Chapter 48: Chapter 48 – The proposition

The room they were in, even though it was bigger than the Cornell ones, was twice or even three times as small compared to Lilac Hall. So even if people were separated from each other, it was extremely easy for someone to hear if they got close enough. In other words, if you wanted to talk about something personal, it was better not to do it there. Since anyone could hear it.

"Let's talk on the balcony," Oscar suggested, noticing that Thomas was already glancing at them.

If they had chosen the balcony that led to the back of the house, it was because the door that led to it was in that very room and, if they closed it behind them, not even the annoying Stevens´ son would dare to put his ear to it to spy. Not staying inside a crowded room.

Albert mustn´t have noticed that they were being watched, but he accepted without question. Anyway, what he wanted was to be able to have a chat with Oscar without anyone else listening. Where, was irrelevant to him.

Although the weather was cold and the sky cloudy, not a single drop of rain had fallen all day. So, they figured when they looked at the railing next to the stairs that went down to the gardens, they could stay there for a few minutes without anyone, nor the storm that was seen coming, bothering them.

"How did you spend Christmas?" Albert began, since they hadn't seen each other since the dawn of the duel, and despite the fact that by then the twenty-fifth was already behind them, they had no chance to talk about it for a long time. “I went to ask your uncles about you that day, thinking you might get off work, but they told me you'd stay at Lilac Hall until the last day of your contract.”

"Did you go to Rose Cottage? Ah, I should have told you that I wouldn't be there, it completely passed me by, I'm sorry.”

Oscar apologized not without a pang of guilt. In those days he had been so busy between grief and his own tasks that he had completely forgotten to mention to Albert that he wouldn´t have a single free moment until New Years Eve. And even though he had considered trying, he couldn't even sneak out of work for a while.

“Nevermind. We hadn't met, and Rose Cottage is right next door anyway. It wasn't a bother to move, although…” The villain paused, perhaps wondering how he should put what he would say next, “that cousin of yours, this Thomas. Does he have any problem?”

“He's got a lot of problems, just ignore him: If he sees that he can't provoke you, he'll stop bothering you. But why do you ask? Has he done something to you?”

“Not exactly, it's just that… When I went to visit Rose Cottage on Christmas Day I had to use the service door, because I didn't want to run into the Cornells (although I already picked a time when I knew they wouldn't be home, just in case), it was Thomas who first received me. When I told him that I was looking for you, he told me that if you had not specified that you were still in the service of the Seymours it was because you did not wish to see me. But I know things aren't like that, and it's not because I´m throwing flowers at myself. As direct as you usually are, if it were true that you didn't want to see me, you would have told me long ago.”

"I have to talk seriously with my cousin before he goes back to his university," Oscar said without losing his temper, trying not to show that ‘talking seriously’ in this case meant beating the shit out of him when his uncles were looking away. “The poor man must be so saturated with his studies that he has reached a point where he misrepresents everything he sees and hears.”

“Is that so? Well, I'm glad it was a misunderstanding.”

"As for how my Christmas was, I think I'd better pass the question on to you," he continued. “Because I'm afraid I didn't do anything to write home about; many of the Seymours' friends stayed for the day. Well... That day and the following! They are still there, in fact; I don't think they´ll get them out without resorting to force but man, that's not my problem anymore. Let´s see, there were no more balls, but there were banquets and... Anyway! They were busy days for all of us, most of us weren't even allowed to rest more than at meal times. When I realized that I was finally free, it was already night.”

“Is that possible? The Seymours should have given the afternoon off to those of you who have family in town, at least on the twenty-fifth” Seeing that the other agreed without too much effort, implying that he knew it but that knowing that family was never very clear how they would come to proceed regarding the division of tasks and holidays, he said. “Don't think I did anything special either. At Christmas we only received our relatives who were yet to arrive and we spent the evening with them, like today.”

"Ah, it all sounds so peaceful! And to think that while you were enjoying a warm family evening I was using a broom to kick the last drunk out of the stables. Because let's see, there wouldn't be a break to celebrate Christmas, but those damned ones who didn't work receiving the guests took the opportunity to give the liquor a try when nobody saw them.”

Albert laughed at this and that also encouraged Oscar; the villain had been serious throughout dinner, up to that point. So it must have been a relief to see that his facial muscles were still working as they should.

"That´s it, you laugh at my miseries. But you got to know that the play didn´t turn out so bad! I took the bottle from one of those idiots and filled what was left of the container with water. Then I gave it to Kenneth, claiming that it was an excellent vintage wine the gentlemen had left over and that they had given me. What to say? He believed it. He didn't even notice that bottle was ninety percent water, and he drank all of it.”After they had both finished laughing at that subtle joke, he added. “Changing the subject, what was it you wanted when you came to visit me at Christmas?”

"Oh, that…" As he spoke, Albert pulled a small package from inside his jacket; It seemed like he had it prepared for an hour, when people left the dining room and he had a few minutes alone to go somewhere he did not specify before following the rest. “After reassuring my family a bit and finishing some preparations for the duel, I had part of the morning off and it occurred to me that I could happen to give you this. I would have liked to invite you to hang out in Thornfield too, or for a walk around town, but there was no occasion to even suggest it.”

"What is this supposed to be?" Oscar asked softly, taking the gift the villain offered him.

The package in question had an irregular shape and was quite flat. It was light to the touch, as if it contained a piece of cloth inside. Wrapped in wrapping paper and tied tightly with a ribbon, the belated Christmas present took up no more than a sheet of paper like one might use to write letters.

"Open it up and you'll find out," Albert encouraged. “I should have given it to you on the twenty-fifth, but I didn't trust your cousin to give it to you. And anyway, I preferred to give it to you in person.”

Oscar untied the knot and carefully pushed the paper aside to reveal a dark brown scarf, similar to the color of the clothes he used to wear. Touching it, one could deduce that it was made of high-quality wool and, after thanking Albert for the present, Oscar could not resist the temptation to try it on at that moment.

The scarf was perfect, wrapped around his neck, it was the best barrier so that the cold wind could not break through to his throat.

"It looks good on you," said Albert, in an unbeatable humor. “When we went hunting I realized you didn't have a scarf. And it's not okay to go without one, especially at this time of year.”

This was a surreal scene, that is how he would have described it if he had observed it as a foreign spectator. And, as Oscar saw it, the eyes with which Albert looked at him were not the ones a murderer would use to spot his prey. Quite the opposite, in fact. There must be no one in all that damn cliché addressing his person so gently.

So, unable to contain his laughter, Oscar pointed out:

"But Albert, this is cheating! I wanted to be the one who looked like a marquis by being the one to give you a gift for Christmas. But you seem to have gotten ahead of me again.” Saying this, he pulled out of his pocket a small box not much larger than the palm of his hand. “Don't tell your father and sister that I have given you this. Because I have not prepared anything for them and if they find out, I will no longer have excuses to deny my partiality towards you.”

“This is for me?”

"No, I'm just showing it to give you false illusions. It's actually mine,” Oscar laughed. “Of course it's for you! I was going to give it to you on Christmas Eve, but with the whole matter of the duel it was late and… I went to remember the late hours, when you had already left.”

Albert took the box with shaking hands. Without a doubt, he hadn't expected anything in return for his generosity.

Unlike the scarf that he had delivered, this did not have any kind of packaging and, to open it, it was as simple as opening a lid. Inside the box stood a silver pocket watch that gleamed in the streetlight.

"It's not very original," said Oscar, before the other had time to say anything, "but I've been thinking about what I could give you for more than a month, if it seems like you already have everything. And just for the record, my first choice was books, the kind that you like are hard to find, but I remembered the store in Chattenden, the old grocer who hates me to death, and I thought: If I try to buy something from here, or Rowntree won't sell it to me for being unworthy, or he will, but he´ll also go directly to inform you. This is why I chose a watch. Clocks are always useful.” Noticing there was a change in Albert's face, he inquired with some concern. “Are you crying?”

“Of course not!” He protested, wiping away a tear that was already threatening to roll down his cheek. “It's just a little cold and my eyes seem to be watering, but it's nothing.”

"That will be it, yes."

"Anyway, I love this gift. And I thank you; I wouldn't trade it for the world.”

"I don't think you could change it, even if you tried. Look there," joked Oscar, satisfied that he had gotten the desired reaction, pointing to a certain part of the inside of the lid, "I asked them to engrave your name. I'm afraid you'll be tied to that watch for life.”

"It must have cost you dearly," observed the villain, who had already taken the object out of his box to inspect it better, "it's made of silver."

“Don't think it was so bad, the shopkeeper took pity on me as soon as he saw me. It seems that Madeleine had gone to talk to him when she gave him his necklace. So going to buy this, the shop assistant was like, ‘Oh, so you're that poor devil the future Mrs. Seymour ripped off.’ And he gave me a small discount, because he thought I was making presents when I didn't even have for lunch.”

Albert laughed, imagining the scene. And Oscar thought that if people started offering him discounts in such a random way, maybe a poor man's life wasn't so bad.

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"Now, returning to the seriousness, it was not only because of the gift that I wanted to talk to you," Albert confessed, having already put away his new watch and eliminating all traces of joy on his face, being that what he would say next should need to be expressed properly. “As you know, I have some business to attend to in London, for the family business. And, when we go to accompany Letitia back to her school, we will take the opportunity to stay in the capital for a couple of months. In my case, until the social season begins.”

"I think you've already told me," Oscar said, recalling a conversation they had a few weeks ago when Albert stopped. “You'll be back in mid-March, won't you?”

"Yes, yes, and maybe I should have waited until I came back to tell you about this, but… I can't take it anymore." After a pause that seemed to last years, he proceeded. “I-I have a proposition to make to you.”

Due to the number of pauses he made and the times he was stumped when speaking, an unmistakable symptom of his nervousness, Oscar did not dare to interrupt him. He had anyway since the day he woke up in the villain's room, during the hunt in Fairview, getting ready for this day. He was no longer afraid.

"Do you remember, a long time ago, when I suggested that you could come work at this house if you weren't happy at the Seymour house? You said that if things didn't improve, you'd reconsider.” Although Oscar could already see where the shots were going, Albert added in the same way. “Well, I would like to renew that offer that I made you. If you want or can, I would like you to start working here… when I get back. In March.”

"Wait, are you talking about the gardener position?"

"If you want it, it's yours. Although… to be honest with you, I would prefer you to accept a position as secretary, to help me with the administrative part. With your sharpness, it seems to me a waste that you always limit yourself to doing work that has nothing to do with any intellectual capacity.”

"No, leave it, I'd rather be a secretary. I'm not really into accounting, but I find it so much better than digging ditches and planting petunias. In March, did you say?”

"I-I didn't want it to be something effective, right away, because I know you have another job and I didn't want to force you to choose to quit. In fact, if you agree to come work at Thornfield and still want to keep your job at the newspaper, we can discuss the schedule and arrange it however it suits you, so you don't get overwhelmed.”

“That seems perfect to me. Too perfect, inclusive! Not many bosses would be so understanding of their employees, much less before they started their job. So don´t worry, when the time comes I will do my best.”

The villain sighed in relief when he heard this, it was not known if because the other had accepted his offer so quickly or because he, at last, had managed to express it out loud. Oscar, on his part, after a couple of minutes of silence started laughing.

“What's going on?” Albert asked, surprised.

Had he said or done something wrong?

"Nothing, nothing, it's just that with the gifts, all this atmosphere, and then saying you had a proposition to make... I thought you were going to propose to me!"

"Uh... W-well...”

"You even made me nervous! I was thinking of saying yes and everything.”

“How? W-wait... Then ...!”

"No, it doesn't work anymore, you lost your chance. If you try now, I'll refuse,” Oscar cut him off and, noticing Albert's disappointment, he explained. “It would be a real hassle to stay as a couple and have to leave for almost three months in a couple of days. That's why it's better to stay friends... Until March, at least. When you return you can try to propose again, although I can tell you in advance that I will accept.”

This was no bluff. Much less a measure of Oscar to buy time: In truth he thought that he could give a chance to a relationship with the villain but, as he mentioned to him, he did not want to formalize anything so that the next day they would have to say goodbye. And for Oscar, his job at the newspaper was important. As much as he appreciated someone, he wouldn´t be willing to throw all his work overboard just to follow him.

So that's where they were, in an agreement that seemed satisfactory for both, if not for the time. March was a long way off! Luckily, the prospect that they could be together that month was reassuring them somewhat.

After having been outside for about ten or fifteen minutes, the two of them went back into the room. They were happier than when they left, which was suspicious for someone like Thomas, who must have been wondering all night what the hell his cousin had been doing, in his absence to suddenly draw the attention of a noble family like the Northrop.

It was still just over half an hour to midnight and people continued to entertain themselves in the living room with their music and games. But truth be told, after spending much of the afternoon chatting with the guests and even joining them in some sporadic game of darts — at Jack's insistence — Oscar no longer felt like socializing with these people anymore.

Not that he was fed up with them, because they were as talkative as Kenneth. No, he had nothing to do with anyone's character or behavior. What was happening was that, until just a few hours ago, he had been working non-stop at the Seymours' house.

That that they gave him all day of New Year's Eve off was not true. He was free, yes, but only from early afternoon. And, with Patrick's friends and family still staying at Lilac Hall, the past few days had been busy for him, as he got up early and went to bed late each day, doing more chores than his share.

He didn't complain, Christmas was always the worst time of year to work in a mansion like that. He already expected it. And he had accepted it, knowing that it would only last a couple of weeks, that by the end of the year he´d be free from the Seymours. Now what was the problem? Simple, that he had not rested enough. When that day he finished his shift and was able to collect what was owed to him, he barely had time to stop at his new apartment to leave the few possessions he had. Right away he had to march to Rose Cottage to meet the Stevens and from there cross the street to Thornfield.

Then it was six in the afternoon and Oscar wasn´t sleepy. On the contrary, after eleven o'clock, fatigue was already beginning to take its toll on him. And, not wanting to continue following the conversation with anyone, he retired to an armchair by the fireplace.

The piano continued to play from time to time and the conversations that took place around also continued to be heard. It didn't bother him, he had told Jack that he was going to sit by the fire for a while and that, if he fell asleep, to wake him up just before midnight so as not to miss the mandatory toast. So he didn't bother about etiquette or the like. If Uncle Rob was allowed to snore in an armchair in the middle of the room, no one should have a problem with him resting for a while in an armchair away from the rest of the world. Since he was turning his back on the rest, they couldn't even see if he had actually fallen asleep.

So he remained there for a long time, with his eyes closed but without completely losing consciousness. It was not so easy for him to sleep sitting up, no matter how tired he was, although the flames in front of him managed to have a relaxing effect on him. He must have stayed still, dozing at times, for no more than twenty minutes. Well, at a certain moment he heard footsteps in his direction.

Although he wasn´t asleep, he did not want to open his eyes either. He had been listening to the voices of the people closest to him and, among them, he made out that of his cousin. Could it be possible that it was close to twelve o'clock and he had offered to warn him? He did not believe it to be true, hence he continued on guard. Although he could make out voices, both Thomas and the guests who were speaking all seemed far enough away that he was not clearly hearing their words.

On the other hand, if Thomas were to wake him up, why not call him? Wasn't he being too stealthy? As the music had stopped, Oscar could guess without impediment the moment in which that person stopped next to him. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but he did know something was wrong. Because, although the steps stopped when they reached him, no one spoke or tried to touch his shoulder to wake him up.

Oscar waited a few more seconds and, when nothing happened, he decided to open his eyes. But it was just that, a decision that was not carried out. Before he did, he heard the villain ask, from a few feet away:

"What are you doing with that glass?"

“Me? Nothing,” Thomas excused himself. “I was just thinking that it must be hard working for masters like the Seymours and I was a little holy to heaven.”

That said, Oscar heard Thomas walk away. He could almost imagine the fake smile of his cousin saying this and, regarding misdeeds done while a tired employee dozed, was that what he had noticed falling on his pants was a drop? He was sure it did. That bastard was still looking for a fight, now approaching him to pour a glass of wine on him.

Oscar thought about getting up, taking advantage of his remaining energy to go and discuss a couple of things with his dear cousin. He wouldn't get into a fight in someone else's home, of course. He wouldn't be so daring. But Thomas wasn't the only one who could play sharp words.

And he would have opened his eyes, intending to stand up, had it not been for the fact that he felt a shadow bow before him.

Just as he had been able to distinguish Thomas' footsteps when he approached his chair, he was not one to detect those of someone who approached him if he squared with even greater discretion. Before he had a chance to react, something warm and wet settled on his lips. This only lasted a couple of seconds, perhaps because, even though no one could see what they were doing from that angle, the room was still full of diners and it was not wise to take it to another level.

When that person stepped away and Oscar opened his eyes, he could see Albert going to the other side of the room, perhaps embarrassed by what he had just done. In profile you could see a face redder than he should have, as if he himself had not finished believing what had happened. Surely he must have taken a good handful of courage to dare to steal a kiss from him.

By then, the celebration had not yet finished, but Oscar ended up fully awake. How was that he thought earlier, of trying to date the villain to see how things were going? Suddenly, he thought that this was nonsense: he didn't need to prove anything. He already knew that if he chose to stay with him, things would be fine. 

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