Chapter 2: Interlude
"Smell anything?" Leonard asked as Jack peered into the dark woods.
"Like sorrel and bay leaf?" Jack shook his head. "Nay, he's not here." He'd described Benjamin's scent to Leonard but Jack's nose was much more sensitive to it. Too sensitive. It was one of the reasons, he didn't attempt to sleep much. If he did, more often than not he imagined Benjamin's stench in the room when he awoke.
The evening had gone well. He and Leonard had gotten out the cello and lute that Philippe gave them and performed a concert with music particularly selected for Grand-mère. The performance fulfilled a promise they'd given to Philippe. They hadn't realized he wouldn't be there in the flesh to hear them, but both Jack and Leonard smelled his scent in the hall. They hoped he realized how much he meant to them.
Jack hoped Philippe realized how much he meant to them. Jack had brought his viol to Sept-Tours, and in this celebration of family, he wanted to include the first piece Philippe had heard him perform. He'd often thought about that time. If he hadn't been rehearsing "Touch Me Lightly" at Hampton Court, they might never have met.
He and Leonard also played a suite of Dowland songs for Grand-mère as she'd requested when they met her at Emilie du Chatelet's home. They finished off with jazz that Ransome would have liked.
They'd played before kings and emperors, but this performance was by far the most meaningful. The last time they played in the great hall was during their first visit to Sept-Tours in the mid-1700s. Only Philippe and Pierre were in the audience. This time Françoise was too, along with everyone in the family—even the twins.
After most went to bed, Jack and Leonard snuck up to the parapets. Benjamin had attacked Phoebe and threatened Mum and the twins. When would he strike next and who would be his target?
"I spoke with Matthew," Leonard said. "He knows we're up here, but Diana doesn't. We agreed not to tell her."
"That's for the best," Jack agreed. "Worrying about Benjamin doesn't accomplish anything."
"Matthew will keep watch on Diana and the twins at night. Marcus is staying close to Phoebe."
"How do you feel about Philippe's wish for you to be involved with the vineyards?" Jack asked.
"If Madame Ysabeau were in charge of Sept-Tours, I would in an instant." Leonard shrugged. "But she's not. Even if Baldwin wanted me around, I can't see myself ever working for him. I'm not interested in being here unless you're with me. Until Baldwin makes a course correction, I doubt we'll be back to Sept-Tours very often."
Jack nodded in agreement. "Spending today as a member of the de Clermonts is something I'll treasure forever, but in the future, I imagine any reunions will be in England or the States."
"If Matthew succeeds in forming the scion, he probably won't spend much time at Sept-Tours either. He and Diana may rotate between New Haven, London, and the Old Lodge." Leonard paused, sniffing the air.
Jack could also smell Fernando's saffron and bitter orange scent. An instant later, he stood next to them.
"Alain and Pierre are monitoring the east and west walls," Fernando said. "I'll take the southern ramparts. Alert me about any unfamiliar vampires. Benjamin could send one of his sons to judge our defenses."
"We'll be ready for them," Leonard said grimly.
"I know you will, but don't try to confront anyone on your own. You don't need to prove yourselves to anyone," he added, fixing his gaze on Leonard. "I know how difficult it is to feel like you belong here. You had a difficult start, and Baldwin didn't help matters."
"Any tips on how to ease the transition?" Leonard asked. "I keep feeling the ground shift under my feet."
Fernando considered for a moment. "Try not to judge Baldwin too harshly. Eventually, you'll need to come to an understanding. Someday you may grow to respect him even if you don't like him. For Hugh and me, Philippe was the challenge. He never appeared to accept us as a couple."
#
Leonard felt for Fernando. Philippe had always treated Leonard decently, but then Jack wasn't his son. Was that what made the difference or had Philippe grown more tolerant? Leonard hadn't had much of an opportunity to get to know Matthew but he'd been courteous. Perhaps, a little too courteous? A possible sign he didn't feel comfortable. When Matthew started to josh him, Leonard would know he was truly accepted.
He and Jack hadn't decided when to return to London. They'd promised to stay at Sept-Tours through the christening but if Baldwin showed up, all bets were off. Ysabeau said she expected he'd remain in Venice through the winter holidays.
Although Jack was much improved, Leonard worried that he rarely slept. Marcus didn't think Jack would see much further improvement till Benjamin was no longer a threat. The therapy sessions had become less productive. Jack hadn't had any recurrences of bloodsickness. Spending time relating anecdotes was enjoyable but they didn't accomplish anything. As for the years with Benjamin, he continued to only have scattered recollections.
Marcus said a promising new drug currently undergoing trials might restore Jack's memory, but the consequences could be difficult to surmount. His memories might provoke severe paranoia or a worsening of his PTSD. For now, they were holding off on making a decision. Christmas was less than a month off. In the new year, they'd reconsider.
Diana and Matthew celebrated their wedding anniversary a few days after arriving at Sept-Tours. Madame Ysabeau marked the event by giving them one of the de Clermont properties—Les Revenants. The chateau near Limousin was a little smaller than Sept-Tours but almost as old. It had recently undergone an extensive renovation.
Matthew had already pulled Leonard aside to discuss the vineyard attached to it. Limousin vineyards were not generally well-known but they produced some exceptional wines. Matthew hoped Leonard would assist the Revenants vintner and, God's truth, Leonard was delighted to be asked. It was yet another way for them to become more comfortable with each other.
Leonard was sure no one noticed Baldwin's absence in the throng who attended the christening at the church of Saint-Lucien, but they didn't appreciate they were on borrowed time. Baldwin's unannounced appearance just after the conclusion of the ceremony provoked an unwelcome confrontation.
Leonard was proud of Jack for maintaining his control. He was holding baby Philip at the time or otherwise might not have been able to. Leonard nearly lost it himself when Baldwin disparaged Matthew and his offspring as being tainted. Peace was finally achieved but only after Diana offered to spellbind any member of their new scion who succumbed to blood rage. Once he secured her promise, Baldwin finally relented to the creation of the Bishop-Clairmont scion.
#
A feast was held afterward in the great hall which was filled with long banquet tables for the occasion. Jack and Leonard were assigned seats with the family but they sat close to Marcus and Phoebe at the opposite end of the table from Baldwin. Freyja joined them. She'd flown in at the last moment to attend.
The ugliness of Baldwin's words faded from Jack's thoughts under the barrage of Freyja's teases. Early in the eighteenth century, she'd concocted a scheme to befuddle Gerbert where she pretended to be Jack's sire. She never suspected Jack was already a de Clermont.
Marcus and Phoebe hadn't heard the tale, and Leonard embellished it with an explanation of how Gerbert had confronted Ysabeau some decades later. He'd tried to stir up the waters by commiserating with her about a grandson Philippe refused to recognize. That was the first time Ysabeau heard of Jack's existence.
Marcus pointed out fellow members of the Knights of Lazarus. In addition to Leonard, Marcus had also invited Chris to join the order. Jack had only gotten a brief chance to introduce Leonard to Chris before the christening. The scientist had arrived with Miriam. They planned to get together that evening for an extended visit.
The biggest surprise was the discovery that some of the guests were related to Cicely Wilson and the Normans. Agatha Wilson had traveled from Australia to be present. She'd brought along her son Nathaniel, his wife Sophie Norman, and their infant daughter Margaret. Sophie looked so much like Jack's old friend Susanna Norman from Elizabethan times that seeing her was like timewalking to the past.
After the banquet, they appropriated the upstairs solar for a get-acquainted chat. Agatha had Cicely's dark brown skin but her creativity extended to fashion design instead of gaming. Nathaniel was a computer whiz, while Sophie was into ceramics.
They were all daemons, but baby Margaret was a witch.
"Diana thinks she's a weaver," Sophie confided. She had a dreamy way of speaking that reminded Jack a little of Tom Harriot. "But I don't know of any weavers in my bloodline."
"We do," Leonard said. "All the Normans we know are witches. Jeffrey Norman married a weaver named Annick Guerin in the early 1600s. You look just like Jeffrey's mum, Susanna. We've been friends with the Normans since Diana and Matthew lived in Elizabethan London. Their descendants own a London inn, the Dog and Whistle."
"Most of the Guerins live in Norfolk," Jack added. "If you're ever in England, we'd be happy to give you the tour."
"We should plan a trip," Agatha declared. "I haven't seen Cicely in ages. It's high time we get reacquainted."
"And I'd like to explore work opportunities with her," Nathaniel said. "We may want to relocate to London. We don't know of any witches in Melbourne, and we're going to need a lot of advice."
"The St. James Garlickhythe gathering would welcome you with open arms," Leonard said. "The St. James Garlickhythe gathering will welcome you with open arms," Leonard declared. "We plan to return to London after Christmas."
Sophie turned to Nathaniel. "We could stop off on the way back to Melbourne."
He nodded. "Hopefully by then, Benjamin will no longer be an issue."
Marcus had mentioned that the Wilsons would stay at Sept-Tours at least through Christmas. Nathaniel provided computer expertise for the Knights of Lazarus as they attempted to track down their foe.
The search was made even more urgent by a threat Benjamin made during the christening. A preserved stillborn fetus was left at the office of the priest who officiated. The accompanying note was from Benjamin. He gloated that baby Rebecca would replace his dead daughter.
Jack had overheard Matthew discuss Benjamin's action with Marcus and Fernando. Matthew mentioned that they shouldn't let Jack and Leonard know. Didn't Matthew understand that the old ways of keeping secrets wouldn't work? Especially not with a threat like Benjamin.
"Easy," Leonard murmured, clasping Jack's hand. "Benjamin's days are numbered."
Jack forced himself to slow his breathing. Agatha was discussing plans for London with Sophie and Nathaniel. He didn't think they'd noticed anything. He'd already told Leonard what he'd overheard. At least between them, there'd be no secrets.
#
Miriam and Chris joined Marcus in the herb garden where he was mulling over what their response should be to the fetus. As grand master of the Knights of Lazarus, he was supposed to dictate the proper course of action.
"Chris and I had planned to return to my lab at Oxford to continue our research," Miriam said. "But after Benjamin's latest message ..." Her words trailed off as her face hardened. "We're ready to stay here for as long as necessary."
"Thank you, but we're already mounting patrols," Marcus replied. "For the moment, Benjamin's threat is an idle one. Nathaniel's cyber expertise is probably our best hope for finding Benjamin's bolt-hole. Besides, your work is too vital to be delayed. If we can find the key to blood rage, we'll be in a much stronger position with the Congregation."
"I gather Oxford is no distance at all from London in vampire terms," Chris said.
"That's right," Marcus said, unsure as to why he'd asked. "But you and Miriam are welcome to stay at the Old Lodge. It's much closer to Oxford."
"I'm not thinking about us," Chris admitted. "I heard Leonard mention that he and Jack are returning to London after Christmas. I'd like to persuade them to work with us in the lab."
"As test subjects?" Marcus asked.
"Partly," Chris replied. "You're Jack's doctor. Do you think he's ready for it? We'd like to study not just blood rage, but what is described as bloodsickness."
"As you know, there's virtually no documentation on the condition," Miriam added. "Vampires are forced to rely on tales passed down through the families. Jack's the only living example I know of who has such an unusual reaction to blood. When I heard about Françoise's miraculous cure, that was a red flag for me."
"You don't believe her?" Marcus asked.
"No, that's just it. I do." Miriam frowned. "No human who was suffering from the massive internal bleeding she described should have been able to survive by living off vampire blood for weeks, let only be healed."
"We'd like to include Leonard in the study," Chris said. "He also abstains from human blood since Jack has such a strong reaction to it."
"Go ahead and ask them," Marcus urged. "I can see only positives arising from it. Jack kept himself under control when Baldwin showed up at the christening. That's sufficient proof for me that he can manage whatever you may toss his way. He and Leonard will probably appreciate a rural setting for hunting." Most vampires acquired blood from an underground network of human donors who were reimbursed handsomely for their services. Jack and Leonard likely made arrangements with a sympathetic farmer.
"Has their abstinence from human blood affected their body chemistry?" Miriam mused. "Markers in their DNA could provide clues. Both exhibit many daemonic characteristics. Matthew also has daemonic traits. We already have an ample supply of his blood. Jack and Leonard's inclusion will allow us to broaden the study."
"Plus, I have an extra motive," Chris said with a mischievous grin. "I know you feel Jack would never be interested in studying genetics, but what I'd like to propose is something different. His skill with knots makes him a natural at unraveling DNA."
"And you want to test the theory? Be my guest but don't complain to me if he has no aptitude."
"He might just fool you," Miriam countered. "He worked for decades with Tom Harriot and Isaac Newton. More may have rubbed off than you expect."
"Jack and Leonard are gamers," Chris added. "They may see patterns biologists miss. In any case, there's no harm in trying."
Marcus agreed. Chris showed a refreshing open-mindedness that he admired. If Jack succeeded in unraveling DNA strands, they'd all be the beneficiaries.
Notes: In The Book of Life, Chris commented on a student in his class that she was a gamer and saw patterns scientists missed. That inspired me to take it a step further and have Chris take advantage of Jack's ability with knots.