Chapter 43: Chapter 43

The sound of the music traveled in the quiet of the night. Callum put on a robe over his nightshirt and headed for the drawing-room.

It was was past midnight and the entire manor was asleep.

Besides his brother, obviously. He could never mistake the sound of his melody.

Callum stood at the entrance and watched Liam play.

Every time his brother was behind the piano, it was like he stopped being human for as long as the piece he was playing was going on.

Liam was also in a nightshirt, although Callum was sure he hadn't even tried to sleep before coming here.

Liam looked up from the keys and stopped immediately, startled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I'd wake someone up. "

"You didn't. I wasn't sleeping either. "

Callum moved closer and took one of the nearest chairs and put it next to his brothers'.

"I don't want to interrupt you."

"You aren't. I should stop anyway. What time is it?"

"Around five in the morning."

"What? It can't be." Liam searched the room for a clock.

"No, I have to clue. One, maybe. But it's so cold I would expect your fingers to have fallen off by now."

"It helps me ...I don't know, the cold keeps me more focused. "

"Bollocks."

Liam rubbed his eyes and sat straighter. " You see, you don't even reprimand me for my language. What is it?"

"I ...just can't sleep. But I guess you couldn't either."

"How do people even go to sleep if they aren't drunk?"

Callum said, faking revulsion, which made Liam laugh.

"I met Charles tonight."

Callum sat further in his chair.  "I know, but I didn't want to come and ask you. "

"You should've come to the dinner."

"Oh, no. Spare me all that. Besides you didn't need me if he was there."

Liam protested.

"Of course I did. But come next time, he wanted to see you. "

"I will, all right. So-  is this why you can't sleep?"

"No, I can't take my mind off anything recently. Anyways, about Charles. He is not planning on going back to Canton for now. "

"What about his doings there?"

"He said he's settled the matters and has people who could take care of things for now. "

"Did he say why he is coming back to England, then?"

"He did, the first time we met. But you hadn't returned back from Kent and I didn't want to send noted."

"No, of course."

"It's...I never thought he'd really want to talk to me about our father. I mean, we were hoping he'd help us, but he's ready to join.

He said he still had his seat in the House and if we managed to organize new elections, he would go for the position of the prime minister and he would be with us. "

Callum smiled and shook his head "You see, I told you."

"Yes, but I thought you were saying this to put my mind in peace. "

"No, no. I just knew it. Everything's coming together. "

"Almost. How did it go in Kent and the meeting after? You can’t escape telling me now."

"They didn't shoot us."

"Callum, I know you didn’t tell me everything right after you came back, but you can’t escape my questions now."

"I wasn’t escaping them, I wanted to know for sure. We told them about the plan, some of them are with us. “

“This is great news, you should’ve said so earlier. “

“I might have exaggerated the possibility for support of the Queen, though."

"You...well, it was a trump card."

"Have you heard back from Henriette?"

"After the trial? Once. Callum, you need to know something. "

"I forgot I left a candle burning in my room, " Callum made an attempt to get up, but Liam grabbed him. "No, where are you going?"

"You're going to ruin all the good news by saying something terrible now. And it's probably going to be about Tennyson and it will make me feel awful."

"In a way it is."

"You see, I told you. I don't want to know. Even if he's dying." He crossed his arms over his chest, then said "He isn't, right?"

"No, Callum, he isn't. "

"Good. Then what is it?"

"It concerns the man they hanged. He really was guilty of all the charges. "

Callum took a steadying breath and said "I...God, I'm sorry. "

"I'm not the person you should apologize to."

"I know. And it's not about apologies, don’t say it. Does that mean Henriette  won't help us?"

"No, it just makes it more difficult. However..."

"We have Charles now. "

"And that tilts things in our direction. "

"Still, I think Henriette's word is very important. I mean, one trial doesn't prove Tennyson has never sent people to hang in his interest. "

"No, it only means I made a bloody idiot of myself in front of the whole ton that night in the club." Callum groaned "Don't say anything. "

"I wasn't going to. "

“It's fine, they've most likely seen worse."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure." Liam joked and Callum looked at him amazed.

"Was that a joke I just heard coming from you?"

Liam looked at him, his expression was one of someone who'd just seen an injured stray cat.

"Am I really that stiff?"

"Very, but I see you're making attempts. "

"Always ready to compliment me, aren't you. "

Callum smiled.

"Go to sleep. Liam. Soon you and Charles are going to have to sit in the parliament for days. I don't want you to die because of lack of sleep before that. "

He got up and put his hand on Liam's shoulder.

"It's almost over, Liam. "

"I really hope you're right. "

"I am. “

He took a few steps and called “Good night, future Prime minister's first hand. "

He heard Liam’s quiet laugh in the dark room.

****

He made a few steps up the staircase and looked out the window.

His eyes then traveled to the clock on the wall- a was indeed a quarter after one.

It's too late, he thought and continued walking. He glanced back at the heavy snowfall outside and stopped midway.

'Damn it. To hell with it.' he thought and headed for Oliver's room.

He paused before opening the door.

He remembered how he'd hesitated the exact same way last time and shook his head.

Callum slowly pressed the handle and discovered the door wasn't locked.

He closed it quietly behind him and moved to the bed.

Oliver was asleep, a hand draped over his eyes and Calum bent over him.

He lowered himself even more and saw the nightshirt Oliver was wearing had opened, revealing black letters, scribbled all over Oliver's chest.

He saw a deep scar running down, starting from somewhere deep below the collarbone.

There was something else- he saw the top of something drawn, disappearing under the cloth. It could've been another scar, Callum couldn't see well, so he outstretched his hand unconsciously.

The next moment found him flat on his back on the floor, Oliver's hand wrapped tight around his neck.

Oliver had straddled him and was looking down at him.

"Cal?"

He seemed to have taken in what was going on and loosened his grip right away.

Callum coughed and Oliver and pulled back quickly.

"I'm sorry, Cal, I thought it was..."

The lord looked at him, still stunned by what had happened.

"Who else could've been?"

"I don't know, just...are you all right? I'm sorry."

"I'm fine Oliver. Are you?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine. "

Oliver helped Callum get up and the lord fixed his nightshirt. He glanced at Oliver's chest.

"I won't ask. "

Oliver took a step back.

"Thank you,"

"Right. I should go, then."

Callum thought the sooner he left, the better it would be.

"Do you...maybe, I'm so sorry. Do you want to stay?"

"No. You need your rest. I should apologize I woke you up."

He felt like they were back at being strangers again and he hurried to escape from all of this.

"Good night, Oliver. "

He left the room, trying not to think about anything.