“When mighty Roast Beef was the Englishman’s food,
It ennobled our brains and enriched our blood.
Our soldiers were brave and our courtiers were good
Oh! The Roast Beef of old England,
And old English Roast Beef!”
Percy joined in.
“But since we have learnt from all-vapouring France
To eat their ragouts as well as to dance,
We’re fed up with nothing but vain complaisance
Oh! The Roast Beef of Old England,
And old English Roast Beef!”
“You sing like an angel, James, my boy,” Percy announced.
“And you, my good man, warble like a bird,” was his reply.
“I appreshiate your appreshiation,” Percy answered.
“You may not be so appreci—appreciatable when I tell you which bird I am referring to.”
“Ha! A nightingale, no doubt.”
“Sorry, old chap, I was thinking more of a seagull.”
“Well, at least I can sing louder than you.” They began once again, trying to outdo each other until a constable came along.
“Here now, what’s all this about?” he asked. When they explained how they had just won a game against a Scottish team, the constable laughed and said, “Well now, I should think that’s a bonnie good reason for singing.” Then, looking around to make sure there were no witnesses, he added, “I think a chorus or two of ‘Rule Britannia’ is more in order, gentlemen.” The constable sang along with them for a few minutes as they made their way to Percy’s flat.
James had never been inside Percy’s little home before, but he felt at home as soon as he walked through the door. It was obvious there had been major alterations to the place since the décor was quite unconventional. Instead of the usual small rooms found in most houses, a wall between the parlour and the sitting room had been removed, creating a large and airy all-purpose area. One wall was outfitted with bookshelves and served as Percy’s library. The other outside wall had two large windows that let enough light in to read by during the day. The wallpaper was patterned with warm tones of tan, brown, and rose-coloured stripes, and the drapes were made with a rich cream-colored damask. Four comfortable-looking armchairs and the two divans were covered in a floral print, adding brightness to the room.
There were only three other rooms on the first floor: a pantry and a large kitchen, which that contained a stove, a sink, and some well-built maple cupboards, and a solarium built off the kitchen, which overlooked the garden. It was that room where he ate his meals.
There was one large bedroom on the second floor and one room that could be used for guests or a servant. However, Percy seldom entertained guests at home, and he didn’t hire live-in help. Being such a fastidious person himself, James was impressed by the tidiness of the place and was also surprised that it didn’t spoil the warm and welcoming ambience.
“Now that you have seen how humble my little abode is, I do hope you won’t write me off your ‘best friends’ list,” Percy said after he showed James through the place.
“I like it. You have done wonders with it. It has everything a man needs in a space that would almost fit into my ballroom. Well done, I say!”
“Your approval means more to me than you shall ever know. Now I think it is time we had another drink before you take your leave.”
“We do have a lot to celebrate. But if you don’t want me falling out of my buggy on the way home, it had better be a small one.”
After they finished their drinks, James rose to leave and then remembered the book. The extra copy was on one of the top shelves, so Percy pulled out a small ladder and climbed up to get it.
James was standing below him glancing at the titles on some of the book jackets when Percy accidentally knocked a large book off the shelf. He hollered, “Look out,” but instead of moving aside, James looked up, and the corner of the book hit him squarely on the forehead, rendering a small wound. Although the cut wasn’t very deep or large, it bled profusely. Percy rushed him into the kitchen, sat him down beside the sink, and began applying cold compresses.
Perhaps the generous amount of liquor consumed was responsible for any lack of discomfort James felt because he laid his head back contentedly, closed his eyes, and enjoyed Percy’s tender attention. The liquor was having an effect on Percy as well, and after applying a few compresses, his feelings toward his dear friend overtook him; he bent down and, very gently, kissed James on the lips.
As though in a dream, James felt a sensation of deep pleasure such as he had never felt before. Then, as he slowly opened his eyes, the reality of what was happening struck him like a bolt of lightning. Pushing Percy away, he jumped off the chair. “What do you think you are doing?” he shouted.
“My God, James, forgive me. I couldn’t help myself,” Percy cried.
The wet compress slid off James’s forehead and a stream of blood began to run down into one of his eyes. He wiped at it with his arm, staining his shirt sleeve. “I want my coat. Where is my coat?” he hissed.
“At least let me bandage your head, James,” Percy said, but when he took a step forward, James jumped back as though he was threatened by the devil himself.
“Keep away from me!” he ordered. Percy held up his arms in a hopeless gesture and went to fetch the coat. James reached out and snatched it from his hands, and without bothering to put it on, he left, running up the street like a madman with blood dripping down his face and onto his clothing. When he arrived at the blacksmith’s shop, he lied and told Big John he had fallen and cut his head.
The name, Big John, was a contradictory title for the blacksmith, since he measured no more than five-foot-two in height. However, what he lacked in stature, he made up in strength, with a torso and arms to match those of a six-foot wrestler. Although James protested, Big John insisted on bandaging the wound before he left for home.
Once on the road, James was unable to erase the feeling of Percy’s warm lips on his own, and he began to moan. Like the opening of Pandora’s Box, all the thoughts he considered sinful and had struggled to suppress throughout his life began to run through his head.
“I am not like him! Oh, dear God, I cannot be like him. Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!” James cried aloud, but it did little to dispel his feelings of fear and guilt.
When he arrived home, he went directly to his apartment and pulled the bell cord. When Jenkins came, James asked him to fetch a basin of hot water. The butler was aghast at the sight of his master’s attire and the bloody bandage on his forehead. He attempted to help James undress while inquiring about his injury, but James pushed him aside and ordered him to fetch a hot toddy. The blood had stained every item of James’s clothing, and he stripped down to his skin before scrubbing himself thoroughly, as though Percy’s lips had touched every inch of his body.
He was in bed by the time Jenkins returned with his drink. “Will that be all, sir?” There was something so enigmatic about the master’s behaviour that Jenkins felt it wise to refrain from asking if he should apply a fresh bandage.
“Yes, that shall be all.” Then, just as the butler was about to leave, James added, “Wait, there is one thing more. I had a slight accident and cut my head. As you can see, the blood has soiled my clothing, so you may take them with you and tell the housekeeper to have them cleaned. If they cannot be cleaned, she has my permission to discard them.”
Jenkins gathered up the soiled garments, and after emptying the pockets and placing the contents on the dresser, along with James’s watch, chain, and fob, he left. Through the years, Jenkins had become very fond of James; therefore, he was deeply concerned by the blood, which he noticed had soaked through the bandage on James’s forehead. He decided to find Gladys and report what had happened.
Edward was sleeping peacefully, and Gladys had gone to spend a little time wi
th Dolly, hoping to renew the close relationship they had enjoyed before Edward was born.
She found her daughter in her quarters sitting by the fireplace, reading. Although Dolly was surprised and pleased to see her mother, she found they had little to say to each other, and both were relieved when one of the housemaids brought Gladys a message that Jenkins would like a word with her in the kitchen.
She was shocked when she learned of the accident and wasted no time gathering together items to treat James’s wound.
Chapter Sixteen
When someone knocked on his door, James, thinking it was Jenkins, called out to enter, but when he saw it was Gladys, he was visibly embarrassed. He had always been overly modest and wasn’t happy to receive her while clad only in a nightshirt. Gladys sensed his aversion to her presence but chose to ignore it. She was carrying a jug of hot water and bandages and greeted him with a business-like tone. “Well now, James, let’s see what damage you have done to yourself.”
Before he could protest, she had the bloody bandage off and had started to bathe the cut. “Well, it doesn’t look too deep, but it does need to be cleaned up,” she said, smiling.
James had a headache from the moment he left Percy’s flat, and the warm cloth on his forehead proved very soothing. He closed his eyes, lay back on the pillow, and relaxed. Once Gladys was satisfied the wound was clean, she dried it, applied a little salve, and put on a clean bandage. Her cool, confident hands brought back memories of his childhood and his beloved mother, who had died suddenly not long after Keith was killed.
“There you go. That should do it. I can tell by the look of you that you are properly knackered, as my da used to say, so I shall leave and come back in the morning.” Then she surprised him by bending over and kissing his bandage. “There now, I’ve kissed it all better, so you can close your eyes and go to sleep.” Without another word, she blew out his lamp and left the room. James allowed the serenity she had brought into the room to linger in his thoughts. He was asleep within minutes.
He had been dreaming about his mother when he awakened early in the morning. Although she had passed away years ago, James still missed her. He couldn’t recall what the dream was about, but it left him with a pleasant feeling. Gladys’s hand had the same soothing effects on his forehead as his mother’s, and he stretched out in the bed contentedly and was about to doze off when the memory of Percy’s kiss came back to him.
“Damn,” he muttered as he got out of bed and into his clothes —clothes that he chose for himself rather than wait for Jenkins to lay them out. Not wanting to talk to anyone, James had breakfast early, hoping to be done before Gladys and Dolly came to the dining room.
When Gladys awoke in the morning, Edward was still asleep, so she decided not to disturb him and left her apartment hoping to take James a cup of tea and change his bandage before she had breakfast. To her surprise, he was already seated at the table when she entered the dining room. She could see he had eaten his breakfast and was drinking a second cup of tea.
“James! You are up early this morning,” she said. “You should have stayed in bed. I was going to bring you some tea and toast and change your bandage.”
“Thanks to you, it does not need it,” he replied quickly. His hand was shaking, and he spilled tea on the tablecloth as he set his cup down. “I am going for a ride this morning, Gladys, and I do not know if I shall be home for lunch.”
Gladys, noticing how pale and upset he appeared, was quite concerned and offered to go with him, but he said he preferred to go alone and abruptly left. Shortly afterward, Jenkins came into the dining room, and Gladys related what had happened.
“Oh my,” he said, “I did not have his clothes laid out. I was certain he would want to sleep late, and I didn’t want to disturb him.” Gladys assured him it wasn’t his fault, but the idea of his master picking out his own clothing upset Jenkins so terribly that Gladys’s assurance did little to help.
James left the yard on his horse at a gallop and sped across the fields, using the whip on the animal, hoping the speed would clear his head. He didn’t see the fence until they were almost upon it, and it was only his horse’s strength and agility that got them safely over. The realization that he could have crippled the animal brought James to his senses. Stopping beside a small pond, he dismounted and apologized as he rubbed the foam from the animal’s neck with his kerchief.
Sitting down on a moss-covered log beside the pond, he tried to set his thoughts in order. He knew he had to get hold of himself and stop acting like a child, or worse, like an idiot.
He also realized how naïve he had been. He should have known that Percy and Helmut were more than just friends. But what puzzled him the most was why Percy would think he was like them.
He shook his head, but it did little to settle his mind. As he looked down into the pond, the iridescence of the water softened his features and reflected his image, bringing back memories of his youth.
James had always been a reticent child. “You will have to excuse James,” his parents would say whenever company arrived and James failed to present himself. “He’s very shy, you know.”
They were exceptional parents, in that they allowed him his own peculiarities. However, as a sixteen-year-old young man entering Cambridge University, those same traits caused him to feel like a misfit. Whenever he was in the company of people his own age, he found he shared nothing in common, unlike the other new students who greeted each other as though they were old friends, instead of complete strangers.
Because there were no accommodations to be had on campus, James was forced to share a room in a boarding house next door to the university. His roommate was a strapping young man by the name of Norris Nottingham, whose temperament was the exact opposite of James, earning him the nickname of “Naughty Nottingham.” Naughty’s talents were all in sports, and he soon became one of the best players on the school’s rowing and cricket teams. Although his features were rugged, he was popular with both sexes and soon had a good many friends.
James wasn’t too fond of Norris, but it didn’t take long for Norris to realize he had a dedicated scholar for a roommate. As much talent as Norris displayed athletically, he lacked academically. As a result, James spent a great deal of time that first year tutoring.
Norris was a campus hero. He usually accepted the role courteously, but there were occasions, especially if there were ladies present, when he was a braggart. Surprisingly, he also boasted about his intellectually talented roommate, since he considered James a genius. James’s dislike for Norris gradually waned, perhaps because no one had ever looked up to him before, especially a person who was as popular as his roommate.
Norris insisted on James coming along whenever he was invited to a party or a social gathering. Before long, James overcame some of his shyness, except when he was in the company of young ladies, at which time he found himself afflicted with vocal paralysis.
When Norris found that James also enjoyed playing sports, he talked him into joining both the school’s cricket and rowing teams. James’s father was overjoyed when he received the news, having suspected that his son was something of a sissy.
Norris, a year older than James, laid claim to having seduced many young maidens. In truth, there was only one young maiden, and she was in a dream he had when he was twelve years old. James, on the other hand, had never learned to lie and readily admitted to being a virgin.
So Norris and two of his buddies decided it was time James became a man. Besides, Norris was anxious to make his false conquests a reality.
One night, they told James they were going to a gambling house and wanted him to come along.
James, always attempting to prove he was a good sport, said he thought it was a jolly good idea.
They took a cab to a part of town he had never visited before, and as they entered the district, he couldn’t help but stare at the people as their carria
ge went by. Until he went to university, he had never ventured far from Sandwich. Although there were poor people in Sandwich as well, they were nothing like the ones he saw that night. He was appalled by their filthy appearance and felt more disgust than pity, since he could see no reason why a person couldn’t keep clean, regardless of their income.
Most of the adults seemed to be dressed in layers of rags, while the children were clad mostly in layers of grime and wore hats or caps pulled down over their faces, as though seeking anonymity. Beggars held out their hands when they saw the carriage approaching. Then, when they received nothing but a look of disgust, they threw stones at the cab and used such profanity that James found himself blushing.
The houses and businesses on the street all looked alike, and when the driver pulled the horses to a stop in front of one of the doors, James wondered how he could tell one place from another. He said as much to Norris, who pointed to a dim red light that could barely be seen through the soot-covered window. A red light held no significance for James, so he thought nothing of it.
After paying the driver and knocking at the door, they were invited into a small vestibule by a very large woman. She was wearing a bright red wig and a black lace gown with what appeared to be nothing underneath but the lady herself. The intricate pattern of the lace against her white flesh made an intriguing, if not attractive, picture.
When she asked each of them for two pounds, James was surprised but didn’t object. After she deposited the money in a metal box on a small table, she opened a door and stood in the opening so only one person could squeeze past her at a time. No one knew whether she did this for safety reasons, but as each boy brushed up against her generous body, a smug smile showed on her countenance. James was the last to enter.
The room was dimly lit and smelled strongly of perfume. Instead of card tables, it contained plush divans and fancy chairs. James couldn’t see any gamblers, but about ten scantily clad ladies, who appeared to be between the ages of fifteen and twenty, were lounging about.
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