Henry knew it would be best to remain silent until they’d left the house. As the two men departed, they slammed the front door in testimony to their fury. Henry had long known that things were not good between father and sons, but he still wondered what had happened tonight to touch off such rage in Mr. Philip and Mr. Robert. He approached the study cautiously.
He stopped in the doorway to look in. Mr. Anthony was standing at the window behind his desk, gazing out. His face was pale, his lips were tinged with blue, and his hands were unsteady as he held the curtain back. The look in his eyes was of immense sadness and pain. Henry could tell he was deeply shaken by the encounter that had just taken place and he felt a real concern for his employer and friend of so many years.
“Are you all right, sir?” he softly inquired.
Lawrence was lost in thought and didn’t respond for a moment. For all the years he’d possessed the crown, Lawrence had thought himself safe from the curse. It occurred to him now, heartsick as he was, that he had not been safe from its fury after all. The curse had indeed fallen upon him, but it had come to him not through death or danger, but through his own sons. For years, Philip and Robert had made his life a living hell. This latest quarrel merely reinforced once more the futility of his hope that they would one day come to be men he could love and respect. Drawing a painful breath, Lawrence slowly turned to look at the man who was his friend as well as his servant. “Some days, Henry, I wonder.”
“Is there anything I can do, sir?”
Lawrence paused in silent reflection. He trusted Henry with his very life, which is much more than he could say about his sons. Finally, he said, “Come in and close the door.”
Henry did as he was told while Lawrence went to stand behind the desk.
“There is something you can do for me.” His heart and soul were more weary than he could say. “A favor . . .”
“Yes, sir.” Their gazes met, and the valet could see the agony in the other man’s soul.
“If anything should happen to me . . .”
Henry’s face mirrored the shock he felt at his statement.
“I’m not a young man any more, and we both know my health is not the best. If I should die, there’s something extremely important I need you to do.”
“You only have to name it, sir.”
Lawrence sat at the desk and opened its biggest drawer. “There’s a secret compartment in this drawer. You and I are the only two who know about it.”
He slid the false back out to reveal a compartment that was just big enough to hold the three books inside it.
“If anything happens to me, I want you to see that these books are delivered to the people whose names are on them. Will you do that for me?”
“Of course.”
Lawrence’s troubled expression eased a bit. “Your faithfulness will not go unrewarded, my old friend.”
“I do not require a reward for helping you, sir.” Henry’s reply was stiff, his honor offended.
The older man managed a sad smile. “If my sons possessed one tenth of your devotion and kindness, I would not be doing this . . . But I fear . . .”
“Fear what, sir?”
“Nothing . . . nothing . . . If the time comes when you have to deliver these books, you may not be so glad you’ve given me your word.”
“I’ll deliver them as you’ve instructed.”
Lawrence nodded, knowing Henry would do exactly as he promised. “Just remember, my sons are not to get their hands on these.” His voice hardened as he spoke.
“Yes, sir.”
Knowing he was dismissed, the valet left and closed the door behind him. His thoughts were troubled as he returned to his duties.
When Henry had gone, Lawrence sat down at the desk and took out some paper. He wrote three letters, put one in each book, then quickly wrapped the tomes. That done, he carefully inscribed the names of the three people who, he knew, treasured the Crown of Desire as much as he did.
Book #1, he addressed
He stopped in the doorway to look in. Mr. Anthony was standing at the window behind his desk, gazing out. His face was pale, his lips were tinged with blue, and his hands were unsteady as he held the curtain back. The look in his eyes was of immense sadness and pain. Henry could tell he was deeply shaken by the encounter that had just taken place and he felt a real concern for his employer and friend of so many years.
“Are you all right, sir?” he softly inquired.
Lawrence was lost in thought and didn’t respond for a moment. For all the years he’d possessed the crown, Lawrence had thought himself safe from the curse. It occurred to him now, heartsick as he was, that he had not been safe from its fury after all. The curse had indeed fallen upon him, but it had come to him not through death or danger, but through his own sons. For years, Philip and Robert had made his life a living hell. This latest quarrel merely reinforced once more the futility of his hope that they would one day come to be men he could love and respect. Drawing a painful breath, Lawrence slowly turned to look at the man who was his friend as well as his servant. “Some days, Henry, I wonder.”
“Is there anything I can do, sir?”
Lawrence paused in silent reflection. He trusted Henry with his very life, which is much more than he could say about his sons. Finally, he said, “Come in and close the door.”
Henry did as he was told while Lawrence went to stand behind the desk.
“There is something you can do for me.” His heart and soul were more weary than he could say. “A favor . . .”
“Yes, sir.” Their gazes met, and the valet could see the agony in the other man’s soul.
“If anything should happen to me . . .”
Henry’s face mirrored the shock he felt at his statement.
“I’m not a young man any more, and we both know my health is not the best. If I should die, there’s something extremely important I need you to do.”
“You only have to name it, sir.”
Lawrence sat at the desk and opened its biggest drawer. “There’s a secret compartment in this drawer. You and I are the only two who know about it.”
He slid the false back out to reveal a compartment that was just big enough to hold the three books inside it.
“If anything happens to me, I want you to see that these books are delivered to the people whose names are on them. Will you do that for me?”
“Of course.”
Lawrence’s troubled expression eased a bit. “Your faithfulness will not go unrewarded, my old friend.”
“I do not require a reward for helping you, sir.” Henry’s reply was stiff, his honor offended.
The older man managed a sad smile. “If my sons possessed one tenth of your devotion and kindness, I would not be doing this . . . But I fear . . .”
“Fear what, sir?”
“Nothing . . . nothing . . . If the time comes when you have to deliver these books, you may not be so glad you’ve given me your word.”
“I’ll deliver them as you’ve instructed.”
Lawrence nodded, knowing Henry would do exactly as he promised. “Just remember, my sons are not to get their hands on these.” His voice hardened as he spoke.
“Yes, sir.”
Knowing he was dismissed, the valet left and closed the door behind him. His thoughts were troubled as he returned to his duties.
When Henry had gone, Lawrence sat down at the desk and took out some paper. He wrote three letters, put one in each book, then quickly wrapped the tomes. That done, he carefully inscribed the names of the three people who, he knew, treasured the Crown of Desire as much as he did.
Book #1, he addressed
Similar Books
Tremors: A Stone Braide Chronicles Story
Bonnie S. Calhoun
Charming the Duke
Holly Bush
Still Life in Shadows
Alice J. Wisler
Thumbprint
Joe Hill
Unshapely Things
Mark Del Franco
Ripper's Torment
Sam Crescent
A Vineyard Killing
Philip R. Craig
Backyard
Norman Draper
The Trojan Boy
Ken McClure
Badges
John Simpson