5.
~ Arthur wasn't sure what he wanted to say to the man. Albert Castus had been a creature of legend before now. Something from a half remembered dream.
The legend now sat on Arthur's sofa. The Point Man sitting on the love seat next to him. Arthur couldn't help but stare at his real father's hands. They were longs and dextrous looking. The same as he remembered.
"Look at you." Albert said trying to hide the emotion that was brewing to the surface. His English accent elegant and charming. "You're just... you're a grown man now."
Arthur said nothing.
"The last I saw of you, let me see, you were..." Albert shifted in his seat and looked upward trying to think.
"I was eight." Arthur said darkly.
"You remembered. That's wonderful that you remember." Albert said. His light colored eyes dancing as he smiled so easily.
"I don't remember you." Arthur said stiffly. He looked over his natural father. His tweed jacket with a sweater, collar and tie under it.
Arthur didn't like the idea his fashion sense came from this man.
"I was eight when my mother died." Arthur said as Albert looked at Arthur worriedly.
"Yes. Yes, you were eight, when Audrey passed." Albert agreed sadly. His large hands going to his breast pocket and fumbling out a pair of reading glasses.
"I know that, um, you must have a lot of questions for me." Albert said not looking at the Point Man. "I'll try to answer-"
"I don't have any questions." Arthur interrupted.
Albert looked at him in surprise.
The older man went to the worn briefcase he had been carrying.
"I've been keeping up with you in my own way, Arthur." Albert said pulling out a photo album.
Arthur pretended not care as the older man opened the album that was crammed full of news paper clippings.
"First, this book was filled with your mother's news clippings." Albert said. The older man moving those large, nimble hands of his over Audrey's face. It was an old play bill from the New York Ballet.
"She was so beautiful. I hope, you remember that at least. You were so young when she took ill." Albert said sadly.
"Look at your mother dance, Arthur. Isn't she beautiful?"
"Then, of course, it was very big news when you were born. I saved the newspaper clipping from that, as well." Albert said with a little smile on his face as he showed the Point Man a photograph of Audrey holding a neatly wrapped bundle. A baby's face peeking out.
"Then, her passing. That made international headlines. So many flowers." Albert said as he showed Arthur the color photographs of flowers arriving at the New York Ballet.
"She was loved. Very loved." Albert said softly. His fingers gracing Audrey's face again.
Arthur kept his face a cold, indifferent mask.
"Then, I kept up with you. I had returned to England by then of course. It was a bit harder, thankfully, the internet came along and I could just put your name in. I have your graduation from high school, college. Even the notice when you joined the military." Albert laughed as he pointed out the news clipping of a very young Point Man in dress uniform.
Arthur felt he was grinding his teeth.
"Then, well you got married. To that lovely girl I spoke with over the phone." Albert said as he unfolded the extensive news clipping of Arthur and Ariadne's wedding.
"Such a beautiful bride." Albert said affectionately. "Such a nice girl, as well."
Arthur stared at the society page of he and Ariadne. His wife was a happy, young bride. Their problems so far away then. It was only 5 years ago, but it felt like they were other people.
"Then, John died." Albert said. He said the name John, the man Arthur always thought was his father, with a certain amount of contempt. "I have a clipping of you taking over his company. Very drab, I'm afraid. Business isn't really my thing. Then, I found this article about how you turned his business around. Merged it with a gentleman named Saito. I was very proud to read that. I was even prouder to see this." Albert said.
That same happy smile on the older man's face as he handed the Point Man a new clipping. It was of Arthur and Ariadne leaving their apartment in New York. They looked like a celebrity family. Ariadne holding Daniel, a newborn then, to her chest and avoiding the camera. Arthur holding Dominic's hand as the toddler tried to run off. Darcy was in her ballerina costume and looked all too happy to have her picture taken.
"A beautiful family. Your wife tells me you have another little girl now? Drew?" Albert said hopefully.
"Mr. Castus." Arthur said putting down the newspaper clipping. Making sure it was returned to Albert's scrapbook. "I'm not sure what my wife told you about what kind of relationship I was wanting, but let me assure you, I don't want any relationship with you."
Albert's face fell slightly. His merry eyes stopped dancing.
"You think you kept up with me because you have a scrapbook? You don't know anything about me. I didn't even know you existed until a few months ago." Arthur said. Pleased he was keeping that cold distance.
"Yes, your wife told me about your oldest child and the cancer. It must have been a difficult way to find out about me." Albert said. "I'm very sorry."
Arthur sat back as if he had been struck. He didn't like Albert Castus. He would have preferred that this man was not so passive.
"Yeah, I'm sorry to. So, I can't have this in my life right now." Arthur said standing up.
He heard the key jingle in the lock.
'No, not now. Not right now.' Arthur thought as Corrine came in with the boys.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had company." She said as she guided Dominic and Daniel out of the sitting room.
"Oh my!" Albert said standing up. "Is that Dominic? Hello!" Albert called to the child. The older man looked ready to cry happy tears.
"Corrine! Take them to their rooms, please. Now!" Arthur barked at her. Corrine nodded and guided the boys out. Daniel tripping slightly at the sudden change and the pretty nanny telling him they were going to go and play.
"Those are my grandsons." Albert said looking longingly at the boys leaving.
"I think you need to go." Arthur said stiffly.
"The oldest. Dominic, he looks just like you. The other one, Daniel, I think he looks more like Ariadne. You looked like your mother from day one." Albert said with a smile. Tears rolling out of his eyes.
"Mr Castus." Arthur said firmly. "You need to leave."
"Son, we need to talk. We've wasted so much time-"
"I'm not your son!" Arthur snapped.
Albert jumped. Afraid of the Point Man that had suddenly come out.
Arthur was breathing hard.
"You are not my my father. I'm a father. I would never allow my child to be raised without me. I would never allow my child to think another man was his father. I would never abandon my child with some monster after his mother died." Arthur fumed.
Albert looked ready to say something but closed his mouth.
"Corrine!" Arthur shouted. The pretty nanny was there in an instant. She looked worried.
"Go get some of the boys drawings. A copy of the family pictures we had done last week They're in the sideboard, in the hall." He told her.
Corrine said nothing. Only nodded and left.
"Arthur, I know you're angry with me. You have every right to be." Albert said gently.
His accent soothing and for a moment, Arthur wanted to think of him as a father.
"John, he wouldn't allow me near you. He had money and power. I was just some poor kid who was in America on a scholarship. I couldn't possibly have fought for you. That lawyer, McClain, he would have kept at me till I was penniless and I still would have lost you. Your mother thought it was best not to tell you."
"Do not bring her into this." Arthur hissed as Corrine brought the boys finger painting and an 8x10 picture of the family. It wasn't recent, Drew wasn't born yet and Darcy still had her hair.
"Can you find a picture of Drew?" Arthur whispered to Corrine.
"Yes." She said and went to the refrigerator. One of the announcement cards of Drew's arrival was tacked there.
"Thank you." Arthur said taking the card form her. He handed them all to Albert.
"You have more things for your scrapbook now. You can keep up with me that way. I'm sure my wife will be happy to send you a Christmas card with more pictures. I never want to see you in this house again." Arthur said.
The older man took the drawings and pictures.
"Arthur, I never married. I have no more children. You are all I have in this world." Albert said sadly.
"Please leave." Arthur said. The Point Man's hand's going to his suit. He always adjusted his suit when he was nervous or anxious.
Albert nodded and carefully put the drawing and pictures in his scrapbook.
"Goodbye, Son." Albert said and showed himself out.
~ Corrine stood next to Arthur for a long time and said nothing.
"Are you alright?" She whispered at last.
Arthur sighed.
"Not even close." He admitted.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know he was here. I wouldn't have brought the boys home." She told him. Her voice quite as though they were talking about some secretive thing.
"It's alright." Arthur said in a lowered voice as well. "I didn't know he was coming."
"Who was he?" Corrine asked.
"My real father." Arthur said sadly.
