Chapter Sixteen
Family Secrets
This dinner was one of the most awkward meals of Felipe’s life. When he asked Gwen to turn off the stove because he smelled dinner burning, he hadn’t expected her to set out plates and convince everyone to talk after eating instead of during dinner. It was for the best as eating was the easiest way to reset Oliver’s mood and get things back on track. Unfortunately, over the course of the meal, Mr. Allen had gone from looking as if he were about to go to the gallows to anxiously glancing at the front door as if someone might burst in at any moment. The innkeeper’s repeated checking made Felipe wish he had donned his revolver under his bathrobe. Felipe was about to excuse himself to go lock the door when Gwen met his gaze from across the table and set the lock with her powers. That seemed to calm Mr. Allen, but it did little for Oliver.
After the dog sat in Oliver’s lap and refused to leave, the emotional chaos coming across the tether had slowed to a trickle until he realized their dinner was stuffed cabbage. There were few things Oliver refused to eat, but this was one of them and there were no other options. A pile of slimy, disemboweled cabbage leaves sat forlornly on the side of Oliver’s plate while he picked at the rest of his meal and passively sent wave after wave of disgust battering against Felipe’s mind. Felipe ate his entire plate and an extra helping while barely tasting it, but at least the tremor in his hands had somewhat subsided. He wished he could do something to fix the miasma of misery hanging over the dining room, but there was nothing to be done, except drag a thirty-seven year old secret out into the open.
The moment everyone was finished and their plates had been taken to the sink to soak, Felipe herded them into the parlor. He needed to know whether he had to spirit Oliver and Gwen away immediately or if Mr. Allen’s story was nothing more than village drama. And he wasn’t waiting until morning to find out. Giving him a forlorn look, Oliver wedged himself against the armrest of the sofa, sitting as far from Mr. Allen as he could manage. Oliver was probably not going to like what he was about to hear, but Felipe hoped it would at least bring him closure. If anyone knew families could be far messier than anyone expected, it was him.
“Mr. Allen, could you start from the beginning and tell us all you know about Oliver’s parents?” Felipe asked from his place near the door as Gwen trailed in with Argos at her heels.
“Is the door locked?”
“Front and back,” Gwen replied as she sat beside Oliver.
Nodding, Mr. Allen plucked the wooden figurine of a horse off the end table. He ran his fingers over its smooth flank and side before hesitantly meeting Oliver’s grey gaze. “I’m still not sure if telling you this will help or put you in further jeopardy. I was sworn to secrecy thirty-seven years ago, and I have never told another soul about this apart from your grandmother. Are you sure you want to know what happened to your parents?”
“Yes,” Oliver replied, his voice harder than Felipe expected, “I’m sure.”
“All right, though I’m not sure where to begin. ”
“The name of Oliver’s father might be a good place to start,” Gwen said as she cleaned her glasses. “I have a theory, but none of us know for sure who he is.”
“I didn’t realize your grandmother never told you, though I understand why. Your father is Stephen Jarngren. I didn’t know Stephen as well as I knew Joanna. He was over ten years older than me, and he wasn’t close with my brother. He was the oldest of the Jarngren siblings; there were four. Daphne Stills, your aunt, is the second oldest and only living child of that generation. Stephen and the two younger siblings are dead. I don’t know how old Stephen was at the time, probably seventeen or so, but he got into a fight with his parents and left town. My father had been the sheriff at the time, and your grandfather had told him about it. I assumed the Jarngrens disowned him over whatever it was and that we’d never see him again. But then, he suddenly came back to town in ‘57 or ‘58 with his new bride, your mother, Joanna. They had met in Philadelphia, which was apparently where he went after leaving Aldorhaven. I don’t know much about their life there, but he went to school to become a pharmacist, apprenticed, and opened the pharmacy that’s on Main Street with John Hughes. You might have seen it. John and his son run it now.”
Gwen gave Oliver an I-told-you-so look that he didn’t notice. “What was Stephen like?”
“As I said, I wasn’t as close to him as I was to Joanna, but I liked him, even if I was wary of him at first because of his family. Stephen could be intimidating if you didn’t know him, especially when he was working behind the counter. I was always afraid of interrupting him because he looked so serious, but once he realized someone was there, he would flash a wide smile and ask after their families or conditions. He seemed to truly enjoy being a pharmacist. I think he liked interacting with everyone and helping them. It was strange at first to have one of the Jarngrens working in town, especially the eldest son. People didn’t know how to approach him, but Stephen tried to make everyone comfortable. Soon, he was one of us, which irked his parents and siblings greatly. They continued to ‘disown’ him and treat him and Joanna as if they weren’t part of the family, which was fine with them. Your parents bought a little house on the other side of Cemetery Hill, instead of living in the big house like the rest of his siblings did. But they were happy together, and that’s what mattered.”
“Did he love her?” Oliver blurted.
“More than anyone. I think Stephen would have left Aldorhaven for Joanna, but she loved him too much to do so. Rest assured, it was a love match for them.” A small, awkward laugh escaped the innkeeper’s lips as he stared down at the horse in his hands. “I envied Stephen, that he could look at her like that, and that he got all of her love in return. I was in my teens when Joanna arrived, and I thought she was the loveliest woman I had ever seen. Everything I did, I did to impress her. It was foolish, I know, but you never forget your unrequited first love. I was besotted with her, and she was kind to me in spite of it; they both were. They gave me odd jobs to do to keep me out of my father’s way, and sometimes Joanna took me with her when she thought she might need an extra hand delivering someone’s baby.”
Oliver bit his lip as a warm, grey wash of wistfulness rippled across the tether. “She was a midwife?”
“Yes, and a damn good one too. She could tell when babies weren’t doing well, even before they were born, and she knew when a mother needed extra help after. Dr. Miller hated her, but she was right more often than not. Did your grandmother tell you what her power was?”
“Necromancy,” Oliver said unflinchingly.
“Her power came in handy in unexpected ways. With her delivering babies and Stephen making medicines, they were a good team.”
A silent but hung in the air. The story stood on a precipice, and they all knew the players were about to fall. Felipe wished he could squeeze Oliver’s hand and wrap an arm around him to keep him from looking over the edge at the carnage, but they had to know.
“What happened to them?” Felipe asked.
Mr. Allen let out a heavy sigh and set the horse back on the table. “ It started long before they even came back to Aldorhaven. I don’t think your parents ever intended to leave Philadelphia, but the Dysterwood had too strong of a hold on Stephen. The longer he spent away from Aldorhaven, the more it affected him. My father once said that the Jarngrens can’t leave Aldorhaven for long, and I didn’t realize that was literal until Joanna talked about Stephen’s condition. In Philadelphia, he had started to get sick once he decided to stay, but the longer they were there, the worse it got until he started to waste away, almost like he had consumption. Nothing doctors prescribed helped, so they returned to town as a last resort to restore his health. By then, he had been gone for over half a decade, and while he recovered, it had taken a toll on him. One time that first year, they tried to leave to visit your grandmother and pick up supplies for the pharmacy, but they had to cut their trip short because Stephen’s illness came back. I remember going to deliver eggs and hearing him in the next room coughing to the point of gagging. Your parents tried to leave multiple times, but each time, your father grew sicker after and never fully recovered. At that point, it was clear that the Dysterwood had sunk its claws too deeply into him, and it wouldn’t let him escape again.
“Then, Joanna became pregnant with you, and things changed.” Holding Oliver’s gaze, Mr. Allen gave him a sad smile. “She was so excited and so was Stephen. They wanted you so much, but so did the Jarngrens. The moment they heard Joanna was pregnant, they tried to bring Stephen back into the fold. At first, Joanna thought they were just trying to make amends for what happened years ago and get to know her better. Daphne had had a little boy not long before, so it stood to reason they would want to know their other grandchild. But Stephen realized his family cared less about them and more about the baby.”
“Why?” Felipe asked.
“I don’t know. Looking back, I assume it had to do with why Stephen stopped talking to his family, but I was sixteen, and Joanna didn’t confide in me like that. Most of what I know I overheard. I know your parents tried to leave one more time when she was pregnant, but they had to turn back because of Stephen’s health. He begged her to leave him and go to Philadelphia, but she refused. She said she would stay with him in Aldorhaven until the end. By then, it was clear Stephen was dying; the only question was how quickly. The plan turned from their escape to keeping you safe and away from the Jarngrens after you were born. See, Stephen was afraid that after he died, they would make Joanna live with them or try to take you by force and kick Joanna out.
“He made a will stating his wish was for you to live with Joanna, left the house and everything in it to her, signed the business over to John Hughes, and he stole his family’s signet ring, with my help of course. He said he needed it to make his will official. The plan was almost complete when Stephen suddenly took a turn for the worse. This time we knew he wasn’t going to recover from it. Joanna sent for me to hold vigil with her, but that was when she realized she needed Stephen to stay alive until she had you. Legal papers would mean nothing to the Jarngrens with her still pregnant and you within reach. Stephen being alive was the only way to keep them at bay, so the moment she felt his life slipping away, she brought him back.”
The tether pulled taut in Felipe’s chest as Oliver sucked in a breath.
“I know necromancy is taboo, but—”
“No, no, it isn’t that.” Oliver bit his lip and shook his head. “I’m— I’m a necromancer, too. I understand why she did it. I’m just sorry she had to.”
From across the room, Felipe met Oliver’s wet gaze. All those years ago, his mother had reanimated the man she loved, and he had never known. His parents’ time together had been coming to an end when his and Oliver’s had only just begun, but like mother, like son. When Oliver nodded for him to continue, Mr. Allen sighed and rubbed his eye.
“They needed Stephen alive until you were born, so she reanimated him for over a month. It was hard on her and him. His illness had ravaged his body, and being dead hadn’t helped any since it was June at the time. He arranged for John Hughes to drop off chemicals, and they prepared something to keep his body from getting worse; I tried not to ask too many questions. Keeping him alive while still being with child exhausted Joanna, but I did what I could between my chores to help her. Their plan had changed in that month, and your father was working night and day to figure out how to deal with the Jarngrens once and for all. I even snuck into the Jarngrens’ library to steal books for him. Stephen wanted you to be free of them in a way he couldn’t, so their plan had to be ready by the time you came.
“Then, one day in July you did. I assume Joanna delivered you by herself with Stephen’s help. Your father got to see you and be with you for a day. That was all he wanted, and I’m glad he got his final wish. The next morning Joanna and Stephen set their plan in motion. She let him go, and as if sensing his death, his family arrived to claim him. Stephen must have set some trap for them with those chemicals because the house went up in flames. In the chaos, Joanna ran here while my father was dealing with the fire. She asked me to take you to her mother in Philadelphia. She even gave me enough money to start a new life. I begged her to come with me, but she refused. She tied you to my chest, and after cloaking you, me, and the horse in invisibility, I rode as fast as I could to your grandmother’s house and didn’t look back.”
Swallowing hard, Oliver asked, “Do… do you know why she didn’t name me?”
“She said she couldn’t know your name or anything about you in case the Jarngrens caught her and tried to track you down with magic. She knew they would be out for blood once they realized what she and Stephen had done, yours or hers, so you had to leave Aldorhaven before the woods could claim you like it did your father. A name is something it can claim. The last thing Joanna told me to convince me to take you was that she wanted you and me to live well. She may not have named you, but she loved you.”
Oliver said nothing. His face looked nearly blank, but Felipe knew beneath the surface there was a maelstrom of emotions. When he reached across the tether, one feeling morphed into the next before he could get a firm grasp on them .
“Did you ever find out what happened to her?” Gwen said softly.
“No, I never saw or heard from her again. When I came back years later, I tried to quietly ask about what happened to her, but no one really knew. Some people said she died in the fire. That’s what the family said happened to her and Stephen, though I know he died before that. Others thought she killed him and ran away to start over somewhere. No one I talked to ever mentioned a baby, but I don’t know what the Jarngrens know or if they believe you survived. The one thing that was clear was that no one seemed to suspect I took you. They just thought I ran off while my father was distracted as ungrateful young people sometimes do.”
Nodding and swallowing hard, Oliver thumbed the ring Felipe had given him. “Thank you for telling me all of this, Mr. Allen. I’m sorry that I yelled at you before about the blanket.”
“It’s all right, and please, call me Lewis. I hope you know that, more than anything, your parents wanted you to live a good life, one they couldn’t have here.”
“I do.” Oliver locked eyes with Felipe and Gwen. “I have a very good life.”
“I can see that. Do you want to take the blanket your grandmother made?”
Oliver’s face tightened, but he shook his head. “No, she made it for you.”
“Well, is there anything else you want to know about your parents?” When Oliver shook his head again, Lewis added, “I still think you should all leave at first light. As much as I appreciate how much you’ve done to figure out what’s going on with the dead, I don’t want to undo Joanna and Stephen’s hard work or put you in harm’s way.”
“We’ll think about it,” Felipe said quickly, catching Oliver’s gaze to keep him from saying more. “Thank you again for sharing all of this with us, Mr. Allen.”
The innkeeper gave them a tired smile and pushed to his feet. “I’m just glad I got to meet you again, Oliver, though I wish it was under better circumstances. If that’s all, then I’m going to clean up dinner and get your clothes dry enough for you to pack. Come on, Argos.”
As soon as the innkeeper was out of the room, a flood of feelings Oliver had been holding in rushed across the tether. When Felipe raised his gaze, he found Oliver staring into the fire. His face was nearly blank, but there was a tension in his eyes and limbs that put Felipe on edge. He and Gwen locked eyes, both understanding what neither wanted to say aloud in front of Oliver. I’ve got him , Felipe mouthed.
Should I pack my bag?
When Felipe nodded, Gwen laid a hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “Ol, I’m going to go upstairs. You all right?”
“Yeah. G’night, Gwen,” Oliver murmured absently, pulling his legs up without taking his eyes off the undulating flame.
Gwen gave Felipe another pointed look as she slipped out of the room. Oliver wasn’t all right; they both knew it. Releasing a sigh, Felipe knelt before Oliver’s chair and gently laid a hand on his knee. While he didn’t look at Felipe, Oliver’s hand closed over his.
“Love, are you really all right?” Felipe asked softly.
Oliver started to nod but caught himself and shook his head.
“Do you want to go upstairs where it’s more private, so we can talk?”
Shutting his eyes, Oliver’s body locked, but as he let out a tremulous breath, he shot out of his seat and made for the stairs as fast as he could manage. Felipe trailed a step behind him and watched Gwen unlock their door for them as she shut her own. The moment they were safely inside, Oliver sank to the rug at the foot of the bed and covered his face. He sucked in a drowning breath followed by another. The sound hurt Felipe’s heart, but crying was far better than silence. Rubbing his back, Felipe wrapped an arm around Oliver’s shoulder and hugged him close. Oliver buried his head in Felipe’s robe as longing and sadness battered against the tether. At his silent, shoulder-heaving sobs, Felipe whispered soothing nothings into Oliver’s hair and kissed his temple. Felipe wasn’t sure what had been the trigger for tears: what he learned, dinner, falling into the Dysterwood, or everything together. Whatever it was, he wanted to make it better or at least easier for him.
Felipe held Oliver in his arms until the pounding rain lessened to a patter against the window. With a final wet breath, Oliver slumped against him, emotionally spent and boneless. Felipe tried to pull back enough to examine Oliver’s face, but his partner shook his head and hunkered closer.
“Can we talk about what’s bothering you? I can get you a notepad if it’ll help.”
“No, I can— I can talk.” With his face hidden against Felipe’s collar, Oliver tightened his arms around his partner’s middle and said in a tremulous whisper, “I can’t believe they actually loved me, Felipe. For my whole life, I— I thought they didn’t want me, but they did. They sent me away because they loved me.”
Letting his fingers drift into Oliver’s hair, Felipe kissed his wet cheek and shut his eyes. He couldn’t imagine anyone not loving Oliver. “I didn’t know you doubted that.”
“I knew my nana loved me, but I thought my mother died in childbirth. I thought she hated me for it, knowing the end was coming and that it was my doing. But that wasn’t the case. She wanted me to be safe. I wasn’t a bastard or unwanted. My father wanted to stay alive for me. Everything I believed for so long was a lie. They loved each other and me.”
Oliver bit his lip as another silent sob wracked his form. Tears dampened Felipe’s skin as he held him close and quietly shushed him. He didn’t know what to say. There was nothing to fix, nothing to make better, only a storm of emotion to weather. A smolder of bitterness bloomed in his breast, but Felipe stamped it out as quickly as it formed. Oliver deserved a family who loved him.
“It has been a very long day,” Felipe said softly as he ran a firm hand down Oliver’s back.
“It has, but I’m glad I know now. And I’m glad I have you with me.”
As Oliver sat back on his heels, Felipe wiped his cheeks with his sleeve. His dove grey eyes were sore and red, but beneath the sadness was relief. Thirty-seven years of pent up pain poured out of him, and in its place, something akin to understanding had taken root. Holding Felipe’s gaze, Oliver gave him a watery smile as he twined their fingers together.
“And she— she did the same thing to my father that I did to you. I had no clue. My grandmother warned me about reanimating for love, how dangerous it can be, but I didn’t know.”
“And he was a pharmacist,” Felipe added brightly.
Oliver sniffed with a laugh. “We nearly went to the same school. And I can’t believe she was a midwife. I didn’t know any of this, yet I keep following in their footsteps. Gwen and I went to the pharmacy. I saw his picture. It wasn’t that clear or a true portrait, but I saw him.”
“Gwen told me. She said he looks a bit like you too.”
“I didn’t see it at the time, but I believe her.” Oliver wiped at his eyes and frowned as his gaze lingered on Felipe’s face. “You still have dark circles. Are you all right? I have more jerky in my bag.”
“I ate enough stuffed cabbage to feed three people. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Smiling at Oliver’s grimace, Felipe offered him his hand. “Come on. Let’s get off the floor and go to bed.”
With Felipe’s help, Oliver got to his feet with a groan. Any lingering fear Oliver had had of being too close in their room had gone when he pulled Felipe in for a kiss. The tether tightened beneath Felipe’s heart at the slide of Oliver’s hand on his hip and the dart of his tongue against his lip. If they were at the society, he would have pushed Oliver onto the bed and kissed him until he could no longer remember why he was worried, but that would have to wait. Pulling back, Oliver rested his forehead against Felipe’s.
“I really don’t want to leave town tomorrow. We’ve come this far with the case, and I wanted to take you to the pharmacy to get a soda. That way you can see the photograph too.”
Mr. Turpin’s words echoed through Felipe’s mind as he nudged Oliver toward the bed. “We’ll see, but no promises. I know it would set us back to bring in other investigators and get them up to speed, but I refuse to put your life or Gwen’s at risk for a case. I’ll talk to Mr. Allen and figure out what the dangers truly are. Does that sound fair?”
Oliver nodded as he untied his robe and hung it on the bedpost. “Tomorrow?”
He had been planning to go downstairs the moment Oliver got settled in bed, but at the silent plea in Oliver’s eyes, Felipe untied his robe and hung it beside his. “Fine, I’ll talk to him first thing in the morning.”
Pulling back the covers, Oliver and Felipe slipped into bed as they did every night back home. Oliver wrapped his arms around his partner’s middle and intertwined his legs with his until they were nestled flush against each other. As Oliver released a contented sigh and rested his chin on Felipe’s shoulder, Felipe’s eyes burned at the realization that they had come so close to never doing this again. Hugging Oliver’s arms, Felipe focused on the familiar, steady beat of Oliver’s heart against his back until he slipped into sleep, and they beat as one.