FicWad

Night and Day 13/20
"Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again? Tell me, dear, are you lonesome tonight?" Are You Lonesome Tonight- Frank Sinatra
"Colby, my darling, your house is absolutely lovely and your servants are very well-trained," the Baroness Audrey Taylor had been a beautiful woman in her day, but now had the strong presence of a woman who had had to unexpectedly take control of her life. She was tall and elegant and still dressed in the styles common to the earlier part of the century: a corset bringing in her thickening waist, a long, restraining, black dress, and her hair done up in a tight bun. In the twenty-four hours she had been at the Hayes home she had taken control of most of Colby's household duties, forcing her daughter to rest.
"Thank you, Mother," Colby smiled as she took a sip of water.
"Yes, absolutely lovely," the Baroness nodded. "I must say I was not expecting such a beautiful home. I had heard such awful things about the States. Though, I do suppose someone could like America, if they enjoyed vulgarity and the noise."
Darren grinned from his place at the head of the table, "Oh, I don't know, Baroness, I think there's a sort of quaintness to America."
"Quaint?" the older woman laughed softly. "Oh, I hardly think you could describe America as quaint, Darren. However, the house I've just bought in Surrey, it is quite magnificent and quaint. Perhaps, after the child is born and is old enough to travel, you could stay for the summer holiday. Of course, I don't understand why you don't just return to England. Darren, I understood completely when your father insisted the two of you stay here after the terrible war had broken out. The waters were much too unsafe for travel. However, the conflict has been over for quite some time and I do believe it is best for you to return home."
"This is our home now, Baroness," Darren said through gritted teeth as he let his salad be taken away and his meat was placed in front of him.
The Baroness began to open her mouth but stopped when she saw the way her son-in-law looked at her in a certain way that insisted the subject was quite closed. "Yes, of course," she nodded. "Colby, my dear, I could not help but notice the front desk had several notes and invitations for you."
"Yes, Mother," Colby nodded. "I have not had the time to answer them, due to Darren's illness."
"Oh, of course," the elderly woman nodded. "I did, however, take the liberty to reject the offers to tea and any luncheons-----"
"Oh, Mother----"
"Colby, my dear, you must accept that it is now time you entered into a sort of confinement until the child is born. It is not acceptable for a woman in your condition to make herself seen in public," her mother cut in before there were any complaints. "To the suppers and any dances, however, I wrote back stating that while you certainly regret not being able to attend, your mother, the Baroness, Lady Audrey Taylor, and your husband, the esteemed Lord Darren Hayes, the Marquis of Somerset, were most happy to attend and make your excuses."
Darren choked on his chicken upon hearing his official title and immediately grabbed for his glass, Colby's hand squeezing his arm. "Are you all right, darling?"
"Yes," Darren nodded. "Mrs. Taylor----"
"Baroness, Darren," his mother-in-law took a sip of her water. "Please, call me by my proper title."
"Mrs. Taylor," Darren said firmly. "In America, titles are not used. Here, I am simply Mr. Darren Hayes, and your daughter is Mrs. Darren Hayes, or, Mrs. Colby Hayes. We do not use our titles under any circumstances."
"I refuse to partake in such a silly custom," Mrs. Taylor shook her head. "You are a marquis, Darren. And my daughter is a marchioness. You should be proud of such a fact. You should take the opportunity to use your god-given title as much as possible."
"/God-given/," Darren snorted. "That's silliness. My great-great-great-great grandfather did a great service to the Crown by donating a ridiculous amount of money. In return for such a generous gift, he was given a title. It was in no way /god given/."
"Darren, our Kings and Queens are anointed by the Heavenly Father to lead the Empire," the elderly lady took a bite of chicken. "Therefore, by the Grace of God, your family was given a title."
"Whether or not it was god-given," Darren put his fork down, "does not matter. The titles are not to be used here in the States, Mrs. Taylor. While you are here, perhaps you should consider allowing people to refer to you by your surname, as is the norm."
"I refuse to lower myself, Lord Darren," the Baroness stared at her son-in-law. "I am not like you. I do not dally with the rubbish."
"Mother!" Colby gasped as Darren stood up quickly, his chair falling behind him.
"Yes, Audrey, you are quite right," Darren came to stand next to his mother-in-law, bending over her, "You do not dally with the rubbish. You are the rubbish that is strewn amongst the goods, aching to become something you are not."
"Darren!" Colby gasped, standing quickly. "Please!"
Darren straightened and turned to look at his wife, an odd look passing over his voice as his facial muscles relaxed and he smiled genially. "I beg your pardon, Colby, but I think I will retire. I am not feeling well at all."
"We haven't even had our coffee yet, Darren," Colby admonished. "And it's hardly seven-thirty. Really, can you please sit down and enjoy this meal?"
"No," Darren shook his head. "I made the mistake of believing I was well enough to come down to dinner. But obviously, I was incorrect. I will see you in the morning, my dear." He kissed his wife on her cheek and began walking up the stairs to his room, pausing for a moment to stare at the door. He could go for a walk, go to Daniel's home, knock on the door, and beg his forgiveness. He could go to his ex-lover and plead with him to go to bed with him once again. In the past twenty-four hours alone, the need to see Daniel had become so great he had almost phoned the Australian to tell him to meet at the hotel that evening.
"Darren?" Colby came bustling out of the dining room, breaking Darren out of his dream world where he and Daniel could be happy together. Her presence alone brought him swiftly to back to reality, where he was a husband with responsibilities. "Darren, what in the world was that?"
He turned back to the stairs and began climbing them, Colby following him. "I want her in a hotel, Colby."
"Absolutely not," Colby stated. "She is my mother, Darren, and as such, she deserves to stay with family. Can you please learn to hold your tongue? I understand you do not like her, but she is old-fashioned. She enjoys her title, and she certainly enjoys your title, as well. Please, Darren, apologize to her. If you do not, the next few months will be hell."
"And that is your fault, Colby," he growled. "You wrote to a woman who has not attempted to make contact at all the past six years in an effort to torture me. Well, you certainly have succeeded."
"She had every right to know she was going to be a grandmother."
Darren came to his room and turned, blocking Colby from entering with him. "What do you want, Colby?"
"Please, Darren," his wife smiled at him, "please apologize. You don't have to mean it, but if we're going to keep the peace in this home, then you will have to be on good terms with her. Please, for me?"
He sighed and then nodded, "All right, I will apologize to her in the morning."
"Good," Colby smiled. "Now, get some sleep, my darling husband. I love you."
Darren didn't answer her as he shut his door and began getting undressed, letting his clothes fall to the floor as he walked towards his mirror. He had prepared for that evening with the mentality that he was an actor who had to put on one hell of a show for his audience. And he had been doing well until his mother-in-law had mentioned England and his title. He didn't feel he deserved to be called "marquis"; he had done nothing to earn it, and had spent most of his childhood rebelling against his aristocratic status. Even as an adult, he had broken with family tradition and had become an actor, the ultimate rebellion against his strict parents. He had received the title purely by default after his father and brother's deaths and, though his solicitor addressed him as Lord Darren Hayes, he rarely, if ever, used the title in his personal correspondence. If it had nothing to do with the several houses he had also inherited, he was simply, Darren Hayes.
"Terrible show tonight, son," he murmured. "Absolutely terrible. Restraint is the key to theatre, you know that." His eyes still held the deadened look that he had noticed the day before and he wondered if he would ever again truly smile. No matter what he said or thought, he knew, deep in his heart, the deadened look came from the lack of love, the lack of Daniel. "Not again, old boy. Let it go. You have Colby, she's certainly good enough." And yet, even as he said the words, he knew they were a lie, and that he would do anything to be with Daniel again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Daniel, darling, are you listening?" Kathleen demanded as her fiance ate his salad. He seemed to be in another world entirely and she was becoming quite exasperated.
"I'm sorry, Katie, what did you just say?"
Kathleen rolled her eyes. "What is the matter with you? The past few days it seems as if you're not even on this planet, much less in my dining room."
"I apologize," Daniel nodded. "I'm just tired."
"Of course. Anyway, there is a supper tonight that we are going to."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, certainly," Kathleen nodded. "Mother, Father, you and I are going to a supper given by Mrs. Duke. You remember her, of course?"
"Of course," Daniel nodded, though he had absolutely no idea who Mrs. Duke was, and frankly, did not care. "What is the occasion?"
"I beg your pardon?" Mrs. de Leon looked up from her own lunch at the question.
"The occasion?" Daniel asked. "Why is she having a supper?"
Kathleen laughed, her eyes alighting with humor. "Oh, Daniel, you don't need an occasion to have a supper. I thought you understood that."
"Oh, how stupid of me," Daniel murmured into his salad, properly rebuked. He had no desire to go to yet another supper, where people had polite conversation and acted as if he were some sort of circus attraction, the dumb musician from Australia. He hated the public eye, and he certainly hated being scrutinized at every chance. And, no matter what Kathleen said, that was the only reason he was forced to go to the endless suppers and dances and luncheons and teas; he was being scrutinized by New York City in order to be deemed acceptable for the young Kathleen. During his first six months in the States, he had been taught how to walk, how to speak, how to dance, even how to hold Kathleen's hand properly, all in an effort to make him into something he was not: aristocracy.
He knew the romantic stories that floated around the genteel circles of New York: that he was some sort of starving artist from a wealthy family in Australia who stood to gain quite a large sum of money if he married respectably. He found it all to be terribly funny, but also, extremely frightening. He hated the artificiality of New York's aristocratic society; a society so determined to be exactly like English royalty they did anything and everything to appear royal. It had been refreshing when he had met Darren, who didn't take any of it seriously, who had only seen it as one big show, with an audience to please.
He cringed at the thought of Darren, immediately wishing he could find a way to wipe the man from his mind. Over the past few days, no matter how hard he worked with Mr. de Leon, no matter how much music he wrote, he found himself slipping into an irreversible depression. There were dozens of letters to Darren currently sitting on the top of his piano, written late at night when he was drunk enough to truly say everything he needed to say. Several letters offered leaving Kathleen, if Darren would just take him back. The letters, of course, would never be sent because Daniel understood that Darren did not love him anymore. He has Colby and a baby on the way.
"Daniel, please, did you hear me? Mother and I were thinking the olive suit for this evening."
"Yes," Daniel nodded, struggling to keep the tears back. "The olive."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Darren, it is a pleasure to see you," Anne Duke smiled as the Englishman kissed her hand. "I am sorry Colby could not join us this evening."
"She does wish she could be here," Darren nodded. "May I present my mother-in-law, the Baroness, Lady Audrey Taylor?"
"Oh my," Anne turned to the woman next to Darren. "I'm afraid I don't quite know how to address you, I do hope you can forgive my ignorance. Shall I call you Baroness or Lady Taylor?"
"Lady Audrey will do just fine, my dear," the Baroness softly smiled. "You have a lovely home."
"Thank you, Lady Audrey, I do hope you will enjoy yourself this evening."
"Of course we will, Mrs. Duke, thank you," Mrs. Taylor took Darren's arm as they walked away slowly. "New money. Terrible, really."
"Baroness, please," Darren sighed as he led his mother to the vast table where people were already gathering. He found his mother-in-law's name and then sat down himself. "Who are you sitting next to, Baroness?"
The Baroness examined the cards next to her, "A Mr. Daniel Jones and a Miss Suzanne Price."
For a moment, Darren found he couldn't speak. Daniel would be sitting across from him. His ex-lover would be right across from him the entire evening and he suddenly felt extremely ill. What would this night be like with Danny's green eyes staring across from him? Would hatred fill those emerald orbs? Or would Daniel simply ignore him and refuse to even look at him? "Miss Price is quite lovely," he answered the Baronesses questioning glance. "Twenty years old and very intelligent."
"And Mr. Jones?"
"He's, well, he's Australian," Darren answered, unsure of what to say. "A musician. Engaged to Miss Kathleen de Leon."
"Did I just hear my name?" Kathleen smiled as she came toward the table. "Mr. Hayes, hello. Where is Colby this evening?"
Darren stood to kiss Kathleen's hand. "Hello, Miss de Leon, you do look quite lovely this evening. Colby was unable to make it this evening."
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that," Kathleen smiled. "I do hope you are not alone tonight."
"Not at all," Darren shook his head. "May I present my mother-in-law, the Baroness, Lady Audrey Taylor? Lady Audrey, this is Miss Kathleen de Leon."
"Lady Audrey," Kathleen turned to the elderly woman. "It is a pleasure to meet you. May I present my fiance, Mr. Daniel Jones? Daniel, this is Mrs. Hayes's mother, Lady Audrey Taylor."
Daniel suddenly came from where he had been standing with Mrs. de Leon and Darren felt his breath catch in his throat. Daniel had lost weight, and his olive suit hung loosely off of him, but he was still his charming, handsome Daniel. His Daniel. "Mr. Jones, it is a pleasure to meet you," Lady Audrey smiled as Daniel took her hand. "It appears I will be enjoying your company this evening."
"Lady Taylor," Daniel nodded, though his eyes were on Darren. Their eyes locked for just a moment and Darren darted his eyes down, returning to his seat.
"I do believe it is time to begin, our hostess is here," Lady Taylor commented and Daniel went to his seat, his hand shaking as he held out the seat for Lady Taylor, sitting down quickly as he avoided Darren's gaze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It took everything Daniel had not to stare at his former lover throughout the supper. Kathleen talked with Lady Taylor nearly the entire time, while Darren remained resolutely silent, his eyes darting from Daniel's own face to his plate. Never, in his entire life, had Daniel felt so uncomfortable. He was sitting next to his former lover's wife's mother, who was extremely proper and seemed to be scrutinizing him more than the rest. Darren. He wanted to take the man's hand and plead for a moment again, a moment to be alone, to make love again. He snuck a glance at Darren, the man looked extremely pale and had lost some weight. He's been ill. Of course he has lost weight. Don't be self-centered enough to think it is because of you. He began to ache for a drink, needing the sweet numbness that came with the alcohol more than he needed food or even Darren at that point. Darren. Please. Look at me. Tell me what has happened. He heard his fork drop to his plate before he realized it had happened and looked down at his shaking hands. "Mr. Jones, are you quite all right?" Lady Audrey asked.
"Excuse me, please," Daniel stood quickly, his hands reaching in his pocket for his cigarettes. He needed a moment alone, a moment to smoke and to think. As he began to walk out of the room, he saw from the corner of his eye, Darren stand and then sit down abruptly. Daniel's heart sank as he went to the veranda and lit a cigarette, inhaling quickly. "Give me strength, Oli, Jon," he murmured, hoping his deceased brothers heard his prayer. "Give me strength for this evening. I cannot do it alone."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time the evening was over, Darren was too exhausted for words. He and Lady Taylor said goodnight to their hostess and then got into the car, for a moment not saying anything. Darren closed his eyes for a moment, trying to fight off the image of Daniel's emerald eyes and shaking hands. The image of those hands, however, suddenly pushed forward a different image, a more private image. Daniel running his hands down Darren's body, pleasure coming from those long, flexible fingers. Jesus Christ, son. Calm down. "Darren, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Darren nodded, realizing his mother-in-law had heard his breath become ragged. "Fine."
"I feel sorry for young Miss de Leon," the Baroness stated as she took her gloves off.
"Why is that?"
"No matter how much she prances Mr. Jones about like a trussed up purebred bitch, he is truly a mutt who will always stand out in proper society."
"Good Lord, Baroness!" Darren gasped. "I feel he does quite well."
"Of course you would," the Baroness nodded as the car came to a stop in front of the home. "He is quite attractive."
"Is he?" Darren got out of the car and handed his mother-in-law his hand.
"Yes, Darren, he is. I hope my daughter has never seen you look at him as if you wanted to ravish him. It would break her heart."
Darren stared as his mother-in-law went into the house, smiling at the butler. She knew, somehow. And that thought alone scared Daniel away from Darren's mind.