“Now, Rohan had no such injuries, nor did I, but hehadbeen cut severely across the face. We bandaged him long before our arrival in this country, and I pretended that his injuries were so severe that he was horribly disfigured and must become a recluse with a personal surgeon always at his side. Thus the myth of Rohan Blackstone the monster was born, and we have employed various methods of... shall we say, perpetuating this myth. The idea was that his uncle might see fit to pass his fortune on to Rohan without a valid marriage, for he could hardly be expected to marry with such a disability, and a physical deformity which had caused him to become a recluse.”
“And yet, the old man instead secured the money for a distant relative, after making an allowance for Rohan’s well-being.”
Lina looked at Mr. Blackstone, who was silent as always. Then she looked around the grand room, evidence aplenty thatsomefortune must have been inherited.
Dr. Doyle chuckled, having read her thoughts.
“Mr. Blackstone found other ways to secure his fortune, for he is a very clever man indeed. He might have abandoned this other ruse, that of being deformed and reclusive, if not for one thing: he very much wanted to obtain a woman for us to share, one who would be his bride and allow for our... proclivities to be satisfied.”
“And that, my dear Lina, is where you have come in. At last, he believed we had found such a woman—a woman who held no title, no fortune, and indeed, no family reputation to protect—but who was charming and beautiful, and of good enough upbringing to be easily adjusted to a life in a manor such as this. We believed that your circumstances, and your upbringing, and your much-famed tendencies toward rather feral behavior, would all combine splendidly for our purposes. In you, we thought we had found the perfect bride.”
“And we have,” Rohan said softly, sending a shudder of pleasure down Lina’s spine again.
Dr. Doyle slid his hand across the table and touched hers. “Carolina, we were disappointed when we heard what happened with you and Mr. Carrington. We allowed that disappointment to lead us to rash decisions. But we have changed our minds, for we cannot live without you, and we realize our grave error. If you will have us, you will marry Rohan, and we shall live our lives together, here, all three of us. We shall share you as we always wanted, and in exchange for your... flexibility... you shall never want for anything, for two men can better care for a woman than one.”
Lina’s eyes were wet with tears whose provenance she could not be sure of; she was filled with wonder, confusion, joy, and curiosity, and she could not determine which of those sentiments so overwhelmed her.
“But... but...” she said, looking back and forth from each man to the other almost helplessly.
“What is it, my darling? Whatever it is, we shall correct it. All that we ask is that you submit to our sexual desires, and I believe you do so willingly. Anything else that you desire you shall have,” Dr. Doyle said.
“For you are perfect, Lina,” Mr. Blackstone said, his hand on her shoulder, gently at first and then with possessive squeeze. “And we shall give you all that you desire. If you will only give us what we desire, should you accept us.”
Lina still could not speak, and the tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks.
“Are you unhappy?” Dr. Doyle asked, with concern.
Lina shook her head furiously, and the tears did fall to her cheeks. She wiped them impatiently away. “No, no!” she said, sniffing. “I’m so very...”
But she could not find the right word for what she was, so instead, she collapsed into Dr. Doyle’s waiting arms, and he kissed away her tears.
* * *
It all seemed likea fairy tale, at least momentarily.
By the afternoon, Mr. Blackstone had retreated to his study to handle his many business affairs and had promised to arrange a rapid wedding ceremony. She would be married to Mr. Blackstone, for he was the holder of the greater fortune between the two men, and they desired that she be taken care of should anything befall him. The wedding would be quaint, and essentially private, but as Mr. Blackstone had struggled with how best to convey the end of their wedding arrangements and Lina’s subsequent delivery to Mr. Laroui in a manner that would have been acceptable to society and Lina’s guardians, it had not yet been announced. Since he was a renowned eccentric, they would merely be required to announce that the wedding had taken place, and all concerned could assume that no uncomfortable questions would be asked of them.
“Besides,” Dr. Doyle had assured her with a smile, “Mr. Blackstone is in possession of such wealth that few are willing to question his choices, particularly with regard to what appears to be a conventional marriage.”
And so Lina had remained, blissfully assured of her good fortune and feeling very much in love—however strange a love it may have been—to take tea with Dr. Doyle in the conservatory.
Dr. Doyle was ever so much more of a conversationalist and interested in discussing his very many interesting adventures as a doctor. Lina was pleasantly surprised to find that he did not consider any topics inappropriate to share with a woman, and was beginning to realize that her fortune extended beyond that of mere financial security, for between the two men she had ample delights awaiting her: the intellectual stimulation of conversation with Dr. Doyle, from whom she could learn ever so much, as well as his tenderness and patience. Mr. Blackstone was a darker and more tempestuous man, but she could not deny that he inflamed in her a far more profound physical passion, and that she loved him very much precisely for his darkness and mystery. She even found herself confessing as much to Dr. Doyle, who explained to her that this shared care and love, which encompassed all of these gifts for her, was even better than a traditional marriage. She could not agree more, nor could she really believe the great fortune that had been bestowed upon her.
No sooner had she settled into this blissful state of acceptance, however, than it seemed it might all be torn away from her.
“I should be very happy, if you wish, my dear Lina, to instruct you in whatever may interest you of medicine, or biology,” Dr. Doyle was telling her. “Perhaps we could even—”
“Dr. Doyle, sir, I beg your pardon for the interruption,” a butler said, hurrying into the conservatory at that precise moment. “Mr. Blackstone has asked that I request your presence forthwith, as a Mr. Laroui has arrived unexpectedly and the matter requires your attention.”
Lina bristled, and her eyes went wide. She had forgotten about the “Laroui,” to whom she had been promised.
Dr. Doyle reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “My sweet Lina, worry not,” he told her quietly. To the butler, he barked, “Assure Mr. Blackstone that I shall meet with our guest promptly.”
He waited for the butler to leave before turning to Lina. He stroked her cheek tenderly with the back of his hand and pulled her face close to his by the chin. “Do not be worried, my sweet Lina,” he told her, before kissing her with passion. “We have agreed upon a plan to console Mr. Laroui, and whatever his reaction may be, we shall not give you up to him, at any cost. I apologize that I must interrupt this lovely afternoon with you. Please stay here, enjoy your tea, and I shall return in due time.”
Lina smiled for him, though her heart felt as though it had been flung again into the heavens. The doctor excused himself just as a maid entered the room with a sumptuous cake they had decided to share, which Dr. Doyle instructed Lina to enjoy alone.
The conservatory had a lovely view of the immense gardens, and a bookcase with several dry books in it. She enjoyed the view and entertained herself with the books as the sky darkened and the gas lamps magically lighted themselves—a trick she should very much like to learn more about. But as the minutes became hours and time seemed to move even more slowly than normal, her heart sunk with each passing second and she found herself dismal and anxious. The maids and butlers had not returned, and she supposed that she was forgotten.
