OW14
I remained at Julia's home long enough to enjoy a small breakfast with her. Since Ruby would insist that I ate once I returned home, I enjoyed a simple biscuit with orange jam Julia had made from the last of the oranges Archie had given her. With breakfast done, I made one last attempt to escort her upstairs but Julia merely shook her head.
"Lisette will be home soon," she said. I wondered what would become of our intimate relationship once we had both of our children at home.
With our plates in the sink, Julia shooed me out the back door.
"I have too many chores to finish and not nearly enough hours," she said as she sent me on my way, removing my hand from her waist with a grin.
"May I come for lunch?" I asked.
She smiled and shook her head. "Only if you cook and set the table."
"Ruby will make lunch," I shrugged. Inwardly I smiled, having made her an offer she could not deny.
"We'll see," she said before she pecked me on the cheek. "If nothing else, it would be a pleasure to have both you and Alex to supper."
Dinner plans were on my mind when I returned home through the back door and was immediately accosted by Madeline. She scoffed the moment she saw me, but only managed to mutter her disapproval under her breath.
"I beg your pardon?" I grumbled. Ruby walked in, heard the tone of my voice, and promptly turned to leave.
"I didn't say a word," Madeline said innocently.
"Madeline," I growled through my teeth. "If you wish to speak, then speak."
"Your lack of self-control disappoints me," she said with a shrug. "However, you already know this, but you wish to ignore my words. Therefore I will not waste my breath and inform you again. You do, after all, have your priorities."
"Irritating old woman," I mumbled as I walked out of the kitchen. Halfway down the hall I was met with the crack of a door slamming. The sound made me stop in my tracks, and Madeline ran into my back causing me to stumble.
"May I ask what you are doing?" I bristled, running my hands down my arms in order to straighten my sleeves.
Madeline brushed past me. "If you had bothered to stay home you would know," she snapped before hobbling down the hall.
Forced to follow her, I grit my teeth and stomped down the hall, turning the corner along with her toward the bedrooms. Meg was standing outside of Alex's door with one hand on her hip.
"Young man, you come out here at once!" Meg warned. "You know your father will not tolerate…" She paused when she saw Madeline and backed away when she saw me directly behind her mother.
"Go away!" Alex shouted.
"Alexandre!" Madeline called back. She thumped the handle of her cane on the door.
"Why is he in his room?" I asked.
Madeline ignored me and Meg chose not to answer. She glanced at me and then at the library door, which was slightly ajar.
"Where is Charles?"
"Alexandre, do you hear that your father is home now?" Madeline said over my words.
"Where is Charles?" I asked again.
Meg gave another glance toward the library door, which I took to mean that Charles was still in the room where he normally gave Alex his lessons. Preoccupied with Alex, Madeline said nothing as I pushed the library door open.
"Monsieur—" Meg started. She looked at me and then at her hand on my arm. "Alex didn't mean it."
Her hand fell away and I walked through the library door to find Charles with his handkerchief covering his eye. He cleared his throat when he saw me and turned away.
"Good morning," he said, forcing politeness. "How are you, Monsieur?"
"I'm not sure," I answered. "Why is Alex in his room?"
Charles didn't offer a reply.
"Monsieur Lowry—"
At last Charles turned to face me and I saw the mark below his eye where the skin was broken and bruised. It wasn't terrible, but it was much too close to his eye.
"It was an accident," Charles said sternly.
"What was an accident?" My anger rose along the back of my neck. "Did Alexandre do this?"
Charles looked away, his lips straight and his brow furrowed. "He meant no harm."
"What did he do?"
"He threw a book," Charles answered as he pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. "It was meant to hit the wall, really."
My rage was sudden, unexpected. Alexandre had often frustrated me, but I had never felt that angry with him before. Never in his life—aside, of course, from the incident with the vicomte—had he ever attempted to injure anyone.
"He will be fortunate if he himself doesn't hit the wall," I said under my breath.
I turned to leave, but Charles called my name.
"It was my fault, Monsieur."
Without another word, I turned again and walked out of the library and directly to Alexandre's door.
"You will unlock this door immediately," I bellowed.
"No!" Alex shouted.
"Alexandre!"
"Leave me alone!"
Madeline said a prayer under her breath. For Alex's sake, he had better have hoped someone heard her.
My hand slammed into his door and, as Madeline dramatically informed me, shook the entire damn house.
"Your father will destroy this place!" Madeline howled. Behind her, Bessie sidled up and gave a low raff of disapproval.
"He will not!" Alexandre yelled from his bedroom.
"Lest you wish to find out, I suggest you open this door at once!" I shouted.
"You should have taken a switch to him long ago," Madeline said as she crossed her arms.
"Mother," Meg bravely warned. It surprised me that she was still near. Normally she would have taken flight and hidden somewhere.
"Alexandre Jean Kire!" Madeline announced. "Listen to your father!"
"I don't want to see you," Alexandre protested.
As though she understood, Bessie lifted her head and howled before trotting away to the kitchen, following the smell of Ruby's cooking.
"You most certainly do not want to see me with a mouth as vile as yours, young man," Madeline said, practically pushing me aside so she could pound on the door with her cane.
"Madame," I grumbled.
She caught my glare and respectfully stepped away, though she was furious with Alexandre. Pointing the tip of her cane at me, Madeline narrowed her eyes. "This is your doing," she scowled before hobbling away, grabbing Meg to draw her away from the door.
Meg gave me a hopeless frown as they both turned the corner and the last I heard from them was Meg saying that it wasn't my fault.
"Of course it's Erik's fault," Madeline said, still incensed. "It's his son."
-o-
My pleasant morning was ruined. With my hand against my forehead, I stared at the door and weighed my options. The surest way to reach Alex was to break down his bedroom door, which I was capable of doing. However, that also meant I would have to repair it. I could wait for him to open the door, but being a man of little patience, this didn't seem viable.
"Are you still there, Father?" Alexandre called.
"Yes," I said as I leaned against the wall.
"Would you leave?" he asked.
"No," I replied.
"But I need to…" he cleared his throat.
"Cross your legs and suffer or come out at once," I said.
While I waited in the hall I heard him stomping on the floor. At last he opened the door and Aria flew out, her feet slipping on the floor as she skittered into the kitchen. She and Bessie greeted one another with an unseen tussle.
Alex peeked out and frowned at me. Without a word, he lowered his eyes and attempted to brush past me, but I caught his arm and pulled him back.
"You have much to explain," I said through my teeth.
"No, I don't."
I never thought that Alex could make me so angry, but as I held him by the arm, I found it would be very easy to lead him back to his bedroom and swat him. Instead, I grabbed his chin and forced him to look me in the eye.
"You do not disobey the adults in this household," I seethed. "To do so is a very dangerous practice, one which I will not allow you to make into a habit. Is that understood?"
He flinched at my tone but didn't speak.
"You have precisely three seconds before I treat you in the manner Madeline sees fit."
Alex's lip quivered, his eyes meeting mine before he trained them on the floor.
"I understand," he said.
Releasing his arm, I held back my anger and told him I would be waiting for him in his room. With not so much as a glance in my direction, he walked to the end of the hall and slammed the water closet door.