Duke of Camellias

SEVEN

In the following days, Emmanuel continued the second part of his story.

"I had been the school whore for two years before Charles, my brother, heard of it. He was in a different academy, so news hadn't traveled to him back then. Now I realized it must've being because I was his brother that people didn't speak to him about me, so when he found out, his reaction was unexpected."

"What happened?"

"I had been scared, I thought he might've hated me, that he would've fought me, or worse, avoided me. However, he didn't. The moment he heard of the news he came back to school, dressed sharply in his coat and top hat, and the first thing after he marched into the headmaster's office in broad daylight was break his jaw."

"He did?"

Emmanuel had grown used to Blair's interruptions, so he nodded.

"Yes, he did. Now can I go on? Thank you.

"Charles went and socked the headmaster repeatedly, after after breaking his jaw, kicked his groin and broke his knees as well as one, or two fingers. Teeth fell, too, but that was expected of the headmaster's age. The ugly man looked even more hideous after that, if you could imagine. And despite multiple people pulling Charles away, he still managed all that damage, and he broke a number of trophies in the office.

"Well, as expected, news traveled, and the Duke and Duchess were devastated. Charles and I were taken out of our according academies. We were both given harsh beatings and punishments at home. The children didn't even dare call Charles 'The Ripper' anymore. He had surpassed his own title.

"I had thought Charles would be ashamed of me, but he wasn't. He told me to tell him of everything, and although I had made a pact to never trouble Charles with my troubles, I couldn't hold it in the at the moment. For the first time I could remember, I cried, without hiding it, and I was glad he was there.

"I told him of the heinous years at the academy; the boys who assaulted me; the headmaster and his threats; and before I realized it, I spoke about the duchess, too, which was both of our's ultimate downfall.

"Like the good brother he was, he fought with the duchess. The nights were nightmarish, as both threw items at each other and the servants held Charles back and then he was thrown into the attic again. The duke and duchess thought of the best plan of action, as now all of England knew of what Charles did to the headmaster and they had kept Charles out of jail by the skin of their necks.

"Back then Charles and I were only but nineteen and eighteen, respectively, therefore the best plan of action was to send him to France. It had been a dream of his to study there, and although the Duke and Duchess had been reluctant to send him there at first, for they believed art was a sin, but it was the perfect opportunity after he caused such a scandal.

"So off to France Charles went, and I was under house arrest. At this period, I had also began to found out my mother was thrown in a mental asylum. At first, I heard it from the duke and duchess's younger children, and thought they were merely jesting, or trying to upset me. They were always tyrannizing Charles and I, so I paid it no mind at first, but then I saw the concerned faces of the maids and others who used to work beside my mother.

"They knew of her fate, and were scared they would soon meet the same demise, and soon the house was full of their hushed conversations. I knew of the mental asylum she was locked up in, and I decided to set out and see her again. Looking back, it was naive of me, but at the time, I must've imagined our reunion would solve something. Maybe everything."

Blair swallowed, fingers hurting from how hard he was holding the fountain pen, and clenched his jaw.

"I escaped the house one day," Emmanuel continued, "bringing with me some stolen money, and then I rode a train, took a carriage, and finally met my mother again after thirteen long years."