Chapter 48 #2
Oscar did not appear at all convinced, but nodded, nonetheless. ‘All right, Gideon. I promise to continue with my violin practice. Now, may I see Linus, please?’
‘Come,’ said Gideon, taking me by the hand and patting Oscar on the back.
I stared again over my shoulder as we vanished into the wilder, wooded area of the grounds. The midnight silhouette of Gideon’s horse rose out of the undergrowth like a mythical beast. He was a dramatic spectacle, his long, wild mane fluttering like a black flag.
‘Linus,’ breathed Oscar. ‘Hello, boy.’
The stallion twisted his head and trotted over, where he then nuzzled into the top of Oscar’s wayward yellow hair. Coils of breath twisted from the horse’s nostrils into the summer breeze.
‘He is being so spoilt,’ confessed Gideon as he patted his horse’s glossy flank. ‘Agnes and Ephraim indulge Linus at every opportunity.’ Gideon dropped his voice. ‘She will often smuggle lumps of sugar down to the vaults of McKerron Castle for him.’
The horse shook his mane and pushed his solid nose against my shoulder, almost knocking me to the ground.
We all laughed and it felt so natural and complete; my beloved son and my precious Gideon, all three of us nestled together under this roof of green leaves.
‘You, sir!’
Augustus bowled out of the bushes, sending me fleeing into Gideon’s arms.
‘Oscar!’ I yelled, trying to reach for my son, but it was too late. Augustus had snatched him by the arm. It was then that I noticed a flash of a whip gripped in his right hand.
‘How dare you come here!’ he roared at Gideon. ‘Did you not heed my warning?’
‘Your warning, sir?’ questioned Gideon. ‘As I understand it, you despatched two henchmen to do your bidding.’
Augustus pinned me to the spot with his chilling stare. ‘As I thought, you warned him of my intentions. Little wonder those two miscreants could not locate him.’
Gideon’s strong arm tightened around my waist. ‘Let the boy go, sir. He has done nothing wrong.’
‘Please, Augustus. Let Oscar go free,’ I pleaded, tears spilling from my eyes.
My husband’s expression was one of triumph. ‘I do not go back on my word. You failed to comply and therefore it is my duty to exercise the consequences.’
A scream ripped across the gardens, and it was only then that I realised this terrible noise was coming from me. ‘Punish me! Not him! Me, goddamn you!’
Augustus stood still as Oscar wriggled defiantly in his father’s arms. Time seemed to grind to a stop as with a flowing arch of his arm, Augustus raised the fine lick of his whip in the air.
I called out and stumbled in my cream lace-up boots as Gideon pushed me to one side and made a lunge for Augustus.
But Linus refused to be an innocent spectator. His liquid eyes rolled in their sockets at the sight and sound of the crackling whip. The blueberry-black steed reared up on his sinewy hind legs. I saw the curve of his stomach and a flash of silver horseshoe.
Augustus gawped up at the horse, releasing Oscar, who raced towards Gideon and me.
Gideon called out to Linus to be calm. But it was too late. The horse fired his legs downwards; and struck Augustus with a sickening thud.
My husband fell to the floor, his ruddy face contorted with fury. He staggered to his feet, seizing the whip lying on the grass and brandishing it at me. ‘You whore! You deserve to feel the thrash of…’
His voice halted for only a moment, but his face registered some sort of strange confusion. Then he dropped the whip and slapped his hand to his chest. A gurgling sound rang around the trees.
‘What is wrong with him, Mother?’ whispered Oscar as he cradled himself in my arms.
Gideon dashed to his side, but Augustus was lying spread-eagled on the carpet of leaves in his green satin breeches. His fish-like eyes shone up at the sky.
‘Why is he not moving, Mother?’
I gripped Oscar’s arms. ‘Gideon?’
I watched while Gideon crouched down and attended to my husband. Then a slight shake of his curly head answered my question. ‘I suspect it was his heart.’
His lifeless body sent waves of guilty relief coursing through me. ‘Go,’ I ordered, summoning strength and burying Oscar’s face into the folds of my dress. ‘Go now, before Harris or one of our relatives arrive.’
‘But Georgina…’
I dashed my eyes with the back of my hand in a mixture of shock and relief. ‘They must not see you here.’
‘It was an accident,’ murmured Oscar, his upturned face appealing to mine.
‘Yes, it was,’ I sniffed, ‘but Gideon could be wrongly accused of something he did not do.’ My eyes pleaded with his. ‘You must leave.’
Gideon came towards me and delivered a lingering kiss to my lips.
I observed him mount Linus. ‘I will contact you by way of Amelia, my love.’
He dashed away on a blur of black, taking my heart with him as he always did.
Mason and I exchanged incredulous stares.
‘So why weren’t they able to get together after Augustus died?’ I asked Eliza.