Rowan hugged her back, “Thank you, Carolena. But I’m not one of you. I left Destroy. I left Whispers. I can’t risk those hunting me finding Destroy or any of you.”
Carolena leaned back to look her in the face, still hugging her, “I won’t let anyone hurt you!”
Rowan smiled and patted her.
Carolena sat back in her seat, her own eyes filled with tears.
“These hunters, they are the survivors of that day?” Enthrall asked.
“Yes,” Rowan said quietly, watching the landscape rushing past the window. “One of the boys that had run into the woods and later ran out attacking me, and his younger brother. They’ve followed us from one place to another. First with his father, but of late it’s only been them, so I believe their father has passed, leaving his legacy to his children.”
“What are their names?” Enthrall asked.
“Alexandru and Vasile,” Rowan answered. “Vasile was only a tiny baby when it happened. Alexandru was the one who killed the little lizard. The one who instigated the others to hurt me. The one who ran away into the woods when the storm started and the one who struck my mother with the tree branch.”
Enthrall sat back, his hands now crossed, fingers laced in his lap, “Then Alexandru is the one who shall suffer longest.”
Chapter 21
Carolena leaned toward the window, watching the platform as the train pulled into the station. There they were. They were easily picked out. Her father’s lawyers, awaiting her arrival. Their expensive suits and their stiff posture making them obvious. She, Rowan and Enthrall, stood, gathered their bags and joined the throngs of people exiting the train.
Enthrall took Carolena’s hand, “You stay with me. You are telling them I’m your husband as well as your attorney.” Then he looked to Rowan, “You are our servant; Carolena has recently sent for you as you grew close when she was last at home. Stay with us and close. I will not allow anyone to harm you. Do not get separated. If you do, stay where you are and call my name as loudly as you can. Understand?”
Both women nodded, but Carolena chuckled, “You’d best not tell Carnage you pretended to be my husband, he may hurt you.”
“I am very aware,” Enthrall answered, smiling. “But they may try to keep me out of the legal aspects of things, claiming they are your lawyers, if I’m not legally tied to you. So… for all intents and purposes, for this trip, I am your husband. It affords me the right to stay with you at all times, even at night.”
Carolena’s eyebrows rose as she regarded him with an ‘I don’t think so,’ look in her eyes.
He grinned at her, “Husband in name only,” he said.
“That’s better,” she said, then “You’re a lawyer?” Carolena asked, surprised.
Enthrall smiled down at her, “I am. Or I was. Though the ways of it are a bit different now.”
“The things I don’t know about you,” she mumbled.
“If I were to tell you all, I’d no longer be interesting to you,” he snarked as he grinned at her, holding her hand tightly as he maneuvered them through the crowd and toward the unfriendly looking gentlemen waiting on the platform for them.
He didn’t turn around, but he said, “Rowan?”
Immediately Rowan answered from just behind him, “I’m here. I’m grasping Carolena’s sleeve.”
“Excellent,” he answered.
He knew the moment Abraham’s attorneys recognized Carolena, then noticed him. Their expression turned from one of mild surprise to annoyance. Then he saw them murmur amongst themselves as they noticed Rowan.
The smaller of the three approached, “Carolena, my dear. How good of you to come.”
Carolena thanked him, but made no move to clasp her hand to the one he offered, so Enthrall clasped his in the handshake the man was waiting for. “I am Enthrall Larocque. I am Carolena’s husband.”
Somewhat taken aback, he recovered quickly, “Mr. Larocque, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. We were not aware that Carolena had married,” the man commented with attitude.
“Yes, well, now you are,” Enthrall countered with equal attitude.
Pulling Carolena forward gently, he placed his hand around her waist, guiding her as he began to walk to the end of the platform, in search of transportation to take them to her father’s home. He glanced over his shoulder to find Rowan following closely behind them, “Keep pace, Rowan. We should be at the Ashlar home shortly.”
Rowan answered as a servant would, “Yes, sir, Mr. Larocque.”
“We will, of course, have legal matters to tend to. We will need to speak with Mrs. Larocque in our offices as soon as possible. You understand, I’m sure,” the lawyer said.
Enthrall stopped walking and glanced back over his shoulder, as though an afterthought, “Of course I do. I am an attorney as well. I’ll be representing my wife in these matters, beside her every step of the way.” Then he locked eyes on those of the lead attorney, “I’m sure you understand,” before again leading Carolena away with Rowan close on their heels.
“Aren’t you the servant girl from the Ashlar household?” another of the attorneys asked Rowan as they fell into step with Enthrall’s little traveling party.
Rowan didn’t answer. She kept her eyes down, but glued to the back of Enthrall’s traveling suit as she followed closely, carrying both her and Carolena’s bags.
Enthrall stopped and turned back to the three attorneys now walking with them. “Rowan is more than our servant — she is like family. She attended my wife the last time she was home, and they became quite close. So close, in fact, that we sent for her some time ago to join us in our own home. Is there some problem?” Enthrall asked, pushing a rather intolerant tone into his words.
“Mr. Ashlar’s death was somewhat suspicious, and of all those in the household that night, there was only one servant girl unaccounted for. We’ve been searching for her to question her…” his words died down as he looked from Rowan to Enthrall and found Enthrall standing much closer, his gaze threatening.
“Yes, we were very fortunate that we’d sent for Rowan only a few days prior. She was always up early to prepare Mr. Ashlar’s meals and quite possibly could have been harmed as well. Knowing that she was with us and most safe when these unfortunate events took place has given Carolena a wealth of peace through her grieving.”
“Ah, well, yes then, thanks for that,” the smaller gentleman had the sense to mutter.
“Yes, thanks for that,” Enthrall echoed before looking disgustedly at the three of them, returning his hand to his ‘wife’s’ waist and barking out, “Come along, Rowan, dear,” as he guided them swiftly away from the three men left standing dumbfounded on the train platform.
Enthrall loaded the women quickly into a carriage, stowing their meager bags into the coach with them and turned to face the men who were waiting for a chance to gain his attention.
“Gentlemen?” he asked the group upon noticing them still standing there.
“We would like to finalize all the details as soon as possible. Perhaps this very day,” the smaller of them said impatiently.
Enthrall would like nothing more, but had no doubt that the picture of the grieving daughter would serve them best. “My wife and I will attend your office as soon as she has rested and is ready to face the legalities that await us. She is not quite recovered from the news, you understand,” he said before turning and climbing into the carriage himself. He waited for no reply.
Once seated beside Carolena, he took her hand in his and addressed the gentlemen standing outside the carriage, regarding him in an almost speechless manner, utterly shocked to be practically dismissed as they’d been by the late Mr. Ashlar’s son-in-law. “When you get back to your offices, please send ‘round a copy of the will, along with any other documents you wish Carolena to sign off on. We will review them in our own time and get back to you.” Enthrall knocked upon the outside of the carriage, “Let us be off!” he called to the carriage driver. The driver call
ed to his horses, and they pulled away, leaving three very perturbed, very offended and now unsure attorneys looking after them.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Six days. It had been six days since Rowan had left him. Destroy lay in the bed Rowan had slept in while in Enthrall’s home and stared at the ceiling. He turned over and buried his face in the pillow she’d used. His heart hurt. He missed her. He worried about her. But he couldn’t go after her. He’d given his word, so here he stayed, wallowing in whatever scant scent was left of her on the bedsheets. Each morning as the sun rose, the routine was the same. The sunlight streaming through the windows would wake him. He’d smile, taking in her scent, then survive the insurmountable pain radiating in his chest at the sudden memory of her leaving him.
A pounding on the front door had him squeezing his eyes closed.
Then Carnage would come calling — Each. And. Every. Day. Without fail — Carnage would come. Filling his days with tasks. Refusing to give him any peace at all.
The pounding sounded again, this time ending with a sweet little voice calling out, “Unca ‘Stoy! I here!”
The only bright spot of Carnage’s hounding him daily was that he brought Lily with him. He loved Lily. She made him smile. And Lily knew things.
He threw back the covers and pulled on the same pair of trousers he’d worn the day before.
Again the pounding on the door sounded.
“I’m coming!” he shouted. He fastened his trousers and stomped up the hall to the front door. He unlocked and pulled the door open, glaring at Carnage grinning at him the moment the door opened.
“What?” Destroy asked.
“Eeaaat,” Carnage answered, holding up a brown paper wrapped package and Lily held up a basket covered with sackcloth.
“Fine,” Destroy said, walking away and leaving the door open for them.
Carnage set Lily down and entered Enthrall’s home, closing the door behind him.
Destroy went straight to the bathroom and closed the door.
Carnage went to the kitchen and started making breakfast. By the time Destroy came out of the bathroom, Lily was happily dancing around the living-room with her dolly while Carnage was frying up bacon and slicing a loaf of bread they’d brought with them.
Destroy swept Lily up and kissed her cheeks noisily, setting her down only when she laughed so hard she couldn’t stop.
Carnage, in the meantime, was busy opening and closing every cabinet in Enthrall’s kitchen.
“What are you looking for?” Destroy asked irritatedly.
Carnage mimed something breaking over the skillet he cooked in, that made no sense to Destroy.
“Huh?” Destroy asked.
Frustrated, Carnage tucked his hands under his arm pits and squawked, which sent Lily into peals of laughter, which made Carnage do it even louder and more animatedly walking around in a circle as he did so, grinning at his daughter while she laughed harder.
“Eggs?” Destroy asked.
Carnage nodded, but continued to squawk and walk around in a circle because Lily loved it so.
Destroy pointed at the top of the pantry, “There, up top in the basket,” he said, smiling in spite of himself at Carnage’s imitation of a chicken.
Carnage cracked some eggs in the cast iron skillet with the last batch of bacon and before too long had a very fine breakfast served up for them all.
As they sat eating, Destroy asked, “Anything I need to do today?”
“‘Es,” Carnage answered. “Row howsh.”
“No need. She’s gone. What else?” Destroy answered.
Carnage watched Destroy for long minutes before leaning over and slapping him upside the head.
Destroy reeled back, “What was that for?!”
Carnage snarled out a string of sounds punctuated from time to time with words like, ‘upid’ and ‘foo’ which Destroy took to mean stupid and fool.
“She’s gone! She left me. She didn’t want me!” Destroy yelled.
Carnage growled at him.
Destroy glared at Carnage, but all semblance of aggression died in Destroy when Lily said, “Hers be back.”
Destroy swung his eyes to Lily who was now completely ignoring them both.
“Lily? Are you sure?” Destroy asked, afraid to know if she wasn’t.
Lily looked up at Destroy and then at the bacon on his plate, “I can have one?” she asked, pointing at his food.
Destroy handed her a slice of his bacon and was rewarded with a stunning smile from the little beauty. She’d definitely be a stunner when she grew up.
“Her’s coming,” Lily told him, nodding her head.
“Now?” Destroy asked, getting excited.
Lily shook her head slowly while she locked eyes with Destroy.
Destroy deflated a bit, but still, Lily said she was coming. And yesterday out of nowhere she’d told Destroy, “Her misses you.”
But today, Lily said she was coming. So he’d wait. It didn’t matter how long — he’d wait.
After breakfast they cleaned the kitchen. Then Carnage lifted Lily to his shoulders and grabbed Destroy by the shirt, “‘Mon’” he said, dragging Destroy behind him.
Lily echoed, “Come on, Unca ‘Stoy!” as they left Enthrall’s house.
“Wait! I have to lock it, Enthrall would kill me if something happened to his house,” Destroy said, resisting Carnage dragging him down the porch.
Having locked the doors, they started off through Whispers, Destroy greeting everyone they came across and inquiring of their welfare before they moved on. A few of them remarked on needed supplies and eagerly told him what they needed. Late in the afternoon, they finally made their way to Gaston’s home at the very water’s edge of the swamp. He was Cajun through to the bone and a trapper. He lived on the edge of the water in a raised home, much like that Carnage had built for Carolena, but not quite so nice. Gaston’s was just above the water’s surface, with a dock attached at the back where his boats were kept tied and anchored.
As they approached his home, Carnage let out a sharp whistle. A moment later Anton came running down the pier that led from their home to the edge of the land. Gaston opened the door and followed him down the pier, “Boy, don’t you fall in, no!”
Anton ran full speed at them, “I won’t,” he shouted back, not pausing or slowing down at all.
Destroy, playing with Anton, pretended to be intimidated and ran behind Carnage for protection. Carnage snorted as Destroy begged, “Please don’t let him hurt me!”
Anton reached the end of the pier and jumped onto the dry ground, “Aw, I wouldn’t hurt you. I was just excited to see you. We don’t get much visitors way out here.”
Then he looked at Carnage, “Halloo, Mr. Carnage. Is Ms. Carolena home yet? I miss our classes.”
Carnage smiled at the boy and shook his head, “Sooon,” he struggled to say.
“Her’s coming,” Lily said.
“You want to see my pet snake?” Anton asked Lily excitedly.
“Yes!” she shouted, trying to get down from Carnage’s shoulders where she sat perched holding onto his horns.
“No!” he shouted back at her.
“Papa!” she pleaded.
“No!” he insisted.
Lily’s eyebrows tugged down over her eyes as she pouted. She looked at Anton and said begrudgingly, “‘Noder time.”
Anton, forever upbeat and smiling, answered, “Sure, another time is good.”
Then Gaston joined them, having taken his time to get to the end of the pier, “Welcome. What brings ya’ll to my home? What can I do for you?” he said, bright blue eyes sparkling. He was truly a good man. Simple, no airs about him, proud that all he had he’d earned with his own two hands, not a judgmental bone in his body. But secure in the fact that if you threatened him or his, he’d kill you and would have no trouble doing it. Well, no trouble with most. He eyed the Goyles expectantly, knowing he had no beef with them.
“We’ve come to ask a favor,” Des
troy said, stepping out from behind Carnage where he hid from Anton playfully.
“‘Course,” Gaston said. “Name it and consider it done.”
“Some of our people are running low on supplies. Would you mind making a supply run?” Destroy asked. He pointed at his horns, “I can’t exactly go traipsing into town.”
Gaston smiled at Destroy, pointing to his horns, “I don’t know why. You look normal to me,” he said grinning. “I’d be proud to help you out. What you need me to get?”
“Well, it’s a list,” Destroy said.
“That’s alright,” Gaston said. Then he turned to Anton, “‘Chai, run back inside and grab your tablet and pencil. You make Pa a list and we gonna go to town, yeah.”
“Okay!” Anton ran back toward the house, again at full speed. He was back moments later, not even breathing heavily with pencil and paper in hand.
Destroy rattled off all the things they’d been asked for on their visits to everyone that morning very slowly so that Anton could write them all down.
“You got all that?” Destroy asked.
“Yes, sir! Ms. Carolena taught me my letters, so I got it all,” Anton looked at the list he’d made. “Well, I think I got it all. I’m not sure I spelled it all right. But I know what it’s ‘sposed to say.”
“Well, ‘den, we good,” Gaston said, a genuine smile on his face. “Let’s get moving, boy.”
Gaston shook both Carnage and Destroy’s hands before he and Anton headed out for town. They were taking their boat around. It would take them a bit longer, but bringing back all the supplies would be easier that way.
“Give us ‘tree or four hours, we be back here,” Gaston called over his shoulder as they paddled their pirogue away.
“We’ll see you then,” Destroy called back.
Destroy, Book 2, Whispers From the Bayou Page 17