The Treasure of Ecarte Island

Manchild

        It was Violet who saw Hilary finally trudge up the lane while Gilbert and Dietfried had made another trip to the winery.  She was carefully drying her teacups and saucers from their tea when she spied his figure step up to the veranda in sopping wet clothes and drop himself into one of the chairs as if his knees had finally buckled beneath his weight. 
         Violet continued to work, but watched her son as he stared vacantly out across the wet landscape of the island and the choppy waves of the sea far beyond.  When she had finished and was drying her mechanical hands before again donning her gloves, she came out onto the veranda and sat in a chair beside Hilary's and silently watched it rain. 
           She said nothing, as if she were completely alone,  her hands clasped easily in her lap. After a good long moment, Violet stood, turned to Hilary and simply said, "A hot bath will be waiting for you soon. Leave your wet clothing out here. I'll bring you a robe." Only then did she look at him. "Use your time in the bath to be ready for discussion afterwards."
             It was a command, just as Hilary heard throughout his years at the academy. Once it was given, the recipient was expected to obey without question. Commands from his mother were no different.  Hilary never quite understood the effect this stoic yet fiercely loving woman had over him, but her commands, as few as they were anymore, he felt compelled to follow to the letter.
The bath was just on the verge of being too warm, but his chilled body acclimated to it easily. As he soaked, he played back all the nonsense of not only today, but the last couple of months.
The gambling tables had been far more interesting than strutting about like a peacock around the silly, giggling girls at the parties. It certainly was far more superior to dancing with them. Above all else, in his stubborn mind, none of them compared to Ellenora in grace, wit nor beauty anyway.
Then along came Daphne Piermont, who acted as though she was the most wise of anyone else in the room, and compared to most all the other girls her age, and even older, her lofty self awareness was not far from the truth.
Hilary had actually enjoyed her company this Season, for the most part. She could be kind and then suddenly cruel, but in such a way that one would not even realize it until some time later. He supposed one could call that the very definition of clever, something his uncle enjoyed immensely about her and vice versa.
Hilary knew he and Daphne were on the cusp of becoming engaged, and given her discreet action of keeping his gambling crisis under wraps, he thought it one step closer to actually feeling a special trust in her.
As far as Daphne's feelings for him? Well, the nature of most marriages in the aristocracy was more for convenience, comfort, and oftentimes, power, but above all, heirs. If true joy in the form of love came from such a union, one should count themselves among the fortunate few.
          Hilary was almost sure he would end up not so much in a passionately loving marriage with Daphne Piermont, but an easily tolerable one. Their families would, at least, be happy and appeased.
Hilary's relationship with Petrich Hollenburg over the years had been, in truth, complicated. Petrich was the first to become rather famous as a freelancing celestial scribe, without a supporting guild. It was a status Dietfried Baugainvillea had bolstered to great heights, letting no one in his proximity forget the greatness of Master Scribe Hollenburg.
So, not only did Petrich take Ellenora before Hilary was even old enough to be any real competition, but also a great portion of his uncle's love and respect. Petrich Hollenburg was not even a relative by blood, and the resentment of him being regarded as one could, at times, run fairly high.
It had risen to its peak today and the frantic desperation of needing that stone from that necklace had driven Hilary to do and say things he would have thought better of under ordinary circumstances. The debt his owed had simply shoved all his other emotions into overdrive, so much so that Hilary, in hindsight, did not recognize himself at all.
Which brought about another thought Hilary had not before realized. When he had met Petrich on the lane, Petrich's expression was that of nonrecognition and even a little haunted. Within moments, that expression had changed to its more typical easy countenance, as if Petrich suddenly knew him again.
There had been secret talk of Petrich's mental breakdown soon after his and Ellenora's return from their expedition in the Kushkin Mountains two years prior, and how he was still afflicted with hallucinating people and objects. There was no telling what Petrich Hollenburg had seen in Hilary's stead that day.
Whatever it was, Hilary felt loathsome over the whole ordeal.
I AM better than this. He finally decided, having soaked in the bath for long enough.
Violet had for him a hot bowl of a soup made of milk and potato and some toasted bread with fruit preserves. Hilary sat, realizing just how truly hungry he had become since his early breakfast. Violet sat with him at the table, a sign to begin the discussion she had commanded of him.
And then Hilary disclosed everything, as his mother calmly listened without interruption.
When he was quite finished, Violet laid her gloved hand over his. Hilary lifted his bowed head and looked at her, awaiting her commentary.
"Your father and I suspected something was making you unhappy in some way. Making foolish mistakes is expected at your age, but these mistakes are expected to be sensibly corrected. Your plan of taking that stone for its value only burdened you with yet another mistake."
Hilary nodded sullenly.
"At this point, the only way to free you from your debt is through your uncle. Through his authority you can deduct it from your personal trust fund."
"He'll never trust me with anything again," Hilary mumbled plaintively.
"Only if he sees you carelessly make the same mistake again and again." Violet insisted. "I understand the added stress of being here and seeing Petrich and Ellenora as they are now. Moving on with life is not easily done. I know this myself. But my advice to you is not to leave this island without making peace with both of them, or else your regret will never leave you."
Hilary nodded and resumed eating until his father and uncle returned from the winery. Violet stood from the table and kissed her son's forehead and left the room taking Gilbert with her.
Hilary took in a deep breath. "I must discuss something with you, Uncle." he began.
Petrich had been right, of course. Dietfried was livid, and his voice couldn't quite decide whether to bellow or to snarl through clenched teeth, but Hilary had braced himself and took it with a humility never before seen in Hilary the Boy. This was the reaction of Hilary the Repentant Young Man.
Dietfried must have acknowledged this, for then his shouting slowly calmed and he actually sat himself down and lit his pipe. He then touted out a laundry list of all Hilary must do to make amends to everyone he had offended, including Daphne, since Hilary had revealed to his uncle the telegraph she had sent to him regarding the threats made toward her.
             Hilary did not argue (woe be unto him if he had tried). He listened and answered when questioned. Other than that, he remained silent.
             And then there was a knock at the door.
             It was R. Templeton from the post office, acting as messenger with a telegram for Hilary Baugainvillea. Hilary broke the seal under Dietfried's curious eye, and read the telegram. Upon finishing, his continued staring at it dumbly. Dietfried reached out for it and Hilary reluctantly gave it to him.

It read:

Hilary-  The debt has been paid, and not from any account of mine. I won a windfall at the military gala playing a couple rounds of Aces. So, refrain from doing anything foolhardy! Daphne

            Dietfried, folded the telegram, leaned back in his chair, took a couple of puffs from his pipe, then said, "Bit late for that, isn't it, Boy?"
            All Hilary could do was meekly agree.