“Yeah, but I had no talent for food. Mama was scared I’d be doing scullery work my whole life or else get myself in a world of hurt when anyone tasted my cooking. She got me put in your old job in the laundry. Mending clothes and keeping them in order didn’t take much talent, just patience. When we were put up for auction, I got sold as a house slave to a family by the name of Driggson. They were decent to me, lived only a few kilometers from the Ellingtons. Old Mrs. Ellington adored Mama, Kale. She had a good life.”
It was nice to know she hadn’t died someplace horrible. Mrs. Ellington had seemed nice enough when Kale met her, but it was always hard to tell. “I’m glad. It could have been a lot worse.”
“Yeah, it could’ve. The Driggsons even let me attend the little service the slaves held for her.”
“What happened? Why didn’t they keep you?”
“After Mama was gone, there was no reason for me to want to stay with them. I was never going to move up in that house, so I made myself invaluable to their cousin whenever he came to visit. I was always assigned to him, and when he made his way in the world, he made an offer for me. That was Mr. Roche. It was a nice situation I’d gotten for myself. I thought I had it all. Then the fool lost me in a game of cards. That one hurt.”
Kale grimaced. What kind of man used a valet as good as his brother as stakes?
“The man he lost me to was a bastard. Nickardian was his name. What kind of name is that? Man was mean as fuck. I never did figure him out. There had to have been something wrong in his head. The things he made us do…”
“You don’t have to talk about them if you don’t want to. I don’t mind if you ever want to talk, but you don’t need to.”
Thomas nodded. “Suffice it to say, I was grateful when he got tired of me and sold me to Conroy. Conroy was slimy, but he wasn’t cruel.”
“Good morning.” Jason strolled in, and Kale’s eyes were drawn to the worry lines creasing his face.
Thomas stood as soon as Jason entered, and Kale grabbed his arm and tugged him back down. “How’s your father this morning?”
Jason sat and took a sip of his coffee. “He hasn’t woken up. Sadie says his heartbeat is losing strength. She’ll send for me when he wakes, but it’s not likely to happen before this afternoon. What were you two talking about?”
“Comparing masters.” Kale wanted to lend Jason encouragement, but decided it was best to honor his request for a change of subject.
“Kale really lucked out getting sold to you, sir.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I wasn’t a good master. The only good thing I did for him was free him, and to be honest, I had selfish reasons for doing it.”
“That’s not true. You taught me to read, encouraged my art, and didn’t beat the daylights out of me the way I deserved.”
“No, but if it weren’t for me, you would have never been sold—”
“Let’s not talk about it. I think we can all agree that I was lucky, and now it’s Thomas’s turn to be lucky.” Kale held Jason’s eyes. He felt Thomas’s curious stare, but he didn’t break eye contact with Jason until he was sure Jason wasn’t going to bring up anything he didn’t want Thomas knowing.
There was a nearly imperceptible nod of Jason’s head before he looked at Thomas. “Of course it is. How are you settling in, Thomas? Must be quite a change to get used to.”
“It is, but as far as transitions go, this one’s worth the difficulty. Thank you for asking, sir.”
“Thomas, I’m your brother’s idiot lover. You don’t need to call me sir. Please, call me Jason.”
Three plates were brought in and set before them. Kale couldn’t help the laugh he released as soon as he saw what was on them. “It looks like Darlene has a new pet.”
“I should say so.” Jason suppressed his laugh and began eating.
Thomas’s eyes were both wide with wonder and furrowed with confusion. Each plate was stacked high with pancakes topped with blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream. A mushroom, bell pepper, onion, and cheese omelet took up one third of the plate, and bacon and sausage took up the remaining third. A bottle of maple syrup was placed on the table.
“I’m glad you’re eating with us, Little Brother. If Darlene could have gotten away with just serving you this feast, she would have.”
Thomas’s eyebrows shot up. “This is for me?”
Kale loved Darlene at that moment. “Yeah. She doesn’t cook like this for us.”
“Scrambled eggs, toast, some meat, and tomatoes is the most we ever get.” Jason poured a liberal helping of maple syrup over his pancakes.
Thomas waited until Kale and Jason had both started to eat before he took a bite. Kale tried to remember the first time he had eaten a real breakfast. His had been poached eggs. That morning had also been the first time Jason had tried oatmeal. The memory prompted him to look at Jason.
“What?” Jason swallowed a bite of pancake.
“Nothing. Just remembering some of the breakfasts we’ve had.”
Jason shook his head and went back to eating. “What are you two going to do today?”
“There’s nothing we have to do. Is there anything you need? Anything we can do to make the day easier?”
“No. I’m going to spend all day sitting with my father, so I can be there when he wakes. I don’t know how many more chances I’m going to get. There’s no need for you to be bored all day just for me.”
“You know I don’t mind.”
“I know. I’m not saying I’m not going to need you—I will—just not for most of the day.”
“I was thinking about taking Thomas out and showing him the ranch.”
“That’ll be good. I’ll send someone for you if I need you.”
“All right. I also need to call Martin.”
“He’ll be dying to know how it all worked out. I’m surprised he didn’t call here yesterday asking.”
“He probably didn’t want to bother you. I also wanted to see what he thought about something.” Kale left it up to Jason to decide if he wanted to ask what was on his mind. He didn’t want to force conversation on him at the moment.
“What?” Jason’s eyes showed he was genuinely curious.
“I’ve been thinking about what we talked about at the Lady Lion before we left. It struck me last night how absurd it is that a man can kill a slave in this country, but not free him. I think that would be a good place to start with the laws.”
“A bill that would allow slave owners to emancipate their slaves?”
“Yes. It would have to be approached from the perspective of the owners. A kind of, ‘This is my slave, and I can damn well do whatever I want with him, including free him.’”
“That’s perfect, Kale.”
“What do you think, Thomas?”
Thomas looked up from his plate, clearly having difficulty hiding his surprise at being asked his opinion. “I think it makes sense, but it’ll be hard to convince people of it. Free men—especially out in farm country where there are so many slaves—are terrified of slaves conspiring. They don’t want us having any hope. Better if we just accept our slavery as an unchangeable fact. You know what Mama said: hoping for freedom is death for a slave.”
“You’re right. It’ll take a lot of work, but I think that it might be possible with the trade agreement coming up for renewal. We can convince the Naiarans that it’s an adequate concession, and I think we can sell it as hardly a concession at all to Arinians. We need to see how politicians and the upper class would react to it. That’s why I thought I’d ask Martin to toss the idea around. See if he can gauge reaction for us.”
“He’ll be able to do that. He can even play it off as idle chatter.” Jason slipped into a mimic of Martin’s proper, exasperated voice. “‘So much to do. If only Mr. Wadsworth had been able to stay in the country. Pity he had to move all the way to Naiara just to free his slave. Left me with all his work. A man should be able to free his slave if he wants to without having to move to ano
ther country.’ That sort of thing.”
“I’ll call him on our way out.” Kale finished his breakfast and pushed his chair back. His stomach hadn’t been so full in ages. “You don’t have to finish it all, Thomas. No one will be offended. Don’t make yourself sick.”
“There’s no way I’m not sending an empty plate back. I don’t want Darlene to think I didn’t like it. Maybe she’ll do it again tomorrow.”
“Even if she doesn’t do it again tomorrow, there will still be plenty. You’ll have an abundance of food for the rest of your life, and you can eat any time you want.”
Thomas reached over and took one of the remaining bites of Kale’s pancake and used it to mop up his last bit of syrup. “Done.”
“Have a good time. Are you going to be coming back for lunch?”
“Yes, if this one ever gets hungry again. If nothing else, I want to check in.”
They all stood and walked together to the stairs. Jason brushed his lips against Kale’s and squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry about me. I promise I’ll let you know when I need you.”
“All right. Focus on the good. And don’t hesitate to get me. Have someone shoot up a flare, and I’ll be back in minutes.” Kale watched Jason ascend the stairs. It tore at him, knowing the pain Jason faced. All Kale could offer was his love, and he hoped it would be enough when the time came.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Jason had tried reading, but ended up staring at the pages of his book. Eventually, the weight in his hand grew cumbersome, so he abandoned the pretense. Sadie sewed in the corner. Demetri sat in his chair at the foot of the bed, watching Robert as intently as Jason did. The steady rhythm of Robert’s chest rising and falling entranced Jason.
“Is there anything I can do for you, sir?” Demetri asked periodically, clearing the oppressive atmosphere.
Jason shook his head. Robert’s labored breathing was the only sound in the room. Over time, it became almost unbearable in its monotonous drone, like the ticking of a clock.
“You love him, don’t you?” It was a question Jason had pondered for some time. There was no harm in asking Demetri now.
“Yes, sir.”
“Like a father?”
“No, sir.”
“More than that?”
Demetri hesitated.
“I’m not asking if you love him more than I do. Do you love him the way I love Kale?”
“Not as intensely, sir, but it’s closer to that. More companionship than passion.”
Jason was glad. His father needed someone. “Were you lovers?”
“For a time, but he put a stop to it, sir.”
“Why?”
“I was becoming too attached.”
“Then why did he keep you?”
“It wasn’t a problem of him returning the feeling. He didn’t want to hurt me by making me believe I could be anything other than his slave.”
“Typical.”
“His way of caring for me, sir.”
Loyal to the end. Jason had never heard a critical word about his father from Demetri. He doubted anyone had. “Thank you for taking such good care of him. I won’t forget it.”
“It’s been a pleasure, sir.”
Silence resumed. Jason’s eyes remained riveted on his father’s face. It was so different than the face he associated with the man. Hollow shadows took the place of cheeks. Bruise-like circles darkened his eyes. Wrinkles crossed his face, and skin sagged. As a boy, Jason had never thought of his father getting old. As a man, he hadn’t cared. As a grieving son, he ached to see his father so frail and weak and mourned the vigor that would never again fill his father’s face.
Jason noticed a slight hitch in the rhythm of Robert’s breath. Just a cough. They were becoming more frequent, but this one persisted. Robert’s eyes fluttered open, and Demetri joined Jason in helping him drink and clear his throat. Demetri wiped the spittle from Robert’s chin with a handkerchief.
“Jason?”
“Yes, Father? I’m here.” Jason clasped his hand.
“I love you, Son.”
“I know. I love you too. I should have said it more.”
“Shh. I knew. A father always knows his son.” There was a pause. Jason wondered if he would say anything else. “Demetri?”
“Master?”
“Come here.” Jason made room, never loosening his grip on his father’s hand. Demetri came to Robert’s side, leaned over, and grasped Robert’s other hand.
“What can I do for you, sir?”
“Nothing more. You’ve done enough. I couldn’t have asked for a more loyal slave.”
“It’s been an honor, Master.”
“Help Jason and John. They’ll need you.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Jason?”
Demetri knelt at the bedside, still holding Robert’s hand, giving Jason space to see Robert’s face.
“Yes?”
“Be happy. It’s all I ever wanted for you. You’ve made me so proud. You grew into such a fine man. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Jason’s heart burst. They were the words he had always wanted from his father, but he’d never thought to hear them under such circumstances. Jason would give them back a thousand times if it meant keeping his father. If he tried to speak, he wouldn’t be able to control the tears, and he didn’t want Robert to see him that way. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed his father’s forehead.
“My watch.”
Jason didn’t know if he heard him correctly, but before he could ask, Demetri was moving. “Here, Master.” He placed Robert’s open pocket watch in his hand and positioned it where he could see.
“Lena.” Robert gazed at the miniature of his wife. A peaceful calm entered his eyes, and they slid shut.
“I love you.” It emerged as barely more than a whisper even though Jason wanted to shout it.
Sadie leaned over the bed and felt for his pulse. “He’s gone. I’m sorry.”
Jason felt the tears pooling in his eyes and slowly spilling down his cheeks. He took a deep breath, needing to control his voice. “Get Kale.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
“How do you like Jason?” Kale rode slowly alongside Thomas. Kale didn’t particularly want to go anywhere. The goal was to be outdoors with Thomas where no one could bother them.
“I don’t believe he’s as rich as you say he is.”
Kale smiled. “I know. No one would ever guess. The money doesn’t mean much to him, except that it facilitates us being able to live together without financial stress.”
“So what is it you do all day when you’re at home? I haven’t the least idea what I would spend my time doing if I were free.”
“We keep busy. Jason still runs Arlington Steel, though it doesn’t take up nearly as much time as it used to. We’re both politically active. Jason does a lot of charity work. I manage our household. There’s a flower garden and vegetable garden that I tend. I also do art commissions to help out financially.”
Thomas’s eyebrows shot up. “He makes you earn your own money?”
“No. It’s a point of frequent disagreement between us, actually. I don’t like him having to take care of me. I didn’t become free just to live off another man’s money.”
“I see they didn’t beat the pride out of you.”
“They did. It grew back.” Kale chuckled.
“Is that what Jason was talking about? When you cut him off earlier?”
Kale realized his mistake. “That was nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. I’d expect that from a master, not from my brother.”
Kale sighed. It was a part of his life he wasn’t proud of. He didn’t want Thomas knowing, but honesty was an important part of building trust, and Kale needed Thomas to trust him. “I left out a few years when I was telling you what happened to me.”
“I figured that.”
“For a few years, I was owned by a labor firm. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a bi
g deal? Sure, after being trained and raised to be a valet, I’m sure it wasn’t traumatizing as hell to be sold to a place where the average life expectancy for a slave is five to ten years.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“I’d bet your back has a different story to tell. Just because you survived doesn’t mean it wasn’t that bad. What did you do, just shut down your mind?”
“Pretty much.”
“When in your story does this fit in? I didn’t notice any missing time yesterday.”
“It was in the middle of my time with Jason. It didn’t quite work out the way I told you.”
Thomas grit his teeth, and a red flush crept up his neck. “He sold you to a labor firm? And now you’re with him? What kind of twisted relationship are you in?”
“It’s not like that.”
Thomas didn’t let him explain. “I’m going to beat him bloody.”
Kale grabbed his horse’s reins. “No, you’re not. It’s in the past. Trust me, the physical pain I underwent is nothing compared to what he did to himself. You’re not going to mention a word of it to him. The last thing he needs is old guilt right now. I’m serious, Thomas. If you can’t hold your tongue around him, then you turn and walk away when you see him.”
“Is that an order?”
Things had turned ugly fast. Kale considered his options. Concern for Jason outweighed his brother’s feelings. “Yes. If you need it to be an order for you to follow it, then yes.”
“So that’s how it is?”
“Thomas, he is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. He didn’t just free me; he saved me. Maybe someday I’ll tell you the story, but you won’t understand until you fall in love with someone. The past is the past. We both made mistakes, and we paid for them. I won’t have you digging up long buried trouble.” Kale held eye contact with his brother until he gradually saw the fight leave him.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that after everything Mama did for us, everything she taught us, for you to end up as a labor slave tears at my insides. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
[Measure of Devotion 01.0 - 03.0] Box Set Page 71