Chapter 9

Marigold's parents did not ask about her weekend. They never asked anything that would require a discussion of Aunt Vera. They were torn between their desire to pretend the woman didn't exist and their equally strong desire that Marigold know her father's family. She felt bad about using that conflict to deceive them, but she didn't feel like she had much of a choice. They never would have let her go to New York with Thule if she'd just asked. Thule would never had let her say no.

Marigold hated the conflict. She hated lying to her parents, hated the facility with which she did it, hated how good she was becoming at it. Stripped of her ability to moralize, she had discovered underneath it an actual morality. She felt drained and numb. She went upstairs, got dressed for bed, and fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was just after eleven p.m. The house was quiet. Jonas liked to leave for work as early as six AM some days and often turned in early. Her mother went when he went.

After weighing the thought in her head, Marigold decided it was worth the risk of calling Thule at home. There were plenty of legitimate reasons for her to do so if she was caught. It rang once, twice, three times. Marigold almost lost her nerve and hung up, but there was a click and Thule's voice, "Hello?"

"Thule," Marigold whispered, "it's me."

"Oh," said Thule, "oh, hey. Is something wrong?"

"No," said Marigold, "Nothing's wrong. I just couldn't sleep."

"And you wanted to talk?"

"Yes," said Marigold.

"What about?" asked Thule.

"I don't know that I had a specific topic in mind," said Marigold, "I just missed you."

Thule laughed, "I dropped you off four hours ago."

"Well," said Marigold, "I guess I'm just being foolish then."

"No," said Thule quickly, "It's okay. I just have a lot to do before I can sleep. I had some code fixes I promised to do this weekend and I still need to study for this physics test. Are you ready for it?"

"No," admitted Marigold, "I thought I'd get up early tomorrow. I think I've got most of it."

"I can never get up early in the morning and study. I'm always too brain fried."

Marigold tsked, "If you went to bed earlier, that wouldn't happen."

"I know," said Thule, "but if I did that, I wouldn't get as much done at night."

Marigold sighed, "Do you really have to go?"

"No," said Thule, "There are things that I can do while we talk."

There was a long silence.

"Marigold," Thule asked, "are you still there?"

"I was just thinking," said Marigold, "about why I went with Adam to his room."

"Okay," said Thule. "Why did you go with Adam to his room?"

"I thought it was just because I wanted revenge on you for sleeping with Maya," she answered. "But, it was more than that. I wanted to know that I could be... free, I guess... when it was my choice. I went too far in the opposite direction, but I don't want to be who I've been up until now. It's too... limiting."

"Do you feel less limited now?"

"I don't know," said Marigold. "I did find out that there were some limits I didn't want lifted. All of a sudden, I'm afraid that I'm going to regret the things I didn't do in high school and college. But, I still don't want to regret the things I did do, either. I know it sounds confusing. It makes more sense when I'm with you. I hate being away from you."

"So, come over," he said, "I'll pick you up."

Marigold sat up in bed, looking around for her clothes, planning out her escape route. To Thule, she said, "I can't. My parents would never forgive me if I got caught sneaking out."

"Okay," said Thule, "It's only seven and a half hours until I'll pick you up for school anyway."

Marigold, now hanging upside down, looking for shoes under her bed said, "You mean it's my choice, right? I can refuse to come and live with the consequences. All right. I'll..."

"No," said Thule, "I mean that it was a suggestion. I really need to get some sleep tonight, but it would be nice to see you."

"Oh," said Marigold disappointed, "I see." Before he could interrupt, she asked, "Thule, what are you up to? I know it's bigger than revenge on me. I was thinking about who else you might want revenge on and..."

"Don't say any more on the phone, please," Thule said abruptly. "I don't want to sound super paranoid, but I do want to be hyper-paranoid. We can talk about it later."

"All right, Thule," said Marigold. "When can you tell me what you're talking about?"

Thule sighed, "If I have anything to say about it, this week is going to be an oasis, a chance to catch our breath. I haven't decided how much to involve you in what's coming." Marigold gave a sharp intake of breath, but Thule went on, "I won't say more this week. Try not to dwell on it. I'd like to just have a week to enjoy..." he trailed off.

"Enjoy being with me?" Marigold filled in.

Thule chuckled, "Yes. I would like a week to enjoy being with you," he admitted, "Don't make me get all mushy."

Marigold reveled in her victory, but said, "Perish the thought."

"One last question," said Thule, "then I really have to go."

"Okay," said Marigold, whose eyelids were getting heavy, "Shoot."

"Do you have a computer in your bedroom?" he asked.

"Yes," Marigold said.

"PC or Mac?"

"That's two questions," said Marigold.

"Don't get puckish with me," said Thule, growling and chuckling at the same time.

"PC," said Marigold.

"Okay," said Thule, "Good night, my tethered goddess."

"Good night, Thule."

-=-

The next morning, when Thule came to the front door to pick Marigold up for school, Jonas answered the door. Marigold could see over her stepfather's shoulder as the smile on Thule's face faded slightly. Then, Jonas stepped out the front door, joining Thule on the porch and closing the door behind him.

Panicked, Marigold ran out the back door of the house, looping around to the side yard and sliding in between the hedge and the house so that she could see and hear what was going on. By the time that she got there, the conversation was already started.

"So," Jonas asked sternly, "how long has this been going on?"

Thule leaned over the porch railing, looking off into the distance, "I've had a thing for Marigold for as long as I've known her. But, she's always been with Elliot, so I didn't say anything."

Jonas sat down as heavily as he could on the swinging bench without sending it into violent swinging motion, "You would make this much easier for me if you would consider coming to church."

"I know," said Thule, "I'm sorry, Jonas. I can't do that."

Jonas sighed, "Could you at least get a haircut?"

"Sure," said Thule.

Jonas looked startled, "You would?"

Thule turned around to face the older man, "Of course. It's just hair."

"You're a very strange young man, Bartholomew," Jonas said, "But young men are impulsive. I promised Marigold's father I would take good care of his family and I've done the best I know how to. I like you. I even like you for Marigold. But, what are you going to accomplish in the four months between now and when she leaves for college in September?"

Marigold knew how Thule would answer, but he seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of time doing it. He paced up and down the length of the porch, not speaking. Finally, he said, "I can't promise things are going to work out between us."

"I'm not asking you to promise anything," Jonas said, "I just want to know what your plans are. I remember being your age well enough. I remember a lot of pretty speeches I made to a lot of fathers. I feel like I can talk to you man-to-man and I expect you to be frank with me. Marigold is a very sweet girl, too sweet to resist the charms of a determined young man, I'm afraid."

Thule leaned back against the railing, "So, why are you telling me that? If I am the sort of man you're afraid I might be..."

"Because if you are," said Jonas, "you know this already. Now that Elliot is out of the picture, I can already see the sharks circling. And the sharks in this town are of a particularly nasty variety. I never liked Elliot for her, but he kept her safe from that type sniffing around. Now," it was Jonas's turn to pace, "I'm worried that I'm doing more harm than good for this family by being here. A lot of young men would love to wriggle their way into my good graces through Marigold if they thought they could."

"Are you worried that I'm a gold digger?" Thule asked.

"No," said Jonas, "I may not know you well, but you've always struck me as a hard worker and a straight shooter. After you asked to take Marigold to the prom, I did some checking up on you. I called your boss and asked about you. He confirmed my initial impression. You'll make your own fortune one day. You don't need mine. If you're serious about Marigold, you're probably the best match in town for her, although you never would have occurred to me in a million years." He chuckled, "But, I want you to come clean with me. I promised I would take care of this family and I intend to, by whatever means I have available."

Thule kept eye contact with Jonas, "Are you threatening me?" Marigold recognized the sound of menace in his voice. She wanted to rush out and beg him to modulate his tone, to say what Jonas wanted to hear, promise him anything.

"A little," admitted Jonas, "If you thought someone were going to hurt Marigold, wouldn't you."

"Yes," said Thule immediately.

"That's a good start," said Jonas, "Tell me more."

"I'm probably going to MIT next year," said Thule, "I don't know where Marigold and I are going to be by then. We haven't had much time to see what we're like with each other when things are normal and I don't know how much we're going to get. I'll try to keep things as normal as I can. I have... some business I have to deal with before I leave. It has to do with some of the nastiest sharks around. Marigold may hate me by the time it's all over."

Jonas scowled, "I hate this fucking town." Marigold almost gasped then. It was the first time she'd ever heard her stepfather use even the mildest of profanities, "Is it anything I can help with?"

"No," said Thule, "but I appreciate the offer. I've got all of my ducks in a row, now. I'm just loath to get started. It's not going to be easy."

"One last question," said Jonas. Thule turned to face him. Jonas said, "I know Marigold wasn't at her aunt's place this weekend. Was she with you?"

Thule didn't answer at once. He seemed to be trying to read Jonas's face for the answer he wanted to hear. But, he said, "Yes. I took her to New York with me."

Jonas's face remained blank, "I wish you hadn't done that." He sighed, "She's out of my house in a few months. I can't protect her forever."

"I'll protect her," said Thule, "If I can, if she'll let me."

Jonas put a hand on Thule's shoulder, "That's the best promise I can ask for." Then, he chuckled, "Are you sure I can't leverage this into a trip to church? It's done wonders for me."

Thule laughed, "I know it has. I'm glad it worked for you. Truth be told, you could leverage it into pretty much anything you wanted to ask for. But, I've been to church. It didn't take. I'd just be mouthing the words and singing the songs, but thinking how it was all hokum."

Jonas smiled, "See? You'd fit in just fine."

Marigold didn't hear the rest of the conversation. She backed out around the house, coming back in the back door. She grabbed her books off of the side table and headed out the front, where Thule and Jonas were still talking.

"Sorry I'm running a little late," she said, "Are you two talking about anything interesting?"

"No, dear," said Jonas, "Just passing the time."

-=-

Marigold and Thule rode in silence halfway to school. Finally, Thule turned to her, "Is something on your mind?"

"I don't know," said Marigold, "Did you and Jonas have a nice conversation?"

"You have broken pieces of thorn bush in your hair," said Thule.

Marigold almost reached up to find them, but noticed how carefully Thule was watching her to see if she would. Keeping her hands planted in her lap, she said, "That must be your imagination. I brushed it just before I came down."

"So," said Thule. "You didn't hear any of my conversation with Jonas?"

"None of it," lied Marigold, "I saw you from the top of the stairs. You seemed to be talking about something fairly intense."

Thule nodded, "I was making your life easier. You won't have to hide our relationship from your stepfather. He's pretty much okay with it."

"So, you told him you're blackmailing me into having sex with you and your ex-girlfriend?" Marigold asked, "That must have gone over well."

Thule laughed, "Nah. I stuck to the relevant facts. No man wants to hear too many details of their daughter's sex life. It would be unseemly."

One day, Marigold decided, I might realize how futile it is to try to pick a fight with Thule when he doesn't want to fight. She tried a more direct approach, "I just don't like the idea of being passed like chattel from father to hus... err," She flushed brightly.

Thule watched her squirm for a good minute before he spoke, "Are you sure?" he asked softly.

"Yes," said Marigold.

Thule slid Marigold's skirt up over her knee, his hand resting lightly on her bare thigh, "You don't like the idea of being my property?"

"No," said Marigold, undulating under his hand, "I'm nobody's property."

Thule slid his fingers up so that they rested on her panties. Marigold closed her eyes and rubbed herself up against him. Thule said reasonably, "I can make you do anything I want."

Marigold chuckled, "No," she said, "you can tell me to do what you want me to do. But, I am free to refuse and face the consequences."

"So," said Thule, sliding his finger underneath her panties and inside of her, "If I didn't hold the threat of exposure over your head, you wouldn't do what I told you?"

Marigold tried to impale herself on Thule's finger, but he slid it away, "Hold still," he said, "You are not to move your hips."

Thule slid his finger inside of her again, teasing her clit. Marigold held perfectly still, even though she had to clench every muscle around her hips to stay in place. Soon, she was trembling with the effort.

"So," asked Thule, "if I were to tell you that I would keep your secrets no matter what you did, you would stop obeying me right now?"

Marigold moaned, "Please don't."

"Please don't what?" asked Thule, "Don't do what I'm doing? Don't promise to keep your secrets?"

"The latter," moaned Marigold as Thule's finger slipped inside of her.

"You don't want me to release you from your obligation?" said Thule, "You wouldn't feel better knowing I would never betray you?"

Marigold threw an arm over her head, gripping the back of her seat. Her back arched, but her hips remained firmly glued to the seat. She was now perspiring lightly with the effort. Still, she kept her eyes closed, "I don't... believe... you would... betray me... now."

"If you really believe that," said Thule, "move your hips."

"I don't want to," protested Marigold.

"You don't want to move your hips?" asked Thule.

"No," said Marigold, "you told me not to. I don't want to disobey. Please don't make me."

"Come for me," said Thule.

Marigold wanted to laugh. The command was obviously absurd. If she could do that on cue, her life would be much easier. But, even before she could complete the thought, she realized that the effort of not moving her hips was also causing her to clench muscles that kept her from fully enjoying what Thule was doing to her. Without even knowing what she was doing, she had instinctively relaxed those muscles a little. Immediately, the pleasure pulsed out from her clitoris then, so strong it curled her toes. How she managed to keep her hips planted where they were, she never knew. She cried out at the pleasure, wrapping herself around Thule's arm, sinking her teeth into the flesh of his bicep. Startled, he pulled away. Marigold took a few seconds to realize what she had done. When she did, she was immediately apologetic. But Thule only seemed amused.

Marigold looked around. They were no longer on the way to school. They seemed to be on a service road, surrounded by forest on either side.

"Thule," Marigold asked, "What are you doing? We're going to be late for homeroom if we don't hurry."

"Actually," said Thule, "I imagine that we are going to miss homeroom all together. Listen to me carefully. I want you to take off your underwear, get out of the car, and lean over the hood so that I can fuck you. If you don't do this, there will be no consequences other than that you did not do what I wanted you to do. You will still go to Harvard. No one will see any of the blackmail material I've collected on you. You will have just disobeyed me."

"Don't do this, Thule," Marigold begged.

Thule stopped the engine of the car and didn't answer.

"I won't do it, Thule," she said.

"That's your final word on the matter?" asked Thule.

"Yes," said Marigold, "I want to, but I can't."

"Okay," said Thule, starting the car again, "fair enough."