This Dark Salvation

XIII.

I'm looking at this picture on my desk. I'm not recalling a memory now but sitting here in my room getting lost in the faces. It's of me and Jack at the beach when I was a toddler. The sky was cloudless, and the sand was bright like golden flecks. Jack was holding my hand in his swimwear. He was my caretaker even at that young age, all because of a feud between my parents. But this isn't the point, while looking at this picture I'm reminded of the beach back at the Josey's estate. The heat was boiling, and the estate was like a baking oven. I needed something to cool me off, so I asked Gwen if there was anything. Gwen jumped to her toes with a thrill.

"I know what to do!" she said, shrilly. "Let's go to the kitchens and ask for a basket then we can go to our lake! It's splendid, you'll absolutely love it."

"Alright, to the kitchens!" I said.

We ran off to the cooks asking for a nice basket with food and drinks. The servants bustled about to gather our requests. I stood there, trying my best to smile as a nice young man should, but the staff would pass by me without a glance. I dismissed it and took Gwen by the hand leading her away from all the rush. She rubbed my arms sitting close to me at the servant's table. Gwendolen was alive as ever. Her very essence was stimulating.

"You're exciting today, what's the mood for?" I asked.

Her hands rolled together with mine. "Well, to be quite frank, I'm realizing how thankful I am to have you."

"Oh?" At that moment, I thought she was thankful to have me for my wealth, and I do believe that that is exactly what she meant, but Gwen wasn't going to make it obvious. I know ladies and I know what they want with me. I certainly wasn't as rich as her parents and I didn't have any special talents. It wasn't like I knew how to be a doctor or play a sport. So, the best she could get out of me was my money.

"Your basket, Lady," said a maid.

"Thank you, this looks grand!" Gwen sprang from her seat, dragging me along, and we exited out the back doors. "The lake isn't too far, it's just over the bend of trees."

"I didn't know you had a lake. Was it man made?"

Gwen gave me a look. "Of course not. We don't spend our money on just anything."

"Oh, forgive me, I only assumed because you seem to have quite a collection of Fabergé eggs."

"That's my mother's."

"Then the gold lined napkins were yours?" I joked.

Gwen scowled while pulling herself away. "Stop that. I don't like your humor."

"But I thought you were lucky to have me."

Gwen played games and ignored me. She peeked under the blanket to examine the food. "How lovely, the under cook has added chocolate. We rarely ever eat it."

"Why?" I asked as we started down the slope of trees. The path became wooden and the trees were beginning to spread out. From over the tops of bushes I could make out the blue of the water. The sun was above us and if it weren't for the trees as we walked, I would've been soaked through with sweat.

"It's fattening."

"Most of everything we eat does the same thing. It won't hurt to have some."

Gwen shook her head. "That's not what mother thinks. It's unholy."

The wooded path broke off into steppingstones leading the rest of the way to the lake. It looked nothing like the one in my picture I have here with me. This one was a foggy blue speckled with green leaves and growing algae. Perfectly placed stones wrapped around the outer side of the lake keeping back the brush and trees. Countless small birds popped by the sand before flying off as we entered. Instantly, I felt the sand jump inside my shoes. I bit my tongue trying hard to forget it was there. My headaches were increasingly worse and took a toll on my emotions.

Gwen stood by a tree that sat close to the sand and threw out the blanket. She sat down to set out the plates and cups. "Look at how cool this is. The water is soothing, don't you agree?" she asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Jazlyn loves the water, but mother won't allow her in for too long."

I poured us a glass of lemonade. "Whys that?"

"The water wrinkles her skin."

I stared at the lake for a moment before reaching into the basket. "But I thought that everyone's does that. Here, have some cake."

Gwen took a plate and held it to her lap. "Well, mother likes to give special care for Jazlyn. Clara coddles her."

"Why, because she bruises easily?"

"How do you know that?" She snapped.

"It's not as if it's hidden," I started. "I know of a condition where you bruise on just about anything."

"I'm unaware of it then. Besides, we don't have a doctor. Mother coddles Jazlyn because she's the youngest."

"You look tight about that. You're jealous?"

"No, not really. I get whatever I ask for too. I guess I wish for the attention. We're always fighting for it, me and Jazlyn. Elias makes fun at us for doing so. He's more independent than us and he thinks we're being silly." She took a bite of an orange. "But Elias should know better."

"I've not had any siblings so I'm not sure what to say."

"Then you can listen about how horrid it truly is," laughed Gwen. "It's not so bad, it's only difficult at times. Even father tries to fight for the attention. Mother is a special woman it seems."

"I guess so!" I laid back rolling up my sleeves. The shade was enough to cool me off and the wind from the lake was refreshing. "You swim?"

Gwen patted the corners of her mouth. "No, but I'll get my feet wet. You want to go down?"

"No, we don't have to."

"What do you prefer to do with your time? I've picked up that you get restless. You don't read, I assume, and you don't do any arts."

"I like to go out, as often as I can. I'm sure you read the magazines..." I started.

Gwen shook her head. "We don't get them. Only the papers."

I was relieved to hear that. If she did read the magazines, then she'd know all about my parties I went to and the clubs. I'd prefer to be satisfied with a good time rather than reading a novel. I wasn't going to tell her that. Gwen was a spirited innocent girl, well, when she wanted to be. But if she didn't know, then her mother didn't either, so that meant I'd have to play myself down. They didn't know what I choose to keep me satisfied.

"I like to host house parties," I lied. "Mother and I would hold them."

"It's a shame. I was never allowed to go to them," said Gwen. "It's strange isn't it? That I could know of you, but you couldn't hear a word about me?"

I didn't know what to say because I hadn't a clue either. It never bothered me that I didn't know her, I had plenty of other women to abide my time. To really think about it, I never cared enough to ask. She was only a girl and I was around those types all the time. Gwen was more than just another girl. She had something to her, not personality, all the girls had their own, but Gwen was different.

We continued to eat the fruits and chocolate, I let Gwendolen have most of it, when the clouds started to form over the lake forcing the sun to hide. The air got thick and the birds were waiting in the trees.

"Oh, Manson, it looks like it's going to rain!" Gwen laughed a little. She poured out the glass into the roots of the trees and started putting the dishes into the basket. "What a shame."