The Black Lotus (Night Flower)

by Claire Warner

  “Almost?” Melissa leant forward, alight with curiosity. “What happened?”

  “Your grandfather,” Lydia replied, an undercurrent of old anger buzzing through her words. “He found my night bag and realised what I meant to do. He waited for John and thrashed him within an inch of his life. He only let him live if he promised to leave the country and settle in France,” A hiss of old hurt escaped her mother’s lips. “I remember thinking as my father issued that ultimatum that John would never obey him; that he would rise up and take me away.” She stopped talking, her thoughts in the past and far away. Melissa tugged on her sleeve, bringing her back to the present and urging her to continue.

  “I never saw him again,” Lydia uttered with brutal directness. Melissa glanced at her mother’s face and was shocked to see the gleam of tears in her eyes. “He knew he was doomed and he ran,”

  “Mother.” Melissa placed her hand on her mother’s arm, trying to offer some comfort. “I didn’t know.”

  “It was a long time ago and though he broke my heart, I have never forgotten,” She looked at Melissa full in the face and her words flew forcefully across the space between them. “This is why I beg you not to make the same error I did. Whatever feelings you think he has for you, understand that they are not real.” Melissa opened her mouth to argue but her mother continued, determined to say her piece. “You are a rich catch for a rake like him. Yes he may be more pleasant than Montjoy but underneath he is the same. Don’t let your wishes cloud your judgement. I nearly eloped to Gretna for a foolish rash love. And you are nearly dead…”

  “But I know Justin would not attack me like this.” Melissa pleaded, trying to get her mother to see what she knew but Lydia held up her hand, stopping her before she could begin.

  “How do you know?” Her mother interrupted, gently but firmly pushing her back on the bed. “You barely know him beyond your girlish dreams,” Lydia stood and pulled the coverlet straight. “He’s been implicated in several deaths before being caught on the edge of the estate, clearly damaged by the fall from your window. See sense Melissa and see reason. Lestrade is a dangerous man.”

  Melissa settled back beneath the covers and pressed her lips closed. It was no use arguing, her mother had clearly made up her mind. At dawn or earlier, the constable would be called and Justin would be taken away in disgrace. Her only chance to save him now was to wait until the house were asleep. As she feigned a large yawn, her mind began plotting how she could reach the stables and set him loose.

  “Sleep well.” Her mother leaned over the bed and pressed her lips lightly to her cheek before turning to leave. “Think about what I said.” She called over her shoulder as she reached the door.

  “Hmm.” Melissa replied in what she hoped was her sleepiest voice. Through half closed eyes, she watched her mother turn the door handle and leave the room. Left alone in the lounge, she sat up and pushed the blanket free of her legs. Whatever else happened this night, she wanted to be awake in order to save the man she loved, for without a doubt, she knew that she did. It may not seem sensible but she could not deny her feelings. When had she swopped curiosity for affection? Melissa stared at the clock on the mantle and pondered her feelings. No matter how she looked at it, Justin had seized a place in her heart and she couldn’t let him die for her. Around her, she could feel the house fall back into silence, its inhabitants slowly relaxing after the night’s events. As the candle burned lower, she watched the clock slowly tick down the time. Three O’clock arrived and the house had finally settled back to sleep. Standing up from the chaise longue, she pulled the blanket about her shoulders and crossed the floor. Pulling apart the curtains, she opened the window and carefully clambered out. Clouds had finally covered the bright shimmering moon and the grounds were dark as she hurried towards the stables, her feet making little noise on the lush lawn. She passed the main entrance of the house and crossed the courtyard towards an archway in the wall. On light feet, she headed through the arch and made for the large darkened building on her left. The gravel crunched slightly beneath her slippered feet and she slowed down, looking up at the house in worry. The only windows that overlooked the stables were dark and with a sigh of relief she walked forward.

  “So what you thinks’ going to happen to him then?” A voice echoed loudly nearby. Melissa stopped dead, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared through the gloom towards the stable.

  “Dunno.” A second voice answered and Melissa let go off the breath she was holding. She recognised Alun and Tom, two of the stable hands and with a sinking heart, she realised that her brother had placed guards. They were now between her and the stable door.

  “Reckon he’ll hang?” Alun continued, his feet crunching to a stop on the gravel. “Attacking the mistress an’ all?”

  “Nah...” The other answered, sniffing as he did so. “Cause too much scandal. They’ll pin summat else on im or drive im to Southampton and put im on a boat. If word gets out that he was in her room, then that’s it for any marriage for ‘er. Poor little lass,”

  “Heh.” Alun grunted with no real humour. “’ow about poor us? I got to be up tomorrow early and they have me guarding a stable door. They’ve only trussed ‘im up like a turkey. ‘E ain’t going nowhere.”

  Melissa backed up until her fingers hit the rough stone of the wall. Pressed back against the hard surface, she struggled to think. Justin was only a few feet away and she couldn’t get to him. Biting her lip in frustration she stared up at the sky, watching the shades of light and dark that made up the clouds above. Even with the cloud cover, they would see her if she got too close. For several long moments, she stood in the darkness, pondering her options. The main door was barred to her, but that didn’t mean they had guarded the door from the servant’s quarters. Gritting her teeth in determination, Melissa left the scene and hurried back to the house.

  Chapter 32:

  Justin lay slumped against the back of the stable, arms lashed to rings on either side of the box. His ribs ached and he could feel the blood slowly crusting above his eyebrow. John had known what he was doing when he ripped out that picture. Whatever damage afflicted Justin from now on would remain unhealed. He sighed and shifted position, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure on his arms, but to no avail. Marcus De Vire’s grooms were extremely thorough and there was no give in the bonds at all. In all honesty he couldn’t blame the young man for casting the blame his way. Had the situation been reversed, he probably would have done the same. The minutes slipped into hours and he drifted into an uncomfortable sleep.

  A noise in the corner of the stable jolted back to full alertness and he stared into the gloom. Had Marcus come to deal with him? Footsteps, light and quick, hurried nearer as his eyes strained to see. A blur of movement to his right and a slender set of fingers pressed against his lips, stilling his mouth.

  “Hush,” Melissa’s voice breathed softly against his ear, sending shivers down his spine. “I’m getting you out of here.” Her fingers slowly left his mouth and began pulling at the tight hemp knots that held his wrist. In the dim light of the stable, she was a pale blur as her fingers worked furiously at the rough rope Stunned by the sudden turn of events; he did not react as she tugged free the first knot. The ropes loosened and feeling rushed back into his arm. Released from its bondage, his arm dropped limply to his side, sending ripples of pain through him as his muscles returned to a more natural position. Grunting with satisfaction, Melissa switched her attention to his other wrist. Fighting an uncomfortable wave of nausea, he reached for Melissa with his free hand, dismayed at his weakness.

  “Melissa.” His hand brushed her shoulder, feeling her skin beneath the soft cotton of her nightgown.

  “Shh,” She whispered, a tremor running through her at his touch. “You don’t want to rouse the guards.”

  “This isn’t going to work,” He hissed back, his fingers reaching for her wrist and drawing her hand away. “You can’t let me go.”

  “Why not?�
� Melissa turned to face him and her breath ghosted across his lips. “They won’t know it was me.” A desperate hope sounded in her voice and he wished with all his heart that he could make that hope come true.

  “They’ll know.” Justin argued, his voice low yet urgent. He felt her toss her head in annoyance and he reached forward, holding her chin with a strength he did not have. “You have to leave me here.”

  “My father will have you hanged,” Melissa whispered back, her voice breaking with emotion. “It wasn’t you who attacked me. I know it wasn’t and I can’t and won’t let you take the punishment for it. If they think you broke free?”

  Justin shook his head sadly, hating himself for the being the voice of reason. “Your brother tied these ropes himself and he’ll know how tight they were. He won’t accept that I broke them or worked my way free,” Melissa stiffened and he could feel the warm wetness of her tears on his hand. “He’ll know it was you. Your reputation…”

  “I don’t care about my reputation,” Pulling her head free, she reached once again for his bonds, only to be stopped by Justin’s free hand snaking around to seize her wrist. “I can’t let you be killed.”

  “Melissa think,” Justin urged, his whispers sounding hideously loud in the quiet of the stable. “Your father cannot hang me for assaulting you. If he did, your reputation would be damaged beyond repair. There would be those who would say that you invited me and that there was no assault. You know how this works.”

  She bent her head, feeling the tears slide down her cheeks, grateful for the dark that hid her grief stricken face. “But… they will send you away. I won’t ever see you again.” His hand reached up and cupped her chin, drawing her closer as he wiped the tears from her cheeks.

  “It’s for the best. You know I can’t stay with you and now you can find someone else,” He felt her jerk back in dissent and he chuckled blackly. “It’s not as though you don’t have admirers. You would have had to choose one to suit your family eventually.”

  “But I wanted to be free..” Her words rippled in the space between them, heavy with tears and regret. “I wanted you. You’re the one I…”

  Justin pulled her close, his lips brushing hers. “You don’t know how long it’s been since I felt alive enough to want more. But it was a dream,” He kissed her delicately, brushing her soft mouth with exquisite tenderness. She folded against him, her body soft and warm against his. With effort, he broke the kiss and gently moved her away from him. “Now you must retie me and go to bed before we are discovered.”

  “Justin,” A soft plea entered her voice and she sat there, her body a pale flame in the dark. “I can’t.”

  “The man who attacked you will know that you freed me,” Justin uttered into the space. “He will make it his life’s work to see you killed and in the worse way possible.”

  “But why?” Her voice rose in shock and Justin winced. For several moments they froze still, listening for the sounds of the guards on the door. One long minute stretched by, broken only by the sounds of their breathing before Melissa spoke again. “Why would he do that?” Her voice sounded lost in the darkness of the stable. “and why did he attack me?”

  Justin drew a deep breath; his mind was working overtime, trying to decide how much to tell Melissa in case it terrified her. Once again, he cursed his own stupidity for failing to leave before things got out of hand.

  “John is punishing me,” His voice was softly apologetic and he stared blankly into the darkness. Melissa shifted beside him and he could almost hear the question teetering on her lips. He sighed and continued to speak, reluctance coating every word. “Alistair was not the only victim of this curse.” Melissa sucked in a breath, stunned by the revelation. A bitter chuckle escaped his lips and he leant his head back against the wall, ignoring the stabbing pain from his ribs. “There were others..”

  “Tarlington?” Melissa’s voice sounded softly in his ear and he nodded, gratified that she had made the connection.

  “Yes. Tarlington was one, there were two more,” He threw back his head and laughed softly, cynically. “We experimented on our friends, only to find out too late what we had done,” He fell silent, lost for a moment in recrimination and old memories. “John was once a friend but that all changed once we realised what the curse meant. By then he had cursed others and it was far too late. He blamed me for it, led no doubt by my brother’s example.”

  “But why does he blame you? You weren’t to know.” Her fingers squeezed his upper arm and he smiled sadly in the darkness. He wondered whether she would be so accepting once she knew the full truth about the danger he had put her in.

  “Blame doesn’t need a reason. Suffice to say that he’s determined to make my life a misery. Alistair can be an irritant but John is dangerous in his passion,” His free hand reached for hers and he took a deep breath before launching into the meat of his tale. “He decided that no punishment would be sufficient, so he improvised. Once every decade or so, he tracks me down and makes it impossible for me to settle. He could set my house afire or mark me a killer.”

  Melissa choked back a shocked breath as the meaning of Justin’s words finally hit her. She thought of Honesty and the other girls whose demise was loosely laid at Justin’s door and she felt sick.

  “You mean he kills people so you would be blamed.” Her voice was a horrified whisper and cold fingers of dread trailed across her spine. “That’s inhuman. How could he kill another purely to spite you?” Outrage tainted every word and she clenched her hands into fists, her anger roused by what she had just heard.

  “I know,” He breathed the words, wondering how she would take his own abuses, would she be forgiving? Would she be able to understand what he had to do to survive? He shook away the maudlin thoughts and continued with his tale. “I should have left the moment the first body surfaced, but I wasn’t sure that it was him, I have been wrong before and I selfishly didn’t want to leave. I had not seen John in sixty years and I foolishly hoped that I was wrong. I was too enamoured with this life that I forgot about him.” His voice trailed away in shame as he revealed his reasons for not packing up and moving on.

  “What about Honesty?” Her voice reached his ears, filled with reproach, not that he could blame her. It was his fault that Honesty was targeted and sent to her death. “And what about me?” Her voice broke on the last sentence and he raised his fingers to stroke her cheek reassuringly only to have her pull away. “He attacked me because I was close to you?”

  “Yes,” He replied in simple and matter of fact tones even as he felt his heart lurch in pain. “He attacked you to spite me.” As his words rang across the space between them, he stared across at her face, wishing he could see her face. Did she hate him? Had he killed what love she had professed for him? Should he grieve if she had? It was the last thought that caused him trouble. Logically, he knew that Melissa should hate him and leave, it was the best course of events, the one that caused the least harm and yet, he did not want her to go. Selfish though it was, he wished that she could be by his side; join him in his hunt throughout time. Even knowing that he was saving her from hell, he could not help but hope for her to follow him.

  Melissa remained silent, taking in his words with disbelief. He had known John was targeting people close to him and he had still courted her. He had knowingly brought her close to death and yet, he had made her feel more alive than she ever thought possible. A horse whickered in a nearby stall and she started towards the noise in confusion. What could she say? She brought her fingers to her mouth and nibbled her nails absently, the old childhood habit betraying her inner turmoil.

  “You knew I was in danger,” She whispered brokenly, her fingers trembling near her mouth. “You knew and you said nothing.”

  Justin reached for her, his fingers blindly seeking her cheek. “No.. no. I didn’t know he was here,” His voice cracked on the words as her words shattered like glass against his mind. “I should have realised, but I didn’t know until Alistai
r told me and I immediately tried to end things, but it was too late,” Panicked, he tried to move closer to her, yet the remaining ropes and several cracked ribs put paid to his desires. He didn’t know why he was trying to explain, he should let her leave in a fog of anger but he had to try to fix this. “I didn’t want harm to come to you.”

  “But it has,” She pushed herself away from him and stood. “And Honesty died because of you,” Her fingers seized his hand and she began to tie his wrist back to the wall as tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. “I have never felt this way about anyone before Justin. I loved you. How could you do this to me?”