[Measure of Devotion 01.0] Measure of Devotion

by Caethes Faron

  “I’m from Malar County. My family’s in cattle. We have some of the best beef in the country.”

  “Excellent!” It seemed that Eric’s response to everything Jason said was positive. “The city must seem terribly stuffy and stifling to you then.”

  “No, not at all. I rather like it. I’ve been dreaming my whole life of coming here.” Jason stopped himself and blushed again. Damn, could he sound any more eager?

  “Ah, you’re a true city boy at heart then. So am I. Why don’t I show you around, introduce you to some people?”

  “I’d like that.” Jason smiled and nodded.

  Eric took him by the arm and escorted him around the room, introducing him to everyone as if the two of them were lifelong friends. Jason had no idea why Eric would choose to be this kind to him, but he was grateful.

  As the night wore on, Jason realized that not only was he smitten with Eric, but he was fostering a slight hope that Eric might return the affection. Anything more than a slight hope was pointless. Jason might like the man, but he didn’t want to set himself up for heartbreak, and heartbreak was all he could expect. There was no way someone like Eric Vanderhoff would be interested in him. Just the courtesy of making him feel welcome was more than Jason could have hoped for.

  Within an hour, Jason had been introduced to everyone at the party and was beginning to feel like he might actually fit into this world. Everyone seemed nice and acted as if they liked him. Jason had yearned for this kind of validation since his arrival. Not one person here seemed to suspect that he was anything other than an upper class gentleman. Just because he came from the country and his father’s money was in cattle didn’t mean anything. It was still money, wasn’t it? And the people here at this party weren’t all old money like Eric. Some of the men were only separated by a generation or two from humble origins. Jason began to feel more comfortable and confident as he realized that this was where he belonged.

  “You know, fellows, we might have a new brother on our hands here.” The men nearby turned from Eric to look at Jason appraisingly and made sounds of agreement.

  Jason’s thoughts had wandered away from the conversation, and he hadn’t been paying attention. While everyone else was looking at him, he looked at Eric. “What?”

  “Come now, I know it’s a secret society, but surely it’s not that secret. You’ve heard of the Thistle Society, haven’t you?”

  In all the excitement of the evening and the thrill of meeting Eric in person, Jason had completely forgotten his objective in coming. “Yeah, I mean yes, of course. That’s why I came here tonight. I’m looking to socialize with a more selective crowd.”

  “Well, I think you’d be a good fit, Jason. Unfortunately we’re not recruiting right now. We only accept new members in the fall. But that gives us plenty of time until then to get to know you better.”

  “That would be great.” Jason had a hard time coming off as anything other than adoring. Was it really this easy? Could he be a member of the Thistle Society by fall? A few hours ago, he had only hoped to meet a member of the secret society, and now here he was, surrounded by the brotherhood and being welcomed into their fold. Everything was finally coming together, and it was happening so fast that Jason was having a hard time keeping up.

  Eric smiled and Jason felt his stomach burst into butterflies. “Good. Now that we have it settled that everyone else has until fall to get to know you, I’m sure they won’t mind me pulling you away so I can get to know you better now.”

  “What do you mean?” Jason couldn’t help letting his confusion show.

  Eric laughed. “You really are a treat, Jason. Come on, let’s go outside and I’ll show you the grounds. They’re really extraordinary. Why don’t you leave your slave behind? He and Silas can go help in the kitchen.”

  Eric’s slave stepped forward at his name. Jason was so caught up in the evening that he had nearly forgotten Kale. Quiet and efficient, he had kept Jason in champagne and taken away empty glasses all night. He was as unobtrusive as Eric’s shadow. Jason looked back at Kale and nodded. Kale made a small bow and left with the other slave.

  Eric turned in the opposite direction, and Jason followed silently. Not only was he puzzled by Eric’s apparent interest in him, but he also wondered how they would see much of anything outside in the dark. His mind focused on this second riddle, probably because seeing in the dark seemed much more plausible than Eric Vanderhoff actually being interested in him.

  The walk through the house and out to the back was silent, which was nice for Jason because it gave him time to think. However, it also meant that there was no hiding his gasp of amazement when they reached the back of the property. The entire back lawn was lit by torches and strings of colorful electrical lights. Jason was sure the elaborate gardens and hedges would have looked amazing in the daytime, but illuminated at night, they looked as if they were right out of a dream world.

  “Pretty nice, isn’t it?”

  This time, Jason was so stunned he couldn’t even be embarrassed by it. The university didn’t even have electrical lights yet. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “It’s Lady Wyndmar’s pride and joy. She insists that it be lit every time there are people over. It’s old hat now to the dolts in there.”

  “I don’t think I could ever get used to this.”

  “You will. I know it can be overwhelming at first, but pretty soon you won’t be amazed by a fancy garden—or the last name Vanderhoff.”

  Jason couldn’t tell if Eric was teasing or being serious with that last comment. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  Eric smiled at Jason as they walked, looking as if he were thinking something over. “I like you, Jason. You’re new and different, and I like that. I’d enjoy getting to know you better.”

  “What do you want to know? I’ve led a terribly uninteresting life.”

  “I doubt that. What was it like growing up in the country? I was raised in the city. I can’t imagine anything else.”

  As they walked, Jason told Eric about life out in Malar County. Jason felt himself grow more at ease in the conversation. The garden that had seemed surreal only an hour ago began to take on the shape of a new reality for Jason. All his life, this is what he had wanted, and now it emerged from his dreams into actuality.

  On their third turn around the garden, Eric interrupted Jason’s description of his first day in the city.

  “I’m afraid it’s time we headed back inside.”

  Jason felt his heart sink. The night was too good to last, but he was loathe to leave the garden’s magical cocoon.

  Eric reached out and gently stroked Jason’s face, tilting it to look at him. Between the feel of Eric’s skin against his and the smile on Eric’s face, Jason was too overwhelmed to breathe.

  “I don’t want to go inside, but I must. Part of being a Vanderhoff. I’d like to see you again, though. If that’s all right.”

  The look of nervous anticipation in Eric’s face made Jason feel like he was flying. It was absurd to think that Eric would worry about whether or not Jason wanted to see him.

  “Of course, I’d love to.” Jason mentally berated himself. Did he sound too eager? He didn’t care, because Eric Vanderhoff was smiling back at him, and nothing else mattered in the world.

  Eight

  Kale looked Silas over as they walked to the kitchen, and he didn’t like what he saw. There was the same oily quality about him that his master had. How Jason could want to spend time with someone so clearly full of himself was a mystery.

  Once they were in the kitchen, Silas turned to him. “My master had the good sense to introduce me, but I didn’t catch your name.”

  Oh yes, this was one of those slaves. Strange, there was no love lost between Kale and his master, but Silas made him feel defensive of Jason. “My name’s Kale.”

  “Kale, that’s a strange name. Has quite an earthy quality to it.”

  The way this man said “earthy” it was like he mea
nt to say “trashy.” Kale acted as though he didn’t notice. “I’m a country boy through and through. A simple name for a simple slave.”

  Silas eyed him up and down, “Yes, so I see.”

  The cook set them to work arranging little cakes and treats on trays. After a few minutes, Silas stopped and looked at Kale.

  “I don’t think this is right. There should be more petit fours than this.”

  “More what?”

  “Petit fours, that’s what these desserts are. Anyway, the menu is right there by your arm, just read off all the petit fours that are listed.”

  “I can’t.”

  “What do you mean you can’t?”

  “I can’t read.”

  Silas looked as if he had never heard anything quite so scandalous. “You mean to tell me that you’re a personal slave who can’t read? Oh, this is rich.”

  “Well, I seem to have done just fine without it.”

  Silas sobered. “No, you’re right. Why would you need to?”

  Kale felt the color rising in his cheeks. The fact that he couldn’t read had never brought him shame before, but the insult was clear. Swallowing his anger, he went back to arranging the trays, and Silas began to talk about something else as if nothing had happened. Kale, however, was not fooled; slaves like Silas were only nice when it came to getting what they, or their masters, wanted.

  Once all the little pastries were settled on trays, the cook sent Kale and Silas out to serve them. As it turned out, Kale’s concern at standing out from the other slaves was foolish. The people here ignored slaves as much as they did back in Malar. It didn’t take him long to relax enough to overhear what was being said around him.

  “Did you see the mark Eric picked up?” The mention of Eric caught Kale’s attention.

  “See him? I know him. His name’s Jason something. He was in the group of freshmen I took on tour.”

  “Is he going to be the one this term, Josh?” Kale discreetly moved closer to the group of four men.

  “With all the attention Eric’s giving him? Yeah, I’d say so. He’s perfect for it. Comes from one of the outlying counties, and I swear he still had manure on his shoes. You should have seen the way his eyes bugged out of his head when I showed them the hall. Eric’s going to have fun with this one.”

  “You think he’ll be as devastated at the end as the poor sap from last term?” The small group of men laughed.

  “The higher they rise, the harder they fall. He’s already got puppy dog eyes for Eric. I bet he’s a virgin.”

  Kale couldn’t stick around without being noticed. Besides, he didn’t want to hear more. Charlie was right about these people, and Kale didn’t want to see Jason get hurt. He may be a pain, thought Kale, but no one deserves to be treated this way.

  When Eric and Jason came back inside, Kale saw Silas offer his master one of those little cakes. As he did, he leaned close to Eric’s ear and whispered something. Eric’s eyes widened a little and quickly darted to Kale and back again. As Kale approached them, he found it difficult to keep his face blank and not betray the disgust he felt. It was a minor miracle that he didn’t get in trouble the rest of the night. Thoughts of whether or not he should tell Jason what he overheard, and how that conversation might go, distracted him right up until it was time to leave.

  The next morning, Kale didn’t understand why he was so worried. What did it matter to him if Jason chose to get involved with a prick? Because he’d have to deal with the fallout. Kale had worked too long and too hard to keep Jason from caring how his only slave spent his time. The whole point of attending the party was to restore that blissful state. When Eric finally broke up with Jason—Kale was sure it would happen, and it wouldn’t be pretty—it would be Kale who had to deal with Jason’s broken heart. If Jason was as dramatic in his sorrow as he was in everything else, Kale shuddered to think what was going to happen when the inevitable came.

  “What’s with that look, slave?”

  Gods, Jason made it so hard to care sometimes. Kale was helping Jason get ready to go out with Eric, and it appeared that he wasn’t quite as good at schooling his face as he would have liked.

  “I was just thinking that you seem to be falling hard for Mr. Vanderhoff.”

  “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Jason raised his eyebrows, and his mouth curved into a little smile.

  Kale looked down at the shirt he was buttoning on Jason. “Might it be wise to take things a little slowly? I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jason’s face went stern.

  “It’s just that Mr. Vanderhoff has a certain reputation—”

  Jason jerked his arm free of Kale’s hand, which had been buttoning his cuffs. “I suggest you hold your tongue, slave. I won’t tolerate you speaking ill of your betters. Now get out.”

  Kale quickly gathered himself, bowed, and left; Jason was already too far gone if he was that defensive. Kale would just have to wait it out and hope that it wasn’t going to be as bad as he thought it was. He expected things to be tense that night when Jason got home, but Jason was so happy after his day out with Eric that he didn’t even pay attention to Kale. If it was blissful unawareness he wanted from Jason, he had it.

  “Where’s your master? He doesn’t have class this afternoon.” Simon eyed Kale over his hand of cards. All four of the household slaves were together playing poker.

  “Nope, he doesn’t. But Eric does.” Kale discarded two cards and waited until Jacob replaced them to continue. “Apparently Mr. Vanderhoff is too busy to attend class, so my master helps him out by going and taking notes for him.”

  Simon smirked. “You’re kidding.”

  “It gets better,” Kale said. “Not only does he go to class for him, he does the assignments, too.”

  Simon laughed, and Charlie turned a concerned look on Kale. “I told you getting involved with them would be nothing but trouble.”

  “I know, and I tried to warn him.”

  Jacob grunted and rearranged his cards. “Bet that went over well.”

  “What do I care? He’s out of my hair and I get to relax around here.”

  Charlie persisted. “Vanderhoff isn’t taking him to any of the high class parties if Jason isn’t taking you along. He thinks he’s fitting in, but he’s not.”

  “So? He’s so happy that even when he is home, he leaves me alone. As long as I get my work done, he ignores me.”

  “Sounds ideal. I wish I had such an oblivious master,” Simon said and then raised his beer. “Let’s drink to it. To Kale’s good fortune.”

  “You’d drink to anything,” Jacob said, even though he had a slight smile when he lifted his beer to Kale and drank.

  As they settled into the game, Kale looked around the table at his friends. In front of them lay the meager stakes of the game. Each slave tried to scrounge up odds and ends that the others would like. There were sweets swiped from the kitchen for Charlie, newspapers and the occasional pamphlet saved from the dustbin for Jacob to read, and discarded clothes for Simon. Kale even spotted some paper and pencils in front of Charlie that were meant for him. After the game, they would distribute their winnings to the people they were intended for, either as gifts or good natured bribes for sex. Life was pretty ideal right now. It was almost too easy for Kale to deceive himself into thinking it would last.

  Nine

  Jason craned his neck to see the large clock high on the wall. It was three minutes to five. Eric would be arriving any minute. The book in front of him no longer held his attention, but a quick glance at the doors of the library confirmed that he would have to wait a little longer.

  It would have been easier to study in one of the wings of the library where there were fewer people, but Jason wanted to make sure he was easy for Eric to find. He had planted himself at one of the many study tables in the rotunda. There were plenty of distractions besides the constant opening of the doors that had Jason turning his head every few minutes. The whispers o
f students meeting, the ticking of the massive clock, not to mention the beautiful artwork and stained glass that were much more entertaining for the eye than the printed word. It was a miracle he had completed his own work, much less Eric’s.

  The swish of a door opening called his attention. Three boys entered, none of them Eric. Another glance at the clock. One minute past five. Eric was late. It was hard to mind, though. Eric was a Vanderhoff and Vanderhoffs were busy people. Jason was glad he could help ease some of Eric’s stress. Eric had done so much for him.

  Eric loved him.

  It was still hard to comprehend, and he ducked his head as the thought went through his mind, even though there was no one around to see. The actual words had never left Eric’s mouth, but Jason could tell. If Eric’s feelings were only half the magnitude of Jason’s, then Jason was well loved indeed.

  Eric was kind, generous, and understanding. Jason had hardly expected acknowledgement from him when they first met, but Eric had gone out of his way to make sure Jason felt welcome in his circle of friends. Most flattering was all the time Eric spent with Jason. How could he not feel like the most fortunate man in the world when Eric insisted they spend time alone?

  Logically, Jason knew there was little chance this could last. It was common for boys to fool around with each other at university, a way to have some fun before settling down into family life. However, Jason couldn’t help hoping that this relationship would stick. It was socially acceptable for a married man to have lovers—there were too many aristocrats stuck in loveless unions for them to look down their noses at one who could find love elsewhere—but Jason was hoping for more than that. Eric hadn’t seen anyone else since they started dating. This wasn’t the standard fun and games. This was real. Jason was overwhelmed by the feelings he had for Eric, and he had no indication that Eric felt differently. He knew Eric would someday marry, but Jason was confident that he could be Eric’s true love.