Beautiful Freaks Read Online Free PDF Page B

in bed drawing figures of women , especially ones that were entirely naked except for a monocle.
    “Come in! ” Kaspian called as he composed himself by the window, pulling together the ties of his dressing gown and running a hand through his black hair. He knew it would be Heartlock’s butler, Letterton; a strange fellow but one for whom Kaspian had a great fondness.
    “Morning, Sir and … Happy Birthday!” Letterton said as he walked across the room, holding out a large buttonhole Malmaison Carnation in his gloved hands. “Just a little token for your birthday, I hope you don’t think me presumptuous.”
    Kaspian reached out and took the perfectly formed carnation in his hand. It smelt deliciously of cloves.
    “Thank you, Letterton, that’s terribly kind of you,” Kaspian replied with a smile.
    “ Mr Heartlock , sends his felicitations and wonders if you’d like to join him for a late breakfast?”
    “ Please inform him I will be with him presently.” Kaspian ended his response with a slightly awkward cough – the customary sign al for dismissing servants . As the grey - haired gent made his exit through the doorway backwards with his idiosyncratic and slightly outlandish bow, Kaspian couldn’t resist a smile .
    When Letterton finally left the room, Kaspian looked down at the Malmaison Carnation in his hand. It would have cost the old boy half a day’s wages. It was a huge bloom, taking up most of the space of his palm, white, and carrying a heady scent. Kaspian always wore a Malmaison Carnation in the fashion of the disgraced writer W ilde. Heartlock found this small act of social subversion irritating, informing Kaspian repeatedly that , ‘it was a nod to ind ulgent aestheticism – just like the occult.’   Heartlock had no time for the infamous Wilde and his ‘decadent, dandy ways .’ When Kaspian had attempted to extol the merits of Wilde’s notorious work, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray ,’ Heartlock responded with the simple voice of religious ignorance, ‘ It is the work of the devil disguised by a thin veil of moral learning.’
    Heartlock’s disapproval only served to make the work more precious to Kaspian, but just like the sketchpad , it remained tucked under the mattress.
    He made his way down to the breakfast room. Heartlock , tired of waiting, had started without him and was half way down his boiled egg. To the side of him sat a small stack of beautifully w rapped parcels – clearly they’ d been wrapped by the woman at the shop.
    “Happy Birthday, Kaspian, ” Heartlock said through a large and genuine smile. “Man at last.” He chuckled. “I bet there were times when you feared you might not make it under my less-than-practiced care.”
    Kaspian bent over and kissed Heartlock on the cheek before flicking out the tails of his morning suit and taking a seat next to him.
    “I never doubted you. You have been the best father a boy could wish for.”
    Heartlock reached out a liver - spotted hand and tapped the top of Kaspian’s. “And as a man, will I still be a father you wish for? ” Sadness flitted over the old man’s face. “After all, you’re free to leave if you wish. Technically my guardianship is over.”
    “Of course I would like to stay , Sir. I cannot think of leaving you.”
    Heartlock let out a hearty laugh and slapped the table, causing his spoon to clatter against his plate. “Maybe you want to reserve such declarations until you have opened your birthday correspondence.”
    “Gifts first – correspondence is for the grown up world and I do believe I still have three hours of my childhood left.”
    Heartlock offered the gifts, one by one, taking delight in Kaspian’s reactions. Mainly the gifts were books of a scientific and technological nature ; heavy tomes written by weighty brains. When the pile had been reduced to just one small book - sized parcel, Heartlock reached onto his lap and produced a nother gift. There had been little point to wrapping it