave him a hug that was surely meant to be comforting, though in truth the contact made Henry a bit jumpy.

There was a knock on the door and Henry pulled away from Jesse, flustered.

“Jesse? Can I come in?” It was Darwin Hatch, a towheaded 14-year-old, second cousin to both Jesse and Henry, who was voluble about baseball and what kind of slave he wanted when he turned 16 in two years. Henry was grateful to have someone there to pick up the conversational slack. Darwin’s chatter was a sort of buzzing hum underlying Henry’s racing thoughts: was it all his fault? Would Reggie hate him? Did his mother hate him? Did his father hate them all?

“Sir?” Martin’s voice, low and close.

“Hmm?” Henry turned to face Martin, right at his side, looking worried. “What about your game?”

“I don’t care about poker, Sir. I heard what your cousin said. Please don’t blame yourself, Sir, for a decision your father made.” He put his hand on Henry’s shoulder and Henry leaned into the pressure. How he wanted to pull Martin to him, to lavish him in kisses and forget everything he’d heard.

Another second cousin arrived, Lyle Benson, age 15, with dark Wilton coloring and looking like a miniature of Jesse. Last year, he’d seemed a child, but this year he was a young man. Lyle wanted to meet Martin, so Henry got to his feet and made the introduction. Lyle circled Martin slowly, eyeing him up and down as if he were a true connoisseur of human flesh, and approvingly pronounced him, “Really excellent, Henry.”

Henry nodded in acknowledgement. He didn’t know how to respond to Lyle’s compliment. Martin was a person, after all; he wasn’t some accomplishment of Henry’s.

A slave came upstairs with a tray of drinks, eggnog in silver cups. All the boys and their slaves took cups and drank. As Henry watched, laughing Jesse reached out and wiped eggnog off of Russ’ lip and let him lick it off his thumb. Henry flushed a startled, aroused red; he darted a glance at Martin and saw he was similarly transfixed. He’d never known anyone to be so physically suggestive with a slave before. For his part, Jesse seemed quite unconcerned and at ease. Henry wondered if Jesse’s friends were like him, or if Jesse was considered extreme; their cousins, who saw Jesse often, did not seem to register anything untoward about Jesse’s treatment of Russ. Was it possible that at a different school, with a different social circle, Henry’s own behavior would fall within acceptable range?

The last addition to their party was yet another second cousin, Eli Carmichael, a handsome boy with gingery hair a few months older than Jesse, who arrived with his slave Owen. Owen looked rather like a Wilton, actually, with long, glossy dark hair, the air of a dissipated poet, and the red-and-black mark of House Apollo on his chest. Eli looked Martin over and smiled. “You have good taste, Henry.” Again, Henry did not know how to respond and became bashful.

“Oh, say,” Eli remarked. “I almost forgot. Jesse, Henry: your Uncle Reggie is here now. He’s with Cousin Louisa in the parlor and they’re having a big reunion scene. Everyone’s in tears!”

Henry’s heart lurched in his chest. Uncle Reggie! Here! Would Reggie be happy to see him? Or would he blame Henry for his banishment?

Jesse took hold of Henry’s elbow. “Should we go down? You
do
want to see him, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Henry said. “Yes, but—”

Jesse waited for him to finish his sentence, but Henry did not actually know what his objection was. He was just frightened.

“Come on, Henry. Let’s go down.” Jesse’s hand on his elbow gently guided him toward the door. Henry turned to look over his shoulder and Martin was close behind, smiling at him encouragingly.

They went downstairs, pushing through a throng of Wiltons and Carmichaels, Bensons and Hatches. Jesse was still steering Henry by the elbow, guiding him through the crowd. “Don’t know if you remember, but the formal parlor is up here on the left,” Jesse was saying. “My mother wanted them to have their reunion in the nicest room.”

“That was thoughtful of her,” Henry said, his voice barely audible. There were familiar faces all around, people he was related to, people he only saw once a year. Faces passing in a blur. Cousin Sophie. Cousin Edward. Another of his second cousins, a girl he thought was called Adelaide. A house full of people, hectic and laughing and happy, and just twenty blocks from his home, but Father didn’t want him to have this. Father didn’t want him to have this family.

The parlor door was closed. Henry hesitated to knock, but Jesse reached past him and did it, and a man’s muffled voice called out, “Come in.”

Jesse and Henry went in with their slaves. Mother was crying on the settee, but joyously, her eyes full of love and her smile brilliant. Henry had never seen her like this, so purely happy. The man who sat beside her holding her hand was smaller than Henry remembered, slight and dapper and very handsome in the Wilton mold, with wavy hair and a neat mustache. He appeared to have been crying, as well. Reggie’s red-haired slave Benjamin stood off to the side with Pearl, who dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

“Oh! Reggie, look! It’s my Henry!” Henry was taken aback by his mother’s extravagant enthusiasm. “See how beautiful he is?”

“Henry!” Reggie stood up and took a step towards him, arms open. “Oh, you lovely boy! How good it is to see you!”

Reggie didn’t hate him. Mother didn’t hate him. Choking back a sob, Henry stepped forward and let himself be embraced. Reggie was small and light, like a bird, and he smelled of heady flowers and amber. He held Henry tightly and rubbed his back. Henry found that he was crying and couldn’t stop.

“I’ll just leave you, then,” Jesse said softly at his back, and Henry was dimly aware of the door closing.

Henry breathed in shudders, clutching handfuls of Reggie’s velvet jacket. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Whatever for?” Reggie pulled away from him so that they might look one another in the eye. “You’ve done nothing to be sorry for, Henry.”

“But I know,” Henry said. “Now I know why you left.”

Reggie smiled and touched his cheek. “That’s all in the past, Henry. We’re starting over again today.”

“I missed you so much. I thought…I thought you got tired of me.” Henry started to cry again.

“Oh, no, darling, no! You mustn’t tell the others, but you were always my favorite,” Reggie told him. “My little prince. I could never tire of you, Henry. You were such a delightful child. And look at you now! You’re almost a grown man!”

Henry fished in his waistcoat pocket for his handkerchief. He glanced over Reggie’s shoulder and saw that Martin had gone to stand with Pearl and Benjamin. Martin offered Henry an encouraging smile.

“I have my slave now,” he said. “He’s…he’s amazing.” It was a silly thing to say, and he blushed.

“You’re still bashful,” Reggie said fondly. He turned to look at the slaves. “Come here and meet me, young man.”

Martin stepped forward and bowed. “I’m Martin. At your service, Sir.”

“So nice to meet you, Martin. I trust you’re taking good care of my nephew.”

“I do my best, Sir.”

“He’s a sweet boy,” Reggie said, patting Henry’s arm. “He deserves a lot of love.”

How he’d missed Reggie! No one else talked about him like this; no one else thought he was sweet or deserving. He felt his throat grow tight and feared he would cry all over again.

There was a knock, the door opened a few inches, and Jesse stuck his head through the gap. “I don’t mean to interrupt,” he said, “but Mother says dinner will be served in five minutes.”

“Thank you, Jesse.” Reggie said. “We’ll be out directly.”

“Oh dear,” Mother said. “I’ve been crying so much! I must look a sight! Reggie, couldn’t we stay here? Maybe Virginia would send us in a tray?”

Reggie went to her and took her hand. “Nonsense, Louisa. Everyone wants to see you. They want to see you
happy
. No one will mind the tears.”

Mother and Henry both got themselves under better control and Mother went out to the dining room on Reggie’s arm just as the clock struck two. Just as Reggie had said, all the family members were happy and excited for the reunited siblings. Mother’s cousins gathered around her offering congratulations and affection, little touches and pats.

Father stood by himself at the far end of the long table. Henry was surprised to see that he didn’t seem angry, as he had earlier, but instead looked sad, even sheepish, as he watched his wife’s effusive relatives comfort and encourage her. He saw Henry and gave him a solemn nod, and Henry realized that his father would be able to see that he’d been crying and felt guilty. It felt disloyal to Father to be so happy to see Reggie, but he couldn’t help it. He’d loved Reggie better than either of his parents.

Henry watched Reggie lead his mother to a chair and hold it for her, both Pearl and Benjamin looking on, letting him do it. Jesse took his elbow again and gave it a little tug.

“We’re still in the family parlor this year,” he said, “with all the little ones. There’re too many adults for there to be room for us at the big table.”

There were tables set up for the young people in the parlor adjoining the dining room and the smaller children were running between them laughing and shouting, their nurses trying in vain to corral them. Cora was already seated, Nurse standing behind her, but when she saw Henry and Martin, she got up from her chair and darted over to greet them. She hugged Henry and leaned against Martin’s legs, seeming supremely contented.

“Hello, Jesse. Hello, Jesse’s slave.” She smiled up at Russ. “I remember your face, but I don’t remember your name.”

“I’m Russell, Miss. I remember you, too.”

“Look, Henry,” Cora said, reaching into the pocket of her pinafore. “I brought Honey.”

“Honey?”

“The dancing bear,” Cora explained, showing him the little bear from her circus set. “Martin, do you see? I brought Honey to Christmas. I’ve been telling our cousins all about my circus.” To Jesse she said, “Did you know, Jesse? Henry and Martin gave me the best present for my birthday.”

“Really? What was that?” Jesse asked politely, and Cora proceeded to tell him about the circus with great enthusiasm and in exhaustive detail.

“Miss?” Nurse came and put her hands on Cora’s shoulders. “Miss, come sit. Leave the boys be.”

The rest of the children and young people began filing into the room. Bette had graduated to the adult table this year, as had another of the older girls, but otherwise the faces around the tables were all familiar. The little ones were attended by their respective families’ nurses, but only Henry, Jesse and Eli were attended by slaves of their own; none of the remaining girls was old enough for a companion. Adelaide and Caroline and Theresa all made a point of telling Henry how handsome they thought Martin was which made Henry blush. Once again, he accepted compliments rather gracelessly.

Everyone found places and sat. Jesse was at the head of the boys’ table, Henry and Eli to his right and left, respectively, and the rest of the table filled out with the younger boys, some on their own and others with nurses. Darwin sat at Henry’s right elbow, whispering questions about Martin.

“How did you choose him, anyway? How many did you look at before you picked him?”

As far as Henry was concerned, the choice had been made for him by fate; he had seen Martin and responded viscerally to his beauty, and that had been all he had needed to know to make a decision. He certainly wasn’t going to tell Darwin this, however, as it was far too romantic and foolish to share. “Oh, I looked at a few,” Henry said blandly. “He was the best one. He’s smart, and we like to do a lot of the same things.”

“I like his hair,” Darwin said confidentially. “Jesse should have kept Russ’ hair long.”

The adults went suddenly quiet, so the young people quieted, too. On the other side of the wall, Uncle Gilbert cleared his throat and began a prayer in a loud voice so that all could hear. Henry bowed his head along with all of his cousins. He wondered what Father was doing, if he was bowing his head or if he sat upright, scowling at all the superstitious Wiltons with their pointless prayers. When Uncle Gilbert said, “Amen,” Henry joined everyone else in saying it, too.

As champagne was being poured at the main table, a footman brought flutes for the three eldest boys, who were all grateful and pleased.

Darwin elbowed, Henry. “Can I have a sip?”

Amused, Henry let Darwin gulp down half his glass.

Now there was a toast. Uncle Gilbert said how glad he was to have Reggie back, his voice nearly cracking with emotion, and there was a murmuring throughout the gathering, a gentle but emphatic agreement.

“To Reggie,” Uncle Gilbert said. “To family. A joyous Christmas to us all.”

“Here, here!” The adults Henry could see from his seat raised their glasses, so the boys did, too, clinking them together.

“I’m especially glad you’re here, Henry,” Jesse said. “I wish we saw you more often. Maybe, if Reggie stays…”

“Maybe,” Henry agreed, although he didn’t see how Reggie’s presence altered anything. Father would still be prejudiced against Wiltons. “Thank you. I’m happy to be here.”

The Wilton slaves, their numbers padded with the addition of slaves from other family households, brought around the dishes for service
a la russe.
Despite the good service from the slaves, the meal felt casual—the early hour, the everyday dress, the laughter and cross-talk.

Lyle, it turned out, was a fan of
Drake’s Progress
. Mouth full of quenelles, he was happy to share with Henry his ideas about how Captain Theo might beat Dr. DeSade for good and for all.