The Master Finale | manxman | (Book Four: The Master Collection)

VII - For the First Time

"It is in the countryside?" Darcy asked next.

"Yes, tucked away fairly well. I bought it from a man upfront who was moving to London."

"Upfront?" Darcy nodded her approval. "You bought it with the money you gain from your...jobs?"

Finishing his chewing first, Timothy nodded, "To be honest, I don't think it to be a very pleasant table conversation, my Lady. I don't want to ruin anyone's appetite."

"Understandable, I'm sure dear Jasper would not mind hearing of your past tales. With his library filled to the very last slot already, and most of them being of dark, and gloomy works of fiction, he'd enjoy a story or two. I'm afraid Juliette and I prefer cheerful tales with happy endings, while Jasper prefers suspenseful mysteries."

"Do you read, Mr. Creel?" Jasper asked, dabbing his mouth after a sip of tea. "You are not a child, so I won't ask if you would like a story read to you, but you are more than welcome to my books."

Out of mere curiosity, Timothy asked, "By any luck, do you have Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock somewhere in your library?"

"Yes, actually," Jasper nodded, "That is one of my favorites." He then raised his wine glass and swirled the liquid as if showcasing the Royal Thorne brand inside. "If you ever happen upon Mr. Oscar Thorne, never mention that I stole it from his home back when I was twelve. His brother allowed me to their library, and...let us say I helped myself to it."

Timothy smiled to himself before taking his cup of tea. He thought it a bit entertaining that Jasper didn't know it was in fact him who had given him permission to enter the Thorne library. The only reason he knew of the book having gone missing from back then, was because he'd overheard his past caretakers Luna and Romani pointing out its disappearance one night. Back then he hadn't thought much of it, but with his remembrance to Jasper's small encounter during his teenage years, and coming to know of the Master's love for books, he figured the question wouldn't be a strange one to ask.

While they continued to eat during Darcy and Juliette's back and forth conversation about flowers, and their lovely walk in the city during the day, Timothy's mind flooded with possibilities. Aside from the dozens upon dozens of murders linked to his own past, he and the Master were not all that different. They were both men of the nobility, both men that preferred the same sex rather than women, and they both knew what it felt like to be alone after the loss of someone they loved. So there shouldn't be any measures to fear if he revealed that he was Broderick Thorne living under an alias.

What could go wrong?

"Timothy?" the Master called then, bringing the dark-haired man out of his own muse.

"Yes?"

"You never answered my question. Would you like a book, anything to read?"

"Oh, no. Thank you, Jasper," Timothy set his utensils down after his plate was nearly cleared, and then he took a freshly baked slice of cake. "I have never been much of a reader. Not that I don't know how to read. I have a hard time sitting in one place without moving. I'm the kind of man who is good with my hands, prefer to work, build things mostly at my home. When I was growing up, I was even rather good with music."

"Music?" this caught Jasper's interest. "What do you play?"

"Almost anything," Timothy said, noticing the Master's full attention was on him while Darcy and Juliette continued their chatter. "I had a — I knew someone quite well who took the time to teach me many instruments, but the piano was one I was best at. However, I will not lie, it has been a great long time since I last touched any given instrument, so I cannot tell you how good I would perform right now."