Gedi Puniku- Cat Eyes

by Jeanie P Johnson

  Nigel turned to me and winked.

  “Gavin and I both had our eye on the same girl and we had a bet as to who would capture her heart first. It turned out he lost the bet, but had he known what a little imp she turned out to be, he would have thanked me for taking her off of his hands.”

  I looked at Gavin. All of the many conversations we had shared, and he never mentioned Nigel or some girl they were fighting over.

  “Whatever happened to her? I thought you were smitten and intended to marry her,” Gavin said.

  “I had intended to until I discovered she was already married! However, we did have some glorious times together before I learned the sad news. Her husband challenged me to a duel, but I decided to take a voyage, the very night it was to be held,” he gave a laugh. “No use getting killed over someone who had pulled the wool over my eyes. Besides, I had to mend my broken heart!”

  “So that was the reason for your sudden interest in the other side of the globe,” Gavin smiled.

  “And now I am back, and discover your missing cousin has materialized. I suppose Patrick was shocked when she showed up.”

  “As a matter of fact, Patrick found her on the other side of the states, only he had an accident a month back, and ended up dying.”

  “Sorry to hear that. Now I understand why Helen is in black.”

  “Yes, so if you had any ideas of trying to sweep her off her feet, she is in mourning, and it would be quite inappropriate.

  “Perhaps she needs consoling,” Nigel suggested.

  “Any consoling that Helen needs, I can furnish,” Gavin said flatly.

  “Oh! I see. You have your eye on her yourself, considering she is not your blood cousin.”

  “On the contrary,” I broke in. “Gavin and I are merely close friends.”

  I did not want Gavin scaring away any potential friends because he wanted to monopolize my time. As it was, because we were in mourning, we had little entertainment. Conversing with someone new was appealing to me, and I wanted to hear about what was on the other side of the globe.

  “So you’re not kissing cousins?” Nigel winked.

  “No,” I said, trying to forget about the night on the beach when Gavin had pulled me down and was intent on doing more than merely kissing me.

  I noticed Gavin sitting back in his chair, with a resigned frown on his face.

  “I suppose we can’t get rid of you, so you might as well make yourself comfortable,” Gavin frowned.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Nigel smiled.

  “That’s what I thought,” Gavin returned.

  “Now, now. That is no way to treat an old friend. Gad! When I think of all the things we used to do together as chums.”

  “It was more like competition between the two of us, as I recall,” Gavin muttered.

  “Healthy competition. I heard it through the grapevine you had gotten engaged, while I was traveling the world.”

  “I can’t imagine who told you that. Whoever it was, had been mistaken.”

  “Strange. It happened to be her sister. Apparently, she was nursing a broken heart as well, because she had her sights on you, and her sister won out. Whatever became of that marriage pledge?”

  “It went nowhere, real fast, which is why I don’t even count it as a pledge. Turned out she thought I had money, considering my family was rolling in it. What a woman won’t do to snag a wealthy husband until she discovers he isn’t so wealthy after all.”

  “I heard it was the other way around. According to her sister, they had plenty of money, only her family came from new money, the same as me. Are you sure you were not the one looking for a wealthy wife?”

  “It wasn’t her money that attracted me to her, only she thought it was. I think my dear cousin Patrick must have interfered. The family never liked the new money crowd, and Patrick, especially, held a grudge against me. I still haven’t figured out why.”

  He gave a look at me, probably remembering how Patrick had warned me about him to discourage me from getting involved with him, and now I was wondering what that grudge was all about? I was sure Gavin knew, only was not telling.

  I stared back at Gavin. That was another story he neglected to tell me. He could have easily told me about it when I told him what Patrick had said about him. I wondered how much more I did not know about my cousin by marriage? I wanted to get to know Nigel better, just so I could ask him more about the person who was bent on getting me to fall in love with him before the year was out.

  “Well enough about you and me. I want to hear how you found your lost cousin?” Nigel insisted. “I am sure the story is interesting. What happened to her in the first place?”

  “Patrick’s tutor took her, just as we suspected. Then when Patrick was traveling out in Wyoming, he managed to find her and brought her back. We were planning a welcome home Ball for her, only Patrick died, and we had to cancel it.”

  “I am sure there is more to it than that,” Nigel stated. “I would like to hear it from your lips,” Nigel insisted, as he turned to me, piercing me with his astounding blue eyes. They contrasted so drastically with his dark hair, I couldn’t help but admire them. They were even a deeper blue than Gavin’s eyes.

  I spent the rest of the meal telling my story to Nigel. Because Gavin had been so evasive about his past, I decided to go into a lot more detail with Nigel, telling him incidents about my experience I had not thought to share with Gavin. Maybe Gavin had not thought to share his experiences with me either, which proved to me we had less in common than he pretended at.

  I thought it would bore Gavin to hear it all over again, but he leaned against the table with interest, just as Nigel did.

  “My word, Gavin! Your cousin is astounding. I would never tire of listening to her adventures.”

  “I am sure you have had your own share of adventures,” I said. “You should come to our house for lunch sometime. Since you are an old friend of Gavin’s I am sure my parents won’t think of it as entertainment, but just sharing one’s company and getting reacquainted.”

  “I would love that,” Nigel said, grinning at Gavin with satisfaction.

  I wanted to grin with satisfaction too, only I knew Gavin did not like the fact I had invited him. Gavin was starting to be too possessive, where I was concerned, I thought. He needed to be put down a few pegs. Knowing of the past competition the two shared, I was going to enjoy showing my own independence. I thought about the things Patrick had told me about Gavin, and I was wondering if they were true? I just needed a second opinion. There seemed to be so many family stories that were hidden in the woodwork that no one spoke of. It must have to do with being part of old money, I thought amusedly to myself. Maybe there were a lot more skeletons in the closet that Gavin had never mentioned, and Patrick wasn’t the only one who had them?

  After lunch, Nigel reluctantly bid farewell, promising to come see us as soon as he got his affairs in order, from his overseas travels. Gavin frowned.

  “I wish you hadn’t invited him,” Gavin grumbled, as we stepped up in the buggy, heading for home.

  “Why ever not? He is your old friend, and we seldom get any visitors since we are in mourning. I am about to go crazy, stuck at McGovern Court with nothing much changing except for what we have for dinner each night.”

  “Your parent’s don’t really like him. He’s from new money, you know. We have been more competitors than actual friends.”

  “I am really surprised you don’t have more friends. You have lived here all your life, haven’t you?”

  “I do have friends, but they are people I visit with at the clubs or at social affairs. Since you have been here, we have been in mourning, and before that, I was attending to helping you. Now I have kind of gotten used to it just being the two of us. We don’t need a third wheel.”

  “Then tell him to bring a friend with him, so there will be four of us and we can play cards or something,” I suggested.

  “Perhaps I will mention it if he makes a habit o
f dropping by, or you make a habit of inviting him.”

  “He seems like a very nice person. I am anxious to hear about his travels.”

  “Just be careful. You know your parents will never allow you to marry into new money.”

  I laughed.

  “Considering I have no plans of marrying anyone unless I am held at gunpoint, I don’t think it would be a concern. You worry too much, Gavin. You need to stop trying to second-guess me.”

  “I was hoping you had changed your mind about not wanting a husband, Helen. You know my aunt and uncle will hound you about marriage until you find a match. It is all about carrying on the blue-blood,” he laughed.

  “And you know that they will never approve of me marrying you. Patrick assured me of it when I first came here.”

  “That was Patrick’s opinion. I think both of our parents would be happy to keep the money in the family where they can keep a close eye on it.”

  “It is all about money and blood. I am getting tired of hearing it!”

  Three days later, I was sitting at the piano, practicing my scales. Gavin was attending to something that Loretta asked him to do, so he had taken her into the city. I was rather surprised because Gavin and Loretta seldom interacted, except when we invited her to join us in cards. But recently, she had been less reserved, and I think she was starting to get over Patrick, and possibly the control he had over her that kept her so quiet all the time. I thought I would have ended up that way if Patrick had still been here, regulating my every move.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Nigel standing there.

  “You are talented in more ways than I can count,” he smiled, as he sat down on the bench beside me.

  “Do you ever try duets?”

  “I can barely play,” I informed him.

  “You are too modest. Pick one of your favorite pieces, that you believe you can execute,” he suggested.

  I took out some music I had been practicing and felt I could get through with a minimum of mistakes and started to play it. Soon, Nigel was playing along with me adding depth to the music, as his hands intermingled with mine while we played. I was having so much fun, I started laughing as the piece came to an end.

  “I love your laugh,” Nigel said. “I think we make a good music team, don’t you agree?”

  “It was rather entertaining. It is so drab around here most of the time. I feel like the house is suffocating me!”

  “Then let’s go for a walk or something,” Nigel suggested.

  “Did you come on a horse or in a buggy?” I asked.

  “On horseback. Why do you ask?”

  “Then we should go on a ride along the shore. I usually take my dog for a run about this time of day, and Fire Cracker, my horse, enjoys a good gallop on the beach.”

  “That sounds exhilarating. I was wondering why you were dressed in your riding habit. I thought maybe you had just returned from a ride. I think I would enjoy going on a ride with you.”

  He took my hand and helped me up from the bench, and we walked outside. While he retrieved his horse from the post out front, I went and saddled Fire Cracker. I had intended on going riding once I finished playing the piano as it was, and now I would have company.

  I released Bandit from his run, and climbed up on Fire Cracker’s back, leading the way down to the shore. At first, we rode slowly, talking and getting better acquainted as we walked the horses.

  “I am so happy Patrick managed to find you,” Nigel told me. “And doubly happy that I happened to run into you and Gavin, the other day. By the way, where is Gavin?”

  “He is out doing errands with Loretta,” I informed him.

  Nigel raised his eyebrows. “He must be torn,” Nigel stated.

  “What do you mean by that?” I asked, not sure what he was insinuating.

  “Oh, I suppose you don’t know. It is rather ancient news that he has swept under the rug for a long time now. I was under the impression he had his eye on you, but you seem rather aloof towards him, other than being his friend, as you mentioned. Only now that Patrick is no longer around…”

  “What are you talking about?” I wanted to know.

  “I am sure Gavin would not want me to speak of it. I only found out by accident, when I overheard him and Patrick arguing. He claims he doesn’t know why Patrick held a grudge against him, trying to pretend nothing ever happened. I don’t think he even knows I am aware of the incident.”

  “What incident?” I probed, as I pulled my horse to a stop and faced him.

  “You know, Patrick used to travel on business, buying interests in things like gold mines and whatnot. He and Loretta were newly-weds and she was being a little cool to all his demands. Both of their parents pushed them into the marriage. I don’t think either of them loved the other, but both were obedient children and went along with their parent’s wishes. It is common knowledge that in Europe arranged marriages happen all the time, and your parents had not gotten over the old way of doing things.

  “Anyway, Patrick had suffered enough with Loretta’s whining and decided to remove himself for a time to give them both space to breathe. While he was away, Gavin took over comforting Loretta. They became lovers behind Patrick’s back. It is a possibility that Loretta’s son is actually fathered by Gavin. You may have noticed he is fair-headed with blue eyes. Patrick has red hair and Loretta has brown hair. Not that she couldn’t have a blond offspring, but Patrick started counting the months it took her to deliver, and could only come to one conclusion, that the child did not belong to him.

  “It is the reason he started taking her maid to his bed. After Ian was born, Patrick sent Loretta to the summer house along with the nurse-maid, because he couldn’t stand looking at his wife’s or her son’s face. Of course, I don’t believe your parents know anything about it. Gavin believes only he and Patrick were aware of it. There was no way anyone was going to allow a scandal to be circulated, so the secret was kept, in spite of the fact that both Patrick and Gavin knew who fathered the child.

  “Gavin would go and spend time with Loretta at the summer house, and this time, when Loretta discovered she was expecting, Patrick was about ready to kill the two of them. Gavin isn’t even a McGovern and his son is going to inherit McGovern Court. It must be maddening for him, having to keep the secret. Because if your parents ever discovered the truth, you will be the one who inherits it all. He could marry Loretta, and live on what she has inherited from her husband’s death, only they will be expected to live elsewhere, and his son would remain here to become the next in line to carry the not so blue-blood on.”

  Nigel began to laugh.

  “It is rather funny when you think of it. I am the only one, other than Gavin, Loretta, and now you, who knows of the betrayal. Patrick took the truth of it to his grave. If I choose to report it to your parents, you will be the heiress to carry on the blue-blood and wealth. If Gavin was married to you, he would be sure to get it all. However, I have a strange feeling that Gavin and Loretta are in love, and that would make everything very precarious, don’t you think? No matter what choice Gavin makes, it would create a stir in his own life, not to mention both your’s and Loretta’s.”

  “That is why Patrick warned me about Gavin,” I murmured. “He told me Gavin was a womanizer, and not to fall for his charm. He was not a very nice brother, but this does answer a lot of questions I had about his actions towards me and Gavin.”

  I began to wonder if Gavin had been telling me the truth about Patrick bringing prostitutes to McGovern Court? It seemed rather risky to do so when he could have frequented them at the brothels. It made more sense that he started taking Megan to his bed, not because his wife was frigid, but to punish her for her own infidelity. It could be why he forced her to watch him and Megan if that part of Gavin’s story was true. If he knew Ian was actually Gavin’s son, the inheritance would end up in my hands, and the last thing he would want was for Gavin to marry me!

  Perhaps his forcing me to wat
ch him and Megan was an effort to make me refuse to have intimacies with whatever man I ended up marrying, so my life would be as unhappy as his own. He wanted to traumatize me, and possibly take my virginity so I wouldn’t be fit to marry anyone.

  No wonder he acted cool towards his children and his wife. No wonder he wanted me to be forced to marry into an acceptable family, the same way he had been. Maybe he planned on revealing the truth, once I was married. Then maybe he would rebel altogether, divorce Loretta for adultery and take Megan as his wife, just to spite everyone! He already had his share of the inheritance, and the money he made on the gold mine. He could wash his hands forever of the hated father who blamed him for my abduction.

  I was feeling so stunned, I wasn’t sure what to do.

  “I shouldn’t have told you,” Nigel said, suddenly. “I can see it has upset you!”

  “No, no. It just has allowed me to understand so many incidents that did not make sense before. In fact, I want to thank you. You are right about Gavin having an eye for me. He has been hoping I would agree to marry him, by the time our mourning period is over. I don’t think he had expected Patrick to die, and would have to choose between me and Loretta. I can see how all of this would be very complicated if the truth were revealed.”

  “The question is, do you wish for the truth to be revealed?”

  I shook my head.

  “To tell you the truth, I don’t wish to be a part of this family. It seems like everyone in it has some ulterior motive. My father was extremely cruel to Patrick because I was taken, and in turn, Patrick was cruel to me. Now I discover Gavin is almost as bad, and I don’t want to satisfy my parent’s wish that I marry into some old blood wealthy family. I would just leave, if it weren’t for the fact that without the allowance I am allotted, I would not have a penny to my name.”

  “That is a shame,” Nigel said, looking into my eyes with his striking blue orbs. “You wouldn’t consider marrying into a new money wealthy family, would you?”

  I began to laugh.

  “I have only loved one person, but he is someone my parents would never approve of. I don’t know if I can learn to love anyone else, old or new money, though they may be.”