Chapter 42: Chapter 42 – Another trouble for the collection

Ideally, the Stevens should have been the ones to go to town in search of their son, but it couldn't be done. With the Cornells going bankrupt, preparing to move to a smaller cottage in Snodland itself, the workforce had been downsized as well. And it is that, regarding service, in Rose Cottage there were only Oscar's uncles, the cook and, of course, Mallory. The rest of the staff had been dispatched.

The situation got so dire the Cornells had to keep to a minimum, leaving only employees to whom they could pay. As these were essential, the work for those people who were still under the control of their impoverished masters doubled. So it wasn't that the Stevens couldn't get permission to leave for a couple of days, it was that if they did, the house would be left without half the staff.

If the Cornells wanted to go somewhere, no matter how close, they wouldn't have a coachman. Their meals and household cleaning were likely to be delayed as well, as there would only be one person handling each task. It was therefore a regrettable situation! Or well, unfortunate for the masters who lived in Rose Cottage and who from their youth were used to having servants that did everything for them, from preparing breakfast to accompanying them to the latrine.

Oscar didn't feel sorry for either how the Cornell lifestyle had gotten worse, or for the amount of hard work that those who still remained under a contract that tied them to that family had to overcome now. All he felt was boredom at having to be the one asking for a couple of days to bring cousin Thomas back.

Couldn't he come back himself, by his own foot? The guy was old enough. He could very well take the train back and, once in London, catch a carriage that would drop him off in town. They could pick him up from there, maybe. And if they couldn't, it wasn't too long a walk to the Cornell property, even if he had to walk with a suitcase in tow. How much would there be, then? One mile? It was possible that less.

In any case, despite the fact that Oscar was a bit lazy to have to make such a long trip to pick up an individual he didn´t know, he wasn´t angry. He didn't even do much to beg when they asked him for the favor. As the author had hinted, his character didn´t have many opportunities to leave the village, much less to visit the capital. So why not take the opportunity to clear his mind? Also, in the last few days the weather was perfect for a little excursion.

And so, a few days before Christmas Eve, Oscar remained at King's Cross station, waiting like a good nephew in the middle of the platform.

The paucity of physical descriptions in the original novel could have been a problem this time. Since in it nothing was ever commented on the appearance of Thomas Stevens, except for one or two generic traits that could make the young man be confused with any other hardly similar stranger. But, considering that this was Aunt Cathy's only and well-loved son, it was obvious that Oscar wouldn´t have a hard time trying to discern which one he was of all the travelers passing through there: His uncles had a couple of photos of Thomas to give him. They show them often, every time they remembered their son or that he sent a letter.

Especially Aunt Cathy, who was more attached to him than her husband, was the one who first took the initiative to show Oscar those images to, she said, remember the old days together. This had happened months ago, shortly after Oscar landed in the novel and, apparently, it was pure routine so that the lady didn´t feel alone.

With this subject of the photos, Oscar had discovered two things.

The first, that he was very upset to hear a mother speaking wonders about her children, as if they were portents of unmatched intelligence. He didn't know if that was jealousy because, in his world, his parents never spent three-quarters of an hour speaking wonders about him to whoever would listen to them. Or because, in truth, it was very uncomfortable to listen to the majestic adventures of someone who was nothing to him.

And, the second, that the original Oscar didn´t like to appear in the photos. Of the four or five images they had shown him, there was only one in which he appeared. This photo must have been taken when he was eight or nine years old, he didn´t know it well. Thomas appeared next to him and, of course, of his cousin there were other photos from when he was older.

If he had to guess, taking into account the timid nature of the original, added to his unnecessary kindness to certain people, Oscar would bet that it wasn´t that he didn´t like to appear in those images. But more like, living at the time they lived, it must be expensive to ask a photographic studio to do a job for them. And, therefore, the original character used to give the turn to his cousin, not believing himself worthy of his uncles spending money on his whim.

Anyway, Oscar had made a mental image of what Thomas looked like and, thanks to that, he had no problem recognizing him as soon as he saw him get off the train.

“Dear cousin!” Thomas had exclaimed as soon as he spotted him, approaching with a radiant smile for a hug. “How long has it been! How are you feeling? Everything okay at Lilac Hall? Mother already told me you had a new job and I must say that I am very happy for you. Working at the Cornell mansion is fine, but it's a thing of the past, of my parents. It's good that you´re making your own way, don't you think?”

"Yes, I suppose so," conceded Oscar, who was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by such an effusive presentation; it seemed that this cousin of his was a nice guy. “I had been thinking about looking for a job elsewhere for a few months, so that I was not always depending on the Cornells, and I was lucky to find work nearby. But let's leave that topic for another time, how are you doing in college?”

“Oh? You don´t know? I sent you some letters talking about it, but you never responded. I thought you were ignoring me because you had too much work to answer once you entered the service of Mr. Seymour. Well, either that or you just didn't feel like writing to me. You were never very given to reading letters, let alone writing them!”

“About that… I haven't received any letters from you, I don't know if it was a problem with the address that came on the envelope or what, but I asked Sayer about it and he assured me the only letters that came from you were the ones that were addressed to your parents”

"How weird, I'd swear I wrote your address right and certainly didn't get any of my letters returned when I delivered them to the office." Thomas seemed genuinely surprised that none of his messages got through, but he quickly swept away his concerns aside saying. “Although now it doesn´t matter, right? I mean, I'm already here and we won't need pen and paper to communicate. Besides, has my mother read my letters to you? That should have been enough, at least, for you to know how I'm doing so far from home”

"True, although reading about your exploits is not the same as hearing them through your mouth. So I don't know what happened to the letters, but I'm still glad you were able to sneak out over winter break to pay your parents a visit. You have no idea how much they miss you! Or maybe yes, Aunt Cathy told me she writes to you every week… I hope that didn't distract you from your studies”

"Oh no, I'm used to distractions by now. If you could see what a party-goers my roommates are…” Thomas paused here, looking around as if he was looking for something. “But speaking of people who usually approach me so that I don't worry until I burn out in school and can socialize a bit, where are my parents? Couldn't they come?”

“Unfortunately no. With all this business of understaffing and early move-in, they haven't been able to get here. That's why I've been sent to pick you up, I'm afraid you'll have to settle with me”

Oscar smiled in a friendly way when he said this but, to his astonishment, Thomas didn´t smile back. On the contrary, after knowing that his parents hadn´t come to receive him, his expression of joy changed to one of complete seriousness. His tone of voice also changed. Until that moment he had been talking in high spirits, as if he had just met a brother whom he held in high esteem. Now, however, the next sentence he said was delivered in a more hostile and demanding tone. As if he was speaking to an incompetent servant who, by obligation, had to obey him without question.

"You have the carriage outside, right? Well, go pick up my suitcase, I'll wait for you there” Noting that the other was speechless at that sudden change in personality, he added, exasperated. “And hurry, I don't have all day!”

After saying this, he walked to the exit of the station at a brisk pace, without waiting for any reply. Oscar, for his part, took a few seconds to digest what had just happened.

Who the hell did that asshole think he was? Oscar already figured there was something unusual about his character, because the fact that his letters never reached him — even after Aunt Cathy said she told him — was too suspicious. But of course, in the original work, Thomas had always been spoken of as a gentle and decent being. And his greeting from a moment ago had also gone down that line, making Oscar feel comfortable during the scarce five minutes in which his memorable and not at all toxic fraternity lasted.

But now he saw it, Thomas was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. It was likely that he only behaved with such false kindness when his parents, or anyone else whose favor he wanted to obtain, were in front of him.

Oscar cursed under his breath, wondering if he could put up with this grotesque individual for the two or three weeks he planned to stay. Well, he was not like his original character and, although he had no intention of starting unnecessary fights, if they touched his nose a lot he wasn´t going to get trampled.

Therefore, building his patience, he went to get the luggage.

It was early in the morning, but the station was already crowded. The corner where the employees proceeded to remove the belongings of the passengers also remained full of boxes, suitcases and trunks. Although there were several people who, with some efficiency, were delivering them to their owners, it took Oscar about ten minutes to retrieve a single suitcase. Which, and if it weren't for the fact that they were still in the 19th century, he would have sworn it had a bomb inside.

At least ten kilos he would have to weigh! Luckily Thomas hadn't brought the trunk he took with him when he started first year. Really, it looked like this guy had taken all the furniture from his residence and put it in there, as if instead of leaving campus for a couple of weeks, he was going to do it for three months.

Anyway, it was a waste of space and, at the same time, the perfect weapon for Oscar's arms to suffer from carrying so much weight.

When he got back to the carriage, Oscar got two scolding.

One for having taken so long to return, as if it had been his fault that the platform officials were slow to check all the tags on the luggage in their charge. And the other, for having left the car in charge of a stranger.

But when it comes to the latter, what could Oscar have done otherwise? He had come alone from Snodland, borrowing the Cornell carriage. Who was going to watch the horses while he went looking for Thomas? Damn it, that's why there were employees for on the streets that the station led to! So he could order them to hold the carriage for a few minutes! It was not as if they were going to charge a large sum to perform this task and neither is it that these men turned out to be criminals waiting to rob a carriage.

No, Oscar was a paranoid by nature, and if he had to leave a stranger in the care of something of his, he used to try to have references from that person. He had made sure that the person he left holding the reins had experience doing this kind of work. And he wasn´t wrong in choosing him, because when he returned with the suitcase, he saw that he had fulfilled his order... Or he should have, because although the carriage was still where Oscar left it, the little man had already disappeared.

"Are we going or not?" Thomas asked, rushing into the vehicle, no trace of wanting to help his cousin carry the suitcase. “You don't have to worry about that beggar sitting in the driver's seat, I already kicked him out. The bastard still wanted me to give him a few coins for letting him rest his butt on someone else's property. Can you believe it? Luckily he didn't make a fuss, as soon as I threatened to call the police he ran away”

It had been less than half an hour since he'd met him, but Oscar already hated Thomas. A mutual hatred, it seemed, because all the way these two people spoke as little as possible. One because he didn´t have anything to say, and the other because he wasn't willing to express what he had in mind.

Be that as it may, the journey was extensive. Amid the city traffic, the stops to eat and rest, considering the distance to Rose Cottage, there were no plans to get home until Sunday noon. In fact, Oscar already had his eye on a couple of inns where they could stay, if the time was right, to spend the night on Saturday before heading back at dawn.

Oscar didn´t count on Thomas being a stubborn he could not reason with. And that, after telling him about his plans to retire to a hostel as soon as it started to get dark, he would get extremely annoying, claiming things like: ‘If you had encouraged the horses more, we would have reached Snodland much earlier’ or ‘The fact that you need stopping only shows that you´re still useless, it´s normal they have dispensed you in the stables!’

It wasn´t that Oscar was going to take those words for granted. He knew they were simple taunts with the intention of offending him so that, in a fit of courage, he would decide to take the reins in the middle of the night. But in the end he had to end up giving in. Not because Thomas had succeeded in hurting his feelings, much less because he forced him by brute force or had to prove something to that idiot. No. The problem was, Thomas had proven to be more wearisome than Kenneth.

As Oscar reaffirmed his resolve to spend the night at an inn, Thomas's second-hand comments became a constant litany. Although they did stay at the hostel, they didn´t last there more than a handful of hours. His cousin wouldn´t shut up and, if he saw that the other made a pretense of retiring to bed or covering his ears, ignoring him, he would try to shake him or throw something at him, so that he would pay attention to him again. It was an ordeal!

And, in the end, Oscar opted to get back on the trails.

The solution of returning to the road, even though it was all cold, lonely and knowing that the only thing he had to light up was a lamp that didn´t let him see more than two meters away, was the hand of a saint. Thomas fell silent the moment they returned to the road. And, from the driver's seat, Oscar soon heard the slight snoring of his cousin, who was well sheltered from the cold December temperatures inside the carriage.

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It wasn´t half an hour after dawn when the car pulled up in front of the Cornell property and a refreshed Thomas emerged from the carriage, smiling, well prepared to put on a show. Oscar, on the other hand, couldn´t say whether what he did was get off or jump off the box as soon as he managed to stop the horses. For he was so tired, from not having been able to sleep all night, that he felt like a living dead.

The arrival of the carriage at Rose Cottage, although unforeseen, was immediately noticed by its inhabitants. So much so, that Thomas had barely set foot on the path that led to the front entrance when his mother and Mallory ran out to meet him. Then Uncle Rob arrived and, shortly behind, Mrs. Sowards, who was still the cook. In a matter of minutes, and perhaps because they had known this young monster known as Thomas Stevens since he was a child, even the masters made an appearance, joining in that warm welcome.

It was unbelievable! Everything had turned out as Oscar expected. As soon as his cousin had introduced himself to friends and relatives, his attitude took another turn. Putting a good face on everyone, with the same kindness with which he had greeted him at the station, he even took the trouble of asking Oscar to help him unload the suitcase! Of course, such an offer had also been calculated. After all, even if Thomas had come home, he was considered a guest at the time. And how do you let a guest do the heavy lifting?

Uncle Rob was the one who ended up unloading the luggage, while Thomas allowed himself the luxury of saying enthusiastically:

"It has been a tiring journey, but I´ve had a great time with my dear cousin. It was fortunate that Mr. Seymour agreed to give you a few days to come get me! It's been so long since the two of us had one of our entertaining talks that… Well, if I told you! We spent hours counting battles”

“Hours? You must be tired, without a doubt!” Aunt Cathy exclaimed, concerned. “You didn't need to catch up so soon, after all, you're going to be here for a few weeks. There will be an opportunity for everything!”

"Oh, that's what I thought. But you know there was a problem with the mail and my letters didn´t reach Oscar. So, I felt obliged to elaborate in the same way that I did in the missives I sent to you when he asked me to”

‘Who asked what?’ Oscar wondered, not exaggerating if he said it was the first time he had seen such a level of cynicism directed at him.

"You've been very considerate, but you know I don't like it when you try too hard. Did you know that we weren't waiting for you until noon?”

"Yes, but it wasn't a bother. It was Oscar's idea, you know? He said you were waiting for us this afternoon but, sure, all of you would be happy if you saw me show up a few hours before. I pointed out that it didn't seem like a very good idea because, let's see, we would have to drive at night and with how short the days are… But he insisted. It was a bit risky, I have to admit, but it was worth it and I am very grateful to him for convincing me”

"We are obviously glad to see you back so soon, but that was reckless," Mrs. Sowards scolded them, although she didn't really look angry. “Haven't you heard of the highway robbers? In the dark they could have assaulted you!”

"I guess so," Thomas admitted, ducking his head guiltily, then, not five seconds later, he raised it again, smiling. “But I wasn´t afraid because my cousin was there to protect me”

Hearing this, those who listened had no heart to get angry again. His mother even hugged him, repeating over and over what a good boy he was and how well raised he had turned out. Messrs. Cornell, who had just arrived, congratulated him on having achieved another year of good grades in college and joined in the collective happiness that he had returned safe and sound. Even the girls, who had no prospect of marrying the son of servants, were content to be reunited with an old childhood friend. Well, Thomas may not have had money or power, but he was a charming man, making even the masters a pleasure to receive him.

While Thomas received all the affection in the world from these people, who were full of praise and completely forgot the precarious way in which the trip was made, Oscar took advantage of the fact that no one was watching him to begin to withdraw.

It's not that he no longer had anything to do there, that too. It's that he felt that if he stayed a minute closer to Thomas, not even all of his willpower was going to stop one of his fists from landing in the face of that blatant liar.

"Oscar, where will you go now?" Someone asked behind him.

He hadn't noticed, but Madeleine had also moved away from the small crowd that was already pushing Thomas into the house.

"Will you visit Mr. Northrop?"

If it occurred to Oscar to do so, he dismissed the idea right then and there. If he went to Thornfield now, the protagonist would follow. But it was true that, perhaps unconsciously, he had started walking away in that direction. Blissful force of habit, already beginning to play against him...

"I can't visit him," he confessed, "because, as you should know well, he's not at home."

“How so?”

“He… He went to The Costwolds a few days ago to pick up his sister. So I don't think he´ll be back until the middle of next week”

With that, Madeleine gave up for the moment. Oscar didn´t lie; Albert was really not at home, having already left in search of Letitia. What he didn´t mention was that, anyway, the villain had said that he could visit Thornfield whenever he wanted. No matter that the masters of the place weren´t present. Albert had advised his service that, if Oscar appeared at their door, he should be treated as the best of guests, letting him go to the big house and serving him in the same way that they had served him every time he went to the library on weekends.

Albert had gone to the extreme, once he learned that Oscar would also be away to pick up his cousin, to offer to drive him to London in his own carriage. An offer that, despite the other thanking him, had to be rejected. Because Albert would have to leave for the capital a few days early in order to reach Cheltenham in time, and Oscar couldn't afford to leave Lilac Hall early. If not, he would gladly have accepted. Perhaps, that way, even the walk would have been more enjoyable.

Returning to the present moment, Oscar would have liked Madeleine to disappear so that he could go to the library without interruption, even if no one was there waiting for him.

Perhaps he thought that he could take a nap in one of the comfortable armchairs of said library, to recover hours of sleep. Because in Rose Cottage he no longer had a room and to Lilac Hall he couldn´t return so soon. Well, if he did, they would probably growl at him for taking up more free hours than he needed and forcing him to work all morning.

"I think I'll go back to town," Oscar said, after considering this.

Perhaps he could steal the author's key to her apartment, taking advantage of the fact that she wouldn't use it until the evening anyway.

"Wait, I need to ask you something first."

"Are you finished with your hostility? Either way, if it's about Mr. Northrop, forget it. I am not in the habit of giving information about my friends, much less if they haven´t given me permission to do so beforehand”

"It's not about him! It has to do with him, but… Oh, it's about decoration. This is sure that you´ll be able to answer it”

"Decoration, you say?"

"I suppose Lilac Hall has the Christmas decorations ready, right?"

That was a resounding yes. Not just because those holiday dates were just around the corner, but because the Seymours - the whole family - were hosting a ball on Christmas Eve where they planned to invite both friends and neighbors. Half the town was gathering at Lilac Hall that night to celebrate. So it was clear that, with less than a week to go, they would have to have most of the preparations made by now.

"Do you happen to know if they´ll hang a mistletoe somewhere in the rooms?"

"Aren't you thinking of shoving Mr. Northop…?"

“I'm not going to tell you!” Madeleine interrupted. “You´ve told me you won´t answer any questions about him, which is problematic enough for me, because from you I will not be able to find out what type of woman he likes. So don't expect me to reveal my whole plan to win him over!”

‘To conquer him or make him flee?’ Oscar wondered. Because regardless of what the aforementioned sexual preferences were, Albert was not the type of person who could be pushed to get things done. In fact, the more an idea was pressed to him, the more likely it was that he would reject it.

But Oscar had no reason to tell this peculiarity of his character to the protagonist.

"What about Patrick Seymour? I thought you were both going to act as hosts on that evening. Even the next day, to Christmas dinner, they only invited the closest friends and family. If you are still considered as the couple of the young master, you should attend without fail”

“We'll see about that, it all depends on how everything goes at the ball. Because who knows, maybe I´ll find that it would be more auspicious to go off with another kind gentleman. Someone like Mr. Northrop, who would surely take the responsibility of courting me, after an act like…” Stopping there, badly hiding an evil smile that was already beginning to appear at the corner of her lips, Madeleine regained her seriousness. to blurt out. “Well, what I mean is that it has to be someone who doesn't refuse to give me an engagement ring right after I pretended to lose mine! It´s cruel so much coldness towards me, I won´t accept it, because I don´t deserve it!”

With that said, she walked briskly back to her house, with no intention of speaking to Oscar again. And Oscar stood there for a moment, thinking that maybe Madeleine should forget about the villain and go for someone else. Thomas, for example. The two were so false that, perhaps, the thing could work between both. 

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