Rayne Ch. 02

It was damp, foggy and cold as Rayne and Javonnie made their way through the dark, quiet streets of London to Lionel's townhouse. They had each brought only a small valise with a couple of changes of clothes. There would be time tomorrow to have the remainder of their belongings transferred from the ship to the residence and anything else they required could be purchased. They were both exhausted and wanted nothing more than to find their beds and get some sleep. Javonnie as well as the crew members from The Eclipse had kept well out of Rayne's way since the interlude with the Scarlet Flame as his temper had shortened with each passing day of the journey. Even now, Javonnie noticed, Rayne had a scowl on his face. He was just wondering if it was the task of sorting through his grandfathers business and the round of social events that would be mandatory for him to attend or more likely he was still smarting from the "you-don't-impress-me" attitude of the femme fatal from the Scarlet Flame. That thought brought a smile to Javonnie's lips as he thought once again that it was high time his friend Rayne got his comeuppance from the opposite sex. He had never seen a woman refuse Raynes attentions and he thought this was absolutely priceless.

The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the townhouse and Rayne climbed out leaving Javonnie to pay the driver. They climbed the steps and rapped the doorknocker loudly. Needless to say as the hour was extremely late and no one was expecting them it was quite some time before the butler arrived to let them in. The sleepy butler, startled into complete wakefulness at seeing Rayne standing on the doorstep, apologized profusely for the long wait. Rayne waved the mans apologies away and disappeared up the stairs to the master suite while Javonnie calmed the man down and assured him that it was quite alright, they had not sent word ahead and that he couldn't be expected to know of their arrival. The poor butler was beside himself with worry, as he had been witness to multiple arguments between Rayne and his grandfather. The little man most assuredly did not want that ferocious temper aimed at him. He hurriedly promised he would have the staff assembled for instructions at the Dukes convenience. Javonnie wryly informed the butler not to expect either the Duke nor himself before lunch. Having finally convinced the man he was not about to be drawn and quartered, he took himself up stairs to the guestroom where he crawled tiredly into bed.

There was a pounding in his head, or was it the door? Javonnie cracked an eyelid and turned his head toward the bedroom door, which was swinging open. "Are you planning to lay abed all day long?" Rayne demanded.

Javonnie glanced sleepily at the clock on top of the chest of drawers, which showed the time to be 9:00, and from the sunlight streaming in from the nearby window, he knew it was morning. He turned a disgruntled gaze on Rayne before gracing him with a response. "Have you any idea what time it is Rayne?"

"Well of course I know what time it is. Time for lazy lie-abeds like yourself to be up and about."

"It would seem you are finally in better spirits. Of course, you weren't the one left standing with that ninny last night while he whimpered and whined because he was afraid you were going to wring his scrawny neck because he hadn't the foresight to know you were going to arrive last night."

"Oh, Rupert always was a whiner. If he weren't so competent at running this house I'd hand him his walking papers. But, he might as well stay around and earn his keep! Come on Javonnie, get up, we've got things to do. The crew's waiting at the docks to dispose of our cargo."

Javonnie lay with his arm over his eyes trying to block out the sound of Raynes voice, but knew it was useless. So, he finally agreed to get out of bed and meet Rayne downstairs for breakfast. An hour later Javonnie, freshly shaved and dressed with his blonde hair still glistening with dampness appeared at the breakfast table where Rayne sat finishing up his own breakfast. "Nice of you to finally join me" he said with mock irritation as Javonnie helped himself from the sideboard.

Javonnie, being still just a little put out at having been awakened so early after such a late night, retorted, "No problem your Dukeship! It was my pleasure to get out of bed to come down here and look at your ugly face."

"Ah, but you are about to be thanking me for dragging you out of bed."

"Hardly likely."

"Guess who's having a ball tonight in honor of their nieces upcoming nuptials?" Rayne asked with obvious smugness.

Javonnie, now just a tad wary, gave Rayne a questioning look as he reached for another slice of smoked ham.

"None other than the esteemed Mulholland sisters" Rayne announced with merriment dancing in his sparkling blue eyes.

Javonnie felt like the floor had just tipped out from under his feet, leaving him dangling from the dining table. "Veronica is getting married?" he asked totally stunned. He was trying to adjust to this unexpected turn of events without much immediate success.

"So it would seem. If I've told you once, I've told you a million times that girl wasn't going wait forever" Rayne said shaking his head in mock sadness.

"Who's she engaged to marry?" Javonnie asked with amazing calm, especially since he was seething inside. He had actually thought she would wait until he got through roaming the seas and decided to settle down. Damn women, couldn't they ever be just a little patient?

"It says here she's engaged to Lord Steven Finch."

"Good Lord, not little Stevie? He walks with a mincing step and he dresses like an absolute fop. What can Veronica be thinking of? He couldn't begin to satisfy a woman with Veronica's appetite uh, that is to say, that he's not very manly" Javonnie finished somewhat weakly as he saw Rayne slowly raise one black brow in both question and surprise.

"Do tell Javonnie, and just how would you know exactly what it would take to satisfy Miss Veronica Mulholland?" The last half of the sentence was spoken with deadly quiet.

"Now Rayne, don't you go giving me any lectures about Veronica's virtue. How many women have you seduced? How many times have I had to save your hide from an irate husband?"

"Exactly, husband. I never compromised an unmarried lady of Veronica's caliber. Veronica doesn't have a husband, and she was still virginal, at least I believed her to be until now. Are you telling me you took her innocence thereby compromising her?" Rayne demanded.

"Well, you don't have to make it sound like I raped her or anything. It was not planned, it just sort of happened and it was by mutual consent" Javonnie hated the way Rayne had him on the defensive. Although the memories of that date brought a smile to his lips and a warmth to his heart, as well as to other places he would prefer not to think of just at that moment.

"And when exactly did this take place?"

"The last time I came to take care of your business with your attorney for you. But she saw me off with a smile on her face and assurances that she would be waiting for me when I returned. I had no idea she would up and marry anyone before I got around to asking her myself, much less that popinjay!" Javonnie was now realizing just how much he did not want Veronica to marry Stevie, or anyone else for that matter. He just couldn't figure out what that peculiar ache was in the vicinity of his heart. Must have been the darned kippers he had just eaten.

Rayne sat watching his friend and wondered how long it would take him to figure out that he was in love with Veronica and put a stop to this nonsense about her marrying that little twit Stevie Finch. "I'm going to send a response to this invitation and accept for the both of us. As soon as you're done with breakfast I suggest we leave for the docks and on the way we can discuss a few of the other invitations I've received."

Javonnie just nodded dumbly as he was still thinking about this new turn of events. It looked like they had returned home just in time.

Once on the way to the docks Javonnie at least made a pretense of being jovial, with pronounced lapses of silence that had Rayne chuckling to himself. Boy, he was glad he wasn't suffering from that affliction called love!

Several hours later the cargo was being unloaded and a bolt of brilliant sapphire silk caught his eye and he had Red pull it out and put it in the carriage. Whenever he had first caught site of the fabric he had had a mental picture of his mysterious piratress in a low cut gown that hugged her curvaceous body made of the sapphire fabric. He almost called Red back, it wasn't likely he would see her anytime soon, but as he was already opening the door to the carriage to put the bolt of fabric in, he refrained from calling him out to him.

After having concluded the business of the dispensing of the cargo Rayne and Javonnie stopped at a local hotel for lunch and then continued on to the well-know establishment of Xavier & Xavier. Rayne had used the tailors at Xavier & Xavier since he been old enough to purchase his own wardrobe. He like the simplistic lines of elegance that was a long tradition of this establishment as well as mirroring his own taste in clothes. He shuddered to think of the outlandish clothes some of the men of London sported. It was all the rage to dress the part of a dandy in chartreuse, pink, canary yellow, stripes and plaids. If he wanted to look like a peacock, he would just purchase some feathers. As the two gentlemen entered the establishment Freidman the head tailor approached them with a smile of greeting on his face.

"Ah Mr. Rayne and Mr. Javonnie. It has been ages since you have gifted us here at Xavier & Xavier's with your presence. What can I help you two gentlemen with today?"

Both Rayne and Javonnie were well acquainted with Freidman and knew that whatever they required would be fulfilled in the most efficient and timely manner possible by this exuberant tailor.

"Freidman, we have only arrived in London late last night, and find we are to attend a ball this evening. As you are aware, I've been traveling abroad in much warmer climates and I'm sadly lacking in the appropriate evening apparel as is my friend here. It most important that Mr. Sumner looks especially dashing this evening. So, do you think you can help us out of this spot we're in?"

Freidman knowing full well that he would be handsomely rewarded for pulling off such a feat was already mentally ticking off the suits in the gentlemen's size range he had available for alteration. "Of course it will be difficult, but as usual, if it can be done, I can do it!" Freidman said with his usually enthusiasm. Javonnie had stood listening to the entire exchange between the two men with a look on his face that clearly let Rayne know he knew he was up to something. As Freidman scurried off to pull together two evening ensembles he and Rayne sat in the private viewing room sipping coffee.

"Okay, what are you up to? 'Mr. Sumners must look especially dashing this evening'? Don't even try to tell me you're not up to something."

"Oh, I just thought by now you would have come to your senses and realized that you're about to let a perfectly good woman get married to a man that hasn't a clue how to be a man. Now, you tell me could you live with yourself if you allowed that to happen?" Having said that, Rayne sat back to see what Javonnie would say.

He looked incredulously at Rayne before asking "Just what do you expect me to do? I mean this ball is to announce her engagement. Don't you think it's a little late for me to do anything about it now? Don't you think I haven't thought of every conceivable scheme that I could come up with to stop this? But nothing I come up with is believable." As Javonnie ranted on and on Rayne wondered what Javonnie would say if he could hear himself. Yep, the guy had it bad. Rayne, feeling badly for his friend, wanted to put him out of his misery so he simply said, "Abduct her."

Javonnie stopped in mid-sentence and said "What?"

"Simple, abduct Veronica."

"Oh yeah right, like that's gonna work." But Rayne could see he was giving the suggestion serious thought. "Just how do you propose I accomplish this abduction?"

Rayne hadn't thought that far in advance, so he was silent for a few moments before suggesting, "Aren't you familiar with the Mulholland's gardens and house?"

"Well of course. I've been there dozens of times."

"Well then, I suggest you attempt to get her alone and try to first talk some sense into her. Tell her you love her. If she chooses not to believe you and you feel like it's gonna take you longer to convince her than time permits let me know and I will manage to get her into the garden near the back gate. We will have the coach waiting there and we can whisk her away before she or anyone else is any the wiser" Rayne finished with a wide smile amazing even himself with this spur of the moment plan.

Javonnie just stared at him like he had taken leave of his senses. "You really expect me to believe this harebrained plan of yours is actually going to work?" Javonnie rolled his eyes heavenward and leaned back in the chair. But Rayne could see the wheels in Javonnie's mind turning and knew before the night was out, his "harebrained" scheme would most likely be a reality.

Freidman returned with a very elegant charcoal gray evening suite with a pearl gray silk shirt and matching cravat as well as a jet black suite with a white shirt and emerald cravat for the two gentlemen to look at. "I suggest that Mr. Sumners wear that black ensemble as he would look most dashing with his golden skin, Adonis-blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Perhaps a diamond cravat pin would be the perfect touch to compliment the outfit? While this elegant charcoal suite will be the perfect foil for your dark good looks Mr. Quinhurst" Freidman suggest with his usual expert opinion. Both Rayne and Javonnie agreed with the choices and moved into the dressing rooms to try the apparel on so that Freidman could see to any necessary alterations.

Rayne emerged first and Freidman began making the necessary adjustments assuring Rayne it could be accomplished within a few hours and delivered to the townhouse in plenty of time for the evenings festivities. Javonnie emerged looking quite handsome in the elegant black suite, with the cravat making his eyes seem even greener than normal.

"By jove Freidman, I believe you have succeeded in making my mangy friend here as handsome and dashing as possible" Rayne joked with a jovial grin at Javonnie who was preening in front of the large mirror. "Careful Javonnie, you are starting to remind me of a certain popinjay of our mutual acquaintance" Rayne said barely able to contain his laughter at the dark scowl he received for his wit.

"I could never be like dear Stevie even if I tried" Javonnie snorted, imitating the mincing steps of the referred to dandy and looking quite the fool for his efforts. He soon had Rayne howling with laughter at his antics, that is until Freidman managed to poke Rayne with the straight pin as he was attempting to pin the back seam of the trousers he wore.

"Good God Freidman, watch where you're poking that damnable pin!" Rayne shouted at the now nervous tailor who was desperately trying to apologize.

"Oh yeah right, make him nervous before he gets a hold of me, why don't you Rayne" Javonnie said with mock concern. "Guess I'll feel like a pin cushion by the time he's through with me from the way his hands are shaking. Now, Freidman, pay no attention to my friend here, he's suffering from a bad case of rejection from a certain lady of the feline persuasion." Javonnie received a glowering look from Rayne for his trouble and should have known it would be wise to let the subject drop, but this was Javonnie after all! "Yes siree, I don't believe I've ever seen his Dukeship here receive quite a set-down like that before." He leaned closer to Freidman and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "You know, the ladies always prostrate themselves at his feet, but not this lady. She flat out refused his advances without batting an eyelash. I fear the Duke here was quite undone by the lady's rebuff. You know, not knowing how to handle a refusal as it's never happened before."

"Javonnie, I believe that's enough, unless of course you would like to know what if feels like to have me really take my frustration out on you?" Rayne said with deadly quiet and a furious look on his handsome face. Freidman looked as if he was a mouse caught between two hungry cats and the look cause both Rayne and Javonnie to burst out in laughter. Freidman managed to get through the rest of the fitting and breathed a sigh of relief as the two gentlemen walked out the front doors of the establishment to the street. These two particular gentlemen could be very volatile but they always made it worth his time he thought as he looked down at the handsome tip he had received. The tip alone was more than he normally made in a month, so he shrugged his shoulders at the nervous tension their visits always brought him.

True to his word, Freidman had the suits delivered to the townhouse in plenty of time for Javonnie and Rayne to dress for the ball. Rayne had been dressed and sitting in the study for almost an hour before Javonnie put in an appearance.

"Damn Javonnie, you take longer to dress than most women. Why, I bet ole Stevie boy doesn't even take as long as you do to dress" Rayne just couldn't refrain from taking that little jab at Javonnie.

"Yeah, that may be so, but then Stevie doesn't stand a chance when I walk in the room either!"

"My, my, we are feeling confident tonight aren't we?"

"Have you spoken to your coachman?"

"My coachman will be in front of the estate where he should be. I have made arrangements with Scotty to be waiting in the back alley with the new landau I bought. Just in case your charm and good looks aren't enough to convince Veronica to call off this engagement."

Javonnie at least had the decency to look chagrined as he spoke, "I know I owe you for this one Rayne. I should have taken care of that little detail by proposing before I left to return to Tahiti. At least then she would have known what my intentions were. I just can't believe she wouldn't wait for me." Then as if it just dawned on him he looked over at Rayne with a stricken look.

Rayne seeing the very real fear mixed with denial on Javonnie's face cautiously asked "What?"

Javonnie cleared his throat and asked somewhat shakily, "You don't suppose she conceived that one time do you?"

"Good Lord Javonnie, you mean to stand there and tell me you didn't have the wherewithal to take the precaution to withdraw before...no, never mind, I can see you didn't. How could you let this happen? I mean it's not like this was the first woman you were ever intimate with. I happen to know for a fact there have been numerous women and times. Would you care to explain yourself?" Rayne exploded.

"Rayne, I know you're not going to believe this, but it was like it was the first time. I hate to admit this, but...I totally lost control of the situation and before I knew it we were both there and I spent myself before it occurred to me to pull out." Javonnie looked extremely uncomfortable with his admission and tugged at his perfectly tied cravat as if he were suddenly suffocating.

Rayne had never seen his eloquent friend so flustered and he had rarely seen him blush, but he stood before him now with his face a dull red and looking totally miserable with the situation. "Javonnie, I have to ask you before this gets totally out of hand. Do you love Veronica? Now hear me out. Are you in love with her, because once you take her from the ball by force, there will be no turning back. Her reputation would be totally ruined and you will have to marry her once the deed is done. Do you understand all of the consequences of your actions if you do this?"