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fellowshippers2005-09-12 07:54 pm
precious-rosie.livejournal.com) wrote in fellowshippers2005-09-12 07:54 pm
FIC: The Captain's Boy [REVISED] (6/14) Andy Serkis/Elijah Wood ~ PG
Title: The Captain’s Boy [Revised]
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
precious_rosie
Pairing: Andy/Elijah.
Type: RPS AU
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Total fiction, from the depths of my imagination.
Summary: Set in mid 1880's, Elijah is working in a high- class male brothel. The madame has fixed him up with a very special client.
Warning[s]: prostitution, a tad fluffy towards the end of this chapter.
Feedback: is like nector.
Beta:shy_nerthuserce as always. *hugs* :-)
Archive: Mirrormere, various LOTR RPS Yahoo group
Author’s note: This is a story that I started back in April 2003 and it received high praise. Sadly thanks to that awful thing called “real life , I’ve still got to complete it, along with several other projects. Perhaps this LJ is the kick up the backside I need!
Author's Note 2: *Some* of you may have now realised exactly who Dhani and his father are in RL. *BG* This is just my little tribute. *g*
x-posted to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
fellow_shippers
Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five
Dhani’s unexpected words had startled Elijah – not least because of his sudden change from a gentle Indian accent to a fiercely tough, thick Liverpudlian one.
The following day, as Elijah walked stiffly into the communal dining room for breakfast, Dhani was seated serenely eating his bowl of porridge. There was a hum of quiet chatter in the room, whilst all eyes were focused on Elijah.
Apart, that is, from Orlando, who sat trading dirty looks with Billy at the other end of the table, whilst feeding that fat, farting spaniel, Mitzi with morsels from his plate.
Elijah piled up his plate with bacon and eggs and went to sit down next to Dhani.
“Fookin’ ‘ell!” whispered Dhani. “I could murder that scran!” Elijah looked at him quizzically, so Dhani grinned and rephrased his comment. “I could really eat that scran – food! Only I got to let people think I don’t eat meat for religious reasons.” He winked at Elijah, who smiled back wanly as he sat down and began eating his breakfast in silence. Dhani nudged him with a thin elbow. “Ow yer doin’, kidder?”
“Sore!” Elijah replied, avoiding the stares of the other boys. He was glad that they were much too concerned about filling their bellies to notice how animatedly Dhani was talking to Madame Louise’s disgraced favourite.
“Yer seein’ the Captain today?”
“I hope so.”
Dhani took a mouthful of porridge and cleared his throat before lowering his voice even more. “They’ve all been natterin’ about you, yer know. Been talk of nutt’n else.”
Madame Louise’s sudden arrival in the dining room caused the boys to stand up in one sweep, scraping their chairs on the floor as they did so.
“Morning, boys!” She cast her eye over the room.
“Mornin,’ Miss Louise!” chorused the boys.
“Elijah!” she called. “I want to speak to you.”
“’Ere goes...” Elijah quickly swallowed a piece of bread, before following the little Madame out of the dining room.
Dhani grasped his arm as he left. “S’all right, kidder; if needs be, I’ll stick up for yer!”
**************
Half-expecting to be scolded and sent to his room in disgrace, Elijah found Madame Louise apologetic and certainly not angry with him.
“I gather it didn’t work out with the Count.”
“No, Miss Louise.” Elijah bit his lower lip nervously, drawing blood.
To Elijah’s surprise, the Madame’s voice was gentle and concerned when she spoke again. “Did he hurt you badly, sweetheart?”
“Yes, Miss Louise.” Elijah stared at his feet. “But I’ll be all right.”
Madame Louise sighed. “What a vile creature that – I hesitate to use the word – man is! It was most unfortunate that none of my gentlemen callers last night was a Harley Street physician – there are several who usually frequent the house! And of course, the wretched Count demanded his money back, which I refused – the gall of the man!”
Elijah’s eyes widened as he stared up at her. “Wot ‘appened then, Madame?”
The Madame shrugged. “He got angry, so Hugo showed him the door. My only worry is that he will return.”
“’E won’t come after me, will ‘e?” Elijah looked into Madame Louise’s face, hoping for reassurance; instead, she looked worried – scared, almost.
“I – I don’t know. Of course, I will make sure that every step is taken to keep us all safe. Dhani has offered –”
Recalling Dhani’s outburst the previous night, Elijah’s blue eyes grew wider. “No!” he exclaimed. “Please, no! ‘E mustn’t – ‘e’ll get ‘urt!”
Madame Louise sighed and smiled ruefully. “The Prince offered, bab.” She shrugged her shoulders. “He tells me that he is experienced in dealing with a man like the Count.”
I’m *sure* he is, thought Elijah anxiously.
************
The rest of the day passed uneventfully enough. Orlando and Billy were still the best of enemies, it was business as usual for the rest of the boys, and Elijah spent a great deal of the day gazing wistfully out of his bedroom window, hoping to see Andrew.
Dhani attempted to cheer him up by teaching him a song about a Liverpool whore. He brought along a little banjo, which he played expertly, and he had a very good, strong, clear singing voice.
“Oh dirty Maggie Mae, they ‘ave taken ‘er away,
And she’ll never walk down Lime Street any more;
Oh the judge ‘e guilty found ‘er,
For robbin’ an ‘omeward bounder;
That dirty, no good, robbin’ Maggie Mae.
To the port of Liverpool
They returned me to –”
“You should be on the stage!” Elijah enthused to his new friend.
“Me old man was a musician,” Dhani explained. “Sang and played the banjo. This is his,” he added, holding up the banjo.
“What ‘appened to ‘im, Dhani?”
For a moment Dhani’s face clouded – and then just as quickly cleared, leaving his expression unreadable. “Saw ‘im get killed when I was eight, by this posh feller down the docks. There was some trouble over one of the tarts there; Da tried to pull this bloke off her, but got knifed. I hid behind some boxes. Saw it all.” His voice grew faint as he gazed out of the window as though remembering. “I’ve bin on me own ever since. Done a bit of flitchin’ an’ that. Only ended up as a renter ‘cos I was starvin’.”
“Same ‘ere,” nodded Elijah. “Wot about yer mum – where’s she?”
“Died when I was one,” Dhani replied sadly. “She named me ‘Dhani’. It’s ‘Indu, or somethin’. Means ‘wealthy’.” He gave a snort. “’Wealthy’! Fuck! Shame it’s only me name and not me pocket that’s wealthy! Anyways, there I was, workin’ as a renter, an’ I gets picked up by this fella – foreign, ‘e was – an’ ‘e looks kinda familiar.” Dhani’s voice grew distant as he related the tale to Elijah. ‘E takes me to Paris, Venice...you name it, I went there! I’m still wondering where I’ve seen him before. ‘E tells people I’m an Indian prince ‘cos of me looks, an’ insists on dressing me up like one – hence the poncy outfits. I can do the accent as there’s loads of Indians in Liverpool. Anyway; one night in Paris, I ‘eard someone call ‘im by his proper name and then I realised ‘oo he was –”
“*Oo*?” Elijah’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he listened intently.
“E’d been travellin’ with me under an alias. See, I knew who ‘e was, but e didn’t know me; I was only eight when he last saw me – if ‘e recognised me, that is!”
“Oo?” Elijah urged.
“The same bloke who knifed me Da. I recognised the eyes, see. Those eyes, like one of those big wild cats. That’s why I came to London. After ‘e bought me back to England, ‘e dumped me and disappeared; I figured I’d find ‘im an’ give ‘im what ‘e deserves. Bastard!”
“Ave you found ‘im yet?” asked Elijah.
“Oh, I’ve got an idea ‘oo and where ‘e might be. He’s even more tricksy than me; a real clever man!” Dhani laughed before his face became inscrutable again. “It’s the timin’, see; got to get it right! Can’t get anyone else involved. ‘E’s mine, yer see!”
“And Madame Louise – does she – does she know that you’re not an Indian Prince?”
“Nope, but I’ll tell ‘er when the time is right. Saying that, I reckon she knows already. Smart, yer see?” Dhani tapped his forehead. “A real nice lady.”
“It’s a lot to take in, Dhani!” Elijah grinned weakly. “You’ve fair made me ‘ead spin!”
Dhani laughed and strummed a few chords on the banjo. “Better finish off me song, then, eh?”
Elijah listened as contentedly as he could, letting the new information percolate through his head and trying to make sense of it as Dhani entertained him with the rest of the tale of Maggie Mae while he drew his fingers down the window-pane and wiped away the drops of condensation.
And then suddenly he caught a glimpse of a familiar red uniform and jolted upright.
“You alright, kidder?” asked Dhani, concerned.
“It’s – Andrew!” gasped Elijah.
“Well, get some decent kecks on, mate!” laughed Dhani. “You don’t want ‘im thinking yer’ve gone to the dogs!”
There was a sudden knock on the door before Billy peeped round it, green eyes flashing with mischief. “Och, wee hen –” he began in a cheeky, sing-song voice.
Elijah interrupted him. “I know, I’ve seen!” he grinned. He looked back at Dhani, who had put the banjo aside and returned to his persona of the serene, enigmatic Indian Prince and was nodding graciously.
“I leave you to dress now.” His voice was once again heavily accented. Elijah giggled – as much from nerves and excitement as anything.
“His English is improving!” Billy remarked as Dhani left the room. “At least Orlando is doing something right in his life for once!”
“You could say that!” Elijah smirked as he fixed a new collar to his shirt.
Billy stood behind him and helped with a particularly awkward collar-stud. “Are ye goin’ to tell the Captain aboot last night?” the little Scotsman asked quietly.
“Why should I?” Elijah replied flatly. “I was wiv anuvver client.”
Billy tutted. “Och, ye were pretty messed up, wee one. Madame Louise was gunna get a doctor in! Have ye seen your back?”
“I can feel it – fanks for reminding me!”
“Och, ye can play noughts and crosses on it!”
“Bill – ee!”
Billy backed off. “Okay, wee yin, I won’t mention it again. But ye’ve got to explain how ye got those marks though. He’s gunna ask!”
*************
Andrew ran a caressing finger down Elijah’s bare back as the younger man lay entwined in his lover’s arms after a bout of tender love-making.
“Looks painful. I didn’t hurt you that much the other night, did I?” he asked as he kissed Elijah’s soft ear lobe gently.
“No,” Elijah reassured him.
“If anyone hurts you, I’ll fucking kill ‘em!” Andrew pulled Elijah closer and turned the boy round to face him. “I mean that, Elijah!”
“Yes, I know.” Elijah smiled wistfully, stroking Andrew’s face. He ached to tell him what had happened with the Count.
“God, I missed you last night! Fucking boring regimental dinners. I should have taken you! You would have outshone all the ladies in their posh dresses. One look at your beautiful face would have made ‘em so jealous!”
“I missed you, too,” Elijah murmured against Andrew’s broad, comforting chest, as solid as an oak tree, and fingering the curling chest hair.
“Do you want to go away?” Andrew asked unexpectedly, his voice vibrating softly against Elijah’s ear.
Elijah looked at him in bemusement. “Away? Away from London?”
“Yes, away from London. I’m owed some leave. My wife is going to be visiting her family in Manchester next month. I can speak to Madame Louise and take you on a little holiday.”
Elijah’s mind was in a whirl. After Dhani’s revelations and the events of last night – and now here was the man he adored offering to take him on holiday!
Holiday! He’d never been on holiday before! Orlando had been taken to Paris by Sir Ian once and had come back with tales of loose living, champagne on tap and the amazing Parisian nightlife.
“Yes, I’ll come with you!” he replied as he traced his finger around Andrew’s lower lip.
“That’s good,” Andrew chuckled, gently biting Elijah’s finger. “Where would you like to go?”
“Um...” Elijah thought for a moment; then, after careful consideration, replied: “Paris! Sir Ian took Orlando there!”
Andrew laughed. “Poor Elijah; I doubt if my commission can stretch to Paris: I’m not a famous actor like Sir Ian! But I will take you there one day, I promise! Anywhere else?”
Elijah shook his head. He wasn’t averse to other places; but as far as he was concerned, the world was London and that was it.
“I tell you what!” Andrew said. “There’s a chap at the barracks has a little house in the West Country called Weston-super-Mare. He’s in debt after I beat him at cards, so this is as good as taking the money from him! An’ they say as Weston is gettin’ quite fashionable nowadays! His place has a private garden, an’ even a private bit of beach. I just have to let him know so as he can make the arrangements with the staff. You’d like that?”
Elijah nodded, excitedly.
Weston Super Mare...
It was hardly Paris; but as he would be with his Captain, anywhere away from London would be like Paradise. And a private beach, too – so that would mean the house was near the sea. Elijah had never seen the sea, apart from in pictures. Was it as blue as they said?
“You’re my special boy,” Andrew was saying as he stroked Elijah’s curls. “And my special boy deserves to be spoiled.” He kissed him gently on the top of his head and Elijah tingled and curled up more tightly beside his protector.
He was safe here with Andrew, safe in his arms. No-one and nothing would harm him now.
*************
Chapter 7 to follow
Author:
precious_rosiePairing: Andy/Elijah.
Type: RPS AU
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Total fiction, from the depths of my imagination.
Summary: Set in mid 1880's, Elijah is working in a high- class male brothel. The madame has fixed him up with a very special client.
Warning[s]: prostitution, a tad fluffy towards the end of this chapter.
Feedback: is like nector.
Beta:
shy_nerthuserce as always. *hugs* :-)Archive: Mirrormere, various LOTR RPS Yahoo group
Author’s note: This is a story that I started back in April 2003 and it received high praise. Sadly thanks to that awful thing called “real life , I’ve still got to complete it, along with several other projects. Perhaps this LJ is the kick up the backside I need!
Author's Note 2: *Some* of you may have now realised exactly who Dhani and his father are in RL. *BG* This is just my little tribute. *g*
x-posted to
fellow_shippersChapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five
Dhani’s unexpected words had startled Elijah – not least because of his sudden change from a gentle Indian accent to a fiercely tough, thick Liverpudlian one.
The following day, as Elijah walked stiffly into the communal dining room for breakfast, Dhani was seated serenely eating his bowl of porridge. There was a hum of quiet chatter in the room, whilst all eyes were focused on Elijah.
Apart, that is, from Orlando, who sat trading dirty looks with Billy at the other end of the table, whilst feeding that fat, farting spaniel, Mitzi with morsels from his plate.
Elijah piled up his plate with bacon and eggs and went to sit down next to Dhani.
“Fookin’ ‘ell!” whispered Dhani. “I could murder that scran!” Elijah looked at him quizzically, so Dhani grinned and rephrased his comment. “I could really eat that scran – food! Only I got to let people think I don’t eat meat for religious reasons.” He winked at Elijah, who smiled back wanly as he sat down and began eating his breakfast in silence. Dhani nudged him with a thin elbow. “Ow yer doin’, kidder?”
“Sore!” Elijah replied, avoiding the stares of the other boys. He was glad that they were much too concerned about filling their bellies to notice how animatedly Dhani was talking to Madame Louise’s disgraced favourite.
“Yer seein’ the Captain today?”
“I hope so.”
Dhani took a mouthful of porridge and cleared his throat before lowering his voice even more. “They’ve all been natterin’ about you, yer know. Been talk of nutt’n else.”
Madame Louise’s sudden arrival in the dining room caused the boys to stand up in one sweep, scraping their chairs on the floor as they did so.
“Morning, boys!” She cast her eye over the room.
“Mornin,’ Miss Louise!” chorused the boys.
“Elijah!” she called. “I want to speak to you.”
“’Ere goes...” Elijah quickly swallowed a piece of bread, before following the little Madame out of the dining room.
Dhani grasped his arm as he left. “S’all right, kidder; if needs be, I’ll stick up for yer!”
Half-expecting to be scolded and sent to his room in disgrace, Elijah found Madame Louise apologetic and certainly not angry with him.
“I gather it didn’t work out with the Count.”
“No, Miss Louise.” Elijah bit his lower lip nervously, drawing blood.
To Elijah’s surprise, the Madame’s voice was gentle and concerned when she spoke again. “Did he hurt you badly, sweetheart?”
“Yes, Miss Louise.” Elijah stared at his feet. “But I’ll be all right.”
Madame Louise sighed. “What a vile creature that – I hesitate to use the word – man is! It was most unfortunate that none of my gentlemen callers last night was a Harley Street physician – there are several who usually frequent the house! And of course, the wretched Count demanded his money back, which I refused – the gall of the man!”
Elijah’s eyes widened as he stared up at her. “Wot ‘appened then, Madame?”
The Madame shrugged. “He got angry, so Hugo showed him the door. My only worry is that he will return.”
“’E won’t come after me, will ‘e?” Elijah looked into Madame Louise’s face, hoping for reassurance; instead, she looked worried – scared, almost.
“I – I don’t know. Of course, I will make sure that every step is taken to keep us all safe. Dhani has offered –”
Recalling Dhani’s outburst the previous night, Elijah’s blue eyes grew wider. “No!” he exclaimed. “Please, no! ‘E mustn’t – ‘e’ll get ‘urt!”
Madame Louise sighed and smiled ruefully. “The Prince offered, bab.” She shrugged her shoulders. “He tells me that he is experienced in dealing with a man like the Count.”
I’m *sure* he is, thought Elijah anxiously.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully enough. Orlando and Billy were still the best of enemies, it was business as usual for the rest of the boys, and Elijah spent a great deal of the day gazing wistfully out of his bedroom window, hoping to see Andrew.
Dhani attempted to cheer him up by teaching him a song about a Liverpool whore. He brought along a little banjo, which he played expertly, and he had a very good, strong, clear singing voice.
“Oh dirty Maggie Mae, they ‘ave taken ‘er away,
And she’ll never walk down Lime Street any more;
Oh the judge ‘e guilty found ‘er,
For robbin’ an ‘omeward bounder;
That dirty, no good, robbin’ Maggie Mae.
To the port of Liverpool
They returned me to –”
“You should be on the stage!” Elijah enthused to his new friend.
“Me old man was a musician,” Dhani explained. “Sang and played the banjo. This is his,” he added, holding up the banjo.
“What ‘appened to ‘im, Dhani?”
For a moment Dhani’s face clouded – and then just as quickly cleared, leaving his expression unreadable. “Saw ‘im get killed when I was eight, by this posh feller down the docks. There was some trouble over one of the tarts there; Da tried to pull this bloke off her, but got knifed. I hid behind some boxes. Saw it all.” His voice grew faint as he gazed out of the window as though remembering. “I’ve bin on me own ever since. Done a bit of flitchin’ an’ that. Only ended up as a renter ‘cos I was starvin’.”
“Same ‘ere,” nodded Elijah. “Wot about yer mum – where’s she?”
“Died when I was one,” Dhani replied sadly. “She named me ‘Dhani’. It’s ‘Indu, or somethin’. Means ‘wealthy’.” He gave a snort. “’Wealthy’! Fuck! Shame it’s only me name and not me pocket that’s wealthy! Anyways, there I was, workin’ as a renter, an’ I gets picked up by this fella – foreign, ‘e was – an’ ‘e looks kinda familiar.” Dhani’s voice grew distant as he related the tale to Elijah. ‘E takes me to Paris, Venice...you name it, I went there! I’m still wondering where I’ve seen him before. ‘E tells people I’m an Indian prince ‘cos of me looks, an’ insists on dressing me up like one – hence the poncy outfits. I can do the accent as there’s loads of Indians in Liverpool. Anyway; one night in Paris, I ‘eard someone call ‘im by his proper name and then I realised ‘oo he was –”
“*Oo*?” Elijah’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he listened intently.
“E’d been travellin’ with me under an alias. See, I knew who ‘e was, but e didn’t know me; I was only eight when he last saw me – if ‘e recognised me, that is!”
“Oo?” Elijah urged.
“The same bloke who knifed me Da. I recognised the eyes, see. Those eyes, like one of those big wild cats. That’s why I came to London. After ‘e bought me back to England, ‘e dumped me and disappeared; I figured I’d find ‘im an’ give ‘im what ‘e deserves. Bastard!”
“Ave you found ‘im yet?” asked Elijah.
“Oh, I’ve got an idea ‘oo and where ‘e might be. He’s even more tricksy than me; a real clever man!” Dhani laughed before his face became inscrutable again. “It’s the timin’, see; got to get it right! Can’t get anyone else involved. ‘E’s mine, yer see!”
“And Madame Louise – does she – does she know that you’re not an Indian Prince?”
“Nope, but I’ll tell ‘er when the time is right. Saying that, I reckon she knows already. Smart, yer see?” Dhani tapped his forehead. “A real nice lady.”
“It’s a lot to take in, Dhani!” Elijah grinned weakly. “You’ve fair made me ‘ead spin!”
Dhani laughed and strummed a few chords on the banjo. “Better finish off me song, then, eh?”
Elijah listened as contentedly as he could, letting the new information percolate through his head and trying to make sense of it as Dhani entertained him with the rest of the tale of Maggie Mae while he drew his fingers down the window-pane and wiped away the drops of condensation.
And then suddenly he caught a glimpse of a familiar red uniform and jolted upright.
“You alright, kidder?” asked Dhani, concerned.
“It’s – Andrew!” gasped Elijah.
“Well, get some decent kecks on, mate!” laughed Dhani. “You don’t want ‘im thinking yer’ve gone to the dogs!”
There was a sudden knock on the door before Billy peeped round it, green eyes flashing with mischief. “Och, wee hen –” he began in a cheeky, sing-song voice.
Elijah interrupted him. “I know, I’ve seen!” he grinned. He looked back at Dhani, who had put the banjo aside and returned to his persona of the serene, enigmatic Indian Prince and was nodding graciously.
“I leave you to dress now.” His voice was once again heavily accented. Elijah giggled – as much from nerves and excitement as anything.
“His English is improving!” Billy remarked as Dhani left the room. “At least Orlando is doing something right in his life for once!”
“You could say that!” Elijah smirked as he fixed a new collar to his shirt.
Billy stood behind him and helped with a particularly awkward collar-stud. “Are ye goin’ to tell the Captain aboot last night?” the little Scotsman asked quietly.
“Why should I?” Elijah replied flatly. “I was wiv anuvver client.”
Billy tutted. “Och, ye were pretty messed up, wee one. Madame Louise was gunna get a doctor in! Have ye seen your back?”
“I can feel it – fanks for reminding me!”
“Och, ye can play noughts and crosses on it!”
“Bill – ee!”
Billy backed off. “Okay, wee yin, I won’t mention it again. But ye’ve got to explain how ye got those marks though. He’s gunna ask!”
Andrew ran a caressing finger down Elijah’s bare back as the younger man lay entwined in his lover’s arms after a bout of tender love-making.
“Looks painful. I didn’t hurt you that much the other night, did I?” he asked as he kissed Elijah’s soft ear lobe gently.
“No,” Elijah reassured him.
“If anyone hurts you, I’ll fucking kill ‘em!” Andrew pulled Elijah closer and turned the boy round to face him. “I mean that, Elijah!”
“Yes, I know.” Elijah smiled wistfully, stroking Andrew’s face. He ached to tell him what had happened with the Count.
“God, I missed you last night! Fucking boring regimental dinners. I should have taken you! You would have outshone all the ladies in their posh dresses. One look at your beautiful face would have made ‘em so jealous!”
“I missed you, too,” Elijah murmured against Andrew’s broad, comforting chest, as solid as an oak tree, and fingering the curling chest hair.
“Do you want to go away?” Andrew asked unexpectedly, his voice vibrating softly against Elijah’s ear.
Elijah looked at him in bemusement. “Away? Away from London?”
“Yes, away from London. I’m owed some leave. My wife is going to be visiting her family in Manchester next month. I can speak to Madame Louise and take you on a little holiday.”
Elijah’s mind was in a whirl. After Dhani’s revelations and the events of last night – and now here was the man he adored offering to take him on holiday!
Holiday! He’d never been on holiday before! Orlando had been taken to Paris by Sir Ian once and had come back with tales of loose living, champagne on tap and the amazing Parisian nightlife.
“Yes, I’ll come with you!” he replied as he traced his finger around Andrew’s lower lip.
“That’s good,” Andrew chuckled, gently biting Elijah’s finger. “Where would you like to go?”
“Um...” Elijah thought for a moment; then, after careful consideration, replied: “Paris! Sir Ian took Orlando there!”
Andrew laughed. “Poor Elijah; I doubt if my commission can stretch to Paris: I’m not a famous actor like Sir Ian! But I will take you there one day, I promise! Anywhere else?”
Elijah shook his head. He wasn’t averse to other places; but as far as he was concerned, the world was London and that was it.
“I tell you what!” Andrew said. “There’s a chap at the barracks has a little house in the West Country called Weston-super-Mare. He’s in debt after I beat him at cards, so this is as good as taking the money from him! An’ they say as Weston is gettin’ quite fashionable nowadays! His place has a private garden, an’ even a private bit of beach. I just have to let him know so as he can make the arrangements with the staff. You’d like that?”
Elijah nodded, excitedly.
Weston Super Mare...
It was hardly Paris; but as he would be with his Captain, anywhere away from London would be like Paradise. And a private beach, too – so that would mean the house was near the sea. Elijah had never seen the sea, apart from in pictures. Was it as blue as they said?
“You’re my special boy,” Andrew was saying as he stroked Elijah’s curls. “And my special boy deserves to be spoiled.” He kissed him gently on the top of his head and Elijah tingled and curled up more tightly beside his protector.
He was safe here with Andrew, safe in his arms. No-one and nothing would harm him now.
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