Nature or Nurture Ch. 62-64

'She dislikes being closed in, and she needs to walk to keep from getting cold. I'll take her in tonight before dark, and I'll give her some hay right now to keep herself warm after sweating so profusely,' she explains to Vincent and Catherine.

'You're very good with horses, Lucy,' Catherine observes, like Bertha.

'I'm going to be coachman some day,' the shy girl replies, 'I've talked it over with Frances and George, and they agree to let me stay forever, because of my anxiety but also because of Percy, I cannot very well take him anywhere else, and since he's not a natural dog he may live forever. I want to work with horses, and the coachman was willing to teach me everything though I'm a girl. That does mean I'll have to drive the family everywhere in a year or so, but we're working on that, aren't we?'

The last is aimed at Vincent, who nods and affirms.

'We are. I hoped you might be willing to come to my show in a month or so, maybe in a private box on a night they aren't usually sold out?'

That is clearly too much to consent to, yet, but Lucy promises, 'I'll think about it.'

And with that promise, they go inside for a cup of coffee and a sweet treat, and talk with George and Frances a little more about Father Nicholas and the witch-hunters. Vincent relates his flash-backs, and George is incredibly interested, apparently he has a very broad knowledge of magic in all its shapes and sizes, and he promises to think about how that painting might work, and discuss it with Jakob and his son-in-law, the accomplished mage and council member who came with them to the raid on Mrs Poole's house.

'My daughter and Tristan want to see your play as well, and I'm thinking of taking a private box and just having all my children along. Actually, I'm hoping Lucy will agree to attend, though that may be too much for her as yet. But who knows, she really wants to see it.'

Chapter 63

When they get home, Adison is done with her patients for the day and Mina is awake, and she has made dinner. Despite not being able to eat herself, Mina often does the cooking, and more than her share of the cleaning, reasoning that it's due to her presence they no longer dare employ a housekeeper. For it would be desperately dangerous for Mina to have a stranger see her in her comatose state, or maybe open the windows for some sunshine and a good airing.

But it doesn't seem fair, Mina has never done any domestic chores in her youth, and now she seems to do nothing except housework. It has been a subject of some private contemplation for Vincent, what can they do to make her life more meaningful? And today, he decides to ask. In an hour or so he will be off to the job he loves, the theatre.

His reviews were all jubilant, and his fellow players congratulated him heartily on his success. The St James theatre is already his second home, as being a doctor is Adison's great love. Mina needs something all for herself, too. She helps Victor with his experiments, but those are his love, not Mina's.

After kissing Adison and Catherine, he decides to kiss Mina as well today, and she returns his sincere affection gladly and inquires, 'What is the occasion? I like getting kissed by handsome men, but there must be a reason.'

'I just thought, the three of us adults have something we like doing so much it's nearly obsessive, and you cook despite being unable to eat, and you do other chores and help out with the accounts. But there really should be something you like to do, too. Something you love to do, actually.'

Mina is clearly affected by this, and she hugs Vincent lovingly.

'There is, I was just thinking of telling all of you. So sweet of you to think of me, Vincent. I do need something meaningful in my life, I love you all, and I love sword-craft, and writing, but that doesn't fulfil me entirely.'

It is clear they are all waiting for her to speak up, and Victor moves to her side and takes her hand. 'What is it, Mina? What will make you feel fulfilled?'

She looks at all of them in turn, not excluding Catherine, and states, 'I want to make up for what I did the last few years. I want to help people to justify my continued existence, when I took so many lives during my time as minion of evil. Keeping in mind what Father Nicholas told Vincent and Adison, I really want to propose to Lukas to accompany him on some of his healing expeditions, and guard his back.

I can carry stuff, I'm strong, and fast, and a good fighter, and I care. With your approval I will suggest this to him next time our friends visit, with my help he can plan some of his expeditions at night, to keep the witch-hunters off his trail.'

That is a very good idea, and they all express their approval. Except Victor, who sadly says, 'That is well and good, but why do the ladies get kissed, and I get nothing?'

Of course that earns him a laugh from all of them, and a well-meant tight hug and a few kisses from Vincent. Victor leans into Vincent's embrace, and very obviously enjoys the attention.

'Thank you,' he says, 'now I feel loved again.

And your idea is excellent, Mina, I'm certain Lukas will love the extra opportunity to go out well-protected, and I'm certain you will be able to do a lot of good yourself as well. Not every problem needs magic to solve it, some ailments can be cured with medicine or just some supplies, like a good blanket, or shoes, or some food. We can provide that where you see the need, we can afford to contribute to charity with Vincent's rise to fame.'

Of course Vincent doesn't make more after his good reviews, but he has his salary coming in again now he's back on the stage, and playing a support for a large theatre generates a better income than a lead role in a tiny, rundown one.

Though Vincent meets Lord Douglas every night at the theatre, he is always backstage whenever Mr Wilde is around, they do not talk much until the next lesson. On their way out, Vincent asks, 'Bosie, do you know Sir George Nomes?'

'I have heard of him by name, and by reputation,' his friend replies, 'he is supposed to have a largest estate close to our beautiful city, and he married off his eldest daughter really well, to council member Telling. The two of them together boast a lot of influence.'

Then surreptitiously, 'And of course rumours in my circles have it, that his marriage is one of convenience and he actually rather likes handsome young men. But I realize those rumours are circulating about me, too, and of course those are all foul lies. One cannot believe everything one's friends say.

I actually prefer older men, not younger.'

Though Bosie's way of talking is very funny, and Vincent cannot help being diverted by his cheeky boy's face, George having such a reputation would be very worrying, if Vincent didn't know Bosie's circle gossiped a lot among themselves, but kept their mouths shut to the rest of the world. Undoubtedly some of Lord Douglas' friends would have knowledge of George.

Since Vincent does know Bosie's circle consists of incurable gossips who can nonetheless be silent as the grave to the outside world, he can laugh heartily at his friend's droll remark.

'But I don't know Sir George personally, no. He's sure handsome, and he hardly seems to age at all, but why do you ask?'

'Well, I've visited his estate this morning, I'm teaching a protégé of his actually, and his youngest daughter drove myself and my little girl around his estate in her sleigh. It's huge, the estate, the sleigh is tiny, and his protégé offered to ask Sir George whether we can ride there once in a while. Would you be interested to do so?'

'Would I? I'd love to see his estate, almost no-one gets to even visit there, I did see him at the premiere, with your friends, the craftsmaster and his gorgeous wife, and that amazing apprentice. However do they know Sir George? He's not the type to make friends in the lower classes, begging your pardon.'

'No offence, Bosie, I ám lower class, a birth very much lower than mine is impossible. But the craftsmaster is of the famous Kenwick family, a youngest son actually. He chooses to work for a living. And his apprentice is of the highest nobility in his home-country, you did know he's not English, did you?'

'I suppose I knew, though his English is accentless, and he dresses very fashionably. Well, not entirely so, my friends were impressed by his looks that time you came to dinner together, but he does make some statements in fashion, loose trousers, flowing shirts, I suppose that is from his home-country. Still he doesn't look that different from the average Englishman.

But I started to suspect when we were, you know, together, in his master's bathroom, and he could hear the craftsmaster approach. He delivered a few blistering curses, I was just going to take off his shirt, you see, when we got interrupted, and those curses, I only knew they were blistering from the tone, for they were not spoken in any language I knew. Not French, not German, not even Gaelic or Latin.'

'He's from Greece, so they were probably Greek curses,' Vincent offers.

'I never got to learn Greek, too bad, most of my friends know it. Maybe I should ask him for lessons, those tricks he pulled on me were amazing, and with what Steve saw the two of you do together...'

'You're incorrigible, Bosie, really. Greek lessons and tricks in one sentence. I'll let you know if we are allowed to ride on Sir George's estate, I'm hoping his protégé will join us there, she owns a thoroughbred she's rehabilitating. She's just thirteen.'

By now, they have arrived at the house, and they make straight for the salle and start their lesson. After a lightning fast spar, Vincent has to admit his pupil is really starting to push him, which is just incredible for a 'normal' human being.

They work until Lord Douglas is totally exhausted, and jealously observes, 'You're only breathing fast, but no more, how can that be? I'm sweating like a horse and I have to fight for every breath, and you stand there as cool as rain. And you can throw me around like a pillow if it pleases you, and you had not one, literally not even one word of criticism on your performance in any newspaper I've managed to lay my hands on since the premiere. Is there a thing on this world that you can't do?'

'I can't write, whereas you are supposed to be a creditable author already.'

Point scored. Bosie's face lights up and he says, 'I did promise you some of my best work to read. One moment please.'

And he rings a bell, then talks to a servant who appears before the sound has completely died away. The servant disappears again, and Lord Douglas bows to his swordsmaster and excuses himself.

'I'm totally at your disposal once more, swordsmaster.'

He certainly has changed his attitude towards Vincent, this formerly spoiled noble young man, he has been most respectful ever since Vincent objected forcefully to Lord Douglas trying to push him towards intimacies. That never happened again, and their friendship has developed into a close bond that seems almost impossible considering the huge gap between their places in society.

'Bosie, did you really mean it when you asked to be included in the next expedition in the name of good?'

That certainly makes an impression on his pupil, somehow Lord Douglas already tends to suffer from the worst affliction to strike the immeasurably rich: boredom.

'Are you asking me to come along to do some real fighting?'

He cannot really believe this is happening, that much is clear.

'I am. We're planning a visit to someone who used to have almost total control over me, and who still has it over Mr Grey. There may be fighting. There may be use of occult forces, that is to say, magic. It may be dangerous.

We're planning to go with myself, my wife, Dr Frankenstein and his fiancée, and a clergyman named Father Nicholas, Mr Grey if it pleases him to join us, and yourself. No danger of wings and no photographs, Mr Grey has changed a lot. In fact, you may not even recognize him. Are you in?'

'Yes, swordsmaster, I'm in. I don't care if it's dangerous, I won't tell anyone where I'm going so if something happens nothing will point at you or your friends. I know the risk I will be taking, I want to do something really dangerous for once in my life.'

'All right, be prepared, it'll be somewhere next week, after the show. I'll let you know as soon as we have a place and a time set down.'

And after that, they share Lord Douglas' fine new bathtub, a large, tastefully ornamented copper affair clearly of Paul and Lukas' making, the mosaic Paul and Lukas made a stunningly beautiful and only slightly indecent background. Bathing together is no problem at all, the young Lord still gets a bit excited to see his armsmaster's superbly trained body in the nude, but they have a status quo in which they exchange a few kisses and nothing more.

Dressing up in some finery is the work of a few moments, and they have a single glass of wine while the carriage is prepared. Soon they are off to St James', a bundle of three books waiting in the carriage for Vincent to take home to read.

But first the show, and the meet and greet afterwards.

Though playing at St James' is a great honour, and his reviews in the papers and the comments of his fellow players, Mr Wilde, and George Alexander were so heartening, Vincent still regrets that Adison and Catherine cannot come to all his shows anymore. Though the hall of St James' is too large to spot individuals in the audience except on the first two rows, he would know they were there, and he'd know they were enjoying themselves.

Of course it's probably better for Catherine not to stay up so late every night, and they are not on their own, Mina and Victor are at home as well most evenings, sitting together in the living-room, reading or thinking up experiments.

In the last month, Adison has redone the wards on the house, the primitive thing she and Jakob concocted as a safeguard against intruders has been taken down and replaced by a much more subtle combination of wards and shielding, with Paul's help, and even a mundane protection against magic in the shape of certain herbs and charms, provided by Jakob. As Jakob put it when they were done: 'The wards on this house are strong enough to send lightning straight back into the heavens.'

And with the house secure Catherine has taken her things and moved into her own room, since she acts like a teenager and her best friends are teenagers, she felt a bit childish sleeping in a crib by her parents' bed, though she still visits them most mornings, of course with due warning.

Knowing that his wife and daughter are safe make it even easier to perform at his very best and enjoy every minute of his job, from the moment he puts away his bicycle in the stables of the St James', to the moment he fetches it back and drives straight into the dark city, taking care not to slip on the tightly packed snow.

The next afternoon, just after lunch, there is a knock at the door and Vincent opens it to find Father Nicholas standing in front of it. They shake hands and Vincent takes the tall man into the sitting-room, where Adison and Victor bring in coffee and tea, and Catherine is playing with her farm animals. They have decided that she will play the toddler, just to be on the safe side.

Catherine feels a bit like a liar, to pretend she is just an ordinary two year old, especially since this is a religious man. Of course Nelly brought her up with good Christian values and a church visit each Sunday, and despite her precociousness and the lack of religion in her current home, she still has a healthy respect for the cloth.

She nonetheless intends to eavesdrop shamelessly, and to win the Father over.

Daddy really seems to like Father Nicholas, which is weird since he never knew him except in his former life, he only has Heathcliff's memories of him. But Lukas actually knows him, and likes him, and though to Catherine that is a certainty he can be trusted, of course the father has rules from his belief to stick to, and for that reason she will not let him in on her secret.

As they all hold a cup of coffee or tea, the Father looks at daddy with genuine delight.

'It warms my heart to see you doing so well, Vincent. Despite his faults, I liked the man you were before your accident, but it seems as if all my wishes for you have come true since then: a loving wife, an adorable child, true friends, and a commendable profession. How much do you remember, my dear friend? We had so many meaningful conversations.'

'I'm glad to be able to say that most of my memories have returned, Father, but they are as fickle as all memories are, sometimes they pop up unasked-for at the most inconvenient of times, and sometimes my memory fails me on a certain subject. I also recall events by reliving them in my dreams, those flash-backs are very real, as if they are happening at that very moment, except I know I'm not Heathcliff and can look at his actions with detachment. Fortunately, or I'd go mad. Some of the things I did were terrible.

I saw you last night, warning me against Mr Grey, to no avail I'm afraid, for I still fell into his clutches.'

The father nods and observes, 'I was afraid of that when you failed to turn up to our usual meeting, after the very first time you didn't show up I knew something bad had happened to you. And I knew the Master was involved, but I was still a lower rank then, suspecting the man above me from being in league with the evil master.

I ascended to this post at my predecessor's untimely death, I now have proof he was murdered on the Master's orders by your successor, a dandyish man but very dangerous for being even more unpredictable than you were. He didn't live long himself after that assassination, I've heard that was an inside job.'

'I heard the same, so I guess it's true.'

'But enough of the past, I'm glad you remember me, Vincent, and remember me well, for I'm taking a huge risk telling you the truth about myself.'

Catherine wonders whether daddy will tell him about George's plan to have him assassinated, and she hopes not, since she realizes that Father Nicholas is in fact the enemy, the boss of the enemy of all magic-users, and getting rid of him would set the witch-hunters back to knowing hardly anything.

One day she herself will want to practise magic, and having the witch-hunters breathing down her neck all the time is not something she looks forward to.

'Father Nicholas,' daddy says, 'why did you tell us? Your life will be in constant danger if you consort with your enemy, not only because your own people will punish you if they find out, but some magic-user may also think it would be best to just remove you from your position.'

Smiling mildly, the Father replies, 'I know, Vincent, but I think the greatest danger to all of us lies with the abusers of magic, and to keep our townsmen safe we need to work together.

Do not underestimate the Master, Vincent, we have watched him for years, and have seen his power dwindle, but he is not helpless yet, and his ambitions have not disappeared with his followers. I fear him, and so should you. I have had to wait for my predecessor to pass away before I could act, and before something may happen to me I want that man removed from power. Will you please help me?'

Daddy doesn't want to do this at all, it is so very clear he doesn't, Catherine can no longer keep herself from climbing on his lap and hugging him tightly. He takes her in his arms and hugs her right back, kissing her chubby cheeks and her raven hair. There is but one girl in the world who has a dad like this, so strong and so good.

'Love you daddy.'

He looks a bit confused at this interruption of his train of thought, but pleased nonetheless. Of course he always appreciates good acting. Now let's see if he hits the right tone in his answer.