Fallen (Part 7)
The ride to Lord Joshua’s estate took two full days on horseback. Joseph rode one horse while James rode another with Justin sitting behind him. James noticed with a bit of amusement that Justin clung to him as if his very life depended on it while they rode. He guessed that the angel had never ridden a horse before now. For some reason, this thought made him feel even more protective of Justin than he had before and he found himself wishing that he could protect him always.
Despite Justin’s inexperience with the horses, they rode fast and hard and were able to make it to the outskirts of the grand home by dusk on the second day.
They left the horses with a very astonished stable hand that couldn’t seem to stop staring at Justin in amazement, and at his direction, they made their way to the main house. James smiled as he helped the stiff and sore angel walk up to the entrance of the manor. He supported him as Joseph knocked on the door and was rewarded with a glowing smile of gratitude from Justin.
‘His smile makes him that much more beautiful,’ he thought as a blush rose to his cheeks.
Suddenly embarrassed by his thoughts he turned back towards the door just as it opened to reveal a young, plain looking woman who dressed in the clothes of a servant. She smiled politely and asked their business.
James answered. "We are here to see Lord Joshua. He requested our presence. James and Joseph Smythe."
She nodded as if she had been expecting them and opened the door wide. "Please come in. I will tell Lord Joshua that you have arrived."
The two men and the angel walked into the spacious room and began to look around while they waited. By James and Joseph’s standards, the room was luxurious with its tapestry-covered walls and wooden floors and they stared at everything in undisguised amazement. Justin only gave the room a quick glance before quickly moving to James’ side and taking a hold of his arm.
Their wait was short, for almost immediately, a tall, slender man came into the room and walked confidently towards them. His light blue eyes sparkled with excitement as soon as they settled on Justin.
"Gentlemen, welcome to my home. I want to thank you both for making the journey," he said as he turned towards the two brothers.
"You are most welcome, my Lord," Joseph answered with a small bow.
"No, please. No need to be so formal. Call me Joshua," he said with a smile.
"Joshua," Joseph said as he gave a firm nod. "I am Joseph and this is my brother James."
James nodded to Lord Joshua as he too gave a small bow.
Lord Joshua then turned to Justin, who had managed to move even closer to James. "And this is the angel, of course," he said eagerly.
"Yes, we have given him a name. We call him Justin," James said as he placed a protective hand on Justin’s shoulder.
"Fine name. Fine specimen," Lord Joshua said as he stared unabashedly at the angel. "The wings themselves are amazing. And his face…" he trailed off. The look on his face was one of a man lost in awe.
Lord Joshua blinked hard and appeared to come to himself. He smiled uneasily and said, "Well, I am forgetting my manners. You must be exhausted and hungry after your journey. Why don’t you come join me for dinner and then I will have my man show you to your rooms?"
"Yes, thank you," James said as he glanced at Justin. The angel was watching the new man with what appeared to be a mixture of interest and fear.
‘Of course he would be afraid of men, after how my father and my townspeople treated him,’ he thought sadly.
He gave Justin’s shoulder a gentle squeeze to try and alleviate the fear he saw in his eyes. Justin gave a small, nervous smile in return.
"Well, follow me, please," Lord Joshua said as he turned and began to walk away.
They followed him into a dining hall where steaming plates of food had already been prepared and laid out on a long wooden table. Lord Joshua indicated where they should sit as he took his own seat at the head of the table.
Dinner was a quick affair. Joseph and James ate heartily, not accustomed to having so much food available, and being served at that. Justin ate little, still unused to the taste and texture of human food.
Once the food was gone, Lord Joshua clapped his hands and called out the name "Christopher" in an imperious tone.
A raven-haired man stepped from the corner of the dining area and walked quickly to Lord Joshua’s side. He then stood still and lowered his eyes to the floor. When he spoke his voice was barely above a whisper. "Yes, Lord?"
"Christopher, please take these men to their room and make sure that they are comfortable," Lord Joshua said with a casual wave of his hand.
Christopher nodded. "Yes, Lord." He looked up and met James’ eyes, then quickly looked away.
It had only been for a brief second, but James had seen so much sadness and pain in the man’s eyes that he felt as if his breath had been stolen from his body.
James forced himself to turn away from the impossibly dark eyes and their sadness. "What about our…business?" James asked as he choked on the distasteful last word.
Lord Joshua turned towards them. "We can discuss the reason for your journey tomorrow, when you are rested. Good night, gentlemen," he said dismissively.
"Please follow me," Christopher said politely as he turned in the direction of the bedchambers.
Joseph turned towards James and shrugged, while James motioned for Justin to stand. They bade their host goodnight and silently followed the smaller man. He led them through a darkened hallway and into a large room that held three recently made beds.
"The beds are there. There are extra blankets in the corner if you feel chilled," Christopher said quietly as he indicated where everything was. When he was done speaking, he bowed his head and stared down at the ground submissively.
"Thank you," James said kindly.
Christopher nodded slightly, but did not raise his head. "Is there anything else that you require of me tonight?" he asked.
James shook his head. "No, I do not believe so. Thank you."
Christopher’s head came up slowly and he turned to look at Justin who was touching the beds with curiosity. He turned back to James. "If I may sir?"
"Please," James responded in what he hoped was an encouraging tone.
"The angel is beautiful. Truly a miracle."
James was caught off guard by the man’s remark and his reverent tone. "Yes…I…yes," he stammered as he nodded
Christopher opened his mouth as if to say something else, then hesitated and closed it again. He shook his head and turned away, almost running from the room as if he desperately needed to escape it.
Joseph had not been watching, but James had caught the look in the man’s eyes clearly. Again, there was that unfathomable sadness and James could not help but wonder what had placed it there.
Joseph immediately crawled into bed and sighed contentedly. "What an adventure this is, eh brother? Can you imagine what it must be like to live like this all the time?"
"It would be nice," James agreed as he watched Justin lie down on his own bed; the servant and his strange eyes now forgotten. The angel seemed relieved to be able to sleep without being bound or restricted. He stretched his long limbs slowly before settling his head against the soft pillow.
Joseph glanced at Justin. "So tomorrow we will discuss business," he said seriously.
James continued to watch Justin, whose eyes were now beginning to close. "Yes, I suppose so," he said. "And Lord Joshua will get what he is so eagerly anticipating."
This last statement was said with a bitterness that Joseph had never before heard from his gentle brother. He stared at him in surprise. "You do not like him," he said.
James sighed. "No I do not. And I have no idea why. I do not like any of this."
It was Joseph’s turn to sigh. "Go to sleep brother. Try not to think so much."
James snorted. "I will try. Goodnight Joseph."
"Goodnight James," Joseph said.
James turned to Justin, whose eyes were now closed. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully. "Goodnight Justin," he whispered.
He had extinguished the room’s lantern and placed his head on his own pillow when he heard Justin’s lilting voice glide through the darkness.
"Goodnight, James."
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The next morning found James and Joseph sitting in Lord Joshua’s study, the three men discussing the purchase of Justin.
"So, then gentlemen, do we have a deal?" Lord Joshua asked brightly after he had detailed his offer.
James said nothing. If it were up to him, he would take Justin, leave right this minute and never look back. Unfortunately, it was not up to him. Lord Joshua simply had too much power for James to refuse him anything. This business arrangement was more for appearance’s sake than anything else.
Joseph spoke when he saw that James was remaining silent. "We have a deal, sir."
Lord Joshua smiled and leaned forward in his chair. "Joshua; call me Joshua."
Joseph looked mildly embarrassed and corrected himself. "Sorry. Joshua. We have a deal. When would you like to assume ownership?"
James scowled and turned his face towards the window.
Ownership.
As if Justin were cattle. This was so wrong, this was all so wrong.
"Well, I will be rather busy today, I have much business to attend to. Would you be inclined to watch over him today for me and take your leave in the morning?" Lord Joshua asked.
Joseph turned toward James, who continued to stare out the window. "Would we James?" he asked.
James forced a smile on his face as he turned towards Lord Joshua. "Of course we will stay."
Lord Joshua gave a small cry of triumph as he stood. "Wonderful, gentlemen. Wonderful. I will have the money ready for you by the time you depart. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to run. I will be in and out most of the day, but if you need anything at all, do not hesitate to let Christopher know."
"Thank you Joshua," Joseph said as he stood and, reaching out, shook the other man’s hand.
James also stood and shook Lord Joshua’s hand, although he kept his eyes on the ground. He did not want the other man to see how unhappy he was with the entire arrangement.
The two brothers exited the study and walked down the hallway and into the outer great room. After checking to make sure that there was no one within hearing distance, Joseph grabbed James and pulled him into a tight bear hug.
"Brother, we are going to be rich!" he said with a loud laugh.
James returned the hug half-heartedly. "Apparently," he said without mirth.
"What is wrong? Having money does not suit you?" Joseph asked teasingly as he pulled away from his brother.
"Not at Justin’s expense," James retorted grimly.
Joseph sighed. He had been expecting this. "What makes you think that Justin will have it so bad here? This could be a good life for him."
James glared at him, his face dark, his words full of emotion. "This is no life for him! He is an angel, a heavenly creature. He is not meant to be bought and sold as if he were property."
"And what would you have us do James? Hmm? Would you have us give him a ride back up to heaven on our horses? Would you have us build him a nice staircase so that he can climb his way up? Face it James, he is stuck here."
"I know that. Don’t you think I know that? I know that he has to stay here; but not with him. Not with the likes of him."
"What is your problem with the man, James? He has done nothing but show us hospitality and generosity."
"There is something wrong with him. I can feel it. He is not the right person to be around Justin; to take care of Justin."
"And who is, James? You?" Joseph asked pointedly.
James grew silent as his brother’s words registered. Yes, it should be him taking care of Justin, showing him his new world. No one else would ever understand, no one else would ever treat him with the respect that he deserved.
No one.
Knowing that he was not yet ready to voice these thoughts, James turned and walked quickly away, leaving his brother alone and confused.
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James found Justin out by the stables with Christopher. Christopher seemed to be showing Justin how to feed a horse while Justin looked on with tremendous curiosity. James couldn’t help but smile as he watched Justin hold up a small piece of carrot to one of the horses. The horse took it, leaving Justin’s hand sticky with his saliva. Justin looked at his hand a moment and then he and Christopher burst into peals of laughter.
By the time James reached them, their laughter had subsided to mere giggles.
"Hello," James said as he walked up beside them.
Justin and Christopher turned towards his voice. Justin smiled instantly. "James!" He pointed to the horse and with an air of concentration said, "Horse," in his magical voice.
James laughed and said, "Very good. Yes, that is a horse."
Justin repeated the word "horse" and then turned back towards the gentle animal, rubbing his side lovingly.
"You have been teaching him things," James said to Christopher.
"Not…not very much," Christopher stuttered, suddenly appearing nervous. "Just that word. Maybe a few others."
James put a hand on his shoulder. "No, that is good. He should learn. And you are obviously being kind to him. I thank you for that."
Christopher looked down at the ground. "No need to thank me. Really." He took a step backwards and said, "I really must get back to work now…"
James’ hand dropped from Christopher’s shoulder to his arm and he held on. "Please stay for a moment? I would like to talk to you."
Christopher looked all around, apparently intent on not meeting the other man’s eyes. "I really should…"
"Please. I won’t take much of your time. Please."
Christopher sighed in defeat. He looked at James fleetingly and then again dropped his gaze to the ground. "Of course, sir." Christopher indicated a bench not too far from where they stood. Both men walked towards it and sat down.
"My brother and I will be leaving tomorrow, come morning. Justin will be staying," James began.
Christopher nodded sadly, not at all surprised by the other man’s words. "I suspected as much, sir."
James shook his head in impatience. "Call me James, please. We are equals."
"Sorry. James," Christopher said uncertainly.
"I want to be completely honest with you, Christopher. I am worried about leaving Justin here, in the hands of a stranger." He didn’t bother to say that he had only known Justin for only a few days himself.
Christopher said nothing but James noticed that his hands had clenched into tight fists.
"What kind of a man is your master?" James asked.
Christopher looked at the ground. "He is a…a fine man. He treats his people well."
James heard the hesitancy in the words. The man had not completely lied, but he had not told the entire truth, either. "Does he always treat his people well?" James prodded.
"Unless they have done something wrong, sir."
James inwardly grimaced. Back to the "sir" business. He tried a different tact. "You were not surprised when I mentioned that Justin would be staying…"
"No, sir."
"Why not?" James asked.
"Lord Joshua…likes…pretty things. And pretty people. I assumed Justin was here because he wanted him."
"Pretty people?"
Christopher nodded miserably. "Pretty boys."
Small spikes of dread crawled up James’ spine, causing him to shiver even in the warmth of the sun. He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue speaking. "You are pretty…" he ventured.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Christopher’s face, then promptly vanished. "He used to think so. He has tired of me," he said in a low voice. Then, under his breath, he whispered, "Thank God."
James was sure he had not been meant those final words, but he had heard them nevertheless.
The spikes suddenly grew larger.
"Christopher, is Justin in danger here? What will Lord Joshua do with him?" he asked, the dread becoming evident in his voice.
Christopher reacted by jumping up and jerking away from him. "I do not know. How would I know?" As he spoke, he began to walk away from James.
James jumped up with him. "Wait, please. You have to tell me more. Tell me more about Joshua."
Christopher shook his head violently. "I have already said too much."
"No, you haven’t told me anything. Just stay…please."
Christopher continued to move backward, away from James and his pleading and his desperate eyes. "Look…I will protect him as much as I can. I swear that to you." And with that he turned on his heel and ran in the other direction.
James took a few hesitant steps forward, but then stopped as he watched the other man fleeing from him and his questions. "Wait!" he called out, although he knew it was useless. Christopher continued to run and was soon out of sight.
James sighed in frustration. The dread that had invaded his body had now transformed into a sickening fear as his thoughts zeroed in on Christopher’s words…
He likes pretty boys.
Christopher’s face, the way he had said the words…something was so very wrong here. Something was so very bad.
James turned back towards Justin hoping to be soothed by the other’s countenance. Instead he found his own sudden fear reflected and magnified in the angel’s dark blue eyes.