Bondage Mansion (Ferard)

Chapter 17: And Really Bad Eggs

***Bert***

"Welcome home Master McCracken"

"It is good to be home Mr. Wentz. Can you tell me where my lovely fiancé is?"

"Master Way is in the Library with Master Iero."

Robert could not keep the concern hidden from his face. 'What was Gerard doing with Frank?' Bert came up with all sorts of scenarios as he made his way out of the foyer to the main hall. He looked briefly in the dining room and saw that the dinner dishes had yet to be cleared. There was a place for two people and one of them was his place. 'Who was sitting in his place?' Gerard would not have done this so it had to be Frank. They had eaten a cobbler of some sort along with their tea and sandwiches. Bert went in and dipped his hand into the pan. He came up with the interior of the cobbler and stuck his finger in his mouth. He tasted strawberries and something slightly tangy. It was good, as was all of Jimmy's cooking, and he scooped himself out some using one of Gerard's plates. He took a heaping bite and savored the flavor imagining how happy Gerard must have been to have strawberries at the peak of the season. He remembered the walk in the garden that Gerard wanted to take today. That is most likely where he got the idea for the cobbler. Robert sighed as he licked the last of the cobbler off of the fork and put the plate down. He poured himself a cup of tea from the still warm pot and carried it out of the room. He looked down the darkened East Hallway where Frank was residing during this pointless contest. Robert knew it was pointless because he knew Gerard would always come back to him. It was just to satisfy Frank's warped idea of justice. Robert made his way down the West Hallway towards the Library. He figured that Gerard had been pining away and painting all afternoon waiting for Robert to come home. While this thought grazed through his mind he was very surprised to hear Gerard's muffled laughter coming from the closed Library doors. Robert cocked an eyebrow and started to knock, but then he remembered it was his house and he could go where he pleased. He opened the door and stopped at the sight before him.

Frank was sitting on his knees in front of Gerard while Gerard was standing next to his easel with a canvas that was covered in paper. There was a gallows drawn on it with a partially created man being hung. Under the man were lines, of which some had letters written on them. Robert looked at the letters; S O _ I _ O _ U _. Gerard was laughing at Frank to the point of turning red. Gerard's arms were covered in bandages as well as his chest which was exposed from the open shirt he was wearing that was clearly missing buttons. Neither man had noticed Robert yet so he cleared his throat. They both looked up and Gerard stopped laughing.

"Soliloquy."

Gerard and Frank looked at Robert and then at each other.

"That is the word correct?"

"Yes, that is correct Robert."

"No fair! He was not even playing!"

Robert was taken back at the childish way Frank folded his arms and huffed his displeasure at Robert knowing the word. Robert stepped forward and walked up to Gerard. He ran his hand over the bandages and Gerard winced.

"Gee, what happened to you?"

Gerard looked at Robert with wide eyes and then looked at Frank. Frank dropped his arms and sighed.

"Gerard insisted on going for a walk in the garden after you left alone. I offered to go with him, but he declined. My guess is that he missed you and wanted time to himself. Anyway, for whatever reason, he decided to walk along the short wall that goes by my window where the roses are and he lost his balance and fell into them. I saw him as I was reading by the window and rushed outside. He was pretty badly scratched up. I had Jamia bring him to his room and she washed out the cuts and bandaged them. Some of them were superficial, but some were deep. I gave Jamia a special salve to rub onto them, but he has to keep them bandaged properly until they heal or they could get infected."