Worlds Apart

by Stein Willard

  It wasn’t said in a short tone, but Tia felt a sharp pain lance through her heart. Pope had always had time for her. And if he didn’t, he made time. But that was in the past. She had caused that rift when she seduced him three nights ago. All she could hope for was that she could salvage some kind of a connection from this mess she had caused.

  “I…yes. Would you sit on the bed? What I need to tell you might…” She was cut off when he immediately went over and sat on the bed. She inhaled deeply and went to sit next to him. His familiar scent enveloped her and she suddenly felt less nervous. “You once asked me to trade you one of my deepest secrets and I refused. But considering what I know now, I feel that you are more than entitled to my secrets.” She stole a sideways look at Pope and found him staring straight ahead. “I travel to Paris regularly.” She swallowed. “Every few years, to be exact, to…uh… satisfy my needs.”

  Pope slowly turned to look at her. “Is that it?” He rose, his face thunderous, and stomped to the door, but he stopped just as he was about to reach for the doorknob. “So what, if you travel to Paris to sleep with men?” He grabbed the doorknob, but before he could turn it, she ran to him. She hurriedly squeezed herself between the door and Pope. “I’m sorry, Your Grace, but that’s an open secret,” Pope snarled as he glared at her. Tia closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, she knew that she wasn’t going to let him leave here unless he knew everything about her.

  “I don’t go there to sleep with men,” she said quietly, her eyes locked with his.

  “Well, that’s too bad for the French, because…” Pope stopped speaking abruptly, his eyes growing wider as he stared at her. She saw his neck muscles working as he gulped audibly. His face went slack with shock as he blinked rapidly. “I…uh…I’m not sure I get what you…”

  Tia smiled thinly. “I have sex with women.” She almost laughed when Pope’s hand lifted to cover his mouth. That was such a feminine action and it looked utterly comical coming from Pope. She moved away and went over to the table to pour herself a stiff drink. She glanced over at Pope and decided that he, too, needed one. She held out the glass to him and as if in a daze, he came over to take it from her. He drained the glass and held it out for a refill, all the while staring at her. Tia watched him as he tried to process the news.

  “I could never understand why I was so drawn to you,” she began and she saw him blink as if he only just came out of a daze. “You were a man and yet I kept reacting to you. It was driving me mad.” She smiled gently when she saw him slowly shaking his head, his face still holding a look of incredulity. “I should’ve known that there was more to you, but you’ve hidden yourself so well.” She stopped speaking, hoping that Pope would say something, anything. When he still only stared at her in mute surprise, she spoke again. “You need to say something, Pope, otherwise I can’t tell you my second secret.”

  He blinked. “There…there is more?”

  “Yes.”

  He walked over to the fireplace and stared into the flames. “I can honestly tell you that I don’t know what to say.”

  “At least you have the opportunity to say something, you left me alone after your revelation. I sat up the whole night pinching myself to confirm that I wasn’t dreaming.” She smiled. “But when it finally sank in, I felt immense relief.”

  Pope turned slowly to look at her. “Why?”

  Tia shrugged. “Because for once I could answer the one question that had been haunting me for the past few months.”

  “What was the question?”

  She walked over to him on rubbery legs and looked up at him. “Why did you affect me so much?”

  “And why was it?” he asked with a slight frown.

  Tia placed her hand on Pope’s chest. “You were a woman and I was in love with you.” She saw the glass slip out of his hand and shatter at their feet, wetting them. Not sure if she would ever get a chance to be this close to him, Tia stood on tiptoes and gently brushed her lips over his. Pope stood motionless and Tia kissed him for a second time, but with her third attempt, he placed his hands on her hips and lifted her. Tia locked her legs around his hips. With their lips locked in a heart-stopping kiss, he carried her over to the bed. The soft mattress welcomed their weight as they manoeuvred themselves into position without breaking the kiss. Tia was the first to wrench her mouth away and gulp for air. Her eyes raked over the handsome face above her and she felt like crying. She traced the strong chin, lips and noble nose as she smiled tremulously. “Now that I can say it, I want you to know that you’re simply breath-taking. I wanted to tell you so many times before, but I couldn’t say that to a man, especially not one who made me question my preference for women.”

  Pope sat up and Tia panicked. Had she been too quick to accept that things would be good between them again? She sat up to and cupped Pope’s face. “I know that what I tried to do to you was very wrong and tremendously selfish. I promise you that it will haunt me forever and I pray that there is a way that I can make things right between us.” She ran her thumbs over the sable brows. “I’ll do anything to make it right, Pope.”

  “It’s Oasis.”

  Tia smiled. “Oasis.” She pressed her forehead against Oasis’. “Please, I beg you to forgive me.”

  Oasis smiled and nodded. “You’re forgiven, but there is something I want to ask of you.”

  “Anything,” Tia said quickly, relieved and still surprised that she was forgiven so quickly.

  “Promise me that you’ll always believe in me, even when you feel like doubting me.”

  “I…I don’t…”

  “Tia, you need to promise,” Oasis said sombrely. “I need to hear you say it.” Tia looked at the woman she loved, saw the urgency in the dark eyes and she nodded. She had trusted this woman even before she knew she loved her. She would follow her to the end of the earth, if she so desired.

  “I promise.”

  ***

  “It’s unbearable to think that they live like this,” the queen whispered as she stared at the small, run-down structures. “And you say that a whole family lives in such a small structure?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty, they do. After rent has been deducted, most of them are left with barely enough to feed their families.”

  The queen’s green eyes filled with tears. “And the little ones? How do they cope?”

  Tia looked away for a moment. The queen was the mother of ten well-fed, well-clothed and well-educated children, Tia could imagine what it was doing to her to compare the lives her children with the dark, gloomy existence of the children in the slums. At that moment, a young boy with sunken cheeks and dark, soulful eyes was guided through by the Royal guards, who were surrounding the small group of nobles. Only a handful of their peers showed up for the tour, most having called with last minute excuses and emergencies, which would not see them caught dead in the most dangerous and dirtiest part of the city. Tia had been impressed to find that of the eight people, she included, six were women. She had made a mental note to try and engage these ladies more in her charitable endeavours in the slums.

  The boy bowed deeply before the queen and held out a white rose. “For you, Your Majesty.”

  Charmed, the queen lowered herself until she was on eyelevel with the boy. “Thank you, young sir, I’ll be sure to keep it in my room at the Palace.” The boy gave her a toothless grin as Tia looked on with a warm smile. The queen was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to this country and at that moments like these, she was proud to call her a friend.

  “Hey! You can’t come through here, sir.” The captain of the guards shouted at a man driving a loaded cart. “You’ll have to use a detour.” The man didn’t seem to hear the captain, prompting him and two of his men to block the wagon by planting themselves before it. “I said…”

  “Hey…!”

  A woman screamed and Tia turned to find a masked man coming towards her. She wanted to cry out, but the man clamped a hand over her mouth as he dragged her
away from the queen’s side. A shot went off and Tia saw the guards pushing everyone into a tight circle, boxing them in.

  “Lady Tia! Where’s Lady Tia,” she heard the queen’s anxious voice. “You need to find her. NOW!”

  Her sight grew dim and she realised that she was crying. Oasis! If something were to happen to her now, she wouldn’t see Oasis again. And Burton. He would be heartbroken.

  A bag was pulled over her head and she kicked out hard, feeling her foot making contact with something. A muffled oath could be heard as her kidnapper’s grip on her mouth slipped a little.

  “Oasis, help m…” The hand was back, cutting off the rest of her words. A strong-smelling cloth was pressed against her nose from over the bag and Tia felt her limbs growing weak. “Oasis.”

  Then it all faded.

  XVIII

  ‘A soiled Dove can be cleaned’

  Oasis jumped from the carriage even before it had come to a halt. A number of lords and ladies were standing around in groups in the garden, whispering. She passed them with a curt nod at those she knew. She walked over to one of the courtiers.

  “How is the queen fairing?”

  “The queen had to be sedated by the royal physician, milord. She’s had quite a fright.”

  Oasis shook her head. “I’m so sorry that she had to experience that. And all the while she was only trying to help. Have you heard from the kidnappers yet? A ransom note, perhaps?” The courtier shook his head and Oasis sighed. “I feel so helpless. Please inform Her Majesty that I would be more than happy to assist with anything.”

  “I will make sure to relay your message, milord.”

  She left the courtier and scanned over the people in the drawing room. The atmosphere was somewhat gloomy, but she could also make out a few gossipmongers who were milking the situation for what it was worth. Her eyes met Lady Rocheline’s and Oasis frowned when the young woman came over to her.

  “It’s still a shock to see you here so often, milord. I remembered you as someone who preferred to keep your own company at Trenton Hall.” The woman’s eyes were sharp as she studied his face.

  “Lady Rocheline.” Oasis smiled charmingly. “Married life seems to suit you. How’s the Captain doing?”

  The woman lowered her gaze, but not before Oasis had seen the ire in them. “My husband is faring well. He has been promoted to head of the queen’s personal guard.”

  “That’s great news. I can imagine what it would do for his career and reputation were he to be the one to rescue Lady Tia from the clutches of those brutes”. Oasis smiled broadly at the young blonde. She saw a small flicker in the blue eyes and grinned. “The wife of a national hero. You have done really well for yourself, milady. Please tell the captain that I believe he will make us all proud. Please excuse me.”

  As she walked away, she could feel Lady Rocheline’s eyes on her. Lord Charles Temple, a fellow MP, called her over. “Lord Temple.”

  “Lord Pope.” The man tugged at the end of his moustache. “This is an ugly thing, I tell you. To have a member of the nobility kidnapped right under our noses, does not speak well for our judiciary. How is it that such…such animals are still allowed to roam around freely? The King will have our heads for this.”

  Oasis nodded. “I agree. What do you suggest we do about this?”

  “We need to make an example. I have spoken to a few loyalists and they are of the same opinion.”

  “You have me at a disadvantage here, sir. What example are we talking about?”

  The man eyes were cold as he looked at her. “Once found, we should hang these monsters.”

  “Hang them?” Oasis looked around her to see if anyone was eavesdropping. “Are you sure? I mean, how do you think the populace will take this? Only a few months ago, a new bill on Law and Punishment had been introduced and is in the process of being amended.”

  Lord Temple shook his head. “The bill makes provision for extenuating circumstances. This,” He stomped his cane. “is one such condition.”

  Oasis nodded. “If we can make sure that the situation is well-researched and documented to support the motion, then I will definitely reconsider my vote. What I don’t want, is for us to be reactive and in turn create loopholes, which could be exploited. Remember, it’s a fact that the poor are being exploited and abused by the rich and powerful, this same motion could be used against any of us at a later stage.” She saw the skin around Lord Temple’s eyes tighten. She felt like stressing the point. Too many rich and powerful people had evaded the death penalty, but the new bill was inclusive of every person. “We should be careful of cutting the cane that could be used to discipline us later.”

  “You…you know, I think you have a point there. We need to rethink this a little.”

  “Keep me apprised, milord, I would love to explore the idea.” She almost smiled when Lord Temple made a hasty departure soon after.

  This had been a fruitful afternoon. Oasis was in great spirits when she arrived at the whorehouse. She looked around for Marianne and when she couldn’t find her, she ran up the stairs. As she neared Marianne’s room, a girl exited. She gave Oasis a sombre shake of the head.

  “She’s not seeing clients, milord.”

  Oasis felt an uneasiness creep over her. “Why not? Is she not well?”

  The girl lowered her gaze. “She’s not feeling well.”

  “Then I want to see her for myself,” she snapped as she pushed past the girl. The room was dark and the strong smell of ointment hung in the air. Marianne was on the bed, lying under a sheet. Oasis quickly moved closer. “Marianne?” She stopped at the sight that greeted her. Marianne was almost unrecognizable from the heavy bruises. She gently reached out and took the woman’s hand in hers. “Oh, Marianne, what did they do to you?” The woman’s eyes moved, but with both her eyes swollen shut, she couldn’t open them. A soft sound escaped her lips.

  “Shush, don’t speak. I’m taking you home with me, but I first need to do something.” She gently lay the thin hand on the bed and walked to where the other girl stood, looking scared. “Who did this?” She was trembling with rage.

  “I…I don’t know, milord.”

  “Believe me when I tell you that you don’t want to lie to me now, young lady.” She lifted the girl’s face with her fingers so she could look into her wide eyes. “So, I’ll ask you again, who did this to her?”

  The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “She wanted to leave, but Madam Addis told her goons to find her and bring her back.”

  “Thank you. Now where can I find these so-called ‘goons’?”

  ***

  Tia opened her eyes and almost immediately closed them again when she felt a sharp pain shoot through her brain. She tried to swallow, but found that her mouth was completely dry.

  “You want some water?”

  Her eyes flew open at the sound of the voice. She was in a dark room, but whoever was with her seemed to know his way around in the dark. She heard water being poured and stiffened when she heard footsteps coming her way.

  “Here drink some. You’ll feel much better, I promise.” The man sounded almost gentle and Tia’s guard went up quickly. This didn’t bode well for her. A good person would not do to her what this man had done. She tried to get up and move away, only to find that she was tied to a chair.

  “Who…who are you? Why am I here?”

  “No questions, milady. Just drink the water.”

  She tried to find him in the dark, but it was impossible. How was she going to beg a person she couldn’t see, to have mercy on her and let her go?

  “Is it money you want? If it’s money, I could get you as much as you need.”

  The man sighed heavily and Tia braced herself for whatever abuse was going to come her way. “Listen, milady, you need this water, and if you don’t take it now, I won’t be offering again. So, do you want the water or not?”

  Tia weighed her options. She had to escape, but she couldn’t do it unless she was in good shape. Sh
e needed the water to ease the dryness in her mouth and throat. She had to be clever about this. The longer she survived, the better her chances of being rescued by Oasis. She didn’t want to die, not when she had finally found someone she truly loved. If only she could have more time with Oasis before everything else intruded. But first, the water.

  “I’ll take the water.” The rim of a glass was pressed against her lips, spilling a little on her. So, her captor was also blind in here. That at least, evened the playing-field a little. She drank long and deeply from the glass. “Thank you.”

  She heard him move away and she sat back in the chair, ready to begin making plans for her escape. She blinked and swallowed. Her tongue felt a little thick and her eyes… She blinked a few times. She was feeling strange. Almost as if she had taken a strong dose of laudanum. She looked around anxiously.

  “What did you give me? Did you…? You drugged me.” She felt her limbs growing heavy as the laudanum spread through her body. What were they doing when she was incapacitated? More importantly, what were they doing to her?

  Darkness descended, quiet and heavy.

  ***

  Sylvie looked up from where she had been applying ointment to Marianne’s face. Her eyes were sad and watery. “The poor darling. Make me understand why someone, another woman, would order men to do this to her.”

  Oasis pulled Sylvie into her arms and felt the tears seep through her shirt. She gently kissed the woman’s hair. “They will think twice before they ever lift a hand to a woman in the future. And the Madam’s reign is over. I’ve made sure that the girls picked her successor. They were too all too happy to see the woman go.”

  “That’s good. What did you do to her?”

  “I put her on a ship bound for the West-Indies. There, she will have to fight with other women, who are just as unscrupulous as she is, for survival.” She smiled down into Sylvie’s face. “She might even have to start from scratch and I hope her new Madam treats her as well as she did her girls over here.”