Two Lips, Indifferent Red

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It was like old times, and I sank down next to him again. “I met him at Georg’s—”

“Gay what?”

“Georg, Granddad. It’s the German pronunciation of George.”

“Humph.” He beetled his brows at me, and I couldn’t help smiling. “So what’s this Georg? A club?”

“No; it’s the shop I worked in.”

“Just a second, young man! What do you mean work?”

“Granddad, if I wanted to eat and have clothes without holes in them, I needed a job.”

“Why?” There was steel in his tone, and I looked into his faded blue eyes, puzzled.

“What do you mean, ‘why’? I didn’t have access to my trust fund, and Sir stopped paying my tuition.”

“He what?” He folded his lips into a thin line, and I was about to ask if he was in pain, if I should call for that nurse, when he said, “I’m so very sorry, Kipp. You needed me, and I failed you. Just as I failed—” His voice cracked.

“Granddad?”

“I’ll call Carter and tell him…no, he’s gone. Who’s my CFO now? Orsino? Malvolio? Why do I keep thinking it’s something from Shakespeare?”

It scared me so much to see him so vague I didn’t even think to ask where Carter had gone to.

Granddad patted my hand. “I’ll talk to Beauchamp about it, but you’ll have your trust fund available as soon as possible. Now. Tell me about this job.”

“Um…It started as an internship. When I told Hunter—he’s the owner—I’d have to drop it because I needed a job to cover expenses, he gave me that job. It wasn’t much to begin with, but it was enough to keep me in groceries and supplies—”

“And clothes without holes?”

“Yes, while I applied for scholarships. I have to tell you: Hunter was so nice to me…”

“Nice in what way?” He sounded suspicious.

“He’s a good man, Granddad, and I think you’d like him. I mean, he is gay—”

“Kipp!” He was shocked. “I’m ashamed of you! What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, you know Sir would cross eight lanes of rush-hour traffic blindfolded and on his hands and knees rather than walk on the same side of the street with someone he perceived to be gay. And you and Sir are the same generation.” It had never been a secret Sir was only a couple of years younger than Granddad. “I assumed you’d feel the same way. Especially since you were so angry with my choice of career.”

“You know what they say happens when you assume.”

I couldn’t help smiling. “Yes, Granddad. But was I wrong?”

“I just didn’t want everyone to think you might be gay.”

All right, here it was. It had been difficult coming out to Sir, but to my grandfather, who I loved and who I had no doubt loved me…

“I am gay, Granddad.” Something occurred to me. “And you had to have some idea of that, because why else would you say it was all right for me to marry another man?” I knew that in his younger years he’d had a reputation as being a hard man to work for, but he’d always been good to me, and if I’d been straight, I couldn’t see him pushing me into a relationship with another man.

“You’re right, Kipp.”

“What gave me away?”

“Does it matter?”

“That’s more or less what Sir said.”

“Unlike Marcus Llewellyn, I want you to be happy.”

“And I’d be happy with a man who only wanted me as part of a package deal? Did you know he only expects me to be faithful to him for a year?”

“What?”

“It’s in the contract. Sir told me.”

“And knowing Marcus Llewellyn, you believed him?”

“But Granddad, he’s my father. Why would he lie to me about something like that?” And in spite of how Sir treated me, I kept hoping for the best.

He opened his mouth, but then closed it and shook his head. “He lied to me about you not wanting to talk to me.”

It was my turn to open and then close my mouth. I sighed. “You have a point.”

“Do you really think that was Hyde Wyndham’s idea?”

I shrugged. “Does it matter whose idea it was? He signed the contract. That means he has to have agreed to it.”

Granddad ran his palm over my hair again and then tugged my ear. “Oh, my dear grandson. Tell me something. If that clause wasn’t in the contract, would you have given some thought to marrying him?”

“Maybe.” I looked into his eyes, with their yellow-tinged whites. Had the cancer affected his liver as well? “I don’t know. I met him in Charlestown, and I thought he was…perfect. I’d have—” I could hardly tell Granddad I’d been so aroused by this man I would have let him have me the first time I’d seen him. I changed what I’d been about to say. “He could have told me his name at any time, but he never did.”

“Kipp—”

I shook my head. “That clause in the contract…why marry me?”

“Haven’t you looked into a mirror recently?”

“Of course. ‘Item, two lips, indifferent red—’”

“I’ll thank you not to quote Shakespeare to me, young man. Hyde Wyndham would be getting Beth Martin’s son, and that would be worth even more than the shares in Marcus Llewellyn’s company.”

“You have to say that, Granddad.” I kissed his wrinkled cheek. He was so ill. I ducked my head so he wouldn’t see the tears that were back in my eyes. “What I meant was, why buy the cow when he could have the milk for free?”

“Don’t be crass, young man.”

“I apologize.” I should have known better than to mention s*x to someone of Granddad’s generation. Something else occurred to me. “But why would Sir be willing to sell shares in Llewellyn, Inc.? He doesn’t need Mr. Wyndham’s backing. I mean, even if things aren’t going well with the company, Geoff is marrying Mindy Richardson, and—”

Granddad was shaking his head. “As wealthy as the Richardsons once were, they don’t have an iota of Wyndham’s money.”

“Wait, once were? What happened to their money?”

“Bad judgments in his investments, bad decisions in his personal life…Aaron Richardson made them all. His fortune is a fraction of what it was.”

“Aaron? Jacob let him do that?”

“You’ve really been out of touch, haven’t you?” Granddad gave a bark of laughter. “Jacob’s been gone these past two and a half years.”

“Oh.” I’d never particularly cared for Jacob Richardson—he’d been a big man who always seemed to be frowning down at me from an enormous height. And in spite of John Donne’s words, I had to admit I didn’t feel Mr. Richardson’s death diminished me. “And what of Sir’s fortune?”

“The Families were in dire straits, and so he backed the Aldens and the Stuarts.”

“I’ll bet it must have killed them to ask for his help.” There were four Families in Martinsburg, and I’d grown up knowing that. They’d always treated Sir as the outsider, even though he’d married Mama. For them to have to go to him…“But why didn’t they ask you for help?”

“They did.” His tone was so cold I knew better than to push for more information.

“Alec Stuart is driving a cab,” I murmured absently, wondering why his father hadn’t given him a job at the Saratoga Trunk. The Trunk had been in the Stuart family for more than a century, coming as part of the first Mrs. Stuart’s dowry.

“Yes, I’d heard he had to get a job. How are you aware of that?”

“He drove me home from the bus depot.”

“Ah.”

“So Sir’s broke?” That would explain why I’d had to take a bus home instead of the jet.

“I wouldn’t put it that way.”

“How would you put it, Granddad?”

“Marcus doesn’t have the wealth he once had, but…”

“He needs an infusion of cash?” He shrugged, and I felt my temper begin to fray. “And I’m to be the sacrificial lamb, is that it? No, I’m sorry. I’ll never marry for a reason like that.” I’d lived the twenty-one years of my life without my father’s love; I wouldn’t spend the rest of my life tied to another man who didn’t love me.

“Frankly, Kipp, it would give me a great deal of comfort to know you’re being looked after by someone who cares for you.”

I was about to remind him I was an adult who didn’t need anyone looking after me, but his last words distracted me.

“He cares about me?”

“Yes, I do, Kipp.”

I whirled around to find Mr. Wyndham standing in the doorway to the garden.

The golden got to her feet and approached him, waving her plume of a tail gracefully. He ruffled her ears, then glanced at me.

“You forgot your laptop. It’s in the car, along with your duffel bag. I gathered you wouldn’t be returning to that mausoleum.”

“You’re right.” Sir had made it clear I was no longer welcome. “Thank you.”

I was relieved beyond belief, mostly because I didn’t have to take the laptop from him. My fingers would have touched his. They’d have trembled, but I’d have made no effort to avoid the contact, and he would have seen, in spite of everything, I was still in lo—infatuated with him.

“I’m sorry to hear you’re not doing well, Bradley.” He spoke to Granddad, but kept his gaze on me.

“Ce qui sera, sera.” Granddad shrugged. He was right. What must be, will.

“Do you have any objection to me marrying your grandson?”

“Geoffrey? God, yes! For one thing, he’s straight. And for the other, he’s about to get married.”

“That isn’t funny, Granddad,” I snapped, not liking the idea of my brother anywhere near the man standing before us.

“You know I’m talking about Kipp,” Mr. Wyndham said smoothly.

“Yes, I do.” Granddad grimaced.

“Do you need a nurse, Granddad?”

“No.” He gripped my hand and glowered at Mr. Wyndham. “And if Kipp is willing to marry you, then I have no objections.”

“Wait!” I panicked. “I never said anything about being willing!”

“You’re better off with Hyde than with…Marcus.” He turned his attention back to Mr. Wyndham. “However, I expect you to treat him well. I may no longer have the kind of money I once did, but I have enough to hire a hit on you.”

“Granddad!”

“I’m a dying man, so it wouldn’t bother me to have you killed if you hurt my grandson.”

“Granddad!”

“I love you, Kipp. I didn’t do well by you the past few years; I did even worse by your mother, but I’m going to make up for that, for however much time I have left.” He glowered once again at Mr. Wyndham. “And what’s this bullshit about letting Kipp take a lover after a year?”

“Just what you said—bullshit. I intend to take those vows seriously, and I expect Kipp to as well. If he marries me, it’s going to be for forever.”

“Mr. Wyndham—”

“Hyde, Kipp. Call me Hyde.”

“Hyde.” I could feel myself blushing. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

“Too many times people want me for what I can give them: social status, money, investment tips, s*x—”

“s*x?” My voice came out in a squeak, and I cleared my throat. “s*x?” I scowled at him. “You thought I was like one of those parasites?”

He opened his mouth, and I wanted to punch him.

“If you say it was because I’m Marcus Llewellyn’s son—”

“No, Kipp. At first I thought you must know who I was, but when it became obvious you didn’t…I found it…cute, the way you flirted with me. You were cute. You still are.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better? When were you going to tell me who you were? I’ll tell you one thing—it wouldn’t have been the day we exchanged vows!” Sir would have probably let it go that long, but there was one thing he’d taught me, however inadvertently: always read the fine print, and I would have. “So were you going to tell me on the day that contract was presented to me?”

“I was going to tell you at dinner tonight. Only Llewellyn sent for you. I should have expected something like that from him, but I was so keyed up—all I could think about was asking if you’d be willing to let me slip this on your finger.” He took a small, vintage jewelers box from his pocket and opened it.

“Blue topaz?” The stones were set in white gold.

“Blue diamonds.”

“Diamonds?” An engagement ring? I tried to keep my jaw from dropping and my eyes from popping out. “You were planning on asking me to marry you?”

“Tonight, yes. I hope you don’t think the ring is too flashy. I was looking at platinum bands, but then I saw this, and I know the diamond is your birthstone. I hope you’ll give us a chance, Kipp.” He closed the box and put it back in his pocket, then came to me and took my left hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to my ring finger. “Will you?”

Was I setting myself up for a world of heartache? The honey brown of his eyes was warm, and I seemed to tumble into them.

But I didn’t want him to think I could be had with just a pretty ring and a few tender words. I tightened my fingers around his and said, “I’ll…think about it.”

“Kipp!” But Granddad was laughing.

“Well, this is a serious decision to make. We’re talking about the rest of our lives, here. And…well…‘If I am not worth the wooing, then I am surely not worth the winning.’”

“You’re very literary today, Kipp. First Shakespeare and now Longfellow.” Granddad continued to chuckle.

“Yes, Granddad.” I peeked at Hyde through my lashes. “Still, it would be nice to be courted.” To know someone wanted me that badly.

“I’ve never courted anyone.”

“What about—” Granddad started to ask something, but Hyde sent a glance in his direction, and he coughed. “Sorry, I forgot what I was going to say.”

“Now, as I was about to say, it will be my pleasure to court you.”

“That sounds reasonable, doesn’t it, Kipp?” Granddad sounded so hopeful.

“All right, I’ve thought about it.”

“And…?”

It didn’t matter. I wanted him, and it seemed as if he wanted me.

“I’ll marry you. But I still get to be courted!”

Hyde pulled me into his arms. “Yes, you do.”