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Authors: Sarah Pinborough
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were the gruesome revelations and madness, not the day-to-day details. He wished he’d made copies before handing them to the doctor so that he could reread them himself.
‘Yes, yes.’ Charles’ face darkened in the memory of grief. ‘A bittersweet pleasure, to have had those times. Although now, of course, I would far rather he had spent those hours with Juliana, given their time together turned out to be so short. He was a fine fellow, young Harrington. It is so sad to lose one so young who had such a bright future ahead. And such a terrible end.’
‘Did he become a member here? I don’t recall,’ Bond continued, ignoring the emotional content of Charles’ words.
‘Are you considering it yourself, Thomas, dear fellow?’ Charles said, not answering the question. ‘If so, I would be more than happy to make the recommendation. Every chap should have a club – a sanctuary. Are you a member of any club in New York, Edward?’
‘I most certainly am,’ Kane answered, ‘although the Union Club does not have quite the heritage you have here. Notyet, anyway. We’re a little behind you with our history.’ He laughed with Charles, whose face was glowing with the effect of the brandy on top of the wine, but his attention was still focused on Bond. He looked for some sort of signal from him, but none was forthcoming; instead, Bond stared into his glass for a moment and then excused himself. Kane was tempted to follow him, but Charles Hebbert leaned forward and slapped him on the thigh.
‘Glad to have you alone for a moment, young man – wanted to thank you for the efforts you have made with young James,’ he said as Dr Bond disappeared out to the foyer, no doubt seeking the bathroom. Kane was trapped where he was. His conversation with the good doctor would have to wait.
‘It’s not a chore. I like him – and Juliana.’ He sipped his brandy. ‘I think Jim was a lucky man to marry her.’
Hebbert chuckled. ‘I did wonder why you hadn’t yet returned to New York.’
‘I meant nothing untoward,’ he said quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about Juliana with her father. If the growing attraction between them became the subject of discussion with her parent, she would withdraw from him; of that he was certain. Her defences were too great, her grief still too raw and she was still nervous of him, and probably of what might happen between them. He would work his way through her barriers, but he had not yet done so, and he would not risk losing her for the sake of a precipitate conversation with a doting father.
‘Thomas is very fond of her too,’ Hebbert added. His eyes drifted towards the door through which Bond had gone and for a moment they were thoughtful. ‘Although I fear he is not very fond of my grandson.’
‘Why would you say that?’ Kane asked, although he had also noticed Thomas Bond’s coolness around the child. ‘He’s probably just not used to children.’
‘Yes, perhaps that is it,’ Hebbert conceded. ‘He has always been a more reserved man than I. And I cannot deny that he has been a fine friend, and he has looked after Juliana well over the past few years. She was very ill for a long time after James was born. We nearly lost her too.’
‘Maybe that’s why he struggles with the boy,’ Kane said. ‘Because of her sickness?’
‘Such resentment isn’t in his nature. He’s a good man.’ This time the intent gaze was on Edward. ‘He really is good for her.’
‘I’m sure he has been.’ Edward wasn’t sure if his own shift in tense had been intentional or not.
They sipped their brandy and the fire crackled between them, punctuating the background hubbub of male voices.
‘But I do wonder,’ Hebbert said, ‘if a younger man might not be better for her. I fear were she to marry Thomas, as fond as I am of him and knowing how deeply he does love her, that she would be achieving the wrong type of security.’
‘She would feel safe with him,’ Kane
‘Yes, yes.’ Charles’ face darkened in the memory of grief. ‘A bittersweet pleasure, to have had those times. Although now, of course, I would far rather he had spent those hours with Juliana, given their time together turned out to be so short. He was a fine fellow, young Harrington. It is so sad to lose one so young who had such a bright future ahead. And such a terrible end.’
‘Did he become a member here? I don’t recall,’ Bond continued, ignoring the emotional content of Charles’ words.
‘Are you considering it yourself, Thomas, dear fellow?’ Charles said, not answering the question. ‘If so, I would be more than happy to make the recommendation. Every chap should have a club – a sanctuary. Are you a member of any club in New York, Edward?’
‘I most certainly am,’ Kane answered, ‘although the Union Club does not have quite the heritage you have here. Notyet, anyway. We’re a little behind you with our history.’ He laughed with Charles, whose face was glowing with the effect of the brandy on top of the wine, but his attention was still focused on Bond. He looked for some sort of signal from him, but none was forthcoming; instead, Bond stared into his glass for a moment and then excused himself. Kane was tempted to follow him, but Charles Hebbert leaned forward and slapped him on the thigh.
‘Glad to have you alone for a moment, young man – wanted to thank you for the efforts you have made with young James,’ he said as Dr Bond disappeared out to the foyer, no doubt seeking the bathroom. Kane was trapped where he was. His conversation with the good doctor would have to wait.
‘It’s not a chore. I like him – and Juliana.’ He sipped his brandy. ‘I think Jim was a lucky man to marry her.’
Hebbert chuckled. ‘I did wonder why you hadn’t yet returned to New York.’
‘I meant nothing untoward,’ he said quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about Juliana with her father. If the growing attraction between them became the subject of discussion with her parent, she would withdraw from him; of that he was certain. Her defences were too great, her grief still too raw and she was still nervous of him, and probably of what might happen between them. He would work his way through her barriers, but he had not yet done so, and he would not risk losing her for the sake of a precipitate conversation with a doting father.
‘Thomas is very fond of her too,’ Hebbert added. His eyes drifted towards the door through which Bond had gone and for a moment they were thoughtful. ‘Although I fear he is not very fond of my grandson.’
‘Why would you say that?’ Kane asked, although he had also noticed Thomas Bond’s coolness around the child. ‘He’s probably just not used to children.’
‘Yes, perhaps that is it,’ Hebbert conceded. ‘He has always been a more reserved man than I. And I cannot deny that he has been a fine friend, and he has looked after Juliana well over the past few years. She was very ill for a long time after James was born. We nearly lost her too.’
‘Maybe that’s why he struggles with the boy,’ Kane said. ‘Because of her sickness?’
‘Such resentment isn’t in his nature. He’s a good man.’ This time the intent gaze was on Edward. ‘He really is good for her.’
‘I’m sure he has been.’ Edward wasn’t sure if his own shift in tense had been intentional or not.
They sipped their brandy and the fire crackled between them, punctuating the background hubbub of male voices.
‘But I do wonder,’ Hebbert said, ‘if a younger man might not be better for her. I fear were she to marry Thomas, as fond as I am of him and knowing how deeply he does love her, that she would be achieving the wrong type of security.’
‘She would feel safe with him,’ Kane
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