A Gentleman of Leisure

There are many things that are accorded to the family of this gentleman of leisure, there is death, destruction, deviance and of course the most important, discernment. For I am something not many have encountered, nor would probably understand—unless of course you are also a creature of discernment, something there is a great deficit of in this lackluster world. My illustrious ancestors laid the foundations of this fair city and with the wisdom of those who knew the natural superiority of their gene pool they ensured that it would always be a Dubois at helm of the administration. No, we are not politicians, nor policy makers, as we do not build hospitals nor influence schools. We merely finance those that seek to and in return own their souls.

My task as a gentleman of leisure is to observe the criminal, economic and social antics of this town with aloof disdain unless of course I am arranging certain tragedies for my personal amusement. I have the delightful and dismal pleasure of owning everyone, everything within my immediate view and it has always been my duty, never a burden, to dictate the lives of others. My family wealthy, powerful, superior, with a few touches of let us say, less than stable mental attributes, have ruled Bishop Vale since there has been a town and we have no intention of allowing anyone or anything to usurp our natural authority.

I use my time wisely for a man in my position has many irons in many fires and whilst I might refrain from social interludes with bored, boring, society matrons, the other members of my immediate family hold no such disdain for association with the vulgar rabble that call themselves the elite of this city. My sister in what would pass as misguided judgment has decided to align herself with one particular matron who dares to hold herself as the custodian of status in this fair city. My sister tolerates her impudence for her nature, as aloof as mine will allow her to be a satellite to functions but never to actually interact with the hoi polloi on a personal level.

I keep the equilibrium of this society intact and with the various scandals under my watchful eye as I will either make or break the social or commercial life of those around me. Therefore, while I do not condone the actions of my sister I am well aware of her motivations and keep a close eye upon any hint of scandal. It might serve me to allow whispers of malice to echo behind the names of others in this town it would never serve for anyone to have overt knowledge of a Dubois and their associations.

Of course being a man of intrigue and position, I am as reviled, as much as I am envied, and so find myself under the veil of assorted rumours from the grotesque to the ludicrous. To the wide-eyed idiots who can only see my life from the outside like street urchins gazing at cakes through a shop window, I am a man who apparently has no boundaries but in fact, I do, they are only that I brook no interference from others. I have been accused of orchestrating the intrigues, scandals, the even demise of certain locals and while some of these rumors may have their basis in truth the rest I cultivate to keep the Dubois myth intact, one does not need to be dangerous, to be perceived is just as great an asset. But then again I need not answer to anyone—I am Gervais Dubois, a man without equal.