The Duke of Tremont

Chapter 2

Author’s note: I’m sorry there is still no Brian in this chapter, I promise he will show up soon! Please don’t lose hope.

*********************************************************

“Amen,” Justin and Daphne responded dutifully to Father Ronald’s prayer. As the priest made his way down the aisle in the recessional following Mass his eyes locked with Justin’s and held them with angry intensity until he passed by the family pew.

“That man gives me the creeps,” Justin confessed to Daphne quietly as they stood and waited to leave the chapel, “I don’t know what I have ever done to make him hate me so much.”

The two friends passed the priest on the way out; taking the conversation Father Ronald was having with Justin’s father as an opportunity not to have to greet the man. “He scares me too Justin,” Daphne admitted quietly. She stopped suddenly, grabbing onto Justin’s arm, “promise me you’ll be careful around him. I don’t trust him.”

Justin laughed nervously as he placed a hand over Daphne’s that was still gripping his arm; “all right Daph, I promise. It’s not as if he’s a murderer or anything.”

Daphne pulled him further away from the crowd; “Justin, I just get the feeling that he knows about you.”

“That’s impossible!” Justin lowered his voice even more; “how could he? I’ve never done anything and you’re the only other person that knows.”

“I just have a bad feeling about him Justin. I don’t know how he could find out, but I think he at least suspects something.”

Justin moved into a secluded alcove and dropped himself into a chair; “if he tells father then what will I do?”

“I don’t know love,” Daphne answered as she stood and stroked his hair comfortingly.

After a few moments Justin took a deep breath and stood; “well, I guess I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it. Come, let’s go to the kitchen and have cook make us a picnic. It’s a beautiful day outside; we can find Molly and see if she would like to join us.”

“Good idea Jus.” The two friends linked arms and made their way to the kitchen.

*********************************************************

The two Taylor siblings and Daphne sat in their favorite clearing in the forest on the edge of the manor’s grounds. It was just secluded enough to keep them hidden, yet open enough to let the sunlight stream down on them.

Justin sat against the base of a large tree with his ever present parchment and drawing pencils in his hand; “thank you so much for the paints you gave me Molly. I’ve been experimenting with them a lot lately.”

“He’s done some wonderful paintings. You should go to his chamber and see them sometime;” added Daphne.

“I was happy to give them to you Justin. Father just does not seem to get that I am dismal at art. I would love to see your paintings. It’s too bad you have to keep them hidden from Mother. Oh!” Molly jumped in surprise as a young man on horseback rode into the clearing.

“Oh, hello Lord Justin and Lady Molly,” said Christopher pointedly ignoring Daphne’s presence. “I was looking for your father and the rest of the hunting party. I had something to attend to and could not ride out with them but I would very much like to catch up. Do you happen to know which way they went?” He aimed a charming smile at Molly.

“I‘m sure I don‘t know,” Molly responded with uncharacteristic coolness. She turned to her brother, “do you know Justin?”

Justin shrugged; “no I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Uh, I think I heard the game keeper say that he had spotted a large buck in the south woods when I was in the kitchen this morning,” Daphne spoke up.

“Oh, yes, well thank you, uh...”

“Daphne,” supplied Justin.

Christopher smiled, “of course. Thank you Lady Daphne. I’ll take my leave now,” he nodded to Justin, “Lord Justin,” and turned a dazzling smile on Molly again, “Lady Molly, enjoy your outing.” With that he rode out of the clearing.

“What do you think of him?” Justin asked the two girls.

“He’s handsome I guess,” Daphne said, trying to be diplomatic.

“I think he’s a prig and I don’t like him,” stated Molly firmly.

“Molly!” Justin exclaimed.

“What? It’s true. Do you like him?”

“Well no, I guess not. He’s kind of a boor.”

Just then they heard their father’s voice calling; “Christopher! Is that you my boy?”

“Yes, Lord Taylor. It is I. Did I miss the hunt? Are you back so soon?” They heard the young man respond.

“No, no the hunt is still on. My horse threw a shoe so I was forced to come back early. They are in the south woods if you still wish to join them.”

“Yes I would like that very much, unless you would like to take my horse and return while I take yours back to the stable.”

“That’s very kind of you son, but I won’t ask that of you. You go on ahead. I can’t tell you how nice it is to have a young man around that shares my interests. I wish my son enjoyed hunting as much as you do.”

“I wish that as well my Lord,” the voices faded further from the clearing.

Molly and Daphne shot sympathetic looks towards Justin but the young man ignored them, stoically returning his attention back to his sketches.

A short time later clouds began to cover the sun and a strong breeze blew in. Daphne looked to the sky, “uh oh, looks like rain. We better get inside.”

Molly and Justin stood to help gather up their things when a gust picked up Justin’s stack of drawings blowing them all over the clearing; “oh no! My pictures! Help me get them.”

Justin and the girls laughed as they chased the pieces of parchment around, trying to gather them all before the rain started. Soon the sky opened up and started to poor down on them. “Forget the rest,” called Justin, “I can draw more. Let’s get inside, Mother will kill us if she sees us in this state!”

*********************************************************

Hours later the tired hunting party was returning to the manor house with a large buck in tow. There would be fresh venison for dinner tonight thanks to Christopher‘s sure aim with a bow. He couldn‘t wait to relay the story to the Earl and his Uncle Ronald at dinner. Perhaps the Lady Molly would be there to hear it as well.

Christopher was riding a little way off from the rest of the party, not having made too many friends amongst the men yet. As he drew closer to the clearing where he had come upon the Taylor children earlier in the day he noticed something strange on the ground. He dismounted his horse to see what it was. As he drew closer he could see they were pieces of parchment with drawings on them scattered around. He knelt down to gather them up and examine them.

Some were to smeared with rain to make out, but others had been fairly protected under the cover of the trees. There was a picture of Lady Janniver, one of that Daphne girl, and one of Lady Molly that he immediately folded up and placed in his tunic. He noticed they all had the same signature on them; J. Taylor, then remembered Justin telling him that he liked to draw. An awfully girly past time in Christopher’s opinion.

He was about to mount his horse again when he noticed another small stack of parchment sticking out from under a bush. He pulled the drawings out and gasped at the pictures. As he studied them further a calculated smile crept across his lips, and then he swiftly rolled the pictures up with the others and rode back to the manor.

*********************************************************

Later that evening Justin was in his chamber readying himself for bed.

“I trust you had a nice outing today My Lord?” Asked Emmett, Justin’s personal valet.

“Oh yes Em, I truly did. I forget how much I enjoy my sister’s company and of course Daphne is Daphne as usual.”

“A very feisty young woman,” Emmett agreed as he took Justin’s tunic from him and hung it by the fire to dry. “Your mother was beside herself when the three of you returned looking like drowned rats. I wish you would not let yourself get chilled, you know your penchant for getting colds. That’s why she has made the three of you retire early tonight to your warm beds.”

“My mother is an alarmist Em, but honestly I don’t mind. I want to finish reading my book anyway.”

Both men looked surprised when they heard a knock on the outer door to Justin’s suite; “here Master,” Emmett handed Justin his robe, “I will go see who it is.”

Justin emerged from his bedchamber to find his father and the priest Father Ronald waiting for him in his sitting room. His father was clutching some rolled up parchment in his fist and looked very angry; “Emmett leave us at once,” he said firmly to the servant, his voice shaking with barely contained anger, “we need to speak to my son alone.”

“Yes My Lord,” Emmett bowed and left, heading straight for Lady Janniver’s suite of rooms.

Back inside Justin’s room his father threw the parchment at his feet; “care to explain these you filthy degenerate?”

Justin backed up a pace and looked down, the blood draining from his face as he recognized his own drawings. The next thing he felt was a hard slap across his face.

Return to The Duke of Tremont