Page 35 of The Labours of Lord Perry Cavendish
Perry turned to him in surprise. “Wise?Me? Oh, no, that’s doing it much too brown.”
Jonny chuckled, but he added. “There are different kinds of wisdom. Some kinds come from books and learning, and some are in a person’s bones.”
“Mine must be in my bones then,” Perry said. “Because I certainly haven’t had any wisdom out of books—that much I do know.”
Before Jonny could argue with that, Perry changed the subject. “So, this friend Jasper of yours. Was it you who got him painting professionally?”
“I played a part, I suppose,” Jonny said. “But it was when he met Sam again that he finally took that step.”
“And Sam and he are”—Perry cleared his throat—“erm, lovers?” As soon as the wordloversleft his lips, he felt embarrassed, his cheeks warming.
Jonny didn’t seem to notice, though. He just nodded.
“Jasper and Sam’s families were old friends so they knew each other from being children. When I first knew Jasper, he was completely infatuated with Sam, and then Sam joined one of the cavalry regiments and went to Spain. Jasper was inconsolable. Not that Sam had the faintest idea back then how head over heels Jasper was over him. It was only when he came back to England, after he lost an arm at Toulouse, that they met again, and Sam fell in love with Jasper.”
Christ, Jonny said that so matter-of-factly, as though it was the simplest thing in the world.
“They travelled all around England for a bit,” Jonny continued. "And then they came back to London for a year or two. Jasper and Ididpaint together quite a bit at that time.” Jonny tapped his chin, eyes turned skyward as he searched his memory. “And then they decided to travel abroad—and that’s really what they’ve been doing ever since. They came home again at the start of this year for a visit—we had a marvellous few weeks in London over the spring before they left to spend some time with their families.” Jonny smiled wistfully. “And now they’re off back to the Continent.”
“Do you wish you were going with them?” Perry asked curiously.
“A part of me does,” Jonny admitted. “They did invite me, but I declined.”
Perry remembered the exchange Jonny and Adam had had about that.
“Why didn’t you want to go with them?” Perry asked, even though he remembered Jonny joking about saving their friendship by declining.
“I wouldn’t inflict myself on them,” Jonny replied. “It wouldn’t be fair.”
“Why not? Are you such a terrible travelling companion?”
Jonny chuckled. “You have no conception.”
“I think I do,” Perry replied, thinking of his impossible-to-please mother.
“My dear, I couldn’t even get from London to Buckinghamshire with Adam holding my hand without having a fit of the vapours, never mind making it all the way to the Alps.”
Perry shrugged. “I’ll wager you’re not as bad as you think.”
“You would lose your wager, Peregrine. Hell, I’m practically having a fit of the vapours just thinking about going to Reading on my own, and that's only twenty miles away.”
“Well, you needn’t worry about that,” Perry said easily. “I’ll gladly go to Reading with you.”
Jonny’s step faltered. “What?”
Perry smiled at him. “I’ll go with you.”
“But—I just told you. I’m an awful travel companion.”
“I know,” Perry said, unconcerned. “But I’m sure it will be fine.”
“I get nauseous in closed carriages.”
“We can take my curricle. That way you’ll get plenty of fresh air.” Perry smiled. “I like driving.”
“Sometimes I get anxious when the roads are busy,” Jonny added. "Or at coaching inns when there are lots of strangers. It can make me—act up a bit.” He watched Perry closely for his reaction to that.
“I’ll bear that in mind,” Perry said calmly.