Man of Words
Title: Man of Words
Summary: During the annual Hargreaves family gathering at Cornwall Castle young Cain and Suzette Hargreaves bear witness to a mystery.
Author's Note: Author's Note: There is no mention in the series that I can find of Suzette's last name, so I'm making it Hargreaves, having Augusta have married a distant cousin. It also never mentions exactly how much older than Cain Suzette is, but she can't be too much older, so I've made them a year and a half apart. This takes place when Suzette is 9--almost 10, and Cain is 8.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Earl Cain Series and it's characters. They belong to the goddess Kaori Yuki.
Man of Words
Cornwall Castle came into view much too slowly. Sitting on my hands and chewing the inside of my left cheek I could no longer contain my excitement and before the carriage had even stopped completely, I'd thrown open the door and leaped into the snow where I quickly caught my balance and darted for the servant's entrance, my thick black hair fanning like a cape behind me in the bitter cold.
“Suzette!” my father called for me, but my ears were deaf to his hail.
It was our Christmas holiday. Every year our family, the illustrious, renown, the scandalous Hargreaves gathered together for this joyous occasion. And this year was special. Because it was at our family's ancestral home; Cornwall Castle. The castle had stood for five hundred years and I'm sure would stand for five hundred more, and had witnessed more murder and treachery than even the tower of London.
And Cain lived there. Cain, my favorite cousin. The mysterious little boy who's mother had committed suicide years ago and lived isolated here in the country with only his father and servants for company.
I sprinted inside through the heavy doors, pushing past the doorman into one of the sitting rooms, where I bid hello and smiled sweetly at the relatives who stopped me and exaggerated how much I'd grown. And there I found my dear Uncle Alexis engulfed in conversation with half a dozen uncles whose faces I remembered but names I could not recall. He sat on the sofa, legs cross, elegantly smoking a pipe. He was my favorite of my uncles, and he'd always called me his favorite niece.
He smiled as his fell upon me and I threw myself into his open arms, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. “Hello, Uncle Alexis.”
“Hello, Suzette,” he said, returning my kiss. “You get more beautiful every time I see you. So much like your mother,” he told me wistfully. “And you're getting so tall. You're birthday's soon, is it not?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “The twenty-eighth of January. I'll be ten. Oh, you and Cain will come for my birthday, won't you, Uncle Alexis?”
He leaned on the first of one hand, looking at me with piercing green eyes. “Ten years old. I can't believe it was so long ago you were born, my dear. I'm afraid your father doesn't like me or Cain much, and won't be happy to have us there,” he said softly.
“I don't care,” I told him, sliding off his lap. “You have to come, Uncle Alexis! You simply have to come! You and Cain both. You didn't come last year and it was no birthday at all. If you don't come this year I will simply die!" I made tears spring into my eyes, pouting my lips into a look of hopeless desperation.
Cocking his head to the side, he wiped my fake tears tears away. "Since you put it that way, Miss Suzette, I wouldn't dare miss it for the world." He kissed me on the cheek once more.
Even at the age of nine I realized my uncle looked at me differently than the other cousins. I felt there was a special look he had reserved only for me. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling.
"Suzette," a strong voice called. "Come here."
The voice came from the doorway, where my father stood with my stepmother as the doorman led them into the room. He scowled at my uncle with his eyes. I once thought if he were for one moment to show visible emotion, he would just fall over dead on the floor.
“Father, Mother,” I acknowledged them, skipping toward them, my hands clasped behind my back to my relatives bemusement. "I was greeting Uncle Alexis. He is our gracious host." I liked to be smart.
My father kept his eyes on Uncle Alexis and placed a possessive hand on my shoulder.
I turned back to my uncle. “May I go see Cain?”
He nodded slightly, the smile having faded from his face at the sight of my father. “He's in his room.”
I removed my coat and dropped it on the floor beside my stepmother. “Here, Mother. I forget to take it off when I came inside.”
Before she said a word I was gone, racing up the stairs to see my dearest cousin.
“Cain,” I called as reached the door, knocking on it three times in an even rhythm.
The door opened a fraction of an inch, one beautiful golden green eye appearing in the crack.
Quickly I hid herself against the wall, biting away the giggles that threatened to escape my mouth.
"Who is it?"
"You'll have to open the door all the way to find out."
"That won't work. I know it's you, Suzette."
I faced the door, frowning. "How'd you know?" I whined.
"No one does that but you." Cain opened the door wider. "You can come in, but just you."
"It's just me out here, you silly boy."
Cain said nothing.
Stepped into the room I pushed the door shut behind me. "What are you doing?"
Cain sat back at his large cherry wood desk, barely giving me a second glance, a large leather bound book with yellowing pages open before him. "Reading."
I came up behind him, glancing down at the fine print. "The first family of poisonous mushrooms which should be avoided belong to the genus Amanita which produce white spores and white sporeprint.," I read aloud, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "You read the most boring things, Cain."
"I don't find it boring at all. We have Amanita mushrooms on the grounds. It's quite useful to know what might kill you on your own land."
I fell back on his bed, the four posters surrounding me like a gilded cage, and I stared above at the stark white ceiling. "For you. I like stories. Fairytales and nursery rhymes."
"Don't know any."
I sat upright quickly. "I know of one you might like!" I exclaimed. Standing, excited at the prospect of teaching the boy who knew everything, I recited, "'A man of words but not of deeds, is like a garden full of weeds; And when the weeds begin to grow, it's like a garden full of snow; And when the snow begins to fall, it's like a bird upon the wall; And when the bird away does fly, it's like an eagle in the sky; And when the sky begins to roar, it's like a lion at the door; And when the door begins to crack, it's like a stick across your back; And when your back begins to smart, it's like a penknife in your heart; And when your heart begins to bleed, you're dead, and dead, and dead, indeed."
When I finished Cain turned his head to face me, and I was delighted to see he wore a small smile upon his small lips. "I do like that one, Suzette," he admitted softly.
I felt extremely pleased with myself. Rarely had I seen him smile; he was so sullen. And I was happy that I had made him.
On a whim I reached over his shoulder and slammed his book shut. "Come, Cain, let's play outside. When the other cousins get here you know they'll be looking for you and will come straight up here. If you don't want to see anybody else, come outside and play with me."
The smile left his face. "I'm not allowed outside."
I shook my head, trying to persuade him. "Oh, Uncle Alexis won't mind if you're with me. You just tell him it was all my idea and I made you."
Cain looked unconvinced.
Leaning down I gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Come. I'll take your book and hide it if you don't," I whispered.
He let out a defeated sigh. "Oh, all right. But if I get in trouble it's all you're fault."
I felt triumphant, like I had won a battle, as I took my younger cousin by the hand, leading him down the stairs and out to play in the winter cold.
==================
The outdoors was a dazzling array of white. It covered everything! The ground, the trees, the rocks, the water; everything! Glinting icicles sparkled from the trees, blinding me where the sun hit them, reflecting into my eyes. Shoved between my father and step-mother I'd been unable to see the view from the carriage.
"I love winter!" I cried, dancing in the snow. "The white and the cold of it all. It's my favorite season of all. Even more than spring when the flowers bloom. What's yours, Cain?"
"Fall," he said simply, digging his heals into the snow. "I like the colors."
"What's your favorite color? Mine's blue. It matches my eyes. Everyone says I look so pretty in blue."
"Red, I think."
I stopped and turned to face him wearing a grimace. "Why red? I think red is the color of death."
Cain shook his head vigorously, his green eyes widening with excitement. "It's the color of life. When you're cut your blood bleeds red. It means you're alive."
"I never thought of it that way." I raised her eyes to the crisp, cloudless white sky. "Everything's white today. I wish we could have snow and a blue sky both."
Cain pulled his mittened hands into his pockets. "So what do we do now?"
Shrugging, I danced towards him with a mischievous grin. "Oh, I don't know, cousin. Just..." I trailed off, and pushed him down. "Catch me if you can, Cain!"
Bursting into a sprint, I forced my way through a tangled web of branches and roots, laughing.
"Suzette! Wait for me!" I heard Cain call.
"Come and get me!" was my only reply.
Running blindly through the gardens without the slightest notion where I was going I came to a dead end where Cain finally caught up to me and wasted no time tackling me to the ground. "I got you! I got you! I win."
"Well what have we here?" came a voice above us.
"George?" I said questioningly, rolling off my cousin into the snow.
George Smithfield was distant cousin of ours whom there'd been much gossip about as of late. Father didn't hold him in high regard and neither did I. He grinned down at us with malice, a cigarette clamped in his mouth. "What were you two doing?"
"Playing," Cain said innocently.
George snickered. "That's not what it looked like. What are you two, boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"No!" I cried irritably. "We were playing tag."
George flicked his cigarette into the snow and smirked. "The sins of the father... I don't have time for this." With a stomp on the butt, he walked away.
"Mean," I muttered, longing to say something far more unladylike, then I turned to my small cousin. "Who cares what he says?" I stood and started back towards the castle, but after a near minute I noticed Cain hadn't yet gotten up. "What's wrong?" I called back to him.
"I hate it when people say things like that. They never say anything, they just hint. And I don't know what they're trying to hint at. I hate that."
Jogging back over to him amidst the snow I knelt down into the cold whiteness and placed a hand on his shoulder. My hair had fallen loose during my run through the woods and it fell into my face now.
Cain touched a strand gently. "They hint at things like Father killed Mother. And they say things about your mother and I don't know what they mean at all."
I pulled him to his feet. "Let's go back now. It's getting cold."
I knew exactly what he meant. And I hated it, too.
==================
Dinner that night was to be a grand affair.
After returning to the castle my step-mother had caught me and pulled me roughly by the arm up the stairs to get ready. But not before being given a scolding for being rude and running off with Cain. I paid more attention to picking at the scratch I had received by one of the sharper branches.
I was bathed, my hair shampooed and dried and tied with lacy ribbons, and put into one of my nicest dresses, with strict orders not to leave the castle. Very boring, in my opinion.
I had slipped off again, wandering the long halls to find Cain when I felt a tap on my shoulder, startling me. "Suzette?" a small voice said.
My distant cousin, Madeline Russell, stood behind me, her silvery blond hair pulled high up on her head in a heap of curls, a blond porcelain doll with a matching dress clutched in her arms. "Maddy,” I greeted. “Hello. How do you do?" I gave a curtsy.
Madeline curtsied in response. "Very well, thank you. And you, Suzette?"
"Very well." I turned to leave, hoping to get away before Madeline questioned me about...
"Have you seen Cain?" Madeline asked. "He's not in his room and I don't know where else he'd be. Your father said you were playing with him earlier."
I shrugged, trying my best to appear nonchalant. "That was a while ago. I have no idea where he would be now."
"May I walk with you then?"
I sighed. I wasn't going to be rude. Well, I'd at least try not to be. "Fine." Madeline's a nit. Nearly nine and she still plays with dolls.
No matter, I was an expert at tuning annoying noises out, such as my parents. “Where’s that sister of yours? What’s her name, Bibi?”
Madeline fell into step alongside me and shrugged. “Probably with her mother. I don’t care.”
“She’s pretty, you’re sister. When we all grow up she might even be prettier than you.”
Madeline glared at me but was mercifully silent.
I smiled slightly. That’s better, I thought.
We made our way down the grand staircase to the landing where Aunt Katina ushered us into the parlor, to join the other cousins. Cain was sitting on one sofa talking with Bibi. I couldn't help but giggle outright at the expression on Madeline’s face. I skipped across the room and sat on his other side before Maddy even had a seconds chance. “Hello again, dear cousin,” I greeted, placing a kiss on his cheek.
His cheeks tinged scarlet. “Hello, Suzette.”
Madeline sat in a chair nearby and soon other cousins joined us, and the aunts and uncles coming to gawk at us. I always hated this part, the paying homage to my elders. They pinched our cheeks and rubbed our heads and told us how big we were getting. I longed to bite the next person who touched me.
When it was done we assembled in the dining room for dinner, us children having a separate, smaller table where Cain sat at it’s head. I was placed to his left, with our odd half-Japanese cousin Lukia Cromwell on his right. Madeline and Beatrice Russel were seated at the far end of the table. I made sure to smile pointedly in Maddy‘s direction several times.
I noticed the pretty blond maid in the shadows among the other servants that I'd heard so many whispered rumours about. “She’s George’s mother’s servant,” I whispered to Cain, Lukia was paying us no attention. “They never go anywhere without her. There are rumours about her and George. Do you know what I mean?”
Cain nodded. “Yes, I think so,” he whispered back.
“He made me mad earlier,” I continued. “I think we should spy on him.”
Cain smiled slightly and looked down at this plate, poking his food with his fork. “That could be fun.”
==================
I could never sleep well in Cornwall Castle. It seemed every time I was just about to slip into sleep I'd hear some strange noise from the hall. The next morning I groggily gave up on sleep and arose before even my nanny had come in and met Cain downstairs who was already dressed and waiting for me.
“I saw him head out to the garden,” Cain said, pointing through the window.
I practically ran to the closet to gather our coats, holding his hand as we left the castle.
“You should have followed him,” I told him, rushing out.
“But I wanted to wait for you,” Cain said, trying to keep up.
I smiled, turning to him. “Then all is forgiven, dearest cousin. Am I your favorite? You’re mine.”
“Of course you are.” Cain looked as though I had asked an idiotic question. It made me happy to think he held me in such high regard.
“Let’s be off, then.” Linking arms, together we went in search of George.
And an hour later saw us coming back to the castle, defeated. I let out an exaggerated sigh, practically falling onto the small sofa in his room . “Are you sure you saw him head towards the gardens?” I asked Cain.
He nodded. “Positive. I watched him through the window. Maybe he came back a different way.”
I sighed again. “Maybe.” I stomped my foot on the floor in frustration. “Oh, I’m so aggravated I could hurt him! I wanted to spy on him.” Fixing myself into a more comfortable position I nearly rolled my eyes when I noticed Cain starting to pull one of his boring books off the shelf. “What do you do here when no one’s around, Cain? When it’s just you and Uncle Alexis. Read?”
“Yes.”
“How boring. I’d kill myself if that was all I could do. A hundred times over,” I declared.
“Well, there are other things to do,” he said softly.
I sat up straight, interested. “Like what?”
He lips tugged upwards slightly, a malicious glint in his eyes. “Explore. There are places here even I’ve not been.” His smile lit up brighter. “I could show you my secret place.”
I was grinning right back at him. Now this sounded like it could be fun. “And where is that?” I asked.
Cain glanced down, still smiling. “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret. I’ll show you, though.”
“Very well then.” Standing, I linked arms with him once more. “Lead the way, Cain.”
By candlelight he led me deep into and under the castle through secret tunnels, my mind trying to calm my beating heart as we delved into each dark passageway. Every time I went to ask him where we were going he beckoned me for silence. He was excited, positively filled with glee. I'd never seen him so happy. My eyes were wide with wonder as we went through the narrow corridors.
Finally, we emerged from the tunnels into a wide chamber. The dungeon, I thought.
Setting down the candelabra, Cain rushed in front of me and pulled at an old and faded red velvet curtain, revealing a tall case of shelves littered with bottles of all sorts of colors and shapes, each filled with a different substance.
“Are these…” I trailed off.
“Poison!” he declared. “The poisons of the Hargreaves family, which have been passed down for generations. And they’re all mine.” He smiled and went on. “Even Father doesn’t come here. This is my place.”
Cain was different down here, I noticed. More boisterous and confident. It was disturbing how he reminded me of Uncle Alexis. I liked my sweet and shy little cousin.
Cain picked one of the bottles off the shelf, it was clear with half a dozen or so dried mushrooms inside it and held it up for my inspection. “These are Amanita mushrooms. Like you read in my book before. They cause cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea. And death within seven days. Quite useful to know, really. Why, with this sample alone could kill at least three people. What do you think of that, Suzette?”
I frowned at him. “I don’t think you should be smiling as you say such things. I don’t--”
The sound of footsteps interrupted and we both quickly glanced in the noise’s direction. I saw a shadow and ran to look, seeing the figure of a man quickly going through the corridor before I lost sight of him. I stopped. “Oh, no!” I turned back towards Cain, who had returned the mushrooms to their position and was replacing the curtain. “That was George!” I cried. “He followed us.”
Cain glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Should we slip some mushrooms into his dinner?” he asked with a smirk.
“What a horrible thing to say!“ I screamed. “How could you even suggest that? I don’t like this place at all! Take me back now!”
His smile faded. “Very well, then.” He fixed the curtain one last time and taking the candelabra into his hand, headed towards one of the darker corners. “Let’s leave this way, in case George is waiting for us somewhere.”
I nodded and followed her younger cousin.
In awkward silence I followed him through a dim stairwell. Finally we emerged through a small door that led to a hallway not much brighter. Something caught my eye as we passed. I turned and gasped. “Who are they?” I asked, walking towards a large portrait of a family. A mother, a father, and two children; a boy and a girl.
Cain brought the light closer. “Our parents. Father and Aunt Augusta.”
“My goodness,” I whispered, touching the likeness of my mother, my real mother, with my index finger. “They could be us. We look just like them.”
“Yes,” Cain agreed, an melancholic glint in his eye. “We do.”
I turned away. “Let’s go. I’ve had enough adventure for one day.” I stomped towards the stairs.
Cain hadn't moved. I stopped, unable to go too far without him lest I get lost. He was still staring at the portrait. “Have you ever visited her, Suzette?”
The question startled me. I never ever talked about my real mother. “Twice,” I said softly. “And I remember neither time with fondness.”
“I visited her once,” he muttered. “She held me and called me her little boy.” He turned and without a pause left down the stairs, leaving me staring after him.
==================
My sleep that night was worse than the last. My mind was plagued by thoughts of the dungeon, Cain’s mumblings, and what George would do with the information of the location of the Hargreaves family’s legendary poison collection. I couldn't rest at all.
I stood, sliding my little feet into my slippers so they wouldn’t have to touch the cold hard floor, and walked to the window. The moon was bright and full, surrounded by fluffy clouds moving fast across the dark sky. I smiled. Maybe I should go wake Cain and we could find snacks in the kitchen and watch the sky. Then I frowned, biting my lip. No, maybe not. Cain had really frightened me down in the dungeon. Regardless, he was still my favorite cousin. I liked him much much better than either Madeline or Beatrice, I hardly knew Lukia, and the others were all much too younger to have any real fun playing with. Cain was still my favorite.
Maybe I could get him to say more about his weird mumblings from earlier. He almost always did what I asked. Decided, I went to leave, but my eyes caught sight of two someone’s walking in the snow far below. George…
“Cain, wake up,” I said in a loud whisper as I rushed into his room. Quickly I ran to his bedside and shook him awake.
“Suzette?” he asked, sitting upright. “What’s wrong?”
“I saw George going into the garden. He was with that maid I pointed out to you at dinner yesterday. Hurry and get up. We’re going to follow them.”
Cain was quickly up and robed. We found our coats in the downstairs closet and proceeded outside towards the gardens, ignoring the cold snow soaking our slippers. “Which way?” he asked.
“Follow me.”
It didn't take us long. We found George and the maid sitting with their arms around each other on a bench in one of the larger gardens. “Hide,” I whispered, pulling Cain with me behind a pine bush.
“What are they doing?”
“Kissing.”
“Why? It looks gross.”
“Yes, it does. I don’t know why they’re doing it.”
The maid broke from the kiss. “When will you tell your mother about us, George? You promised me you would.”
“Ellen, it’s not that simple. I have to find the perfect time to tell her. The shock of it might kill her.”
Ellen turned away from him. “That’s your answer for everything, George. But I want action! I’m tired of your words and excuses. If you don’t do it, I’ll tell her myself!”
George embraced her. “Ellen, my darling, let’s not speak of such unpleasantries on this beautiful night. Let’s have our picnic and dine here in the moonlight. I made it just for you, my love.”
She smiled and turned back to him, easily won over. “For tonight I’ll ignore it, but George, tomorrow tell her.”
“I will, my love, I promise.”
We watched the young lovers dine and becoming bored I turned to leave, but Cain grabbed my arm. George had pulled a special item out of his basket. “These are a delicacy,” he told his lover. “Imported, but I thought you might enjoy them.”
And she brought the mushrooms to her lips and devoured them.
From behind a pine bush not ten feet from the young couple our two pairs of eyes widened in shock and recognition.
“Those are,” I whispered.
“Amanita mushrooms,” Cain finished for me.
Wordless, we departed from the scene, coming to the unspoken conclusion that we would never repeat the event we'd witnessed to anyone, not even each other.
==================
The next day the Lady Smithfield’s personal servant Ellen became violently ill. Ill to the point that Lady Smithfield had decided to send her home where she could receive medical attention that would not spoil the Christmas ongoings.
After hearing the news I finally found Cain walking alone that afternoon towards the servant quarters. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to go see Ellen.”
I stopped, afraid to say allowed what I'd been thinking since I'd heard. “Is she sick because of--”
“Shh!” Cain interrupted. “You know nothing.” He halted, having reached his destination. With a wry smile he pulled a jar slightly out of his jacket, revealing the contents to be several mushrooms. “He didn’t steal all of it.”
“Cain, what do you think--”
“You know nothing, Suzette.” He stepped into the room, leaving me alone outside.
I pressed my ear to the door, trying to hear their conversation. I could make out nothing clearly except for a high pitched gasp of shock and horror.
Cain reemerged minutes later.
“What did you tell her?” I demanded in a shrill whisper
Cain shrugged. “Simply that she ought to return George’s favor.” He opened his jacket, revealing the pocket where the jar of mushrooms had been--and were no longer.
“Cain…”
“Let’s go play in the gardens together, Suzette,” he said, reaching his hand for me, a bright smile on his face.
I found myself unable to say anything, unable to do anything but to reach for his little hand.
He brought me outside and we played alone in the gardens until sunset.
==================
To my dearest cousin Cain,
I thought it would interest you to know that our aunt Lady Smithfield’s son George Smithfield, and her personal servant, Ellen Malloy, passed away recently. The cause was attributed to an unknown virus. One of the other servants in the Smithfield residence mentioned that George and Ellen were having a passionate love affair and now it is being discussed as a lovers suicide by the voluntary intake of poison.
But we both know better, don’t we, Cain?
All my love,
Your darling cousin, Suzette.
On the fifth of January in the year 1888