Page 11 of Thomas
By the time Thomas’s fathers had left the estate, Cameron was downright drained. Siphoned of all his energy and patience. He’d barely been able to deposit Thomas into his room, fearing the man might want to strike up yet another long-winded conversation about land and taxes and purebred pedigree.
“Just because Sir Thomas’s fathers were insufferable, it doesn’t mean that he himself is,” Lennon reasoned. “You’re jumping to conclusions when you’ve barely spoken?—”
“How can he not be? What’s the saying? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Like father, like son?” Cameron had wildly miscalculated this impulsive gamble. He’d gotten it all very wrong.
Lennon folded his arms. “You are nothing like your father… although you do resemble your mother in some distinct ways.”
Cameron sat upright, his voice pitching even higher. “He hastwofathers! He’s bound to resemble one of them?—”
“Stop it. You’re being childish. I will not allow you to make snap judgments and discard this entire situation based on your first impression of his fathers.” Lennon sighed and paced the floor with his arms still folded. He looked older in the gray morning light. Older than usual.
Some part of Cameron knew he was being silly. But the reality of the situation had been like a punch to his gut. Everything safe, quiet and peaceful about his home was forever at risk because of the snap decision he’d made. The decision he’d beenpressuredto make.
“It is obvious to me that Sir Thomas is likely the product of an abusive home,” Lennon went on, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Such a circumstance is unfortunately not unusual in Eden. The man looks miserable, his clothes are unkempt and ill-fitting, and Sulee has complained that he’s not been eating at mealtimes. Just taking two or three bites before discarding the entire plate.”
Lennon paused and looked over at Cameron. His tone softened. “To me, your ignoring him this way feels like the perpetuation of his potential abuse.”
“No.No, I…” Cameron shook his head, his heart doing a strange hiccup in his chest. He didn’t mean any harm. He needed decompression time. It was always necessary after a highly engaging social outing. A couple days of rest and seclusion to recover.
Lennon’s observation clarified some things for Cameron, though. He’d seen Thomas two months earlier at another society party. Thomas had sat alone in an alcove on a terrace, shrouded in shadows and moonlight. He’d looked like a man who’d been robbed of his very soul—a drastic change from his carefree and confident demeanor five years ago. The difference was both profound and disturbing.
Despite this, Cameron had recognized him immediately—the faint ghost of a vivid and bright memory cemented within his mind. Cameron had been too much of a coward to try speaking to him. He hadn’t known what to say or where to begin.
“You have chosen this man as your partner,” Lennon said plainly.
Cameron held up a palm. “Just on paper, though. On paper.”
Lennon rolled his eyes. “Regardless, does he not deserve your respect? Shouldn’t he have his own opportunity to make a first impression without the impediment of his nutty fathers?”
A second impression…Cameron thought privately. Thomas even looked like his elder father, except much younger in age, of course… and gaunter and sadder.
It didn’t feel right to bring that point up just now. Cameron’s defense of his own behavior was falling apart like wet sand.
“I know that new vampires are difficult for you, but you’ve committed yourself to this, so you must try. Extend to him the same kindness that you show all of us within the estate—andeven the merchants and citizens of Upper Avalon. Don’t show him how much of a reclusive, anxiety-riddled pain in the arse you can be. At least not immediately. Best foot forward, eh?”
Cameron wanted to argue with that boorish assessment of his character, but he resisted, lest he provide further evidence of his being a pain in the arse. He sighed heavily. “Alright. I’ll talk to him… tonight.”
“You’re putting this off for as long as possible.”
“No, I need to deposit the checks and look at the mail since I haven’t done so.”
Lennon smirked. “Since you’ve been hiding in your room for two days?”
“Not two days! Technically onlyonefull day. Yesterday. Don’t exaggerate.” Surly, Cameron climbed out of the bed and stretched his arms up. He felt stiff from stress. “What has he been doing?”
“Reading in the library, mostly. Sleeping. He seems polite. Calm and reserved. You might actually like him if you stop being a ridiculous man-child?—”
“Alright, Len, that’s enough. You’ve made your point.”
Cameron showered, dressed and headed straight to his office. He was half panicked at the prospect of running into Thomas in the hallway and how awkward that would be. Howweirdit was overall to have a new and strange vampire wandering around his home. It set Cameron on edge, like he suddenly had a bat infestation and at any moment one might swoop down from the rafters and he’d have to duck and cover his head.
Except bats were cool. He liked bats. Much more so than vampires.
While he worked on the estate’s accounting, Sulee brought him a sandwich to eat at his desk and told him that it was nice to see him out of his room, finally.
Finally?he grumbled internally.It wasoneday, for Christ’s sake.
The sun had set by the time he finished his tasks, which had included mandatory administrative work, but also reorganizing the contents of his desk, wiping down the ledges of his bookshelves and making sure all of his pencils were sharpened. He wasn’t trying to find reasons to stay sequestered within his office. Of course not. He’d been meaning to do these things anyway. Today just so happened to be the perfect day for it, with its dreary, overcast skies and steady rainfall.
