Page 61 of By Marsh and By Moor
He smiled in greeting.“Morning, Solomon.Do you know where Wallace has got to, by any chance?”
Solomon was tired and angry, and he still hadn’t recovered from the shock of learning that Vaughan had gone so far as to track Wallace down out in Kensington.
“Christ, Hugo, can’t you just leave him the fuck alone?”
Vaughan’s eyes narrowed.Sourness came to the surface.“You want him for yourself, don’t you?”When Solomon only shook his head, Vaughan insisted, “You do.I know you’ve had him.He feels so good, doesn’t he?That big burly mass, lying over you, pounding into you.”
Solomon wanted to put his hands over his ears.“Stop it.”
“And so easily led.Why, you can make him do anything you want.”
Solomon wasn’t a fighting man, but he balled his fists now.“You shut your mouth, you bastard.”
Vaughan only smirked.“I know you, Solomon Dyer.You’re remarkably like me.You wear a pleasant smile, but you know how to look out for yourself.You could have a lot of use for a man like Wallace.”His voice hardened.“Well, you can’t have him.You’ll never have him again.He’smine.I love him and he’s mine.”
“If you en’t out of here in the next twenty seconds, I’ll call a dozen ostlers to put you out.”
Vaughan’s smile was sharp.“I’ll find him.You can’t hide him from me.”
It was the following morning by the time Solomon finally heard from Wallace.One of the women from the pie shop in Fishmonger’s Alley came by to say that Wallace was there.
As soon as he could get away, Solomon went to see him.Wallace was sitting in a dark corner with a penny cup of tea.He looked like he had slept in his clothes and hadn’t eaten in a day or more.Solomon sat down opposite him.
Wallace raised his head.“He came looking for me at the Wheatsheaf.I ran out the back, like the coward I am.”He couldn’t meet Solomon’s eye.“You must think me a sorry excuse for a man.”
His words contained an echo, as though he were repeating something he’d heard said to him more than once.Solomon’s stomach twisted.What had been going on under his nose, without him noticing?How had he been so blind?He heard a voice from childhood in his head, a voice he’d thought he had learnt to ignore.Carnal indulgence is a sin that will blind you to everything else.Lead you to worldly disaster and spiritual ruin.If he hadn’t been so busy getting his wick away with every man in London—
But he couldn’t wallow in his own guilt just now.He had to look out for Wallace.
“Don’t say that about yourself.It en’t true.”
Wallace rubbed at tired eyes.“I just can’t face the thought of seeing him again.”
“Then don’t see him again.There’s no reason you should.”
It wasn’t clear whether Wallace even heard him.He seemed to be in a world of his own.
“He must be feeling so hurt.That’s my fault.I’ve hurt him.He said so himself, the last time I worked up the courage to leave him.Not that I managed to stay away very long.He said I’d broken his heart.I was lucky he took me back.“
“Stop.Stop.Those are all just lies he’s told you.”
“I don’t know what to do.I feel as though I’ll never escape.Wherever I go, he’ll be there.I’ll spend the next three months fleeing across town from place to place until he’s worn me down.”
“Maybe he’ll finally get a ship and go back to sea.”
Wallace didn’t look convinced.
“Or else… maybe we could leave London.”
Wallace’s gaze flew up to meet Solomon’s.“Leave London?”
“Yes, why not?After all, what’s holding us here?We’ve no families.”Solomon could think of several things holding him in London, but he pressed on.“I know you’ve never been further than Epping, but I’ve been all around the country a dozen times.Leaving London is nothing to me.We could leave tomorrow.”
“We?”Wallace repeated.
“Yes, I’d come with you.Unless… you’d rather I didn’t?”
Wallace’s expression softened.But he was shaking his head.“You can’t leave London.You love living here.And you’re head ostler now.You’ve wanted that for years.”
