Page 15 of Thomas
Thomas glanced up from his hearty plate of lemon and herb seafood pasta to discreetly regard the purebred across from him. Were they to be roommates, then? When Thomas considered it, he didn’t mind this arrangement at all. He’d been purchased as a kind of mask for Lord Ashford. A placeholder to ward off his parents’ (and sister’s?) persecution.
There were worse things. Thomas had lived through much worse.
“What book are you reading, if I may ask?” Lord Ashford inquired, cautiously breaking the silence. “Lennon told me you’ve found something in the library that interests you.”
Lennon watches me and reports my activities to him. Good to know.“I’ve been readingThe Count of Monte Cristoby Alexandre Dumas.”
“A very good choice. Is this your first time reading it?”
“No,” Thomas said, setting his fork aside and giving up on the pretense of eating. “But I find that I’m in the mood for a good vengeance story. The relentless evisceration of one’s enemies.”
Lord Ashford’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh? Should… I be worried?”
Thomas huffed. “I don’t believe so. Do you plan to become my enemy?”
“Certainly not.”
“Then all will be well,” Thomas assured him. He rolled his shoulders and sat back, watching as Cameron used his fork to idly poke at the last bits of his pasta.
“That is a relief,” he said, offering a tentative smile. “Do you have many enemies, then?”
“Not many. Only one.”
“Oh…” Lord Ashford paused, taking his final bite and using the moment to contemplate his next words. Thomas took a sip of wine. Whether they continued down the path of this conversation or not was completely up to his new roommate. It made no difference to Thomas, and he had nothing to hide.
“So… who is this one person that has scorned you so absolutely?” Lord Ashford asked.
“My eldest father. Although, the younger is not completely innocent.”
Thomas wasn’t sure what he was expecting as far as reactions went, but Cameron simply nodded in understanding.
“Forgive me for saying so, but he does seem like a rather unpleasant purebred—your elder father, I mean.”
“No forgiveness is necessary,” Thomas said. “You do not know the half of it.”
“Are you resentful of him because of this arrangement?” Cameron ventured. Noticeably, his posture and body became rigid. His gaze was intensely focused on his nearly empty plate. “Has he forced your hand in this?”
“He has, but I am resentful of much, much more. His transgressions toward me are deeper and more heinous than the arrangement of a marriage bond without my consent. You needn’t worry about that.” Thomas took another sip of his white wine as the familiar fury, injustice and contempt churned deep within his being.
What he wouldn’t give to have his revenge. To masterfully architect a divine plot in which everything his father owned came crashing down around him. Where everything he ever desired would never be achieved—his sincerest wishes falling just beyond his pale and monstrous grasp.
“Thank you for disclosing this to me, and I… I do apologize for this. For the disgraceful nature under which our arrangement has been formed.”
Blinking, Thomas met his eyes, the words having broken the dark trance within his mind. “You asked,” he said plainly. “And there’s no need for an apology. These arrangements are common in Eden.”
“I… Yes. Yes, they are. Regardless, I do appreciate your honesty.” Cameron sighed. That strange cloud of emotion briefly graced his countenance yet again. Subtly, he shook his head as if he were discarding a thought. He met Thomas’s eyes. “Are you plotting vengeance against your father now? Perhaps you are readingThe Count of Monte Cristofor inspiration.”
Thomas smirked. “More fervent wishing than actual plotting, unfortunately. I want him to suffer, primarily, but I haven’t the power nor authority to orchestrate such a circumstance.”
Lord Ashford nodded solemnly. As if he understood the matter all too well.
“You’re taking this in stride,” Thomas remarked. “You don’t find any of this… surprising?” Did he often come across vampires who casually spoke of murdering their fathers?
“Well, I prefer to stay in my home and avoid other vampires within the aristocracy for a reason,” Lord Ashford explained. “So, no, none of this surprises me. But I am dismayed that you have obviously experienced much cruelty at your elder father’s hand.”
Lord Ashford folded his arms and sat back more comfortably. “If you settle on a plan and decide to execute it, I will provide a solid alibi should the authorities come around.”
A genuine bark of amusement escaped Thomas’s throat. The sound and sensation popped out of him so unexpectedly that he smiled in its wake. Lord Ashford must have been taken aback by it as well, because he met Thomas’s eyes, then slowly grinned.
