Page 12 of The Demons of Wychwood
KNOCK KNOCK!
I said my hellos and goodbyes to Mr. Hugo, Miss Georgette, and Mr. Joshua, and they took their places. All now believed I’d left Wychwood, but I was in the kitchen, hiding behind the door of the servant’s back stairs, waiting for the first gentleman to arrive so the sound would allow me cover to rush upstairs to room ten without being noticed.
The sharp rat-a-tat-tat of the door knocker sent quite the thrill of excitement through me.
“Welcome sir, it’s good to see you?” Mr. Joshua said his voice deep and commanding. This was my opportunity to leg it up the stairs.
On the landing, instead of taking my usual route of heading to the linen closet I crept along the hall to room ten and let myself in. A dart of pleasure rushed up my spine at seeing Lord Penhelligan seated by the fire, a book open on his lap, and a glass of brandy on the small table beside his chair. He looked up and his eyes met mine.
“Lock the door,” he whispered. I nodded, turned, and did so. Then I moved forward and took the chair opposite him without being given permission. It was a nippy evening, and I was glad to be by the fire in such agreeable company. A glass of brandy was waiting for me on the small table beside my chair.
“I found the door to the passage, it’s inside the closet, there’s a panel that slides across. It was a bit stiff, so I poured some hot wax on the mechanism and it freed up the workings,” Kit informed.
“Well, consider me impressed,” I said with a grin. Part of me was walking on cloud nine to be in his company, while the rest of me looked at Kit with disbelief. How had I got myself tangled up with a Duke? I reached for the brandy and took a gulp.
“We’ve got a little time before the gentlemen get amorous,” I explained as if Kit didn’t know the lay of the land at Wychwood. His brow rose in amusement.
“Sorry, I’m a little…nervous,” I admitted. “This has always been a solitary activity.”
“Join me in another drink then, that should calm the nerves, aye?” Havelock offered. I started to rise from my chair.
“Take a seat, Lazarus, in this escapade we are equals.” I nodded, grateful when he rose from his seat and served me, instead of having me look after myself.
I cupped the brandy that he offered me in my palms. The silent minutes ticked by and I found I was quite comfortable with my lot, a fire, a tumbler of good brandy, and a fine gentleman silently watching me as I watched him in return letting my ravenous eyes take their fill.
Kit leaned an elbow on the arm of the chair and cupped his cheek as he watched me. I’d seen some erotic sights in my day, but you mark my words, having Lord Penhelligan’s eyes on me and only me made my body sing with such a lustful fire I was surprised I didn’t set my chair alight.
“Tell me about yourself, about your…wife—” Havelock’s tongue darted out to swipe across his lower lip.
I automatically looked away and wished I could cover up the cheap gold band, as if covering it up would make it and what it signaled go away. Who the hell was I fooling?
“Your accent is slightly…off,” Kit observed. “Oh, you pass well enough as a cockney when you’re focused, but when you relax, I can hear the West Country in your voice.”
I gulped. Kit Havelock was undressing me with his eyes, trying to find out what made a man like me help queers get their oats in secret. I didn’t know if I liked his consideration…or maybe I did, maybe I liked it too much? Kit had been forthcoming with me, trusted me with some dark secrets and we were sitting here in this chamber waiting for the chance to spy on his friends fucking. I was good at keeping secrets, and I supposed it was fair to share a secret of two of my own.
“I ran away from home and ended up in London when I was sixteen,” I admitted. “My family hales from Exeter way. You’re right; my accent comes through when I ain’t concentrating.”
“Exeter, really?” Havelock brightened. “Do you know Penhelligan Hall?”
I shuddered, cos I did know Penhelligan Hall and the less said about that the better. I sat up in my chair. “Can I tell you something, milord…in confidence?”
Havelock’s left brow rose in curiosity. “Very well, and for goodness sake Felix, call me Kit!” He gestured with a hand for me to continue.
“You might have guessed already that we have the same…tastes in the bedroom,” I said. Havelock nodded.
“I ain’t married,”
“But you wear a wedding ring, and when I was…following you, I saw you with a young woman and a baby.”
“My sister, Elowen, and her daughter Bess,” I explained. “She’s protecting me cos of my nature, and I’m protecting her virtue because she had Bess out of wedlock. We never stood in no church and made vows and we ain’t got no papers. All we got are rings and people see a ring and they make up their own story.”
“Gosh…I love my sister, but I would never think to pretend to be her husband!”
“I suppose you aristo’s are too recognizable. We’re just regular working-class folks and no one bats an eye if we live or die.”
“It’s a kind gesture, but why did you do it?”
“I was away soldiering in India when our Ma got sick. Her and Elowen were working at Penhelligan Hall.”
“Really, what a coincidence!” Havelock exclaimed innocently.
“When I came back to England, I found a letter at my old lodging house written on behalf of Elowen. She was living in Stepney . I found her in a hovel full of whores and opium eaters. She was eight months gone. She said that a high borne got her with child and then when the evidence of her belly couldn’t be hidden, he brought her to London and tossed her out of his carriage in Covent Garden.”
Havelock’s eyes grew wide. “What?” The colour drained from his face. “Are you sure she said, Penhelligan Hall?”
“I’d swear it in court,” I said, tossing back the last of my brandy and putting the tumbler on the small table beside my chair.
“My God…This is outrageous! When did this occur?”
“Little Bess is turning two next week.”
The colour drained from Kit’s face and his eyes moved as if he was doing complicated sums in his head. I don’t know if he even heard what I’d just said.
“Penhelligan Hall is my family estate,” he revealed, his voice taking on a detached sound. I had an inkling, but I hadn’t wanted it to be true. Anger rose in me and I stood fuelled with fury,
“Did you—“I ground the words out through my clenched teeth.
“No, no, sit down man!” Kit batted my words away with a wave of his hand. The action was like a knife slicing my strings and I slumped back into my seat.
“I have never lain with a woman, never!”
“Then who? Someone in your household took my sister’s innocence and then threw her away like she was nothin’. She won’t tell me his name. There must be a reckoning. He has to pay for what he put Elowen through!”
“I agree,” Kit said seriously, leaning forward his elbows resting on his knees.
“Do you have uncles or cousins who live at Penhelligan?”
Havelock’s brows furrowed. “I have a large extended family, uncles, nephews, and the like. They do flock to Penhelligan for festivities and stay for the shooting season. I haven’t been to the house in I’d say three years. I cannot believe any of them would use and abandon a servant in such a way. As I said before, I’ve somewhat neglected my responsibilities which is why I’m drawing up plans for renovations.” He was silent and thoughtful for a long moment before he spoke again.
“Would you permit me to call on you at home and speak to your sister?”
I must admit I was knocked for six by the request. I couldn’t even imagine someone as grand as Lord Penhelligan in my home. It was, embarrassing to even think of such a thing.
“I will understand if you say no, but if I can speak to your sister, I might be able to identify who treated her so poorly and ensure that justice is served.”
“Very well. You can come over at seven o'clock tomorrow evening if that suits. I take it you know the address?” Havelock’s mouth betrayed a tiny smirk. Of course, he knew the address; he’d been stalking me for nigh on two weeks! Silence fell between us, and I could sense Havelock’s disquiet at what I’d just told him. I didn’t know what to think of it myself, but if he swore, he’d never lain with a woman I believed him. Someone in his family used and betrayed my sister, left her pregnant, and in the gutter. Whoever the bastard was, with Havelock’s help, he’d pay!
Raucous laughter from downstairs made us both startle. The repetitive thud of footsteps on the staircase followed. It sounded like someone was very merry indeed. Kit and I watched one another, our eyes sparkling with understanding as if we’d both suddenly remembered exactly why we were here in this particular room at this particular time. I stood and as I removed my jacket I said,
“Let’s give ‘em a couple more minutes to get relaxed. You best remove your fancy frock coat, milord, you wouldn’t want to get it covered in cobwebs,” I suggested with a satisfied grin.
He returned my smile and as his eyes lingered on mine, my breath stuttered in my chest. He’d removed his topcoat and waistcoat and was now standing before me in his trousers and white lawn shirt. Christopher Havelock was mesmerizing, and I was a moth to his flame. I didn’t know what the hell would happen tonight, but I had a feeling things were about to get very interesting!
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