“That’s why I got it. You get the same thrill driving it that you do running a horse on a long stretch. It won’t take you as many places as a horse will, but it’ll get you to the places it can take you pretty quick.”
“I bet.” John slid his hand across the leather upholstery on the door.
“Have you ever driven one before?”
“Nope. Never had much reason to. Like you said, a car can’t take me to the places I need to go. I have driven a tractor, though.”
“Really? I didn’t know Robert had one.”
“I know Jason thinks his father’s backward, but he’s not. He always keeps up with the latest tools to help his business. He just doesn’t see much point in spending money on luxuries. It’s the same thinking he had in the early days. He only likes to invest his money back into the business.”
That sounded familiar. As much as Jason had wanted all the fanciest things when he was younger, now that he was a business owner, he watched his money. He wasn’t stingy, but he didn’t ever spend money on things just so other people could see them and know he had money.
“Well, if you’ve driven a tractor, then you know how to drive a car. I’ll pull over in a couple of hours, and you can take a turn.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Kale blessed Jason. Bringing John had been a brilliant idea. The conversation was easy, and he didn’t have to worry about fatigue or being too tired to make it home tonight.
* * *
Kale was behind the wheel when they made it to Mr. Conroy’s. They had alternated so that John would take a turn after they got Thomas to allow Kale to spend some time with him. A plethora of stories about Jason and Robert, told by both men, had kept Kale’s nerves calm. Once they had made it into Cooperville, the conversation had gradually abated. This was the moment Kale had never thought would arrive.
When he parked the car, he reached back for the valise only to be stopped by John. “Let me get that.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“I didn’t think it would be. It’ll just look better if I’m the one carrying it. You’re the man in charge, not the man who handles the money.”
John made sense. It was a good suggestion. “Let me just get my documents out of it. That way he can take the whole thing.” Kale retrieved the papers and put them underneath the driver’s seat. It was a wearing necessity to carry them with him at all times in Arine. They were little protection should anyone truly wish him harm, but if they were ever lost or stolen, especially without Jason to vouch for him, there was no way for Kale to prove his identity. The old fear of being captured and sold still lurked in the recesses of his mind. It was ridiculous. No one had cause to try to steal them, but he still liked to keep them out of plain view.
Mr. Conroy’s secretary led them into his study and shut the door, remaining inside, out of the way. Kale was glad he had John with him to keep the numbers even. Behind a giant oak desk sat Mr. Conroy. He was a stout man with a ruddy complexion and about as much hair in his sideburns as he had on his entire head. There wasn’t anything in his appearance to lead Kale to believe he was a pleasant man.
“Gentleman, please, take a seat.”
“We’re fine standing, thank you. This shouldn’t take long.” Kale was too on edge to sit. He wanted to hand over the money, sign the papers, get Thomas, and be gone in five minutes.
“I’m afraid there’s been a change of plans. Upon further reflection, I can’t let Thomas go for anything less than fifty.”
Kale took a step forward before he could stop himself. “We had a deal.” Kale was tired of disappointments, but his voice was pure steel without a hint of weariness. He was leaving with Thomas in the back seat of his car whether Mr. Conroy agreed to the terms or not.
“I know, but I’ve been thinking about it, and there must be something I don’t know about this boy if you’re willing to pay so much for him.”
John stepped forward and placed the valise on the desk. “Well, we have forty-two thousand cash for you as promised. That’s an awful lot of money. It seems to me you can take it and be happy at your good fortune, or you can decline it, in which case we’ll have ourselves a bit of a problem.” After John placed the valise on the desk, he brushed his coat back and put his hands in his pockets. Kale realized at the same moment Mr. Conroy did that this placed John’s revolver in plain view.
Mr. Conroy eyed each man. Neither Kale nor John moved. John was taller than Kale and pure muscle. It wouldn’t be hard for him to intimidate anyone.
“All right. No need to make a fuss. A deal’s a deal. Gereson, count this and make sure it’s all there.” The secretary opened the valise and started to pull the money out.
“I don’t take kindly to being called a liar.” John’s voice was low.
“No offense intended. Business is business.” Conroy held his palms up in a gesture of helplessness.
Gereson thumbed through all forty-two bundles of cash. “It’s all here, sir.”
“Good. Then if you would just sign here, Mr. Wadsworth, Thomas will be all yours.” Kale scanned each copy of the bill of sale before he affixed his signature to them and did the same with Thomas’s title and registration papers. As soon as Kale finished, Conroy clapped his hands together. “Excellent. It was nice doing business with you. Gereson, bring the boy in.”
It was then that Kale realized Mr. Conroy had sold him Thomas sight unseen. Kale didn’t mind. He hadn’t wanted his brother around for the money part of it anyway, but it did make him wonder at Conroy’s motivation. He was probably worried there was some mix-up, and Thomas wasn’t the slave they wanted. Either that or there was something wrong with Thomas that Conroy didn’t want them knowing about before he had his money. Kale didn’t delve down that path. It was simpler to assume that Conroy was afraid they wouldn’t want Thomas if it turned out he didn’t look enough like the brother Kale had told him P and C already owned. Kale would find out soon enough.
The door opened, and Kale was awestruck. Before him stood a man where Kale had expected to find a boy. Thomas stood barely an inch shorter than Kale, or at least he would when his head was raised. His long, gangly limbs had filled out. The freckles on his nose and cheeks were faded.
“Thomas, you’ve been sold.” A flutter of his downcast eyelashes was the only movement that betrayed his surprise. “This is your new master, Mr. Wadsworth.”
Thomas began to sink to his knees. Kale’s stomach churned. He wouldn’t let his brother kneel to him. Instead he grabbed Thomas’s arm, perhaps a bit too gruffly, before his knees could hit the floor. “No time for all that. Let’s go.” Kale kept his voice low. It was the only way he could control it.
Once out of Conroy’s office, Kale released Thomas’s arm and strode to the car, confident that Thomas and John followed. Kale climbed into the back and John got behind the wheel, putting Thomas’s papers under the seat to join Kale’s. Thomas moved to get in the front, but Kale grabbed his hand and tugged him into the back. The moment Thomas’s door closed, the car jerked forward.
Once John had them off of Conroy’s property, Kale collapsed back in his seat and breathed easier. To his right, Thomas sat awkwardly on the edge of his seat with his head bowed and one hand limp inside Kale’s. He had no idea how to even begin to talk to Thomas. It didn’t feel right to just blurt out that he was his brother.
Kale could imagine what was going through Thomas’s head. What he really wanted was to put him at ease. “You must have a lot of questions.” Thomas perked slightly at the words. “You’ve noticed my hands are rougher than any man you’ve served in a while. You would have seen the valise full of cash on the desk. You’re wondering what you did to get yourself sold. Was it something you said, a mistake you made? Or did the master just get tired of you? You’re right back at the beginning, having to learn new preferences and rules. John’s revolver is an unexpected variable. You haven’t been manacled, so are you expected to do something? How can you please someone who you’ve already ups
et merely by trying to pay the proper respect on your knees? I’m sorry about that, by the way. I didn’t mean to be rough with you. And now you’re wondering how any free man can know what you’re thinking so well. It’s a bit scary.”
Kale lifted Thomas’s face. Thomas had inherited the soft curves of their mother’s bone structure. “Lift your eyes to mine.” The pale green eyes that met Kale’s were imprinted with a lifetime of experiences Kale had no knowledge of. There was a depth that hadn’t been there the last time Kale had seen them. The light behind the irises had dimmed. Slaves never really had innocence, even as children, but there was a certain spark, a hope, that had persisted in Thomas when he was young. Kale had envied it. When had it been extinguished? Had it been when Kale was sold? Or when Thomas was finally separated from his mother? It was time to bring some understanding to dispel the confusion clouding Thomas’s eyes. “I know what you’re thinking because it’s what I would have been thinking if I were you. It was the way our mother taught us to think.” There was a flicker of something on Thomas’s face, not quite recognition. “It’s me, Thomas. Kale. Your brother.”
Thomas’s eyes widened so much they reminded Kale of the time he had shown Thomas a three-foot snake he had killed near the pond. “I know it’s hard to believe. It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s true.”
“Kale?” It was the first time Thomas had spoken. He had an unfamiliar voice, deep and richer than when Kale had last heard it.
“Yes.” Thomas’s eyes flashed to John in the front seat. “Don’t worry, John’s a friend. You don’t need to worry about anything. John doesn’t own you, and he won’t hurt you. A company I own just bought your title. It’s a little complicated, and I don’t expect you to make sense of it right now. All you need to know is that I’ve got you, and I’m going to take care of you.”
“You’re free?”
“Yes, Little Brother, and I’m taking you home.”
Chapter Thirty-One
A little after eleven o’clock, Robert finally woke up for more than just a few minutes. Jason set his book aside as soon as he heard the change in his father’s breathing.
“What are you doing hovering over my bedside? Aren’t you supposed to be with Kale?”
Jason handed his father a glass of water. “Kale’s fine without me. I wanted to be here with you today.”
“I’m not going to die today. You should have gone.” Robert lifted his head and drank. He handed Jason back an empty glass.
Demetri piled pillows behind Robert and helped him get comfortable in a near sitting position. Once he was situated, Robert eyed the nurse. “Thank you for your help, but your services are no longer needed.”
“Excuse me, sir, but I’d like to stay. I can be of use here, help make you more comfortable.”
“I have Demetri for that.”
“Yes, and as long as Demetri doesn’t need sleep or food, I’m sure that would work out fine. As it is, you need help, Mr. Wadsworth. You’re only going to get more uncomfortable as time goes on.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, sir, you’re not. You’re dying. Men in your condition don’t get better. You’ve held on a remarkably long time. It’s time for you to make peace with what’s coming. If not for yourself, then for your loved ones.”
Jason braced himself for Robert’s explosion. It didn’t occur to him that his father didn’t have the strength for one. “What’s your name?”
“Sadie, sir.”
“You may stay, Sadie. I don’t have the energy to fight with you.”
Sadie smiled. “That’s why most of my patients agree to have me around, sir.”
“Son.” Jason leaned forward in his chair, eager to help in any way he could. “Go eat something.”
“I already have.”
“Then go look at the portraits Demetri pulled down from the attic.”
“That can wait, Father.”
“How about this: leave because your old man needs to piss, and I might be bossed into keeping nurses around, but I will retain some dignity in front of my own son.”
Jason blushed, embarrassed he hadn’t understood his father’s meaning.
“Gods, you blush just like Lena did. Kale must have fun with that.”
Jason blushed even hotter, and Robert made a gurgling sound that was supposed to be a laugh. “I’ll be back soon.”
Taking his father’s advice, he went to the parlor where Demetri had set the paintings. There were four in all, leaned up on the sofa. Jason sat cross-legged on the floor in front of them. It felt like being a child again, sitting on the floor, looking up at his mother as she sewed or read aloud from a book.
To the far left was a picture of her as a young woman before she’d married his father. She looked barely fifteen, with round pink cheeks and bright hazel eyes. She looked so young and carefree. The painting to the right of it was a wedding portrait of her with his father. Robert’s arm was possessively around Lena’s waist, as if he was scared he would lose her at any moment. His smile was much more reserved than Lena’s, but it was the happiest Jason had ever seen him. The next was a bust of his mother. Jason couldn’t determine her age, but he assumed it was around the time he was born. The final canvas was a family portrait. Jason was around four. He could remember sitting for it. The wool trousers had been itchy, and he wasn’t allowed any toys to play with, but his mother had sneaked him treats when his father wasn’t looking. Robert was much more relaxed in this one. Not only was he happy, but satisfied as well, as if his wife and child were his greatest accomplishments.
Jason picked up the family portrait and carried it with him to his father’s room.
“I thought you might like to have something to look at other than the bare walls.” Jason perched the picture on top of the dresser opposite the bed.
“It’s been a long time since I saw that. It’s hard to believe I was ever so young.”
“Yeah. We were one happy little family, weren’t we?”
“Yes, we were. Thanks for bringing it here. That was the best time of my life.”
“I had completely forgotten that it existed until I saw it today.”
“Probably blocked it from your memory. You threw a fit every time we tried to put you in those trousers after that day. The only way I could get you to keep still was to bribe you with sweets.”
“You? I thought Mother gave them to me.”
“Where do you think she got them from?”
Jason shrugged. “Do you ever wonder what she’d say if she could see us?”
“No. I know what she’d say. She’d tell us to stop being stubborn and realize we’re the only family we’re going to get, and that’s more valuable than pride or foolishness.”
“I wonder what she would think of me and Kale.”
“The same thing I do. She’d be happy that you’re happy.”
Jason’s blood ran hot at his father’s lie. “You hate the fact that I’m with Kale.”
“No, I don’t. You’re a good match.”
Jason wouldn’t let his father pretend like nothing had happened. “If that were true, why didn’t you accept Kale when I first brought him back here?”
“Your mother would have, once she saw how in love you were with him and that he returned it. If she’d been here, she would have talked me out of my idiocy. At the time, I didn’t know he loved you. I thought he was manipulating you.”
“It should have been enough that I loved him.”
“Perhaps, but you love far more easily than you should. You can thank your mother for that. Don’t think I didn’t hear about you and Eric Vanderhoff. First, it was him, and then it was Kale. It could have been someone else the next week for all I knew.”
“You threatened to beat him.”
“Yes, Jason. He was a slave, no matter how much you wished he wasn’t. I wanted to end it. All I saw for you going down that path was hurt. You had to go and fall for the one person with whom it would be most difficult for you to build a life. It
was never anything against Kale personally. I liked him. That’s why I bought him for you. I just never imagined you would end up falling in love with him.”
“Kale persuaded me to come here, to try to mend our relationship. He always blamed himself for our problems.”
“I’m glad he convinced you to come. I wanted to write you, but I couldn’t bear the thought that you might refuse, and I had given you every reason to.”
“I didn’t think you’d want to see me, since you disowned me.”
“I regretted that as soon as you left. I didn’t mean what I said that day. I must have started two dozen letters, but I could never find the right words. I was ashamed of myself, if I’m honest. Then you began courting Renee, and it didn’t seem there was much point. After the wedding, I thought everything would be fine, but when things fell apart with Renee, I felt responsible. I knew it had to do with Kale. You never looked at Renee the way you did him, even on your wedding day.”
“I loved her.” Jason didn’t want his father thinking he’d married Renee for her money. “In a way, I still do.”
“I know. You loved her the way you love most things, but you weren’t in love with her. You were too young to know the difference, to know that you can love many different people, but that doesn’t mean you bind yourself to them.”
“You terrified Kale that day. He thought you still held his title.”
“I’m sorry about that. I was wrong to treat him the way I did. I only wanted to protect you. I reacted badly. I’m sure he was happy to get back to Perdana.”
“No, actually, he was furious with me for not giving in to you. I got quite the earful on the journey back. He insisted I was a fool, that he was just a slave, and you were my father, my family.”
“Kale’s a good man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“I like him, Jason. I really do. I think he’s good for you. I wish things had been different. When you both showed up here, I fell into my old habits. I didn’t know if he really loved you or if he had just used you to gain freedom. It doesn’t take long around the two of you to realize the truth.”
[Measure of Devotion 01.0 - 03.0] Box Set Page 68