Title: Bluebells and roses.
Chapter 7.
This is the next part of an AU/AU, a tribute to a great short story and a marvellous film.
Timeline: before the introduction chapter, we're swimming between end of 19th and beginning of 20th century.
Thanks as usual to all of you who read and posted a comment.
Disclaimer: intellectual property of Ms. Proulx, no commercial use, no copyright infringment.
Special thanks this time goes to my Beta Sam, her help is very precious and deeply treasured.
It was late spring at the Delmar estate.
Lord Delmar was entertaining a group of guests for two weeks; he planned go to the South of France with them for the incoming high society summer season.
Lureen was visiting her great-aunt Margaret in her Oxford house; she was the only relative still in England from her late father's side. The rest of the family had settled in the United States forty years ago.
Kenneth and Ennis were at home, too, trying to avoid as much as possible their father and his acquaintances, a bunch of boring and arrogant people. During the previous five summers Kenneth and Ennis had gone to their godfather's estate in Devon, but since early spring Lord Alcott had been suffering from a broken leg due to a fall from a horse and decided to remain in Glasgow.
So Kenneth chose Ireland for his holiday because his new college roommate was from Belfast, while Ennis opted for a hunting trip in the Lake district with the oldest nephew of Lord Alcott. The families were related since Lord Alcott's sister had married a cousin of Lord Delmar. Lady Alcott had later become a great friend of Ennis's mother.
It would be Ennis's first holiday without his family and he was happy to be on his own. But he had to have a servant with him and he and Evans both knew that Jack, being his personal servant, was the only choice. For a moment Ennis thought to cancel the trip but he couldn't find a good excuse to do it.
Their friendship was at a low point because Jack had seemed more elusive than ever since Ennis had returned from school in June. Ennis was both sad and confused about Jack's behaviour.
Jack was unaware of Ennis' turmoil. He had decided to stay away from him long before his friend had returned.
He had stored in his memory the time they had spent together at Christmas, believing it had been a turning point in their life. Now they were both 18 and living in two different worlds. Ennis was due to attend Oxford next fall and that meant a greater separation.
He told himself that if he wanted to keep his job, to have his own house and family, he should avoid a friendship that was not meant for a valet like him. He remembered well the suggestions his mother had given him about his role in society and was very formal and polite with Ennis, even trying to escape from the welcoming hug of the young Lord as he walked across the threshold.
But when Mr. Evans gave him the order to accompany Ennis on holiday, Jack felt a strange excitement in his heart that he refused to better acknowledge. He and Ennis together again, like they had been when they were younger, with all the freedom a holiday could give. Jack was secretly glad to be obliged to comply. He started packing Ennis' rifles, hunting trousers and jackets with care and precision, ready to put the luggage on the carriage that in a few days would take them to the train station.
He was greatly surprised the day after when Ennis showed up at breakfast time in the kitchen and told Mr. Evans he had decided to leave for Scotland 4 days later than planned, wanting to spend some time in the cabin of the Delmar estate.
Jack remained silent – once again his quiet attitude a perfect example for the other servants – but he didn't understand Ennis' decision. He had seen the cabin only from the outside during their rides and his idea of the inside was based on Ennis' descriptions. It could be a very spartan place, while in the Lake District a large cottage was waiting for them and all the other guests with its own staff.
Jack quickly prepared a bag of clothes for Ennis and met him an hour later in the barn where two horses were already ready.
They rode in silence, Ennis the leader and Jack trying to read his master's thoughts. His horse was loaded with food only and he imagined he had to cook for the next few days. That could be a bad decision from his point of view, because his skills in the kitchen were limited to boiled potatoes and some roasted meat. He wondered if Mrs. Thomas' choices while packing food would take that problem into account; he missed the former cook's abilities a lot.
Ennis' last visit to the cottage had been more than a year ago; he had gone an unusually long time without visiting his secret refuge. He had told himself he was too busy with school, that his desire to hunt was less, but now he suddenly felt the need to see it again. Maybe it was because he was at home alone, without father and brother and could spend the days as he liked. He was free, a sensation forgotten a long time ago when his mother had been still alive. He was also trying to find a way to be as far away as possible from his father, although that implied to be away from otherpeople of the house who were important for him.
He was happy to have Jack so close again, he didn't have a real friendship at school so returning home and finding his old friend made Ennis happy.
He wanted to show Jack the cabin but he didn't knew the reason why.
Ennis' mood was getting better the more they approached their destination; he reigned in Signal and waited for Jack to pull level with him, wanting to break the heavy silence lingering between them.
"I'm going to try the rifle, do you want to come?" He asked.
"I have to prepare the cabin," Jack replied cautiously.
"If you say so.." Ennis' gaze was low, as if he feared to express his true desires; but Jack noticed his look of disappointment.
"Later in the afternoon?" Jack proposed. Ennis accepted immediately, his face lighting up.
"Later, I'll try to bag something to take home with us."
Jack felt relieved when they reached the cabin and Ennis disappeared between the trees; sometimes it was hard to be so close to him, especially when duty bordered too closely on friendship. He remembered the previous New Years Eve, when during the party he and Ennis had ended up drunk after a series of toasts and spent the rest of the night together on a mattress in the laundry, too afraid to be seen by Mr. Evans. Hearing the footsteps of the maids, they had woken up early in the morning, wrapped in each other's arms; their faces inches apart, Ennis lying across Jack' s chest. Ennis had reacted suddenly, shaking his head like he was fighting dizziness; he stood up with trembling legs and shook Jack, who was moving more slowly, still half asleep.
"Wake up, we have to go," he prompted Jack.
"What?" Jack grumbled.
"Hurry up, they're coming!"
"Who … what are you…?"
Ennis grasped Jack's arm, who opened his eyes and tried to comprehend the situation. "The maids, do you want the whole house to see us?"
"I'm not feeling good." Jack touched his forehead, hot like he had fever.
"There's a sink in the corner if you have to throw up."
Ennis tried to lift Jack up off the ground but released him when he saw his face contort. The situation was getting worse.
"I'm leaving. If you want to be laughed at until next Christmas, stay right here."
"OK OK, help me, please. Can't stay up."
"Don't shout, my head is exploding."
Ennis grasped Jack by the waist and hauled him up. He was heavy, his shirt was wet with sweat. Jack leaned on the wall after drinking a sip of water. His mouth tasted like rocks.
Ennis was facing the opposite wall, tucking his shirt into his trousers, refusing to speak again. Jack felt rejected because his friend seemed angry with him, although he didn't really understand why.
This memory saddened again Jack, since it seemed to be typical of how he and Ennis were growing apart as they grew older.
In the afternoon, after Jack had prepared the cabin, he and Ennis went to the stream across the small field and caught two fish for the evening meal.
Lunch went smoothly, Mrs. Thomas had packed some roasted beef quickly cooked that morning and it was delicious.
Jack used the old campfire outside the cabin. He cleaned the fish like his father taught him - two sharp movements to cut heads and tails, two long incisions to make four filets, ready to put on a hot stone over the fire. He placed some potatoes under the ashes, with their skins still on.
They ate under the orange light of the sunset, Ennis taking out a bottle of whisky, half full, and sharing it with his friend.
Summer was full of long days, and Ennis liked the moments suspended between the light and the night. Their conversation was casual, mainly details of school, of everyday life, some gossip from London reported by Kenneth. Ennis was the one talking, not Jack this time, because as he grew older, Jack was finding he had less and less to tell Ennis or to teach him. His life was always the same, he was stuck at the house and he could only hope for a career in service.
The night seemed warm in the end – or it was the warm of the bottle – so Ennis decided to improve his open air abilities .
"I'll sleep outside tonight," he suddenly announced.
"It could be cold."
The cabin had a simple bedroom with two small beds, comfortable enough for a few nights.
"I want to try." Ennis stated in a tone still strong, despite the empty bottle.
Jack wasn't inclined to argue about it anymore, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself; he placed more logs near the fire before going inside. The light was dim and he used a lantern to find the left bed, kicking off his boots. He listened carefully for sounds coming from the outside but he heard nothing, so he lay down on the bed.
He woke later, hearing a muffled curse and the sound of wood crashing together.
"What happened? he asked, opening the front door.
"The fire died and the ground is wet!" Ennis was kicking everything around him, including ashes from the fire, a small part of which was still burning in the dark of the night.
"There's a mattress inside if you want to stay out there." Jack suggested.
"No, if it gets dirty... I'll come in. Have to piss first."
Ennis entered the cabin a few minutes later, trying to adjust his eyes to the inner darkness. He dodged to the left when his knee collided with a chair and set heavily on Jack's bed.
Jack woke up again as he heard the weight and the noise.
"Ennis, what are you doing?"
"Sorry Jack, I confused the beds, I always use the left one."
"Do you want it now?"
"No, stay, I'll take the other one. Goodnight."
After some more grunting and coughing, Ennis settled and soon started snoring.
They woke up late in the morning to a cloudy sky; Ennis decided on a short walk before lunch, following traces of a deer, and by the time he returned for lunch the clouds had disappeared uncovering a pale sun.
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