Chapter VIII: The Earl and the Wedding

That was it; that was the end of it all. Ryan couldn't believe what he'd done. He'd broken up with Troy. He lay on the bed, crying and just as dazed as his lover had been; he really never thought this would happen. And Troy had taken it very well; even a little too well, at that...

Suddenly, something clicked in Ryan's head; and he jumped up from his sheets, and ran after Troy:

"Troy… Troy, wait, I'm sorry! I… You have to understand… Me… my sister…"

"Hey," said Troy "No worries, boss… It's okay, I understand. I should've known this could never work out."

"But Troy, I…"

"It's okay, Ryan," said Troy "Don't torture yourself."

"It's just that…"

"I understand."

Ryan was at a loss. They'd gone down the flight of stairs, and he was trying to justify something to someone to whom it already seemed justified: even he barely knew what he was doing anymore, but he couldn't let Troy go away like this. It couldn't be real. In fact, Ryan would have felt much better if Troy had confronted him; he would've felt much better if Troy had yelled at him, shouted at him, maybe even hit him once. But he didn't: Troy wouldn't even turn around and look at him…

The were now at the house's front door, Ryan desperately trying to get a reaction out of Troy, and Troy moving along calmly.

"Troy, please…" said Ryan.

"I need to go take a walk, Ryan," said Troy "You can at least grant me that!"

"Yes, but… Troy, just hear me out…"

"Please, Ryan," said Troy, "We'll do this later."

And he opened the front door.

"Oh Troy…" said Ryan.

And then it happened: with the moonlight shining in from behind him, Troy finally turned around and confronted Ryan. And there was so much pain in the servant boy's face that at that moment, Ryan wished he never had turned around:

"What do you want me to say, Ryan?" said Troy, in a bitter, serious tone "What do you want me to do?"

"I… I don't…"

"I know why you're doing this, Ryan," said Troy "But do you want me to pretend it doesn't hurt? Do you want me to pretend I don't care? Do you want me to lash out at you, and make believe I don't love you? Because I love you Ryan; no matter what you do to me, I still love you!"

"Troy," said Ryan "Troy, please… I love you too, I love you with all my heart... But you have to understand, the time, the circumstances… Oh Troy, please understand."

"I understand," said Troy, "I perfectly understand. But that doesn't mean I'm happy about this…"

"Troy, I…"

But Troy ignored Ryan; then, he turned around, and pointed towards the silent, silvery moon:

"Do you see the moon, Ryan?" said Troy "Do you see its rays?"

"Yes," said Ryan.

"Do you remember those rays when we first met?" said Troy "Do you remember the moonlight in the garden? Do you remember the moonlight as we danced the night away, playing like two little boys, coyly discovering our untold feelings for each other?"

"Oh, Troy…"

"And how about the night after?" said Troy "Do you remember that? Do you remember when I came up your balcony and kissed you? Do you remember how happy we were, how happy you were, when under this same moonlight we became lovers?"

"Yes, Troy, I remember… But…"

"Then," said Troy "I think it's good that our love might die in the same moonlight it was born in. I'm not as smart as you are, Ryan, but I believed in stability."

"But Troy," said Ryan tearing up "Troy, you have to hear me out: I couldn't do anything! I love you… I love you Troy, I love you with all my heart, I love you, and it hurts so bad…"

"Then we can work something out…"

"Oh no, Troy… Oh no, that's not what I…"

"I thought so; so we've reached an agreement."

Ryan now broke into sobs. This was too much, far too much. He was a weak spirit; he couldn't bare this.

"Troy… Troy, I… I need you…"

He opened his arms to hug his lover, tears rolling down his rosy cheeks; but Troy pushed him away:

"I think you've touched me enough already, Ryan," said Troy "Oh, I'm sorry… I meant Mr. Evans."

And on those last words, for the very first time in his life, Ryan heard his lover's voice breaking; and it was the only time he'd heard Troy so sad, and so angry at the same time.

Then, Troy walked off and lit a cigarette. And as the figure of his lover disappeared into distance, Ryan collapsed under the weight of his own heart, fell onto his knees and continued to sob uncontrollably.

His sister came down the stairs in her white nightgown:

"Oh, Ryan," she said "Oh Ryan, thank you! Thank you so much; you did it!"

And she put her arms around his shoulders to comfort him. But Ryan got up, pushed her away, and locked himself in his room to spend the night in tears.

Just like Troy did.

Next day, the Earl of Mountararat arrived. It was a grand event in Bar Harbour, akin to the yearly arrival of a Rockefeller of a Carnegie, but with the addendum and bonus exoticism that this visitor came with prestige of a thousand-year-old European pedigree. The townspeople gathered at the train station as the Earl came off his highly decorated private car, escorted by a troupe of attendants and a gaggle of high-ranking friends and admirers, each of which could probably buy the entire station at a whim.

The Earl himself was in a very good mood, so much that he looked quite a bit less rachitic than usual; he'd even bought one of those little Canadian fur caps you see woodsmen wear sometimes.

Of course, the very first in line to greet him were, with much pride, the Evans family, who'd all put on their very best clothing, which they'd had ironed and re-ironed a dozen times, with the two ladies of the family wearing their house's worth of jewellery. Sharpay for her part was wearing so much clothes that she was on the verge of fainting.

"Your Excellency!" said Mr. Evans effusively, making a bow he'd spent the last week practicing "Your Excellency, what joy to have you here!"

The Earl smiled; or at any rate came as close to a smile as you can get being a British Earl.

"Ah," he said I a nasal voice "This is very well. I was afraid I'd made you uncomfortable, and that you'd go head over heels to prepare to receive me, thus making me miss out on authentic American summer; but I'm very pleased to see you've come here in your everyday clothes, and haven't lost one bit of your authentic American charm."

Of course, the whole family laughed at the joke.

"We've been invited over to the Pulitzers this afternoon," said Misses Evans "But I think we should first go home and have you rest a bit, don't you?"

"Oh yes," said the Earl "Most certainly. Also, if it's not too much to ask, have your cook prepare something for me; nothing excessive but that train food was… ugh. My mother told me I should travel with my cook…"

And he went on, as they walked away from the station. He saluted a few of the most important personalities in town, but mostly kept with the Evans family, who was more than happy to oblige and entertain him with an avalanche of flattering chatter. Obviously, they'd rented the very best carriage in town for the occasion, which the Earl described as, "absolutely beautiful, something of the Wild West," remark at which everyone was thoroughly delighted.

The only one that didn't talk as eagerly was Ryan. He was, understandably, in a foul mood: everyone was so happy, Sharpay was getting an Earl, and he couldn't even have a simple servant boy…

When they got home, "a beautiful place, like a house on the prairie", the quintet was seated at the table. And Ryan's heart froze as he remembered Troy would be waiting on them.

Troy hadn't left, of course; he was far too honourable to ditch his employers on such an occasion, and he knew what an important thing a young girl's wedding was. Yet right now, his goodness seemed to Ryan just another form of torture.

"I do hope you've had tea boiled," said the Earl "I would hate it if you hadn't had tea boiled!" said the Earl.

"Why most certainly, your Excellency," said Mr. Evans "Earl Grey."

"My favourite…"

"…"

This was where the tea was supposed to come in.

"Troy!" barked Sharpay "The tea!"

At this, Troy entered the room; and Ryan shuddered.

"Certainly, Madam," said Troy in a cold, bitter voice; but though he was turned in her direction, his eyes were pinned on Ryan "You speak and I obey."

The servant-boy bowed and exited the room backwards; Ryan, for his part, almost fainted. He could see Troy's broken heart through his rough, angry exterior; he could see the sadness in his eyes. And it was for that Earl that he'd broken it…

During the whole tea party, his Excellency regaled the family with stories of Canada, which they all found absolutely fascinating. The only one who didn't even touch his plate or teacup was of course, Ryan, who would only pine away in silence and feel his heart break a bit more every time Troy entered the room.

And Troy's looks would make him feel even more miserable than he already was.

"And now," said the Earl of Mountararat at last, sipping the last of the tea from his cup "I should like to speak to you all on a tender and sentimental matter."

At this, all the Evans family silenced, and Sharpay could even have been noticed trembling with excitement. Mr. Evans spoke for the whole family.

"Yes, your Excellency?" he said, anxiously. It was visible he was fighting to contain his anticipation. What would the Earl ask them? Would he prolong his visit? Would he invite one of them over to England?

"Mr. Evans," said the Earl dryly "And Misses Evans. Oh, and naturally you, Miss S…"

"Sharpay."

"Yes, that," said the Earl, himself getting a bit anxious "Anyhow: it's very simple… that is to say, it's rather complicated. I… I… Oh, this is very distressing…"

"Yes?"

"Yes?"

"Yes?"

This was all the Evans family in turn, except Ryan.

"I'll explain in two words," the Earl finally blurted out "I propose to marry your daughter. Here, in this house, I would like to ask you Mister Evans, you, Misses Evans, for your lovely girl as my wife; I would be much obliged to have the permission of you, Mr. Evans junior to take your lovely sister, and of course, I cannot but ask the lady herself that she grant me her hand so that we may be united before God in Holy Matrimony."

There was a brief moment of silence; then, Mr. Evans came to his senses.

"Your Excellency," he said, thoroughly goshbustified "Your Excellency, we accept!"

"Oh," said Sharpay "Oh, your Excellency, I… I do!

And she fainted of joy; the Earl was a bit agitated:

"Is she… is she quite alright?" he asked getting up.

"Oh, yes, yes of course," her mother was quick to reassure him "Don't pay attention it, it's the excitement."

It really was nothing, too; back then girls fainted at the drop of a hat.

"Good," said the Earl "Then it is agreed? I am to marry her?"

"Oh, yes," said Mr. Evans "Of course!"

"Excellent!" said the Earl "I thank you from the depths of my heart; I've been smitten by her. I've wanted an American wife, it would help me when investing across the continent, yet I'd never found anyone quite snobbish enough. Now, obviously we'll have to discuss the technicalities: the location, the transport, the visits, and of course the dowry, and probably quite a few more things as well; but I think on the whole everything is quite correct!"

"Oh certainly, your Excellency," said Mr. Evans "Most certainly."

Ryan hadn't spoken during the whole time; but now that the bargain had been sealed, he was about to go mad. So much love, so much happiness, so much goodwill, and he was just going to sit down and suffer? And more importantly, he was going to let Troy suffer? Troy? Troy, the one person who'd never asked him, directly or indirectly, for anything save his love? Troy, the one person who'd always wanted him unconditionally, the one person who, even when Ryan had betrayed him, had been faithful and obedient without question, unwavering in his love even if that meant that very love's doom? Troy who had been viciously backstabbed so that Ryan could pat himself on the back that he'd made a sacrifice for his sister?

"Wow," Ryan thought then "Wow… I really am a dastardly, spineless son of a b-h!"

And he would have none of it; it was time to take things in his own hands.

"Excuse me," he said, getting up "Your Excellency, I'm very happy you can join our family but… I should like to be excused from the table right now. I… I feel slightly unwell."

And without further explanation, Ryan went off towards the kitchen with a firm determination he'd never had in a long time.

"A virus in the family, perhaps?" the Earl dared to mention.

Meanwhile, Ryan burst open he kitchen door; and of course, there was Troy who immediately turned around to look at him:

"Ryan…" said Troy quizzically.

"Troy!" Ryan interrupted imperiously "Troy, I…I want you back… I didn't know what to do, I…"

"Ryan, what…"

Ryan tried, to answer, but voice broke. And he burst into tears:

"I love you, Troy," he said, falling into his arms.

"Ryan, are you…"

"I love you Troy! I love you!"

And Troy understood everything.

And then, without objecting, without fussing, without even talking, the servant-boy took his crying, repentant beloved back. He hugged his little Ryan, rustling the boy's bright blonde hair while the tears flowed down his rosy cheeks, and he whispered into his ears:

"It's okay baby… It's okay… I understand. Don't worry, for your sister… We'll work something out…"

It was clear though that his own voice was breaking with emotion.

Ryan didn't speak. That is to say, he did try to mutter things at intervals, but it was only to have them muffled by sobs as he felt the tears drip down, carrying away all his anxiety and all his fear, as he cried out his very heart, purging his soul of all the pain of this forbidden love. He was in Troy's arms now; he was in his lover's arms again. And right there, he realized nothing mattered, and nothing could hurt him; and before he knew it, his tears of sorrow became tears of happiness.

Then he felt a single tear drip not from but onto him.

And he looked into his lover's face, and saw that he'd gotten teary-eyed as well.

"Troy," said Ryan, smiling "Troy, don't cry… I love you."

"I… I love you too, Ryan," said Troy.

And then they kissed the most passionate, fervent kiss they'd ever kissed in their lives. Their boyish passion had gone through the furnace, but they both felt in this kiss that it had now been forged into a love a thousand times stronger than anything they'd had before.

Yet at that point, the kitchen door opened; and who should come in but Sharpay and the Earl?

Of course, they very clearly saw them kissing; Sharpay's first reaction was a shriek:

"Ryan!" she cried "Ryan, get your tongue out of there!"

"Sharpay?" Ryan asked "What are you…"

"Oh my," said the Earl "This is most distressing… most distressing indeed…"

Now Sharpay from the looks of it, might have pounced at Ryan and gouged his eyes out then and there; Ryan was about to have a heart attack;; and there was no telling what the Earl would do, or even what he was thinking.

But luckily, they were interrupted by that dark, manly tone Troy's voice would take that always seemed to so conveniently solve almost anything.

"Your Excellency," he said "I'll explain in two words."

"Troy," said Ryan, coming to his senses "Troy, no…"

"Oh, Troy, yes," said the Earl "Please do. I am, to say the least, quite surprised."

Troy grinned:

"Don't worry Ryan."

Ryan shut up; he didn't even know what to think by this point. Then Troy turned to the Earl:

"You know how you're in love with Sharpay?"

"Yes…"

"Well," said Troy "I'm in love with her brother. So I say we should both get used to it and start get along, and to that end I would like to introduce myself as your brother-in-law's official lover!"

"That's it," Ryan thought "That's it, he's gone mad…"

But then again, what could Troy possibly do? The Earl had seen them kissing in person, with his own eyes and monocle. All they could do now was confess, and pray to God for a miracle.

"So you two are…" the Earl began.

"Oh yes," said Ryan.

"As this decade!" said Troy.

Then, Sharpay interjected, and begun to blurt out things trying desperately to accomplish the impossible and cover it all up:

"Your Excellency, no!" she exclaimed "No, don't listen to them… They're just drunk. I… I hope you don't mind, my brother says the darndest things when he's drunk, don't you Ryan? Of course you do… Now, if you don't mind, we'll all forget this incident and move along to our marriage."

And to this, surprisingly enough, the Earl answered the most unexpected thing ever:

"Well of course we will."

Now this left everybody thoroughly flabbergasted:

"What?" said Ryan.

"What you heard, Master Evans," said the Earl "We will leave this incident behind as and move along to my wedding with Miss Sharpay."

"What, you mean you actually believed we were drunk?" said Troy.

"Certainly not," said the Earl of Mountararat "But I don't see why it would be any of my business. I mean, it certainly is surprising, but, my good sirs, I'm an Earl. I'm not a judge or a priest, and whom you kiss or refrain from kissing is none of my business; and even if I were, the goings-on of my bride's brother wouldn't make me love here any less. Now come on, Sharpay, off we go, and let us never talk of this again."

Sharpay was still too dumbfounded to talk She certainly wasn't expecting this kind of tolerance…

And then the Earl leaned closer to the two boys and whispered:

"What now, mates?" he said "Do you really think I made it through Eton and Cambridge without experimenting like that even once?"

Ryan and Troy didn't answer, because it made sense, but they didn't want to push their luck.

Then, Mr. and Misses Evans entered the room. Ryan and Troy now really pulled away from each other, because, again, this was all going miraculously well, but one shouldn't tempt the Fates.

"Ryan! Sharpay!" exclaimed Mr. Evans "Are you alright?"

"We heard a shriek from downstairs," said Misses Evans "And we thought, well…"

"Oh, don't mind that," said the Earl "We're all perfectly fine. But we really should get down to the wedding planning!"

"That was just what I was about to suggest!" said Mr. Evans.

"Oh yes!" said Sharpay "Oh yes, please, do let's…"

"It is a very good idea," said Misses Evans.

And they walked out in a pack, to talk of laces and wedding dress designs, leaving Troy and Ryan once again alone.

Ryan looked at his lover:

"What on Earth was that all about?"

Troy grinned at him:

"I don't have a clue," he said "It just went over my head. But I think it all means we can be together now."

"Yes," said Ryan "Yes… I think it does."

"I love you Ryan."

"I love you too, Troy."

And, kiss.

Within six months, Sharpay and the Earl of Mountararat were wed. The ceremony was held all the way in London, in Saint Paul's Cathedral, with all of Sharpay's family having crossed the Atlantic and all the Count's family having gotten out of their castles for the occasion. There, amongst others, Ryan bought a beautiful golden watch which he gave as a gift to Troy on the eve of his sister's wedding.

"Now they can be like our wedding rings," Ryan had said; and Troy had kissed him.

Sharpay's wedding was a magnificent celebration, with bells ringing, a full choir, and even fireworks. The bride herself was wearing a magnificent silk dress and veil, and the Earl had more decorations on him than a Christmas tree; Misses Evans got all teary eyed, and even Ryan couldn't help but be moved; Mr. Evans, for his part, had insisted –despite repeated offers of the Mountararat family to cover all expenses- on paying half of the wedding, which, along with his daughter's immense dowry, had drained away most of the family's net value. But already the good connections were working, with every stock having an Evans name on it doubling in price the day of the wedding. Not to mention the Earl turned out to be quite a nice guy, and eventually even had his father-in-law made a Baronet.

The reception after the ceremony was held at the Savoy Hotel, and all the food there was so good it might as well have been Queen Victoria's wedding. Yet after the first waltz between the bride and bridegroom, a certain pair of young men was conspicuously absent: one of them was the bride's brother, Ryan Evans. And other, perhaps less conspicuous, was a young manservant who the Evans family had for some reason dragged along. If someone had taken the trouble to look, he would have seen they were nowhere in the hall; and if that someone had taken the time to think, he might have looked in the courtyard afterwards; but luckily, no-one did.

Yet sure enough, when the next waltz started to play, out in the courtyard, dancing in ¾ time, were Troy and Ryan, as amorous as the day they'd first met.

"You're getting good at this," Ryan whispered in Troy's ear.

"I know," said Troy.

And he sneaked a kiss onto Ryan's cheek.

"I love you, Troy," said Ryan.

"I love you, Ryan," said Troy.

And they all lived happily ever after.

THE END