Page 23 of A Vocation of Violence
I gave a wry laugh, despite myself, enjoying Oscar entirely, as one could not help but to do.
I knew that his information would come with a price, one I paid readily, divulging all I saw and heard that fateful night at the Velvet Glove.
Listening raptly, Oscar collapsed against the chaise when I finished my account, lighting a cigarette like a replete lover.
“Ah, our dear Vivienne and the baroness,” he mused, reclining like a languid feline. “The whispers that surround them are as numerous as the stars, but only few hold a semblance of truth.” He paused, an enigmatic smile playing upon his lips. “As I once wrote, ‘it is through art, and through art only, that we can realize our perfection.’”
“Please,” I implored, my heart tightening with anticipation, “tell me what you know.”
“Very well, Fiona,” he acquiesced, his voice low and purposeful. “Let us begin with the baroness. She was but a starry-eyed ingenue when the baron plucked her from the stage and made her his wife some twenty years ago. To rise from such humble beginnings to the pinnacle of society is no small feat, and one that she has fought tirelessly to maintain.”
“Understandably,” I murmured, recalling the icy elegance that defined Baroness Morton’s every movement. Her desperation to preserve her status was palpable, yet it had struck me as a brittle façade, concealing a far more complex woman beneath.
“And then there is Vivienne,” he continued, his eyes gleaming with relish. “She, too, had her sights set on the baron and his wealth. Yet, unlike our dear baroness, Vivienne’s ambition was not tempered by any sense of loyalty or propriety. She reveled in the scandal that accompanied her rise to fame, wielding it like a weapon against the very society that sought to shun her.”
“Their viciousness toward each other makes more sense,” I mused, my thoughts swirling with images of these two formidable women locked in an eternal dance of power and deceit.
“Indeed,” Oscar agreed, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy. “But it is often those who have clawed their way up from the depths who prove the most ruthless in their ascent. And in this merciless world, who can truly say what price one must pay for survival?”
“What do you mean?”
“Viv and the baroness were not social equals, but it could be argued that they are equally known and beloved by their circles. Vivienne in thedemimondeand Clarissa in theton.”
“Do you think the baron was still a part of their feud?” I asked, unable to imagine the leather-faced septuagenarian at the center of this rivalry.
“I doubt it, but, as you know, Fiona, the heart is a fickle thing.”
“I’m not convinced either women was in possession of a heart, fickle or otherwise,” I muttered.
“Touché!” Oscar’s giggle tugged my own mouth into a smile, though my mind was still consumed by the dark allure of the stories he had shared.
“There is one more matter I would discuss with you before we part ways this evening. A delicate subject, Oscar, so forgive my boldness in broaching it.”
“Boldness becomes you, my dear,” he replied with a knowing smile. “Pray, continue.”
“Have you ever heard of the order of the Green Carnation?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “A secret society, they say, where men of…similar proclivities might find solace in each other’s intimate company.”
Oscar’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression inscrutable for a moment before he answered, “Indeed, I have heard whispers of such an organization. Why do you ask?”
“Prince Albert Victor,” I said, feeling a familiar knot of disquiet tighten in my stomach. “There are rumors that he was involved with this clandestine group, and possibly…with Vivienne as well.”
“Ah,” Oscar said, drumming his fingers thoughtfully on the arm of the chaise. “A curious connection, to be sure. But one that is not entirely implausible, given the prince’s predilections and our dear Vivienne’s penchant for scandal. Do you think Viv was of the sapphic variety?”
“I couldn’t say,” I replied, struggling to keep my voice steady as I confronted the possibility of yet another sinister alliance taking shape before my eyes. “She’s most often linked to powerful men, but that could be more business than pleasure on her part. However, I cannot shake the feeling that there is more to their story than meets the eye—that something rotten lies festering at the heart of it all.”
Oscar regarded me for a long moment, his gaze appraising as he weighed my words. Finally, he spoke, his tone heavy with the weight of secrets shared between old friends. “Your instincts have served you well in the past, Fiona,” he said softly. “And if there is indeed some hidden truth to be unearthed from the ashes of this sordid affair, then I have no doubt your tenacity will see it brought to light. Just promise me you will treat what I have to say with discretion.”
“I vow it,” I breathed, eager for any insight that might guide me further down the treacherous path I had chosen.
“It is a delicate subject, Fiona, but one that I believe you shall handle with your characteristic grace and understanding.”
I could not help but feel my cheeks flush at his words. Though Oscar and I had been friends for a couple of years, we did not tend to broach this subject often.
“Indeed, it is no secret to you that I prefer the company of men,” he continued. “It is a truth I have long accepted, for I believe that each one of us is fabricated differently by the gods, our desires and inclinations molded by their whims.
“Yet, despite my adoration for my wife and children, I cannot abide the life I am required to live with them—the suffocating demands of society, the unyielding expectations placed upon me as a husband and father.” His voice grew soft, tinged with an uncharacteristic melancholy. “The order has provided me with a refuge from the oppressive weight of convention, a place where I can be true to myself without fear or shame.”
His eyes met mine, holding a depth of emotion I had never seen before. “And so, my dear Fiona, when I tell you that Ihavepersonally seen Prince Albert Victor among the members of the Green Carnation, know that I do not speak lightly of such matters.”
