Two Days

Two days, the words echoed in my ears as I awoke to a cold, gray dawn and all my dreams and hopes, everything I could and should be was to be swept under the blanket of this statement set in the iron will of Gervais. During his call last night he had set a time limit upon my freedom so everything and anything I needed to do would have to be done within two terrifyingly short days. My first urge was to run to the refuge of Braith, to beg him to take me away, to abandon everything to be safe but the cold knife of reality ended this panicked fantasy. Braith would not leave; I would not leave, as this is where we make our stand against Gervais win or lose, for to run meant never staying still for the remainder of our relationship. One that was bound to be short lived if it was spent looking over our shoulders waiting for retribution of the Dubois kind.

I had no choice but to ignore my inner screaming and return to our ill advised plan, for we had not really thought out our method of revenge, only that we wished to obtain it. I stood on the terrace wishing it was yesterday again and Braith was here drinking coffee, his golden beauty gleaming in the morning sun. Most dreams are lost from neglect or despair but mine had been rudely interrupted by a man who had stared across a room one spring day. As much as I could rage against the injustice of that moment it was inevitable that our paths cross for if fate did not arrange it, our shared ancestry certainly would have ensured it. I watched the medley of bright flowers in the garden dip in the soft breeze and the unspoken longing for a different world, the world this should have been, consumed me. Jazz and Coco would be married, Zizi would be a famous singer, Jojo and Royce would be away on one of their extreme sport jaunts, Braith would step into the shoes of his destiny and I would be sitting on the terrace with Mother while she deplored the vulgarities of youth.

I had been given two days in which to pack up an entire life and I realised that failure or success, there was no return to childhood memories. Maritka, determined to be of no help hid herself in some cranny in the kitchen, no doubt to prevent herself from trundling me off to some European pig farm in order to protect me. Our encounters were reduced to her glaring and me shrugging and as much as this was not how I wished to spend our last moments, it was how we did. One by one my choices had been removed until I was left with the options of give in or fight and if I gave in a bored Gervais would leave me broken and tattered by the wayside of life. Elyce, the least trustworthy of my allies, her voice cool and smooth, agreed to come over for a chat. Her studied calm, the easy acceptance of my invitation had me wonder if Gervais was eavesdropping and I prepared myself for a family life of an endless speculation of betrayal and intrigue.

I moved out onto the terrace, determined to enjoy every last minute of the garden until the bitter end. It was not long before the heavy tread of tyres in the drive alerted me to her arrival and using all my energy to contain my despair I remained seated, leaving Maritka to tend to the door. The moment the door opened I did not require the lapse in Maritka’s voice to inform me something was wrong, I knew the when the breeze pushed past them, stealing around their bodies, wafting down the hall, across the drawing room to greet me on the terrace. The faintest of musk, alien to the house, a scent worn by those of a self possessed nature, heavy, too cloying for a young girl to carry off but in the folds of maturity it was the scent of a woman who knows what she wants. I turned to meet the artic gaze of Liselle, her green eyes crisp with intent she led her pale reflection across the drawing room and I felt only desolation at both my cousins gracing my home at once.

Liselle did not wait for invitation and sat down at the table, her beautiful countenance pristine, Gervais would be proud of the power of her composed Dubois serenity. The pale shadow of Elyce barely registered as my prime concern was determining whatever motives could inspire Liselle to interact with life. I waited for her as this time was not going to be as in the past when I had given up my intent only to meet a blank wall of indifference. Liselle turned her cool green eyes to the garden and had the flowers suddenly wilted under her gaze I would not have registered one jot of surprise. Once she realised I was not about to initiate conversation she nodded towards Elyce before turning back to me.

“I know Edith has contacted you, it was at my request.”

I should have been speechless but instead I thought how typical of Liselle to get someone else to do the work for her. My face must have reflected my feelings for a cold glint of annoyance flickered across her face.

I said to them both, “Why bother with the all the subterfuge if you wind up coming here in the end? Why bother with these games, isn’t it enough with Gervais playing them? Next time just pick up the phone and tell me what you want me to know.”

Elyce shifted in her chair, “It’s not that easy Lucinda, the walls have ears and not just the walls of the compound. Every overheard conversation gets back to him and no matter how careful you are, somehow he always finds out.”

“That might be more down to him out thinking you than having spies on every corner, it is not hard for him to work out our motives, all he has to do is reverse the situation, add in the factor that we tend to react like a bunch of dimwitted socialites and he pretty much has us pegged.”

Liselle and Elyce glanced at each other, no doubt they were not expecting a bitter diatribe over breakfast but I had only two days left, two desperate days to work out how to maintain my precious freedom. The last thing I needed was them wasting one of my days and as I folded my arms I gave Liselle the most dangerous glare I could muster. I did not have much hope of it doing anything for Liselle is impervious to any influence outside of her brother.

However, Liselle was full of surprises today as she leaned forward saying “You want to blow up the house? It can be done, it was almost done many years ago by Elyce.”

I have to admit my jaw almost dropped and I stared at a flustered Elyce who was quick to clarify Liselle’s bombshell.

“It wasn’t on purpose, it was an accident when I was a kid.”

She shifted in her seat again and I saw the pain of suppressed memories etch across her brow as she struggled to continue.

“It happened after a week of Gervais and his little visits. My parents had disappeared and I found myself left for his amusement. One night I went downstairs to get matches for a cigarette and when I didn’t have any I lit the gas stove in the kitchen.”

Here Liselle interrupted to tell me a little history. “The original stoves were wood burning and by the time the compound was modernized they had become antiques so instead of replacing them they were retro fitted into being gas burning. The fitting has not taken well and the stoves have constant issues”

Elyce went on “I must have not turned it off properly because half an hour later it blew up and took half the kitchen with it.”

I gave Liselle a puzzled look and she stepped in to explain again. “The stove in the main house, his house, also heats the water for some of the upstairs bathrooms. His is one. If the gas blows in the kitchen it will in all possibility take out the master bedroom as well.”

I wanted to ask what sort of billionaire relies upon a dangerous ancient heating system when there are so many modern alternatives but I knew the answer so the words never left my lips. Gervais would not do this to save pennies, he would do this because he knew that it would make everyone in the household uncomfortable. I gave Liselle my best Dubois look for here was a woman fraternizing with those who would remove her brother, something she should have taken care of years ago on her own. Instead it was left to me to clean up the mess generations of my family had contributed to in their madness and hubris.

I had to give her a chance to get out “This is your brother.”

If I had expected my words to cause her to reflect upon this undertaking then I was to be surprised yet again by the most elusive member of my family. Liselle gave me the full benefit of her clear green eyes and this time they were made of fire, the ice was gone and I saw the stifled rage of a lifetime glittering in their depths. Devoid of the passion gleaming from her face she spoke calmly.

“Have you not seen enough of his megalomania? He disturbs households, destroys relationships and removes loved ones while never soiling his own hands with the dirty work. His methods are so insidious that people often never work out he is at the base of their woes. Did you never wonder at the sudden departure of those you know, those you love, your neighbours, your friends, your mother?”

The mention of my mother caused the blood to pulse throughout my body and unable to contain my alarm I jumped up and started to pace the terrace. She was suggesting something too horrible to believe, I dared not believe this, the doctor surely would have noticed. Doubts began to tug at my mind as I asked myself, what would the doctor notice in a woman with a weak heart? He did what Gervais had expected a semi retired GP to do, he saw what he wanted. I turned to Liselle my face burning with fury.

“Did you know?”

She shook her head “But I guessed. Your mother stood up to him and he knew that Ladonna and I would back her. He is used to getting his own way, to say no only made his obsession stronger. You had managed not only to avoid him but outwit him as well and he loved it. I knew then he would stop at nothing to have you.”

I told her that I was not convinced she would not betray us to Gervais and it was then Elyce spoke her mind.

“If you don’t do it, then I will. I will get a gun, I will go to his office and I will shoot him. He has taken my entire life away and I can’t stand being his puppet anymore.”

I held no pity for Elyce, a girl who has probably never done her own laundry. I narrowed my eyes and said, “So leave. Abandon the house. Get your parents to give you some cash and lose the Dubois name.”

She laughed, a brittle short snap, “Do you have any idea how many times I have done that. Those months I was supposedly enjoying Europe I was really on the run, looking over my shoulder until his thugs found me and brought me back—to be punished whatever way he chooses.”

Her bitter tears added to the fuel of my rage, for even if the possible murder of my mother was only a ploy to get my attention Gervais had done enough to incur the wrath of every being he had ever met. I sat down and faced my two conspirators.

“So explain this stove again.”

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