The Fancy

by Mercedes Keyes

  Dancing around the fire, music from pipes, fiddles and flutes with clapping hands and revelry galore, late into the night they gloried in the better days to come.

  The next morning, Sarah slept in late because her husband insisted, but also, the child she carried made her feel drained and tired, all that they’d been doing – traveling from one land to the other and on the road, and then the night before, finally caught up to her – she slept.

  Quinton was up early seeing that all which had started the day before, continued – he knew that once his wife caught up on her rest, she would be right back in the thick of things seeing what had gotten done, so he could not slack on any of it.

  All around, people were busy.

  All, but Lady Lilith; because she had not gone to Quinton, he naturally assumed that it was her decision to stay on at WhistHirst and accept things as they were. He was right; she would not walk away from all that she considered hers, even if she must pass the running of it to his wife.

  Strolling along the vast corridors of the mansion, she found herself back in the wing she’d been unceremoniously moved from, keeping her eyes open for the servants. Finally, at Lady Sarah’s door, she quietly opened it, peaked in and entered. The rooms were so vast, that the immediate entry to one found you in the sitting, breakfast room, at the opposite end, was the door to their bedrooms, where she slowly crept, stopping at the door, she eased it open, peering across the room to see Sarah lying – sleeping peacefully. She went to enter when a low growl alerted her not to take another step. She looked down, she’d forgotten about the dog.

  His growl was low, his teeth were bared, his eyes were directly on her, stepping forward – his movement was a warning not to come any further into that room.

  Lilith sighed, and gently closed the door. Turning she made her way to the last door, opening it to find Sarah’s mother standing there.

  “My daughter is resting, what do you need?” Cora asked, with piercing eyes.

  Taken by surprise, Lilith reminded herself to breathe, “I only wish to speak with her, we have not spoken yet – I feel that we should, we will be living here together after all – she is married to my son...” She rattled off a bit nervous by the other woman’s penetrating eyes, she found it difficult to match her stare, it was as if she could see into her very soul, as well see all of her dark secrets.

  “My daughter will come to you, when she is ready – stay from her rooms when she is resting.” Cora stated simply.

  “I beg your pardon? I may freely visit any rooms I wish – let us be clear of that now.” She tried to defend herself, but still could not hold her head still to match Cora’s glare, stare for stare, she looked everywhere, but into her eyes.

  “Harm my daughter – and I will kill you.”

  That made her look, with her heart pounding, “How – how dare you – you – you threaten me?!” She gasped; her heart was beating so hard she struggled for her next breath. “I know you – I read you. You are filled, with wicked spirits. Her dog sees them as well – he and I – we are not fooled – your spirit is open to us. You have done evil things, and you will do more – but not – to my daughter. Leave – or die.”

  At that point, Lilith could not look away, it was as if she feared turning her back on the other woman – for a moment, she struggled to find her tongue, and when she did, “This is my home! My home! You threaten me? Now, you shall be the one who will leave!” Acting immediately, she rushed away from Cora in search of Quinton. She felt hot and sweaty all over, her mind going back over the things she’d done, as if checking to see if her secrets were still with her – stored and hidden; such as the poisoning of the marquis’ wife – and finally, poisoning him after he gave Quinton his inheritance – there had been nothing for her to lose. She’d had to kill him; he was acting suspicious of her, treating her as if she were still his chamber maid instead of the new Countess of WhistHirst. She’d wanted new clothing, to be outfitted as was her due – and taken to balls and presented to society so all would know her.

  His nonchalance and actions were as if he could not be bothered, unwilling to attend such affairs. Stating such nonsense was for the young and foolish – and that he did not wish to hear of it again.

  He was a cranky, stubborn, stingy old man who had already lived and done those things with no interest in doing so again – he had wanted to be left alone – refusing to compromise and do the things she wanted to do – as far as Lilith was concerned, he was better off dead, which was one of the reasons she killed him.

  She hadn’t gone through all of that, to end up where she was now, turning over all – to some Moor with dreams of saving the world – not with her hard earned means.

  The only world Lilith was interested in saving, was the one she’d made for herself – she would not go down without a fight.

  She finally located Quinton, he was in the middle of a meeting with his brother, the new man he’d returned with and others from the village, all were gathered in his study.

  Bursting in on the meeting, on the verge of hysteria and hyperventilating, she charged through the midst of the men right to her sons desk, “I must speak with you, at once, immediately – I’ve been threatened – do you hear!? I am your mother and I demand your attention, this very second!” Her voice was a mere octave from being shrill.

  Quinton was not impressed with her dramatic entrance, nor did he believe her life was in any danger; it was that the meeting had been concluded with the men merely killing time with small talk and jokes that he stood finishing it for her sake.

  The moment the door was closed behind them, she stood looking from one son to the other, first Evan and then Quinton, blurting, “She is insane and I want her gone from here immediately!”

  “Who – mother?” Quinton asked.

  “That woman! Your wife’s mother! She threatened to kill me! For no reason at all! Having thought over our discussion, I went to your rooms to speak with your wife, to try and make amends, meet her half way, welcome her here. She was sleeping; I left her to try later.”

  “Her mother was standing guard and threatened to kill me if I didn’t stay away from her!”

  Evan’s eyes narrowed and then turned to Quinton, he didn’t believe her – his brother had no idea how ambitious their mother had become.

  “I don’t understand why she would do such a thing?” Quinton murmured, perplexed by her words.

  “She is insane! That is why! What do you know about these people? Very little I’m beginning to fear – no – she must go, she cannot be trusted.” She turned to her youngest son, Evan, “Look at me, look at my hands, I’m shaking, a trembling I cannot seem to stop.” She rushed to him, laying her head on his chest, “Oh Evan, it was horrible, she was cold as ice to me.” Evan sighed, rubbed her back, but remained silent.

  Quinton stood staring, his mind locked on how best to handle the situation.

  “I think perhaps it is time we all sat down and spoke to one another – I should not have allowed a day to go by in bringing the family together.”

  “It is far too late for that! You three against me?” She turned her reddened face up to Evan, “Do you hear him, can you believe this?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous mother, you’re getting carried away.”

  “Carried away? My life has been threatened! Don’t you see, it’s starting already; they are trying to frighten me – scare me away! It would not surprise me if they planned this from the very beginning.” She went on, gripping Evan’s jacket panels, as if holding on for dear life - trying to convince them that she was in danger.

  “Why mother, would they need to do such a thing? As for Sarah, no – it is not her nature. As for her mother, I have not spoken to her yet, to hear her side of it – perhaps you are panicking for no reason.”

  “You’re on their side! Against your own mother! Oh my God, I can’t even trust my own son! What have they done to you?!”

  “Calm down mother, there is no need for such theatrics!” E
van grumbled, trying to peel her fingers from him, she was pulling him down and irritating him – as it was, he didn’t believe a word of it and to show that his statement was, “If – indeed she did threaten you, why? What did you do mother?”

  She leapt away from him as if he’d burned her. She stood with her mouth partially opened, looking from one to the other as if she didn’t know either of them, turning away, she spoke as if alone, “Oh my, what am I to do? I’m all alone, they’re all against me – my own sons – have turned against me. Oh my, what ever am I to do?” She stumbled in her steps as well babbling as if everyone was conspiring against her.

  Evan could stand no more, turning to his brother, “I’ll leave her t’thee.” Taking his exit he did just that.

  Quinton sat leaning against his desk, watching her go through the motions of having hurt feelings, as if they’d somehow insulted her. He was thinking, thinking about everything he knew about his mother, and the misery she’d brought him. Finally he exhaled stating, “I’ll talk to Cora; if indeed she threatened you, I’ll hear why.”

  “The question is – will you believe her, over your own mother!” Quinton stood, refusing to answer the question and went looking for Cora. He found her in their suites, sitting with her daughter just as Aislin finished with her.

  He went directly to his wife, bent, kissed her brow and took a seat across from them, looking from one woman to the other. They became silent; both knew what was going on and waited for him to speak first.

  Quinton scratched his head, sighed and looked at Cora, “My mother says-…”

  “Yes, I told her, she hurts my daughter, I will kill her.”

  Quinton didn’t know what to say at first.

  “Wh – what has made you feel, that she would hurt your daughter, my wife?” he asked calmly.

  “She is evil, your mother. She is a wicked woman and cannot be trusted. Moose-Taima, feels the same – while my daughter lie sleeping, she try to sneak in on her – why?”

  “She says that she only wanted to speak with her.” Quinton tried reasoning with her, reeling from her blunt words.

  “I do not trust her. I have told my daughter, do not trust her, and now, I tell you – do not trust your own mother, she is evil – her soul is wicked. She has no care for people – her own people. If she would starve them, neglect them as we found them so that she may hold her wealth close to her, she will kill my daughter to keep these things. It is only because she is your mother, that you try to trust her, but in your soul, you know that all I say is true. You are not an unwise man, and despite your mother, you have heart, you have soul – a good one. If you choose to send me away, I shall go. In doing so, I bid you, guard my daughter – if ignored, she will die, and so will the child she carries.”

  Quinton sat unable to speak. He could not take his eyes from Cora, because as much as it tortured him to hear her words, in the pit of his stomach, he knew that it was true. His eyes went to his wife – she sat silently, waiting.

  He stood – still unable to speak; unable to defend her, his throat simply would not open to mutter words of denial. He backed away from them, turning and went for a walk. At some point, he felt a cold nose in his palm and looked down to see Moose walking along with him.

  Sarah finally made her way down the stairs to the breakfast room; her mother by her side - she was a bit queasy, but nothing that would keep from getting things done that day.

  There were some in the village sick, who needed her and Quinton to visit them, with so much to do – there was little time for the nonsense between his mother and her.

  It was time to face her.

  She begged her mother to leave her on her own to face her, promising that she was completely capable of taking care of herself. Cora went to the gardens – she had plenty to do in getting all the seeds she’d brought with her planted, the herbs they used for medicine, and the seeds to start a hemp field there – which could be used for so many things – she wanted it planted first thing.

  As for Sarah, she went to the kitchen looking for something light to eat, all within could not move fast enough to satisfy her need. Word had already spread that she was with child – all knew save Quinton’s mother; no one cared to share that bit of good news with her.

  Leaving the kitchen, Sarah took her tea, a bit of cheese and rye bread to calm her stomach. It drove the servants crazy that she would not sit and wait to be served, insisting that there was nothing wrong with her legs – she was not the lazy sort and was not about to become so just because there were servants now. Leaving the kitchen, she gave them something better to do, which was to prepare as many food basket bundles as their carriage could hold to take to some families – she wanted them completed within a couple of hours. As she left the kitchen, all within sighed with the chief cook calling out, “Yee’ve heard – crack on – le’s get it done then!”

  In the breakfast room – the sun shining in bathed her skin in glorious heat. She nibbled and chewed wondering where Moose was, and her husband for that matter; last – her mother-in-law? Glancing up from her table setting, she spotted her across the room, standing in the door, eyes on her – as if she had been preparing herself to finally face her.

  Sarah smiled at her, “Good morning, or – afternoon.”

  Lilith took a deep breath, and striding her way, returned the greeting, “Yes, afternoon. You slept late.”

  “Worn out from travel and other matters.”

  “Yes, I imagine so. And, since we are here, I hope you feel as I do, that it is time we spoke.”

  “I do, have a seat.” Sarah invited the older woman.

  Lilith did all that she could to fight down her resentment of being spoken to as if she were the guest in her own home. Her body was stiff; no matter how she tried to cover it, her true feelings were clear to see – it was her eyes, her mouth, her brow and the way she tilted her head, as if looking down her nose at Sarah.

  “I see no reason for pretense – so I will save us both from acts of make-believe. Whether it is due to the color of my skin that puts you off, or the fact that I exist period – and have come to make changes – I know not which makes you unhappy; all that is certain is that I can do nothing towards either. I am here to stay – as for the changes I have made, they were necessary. As my husband’s father has passed, he has taken on his name...” Sarah paused, seeing that all she said went into ears of resentment, yet she carried on, “… your son, my husband – I both admire and adore – all that is connected to him, I wish it be known as the very best-…”

  “Impossible with you – as his choice…” Lilith interrupted.

  Sarah sighed, she saw Lena once more, her advice, and thought, ‘So it must be…’ - “And I’ve heard, the same has been said of you. You see Lady Lilith, I know, that you started out as nothing more than a chambermaid – one whose ambitions were solely for self, no one else. Your own people, from whom you’ve come – despise you. After what you’ve done to them and with the privilege you were given, why would I care about your opinion, of me?”

  Lilith shot to her feet, steaming, red – angry.

  “We cannot live together, that is clear to me.” Sarah stated what she saw was true – she too stood. “I wanted us to talk and try to be civil enough to give each other time to at least get to know one another – but it is as plain as the nose on your face, you will never work with us - nor me – and I – Lady Lilith, love my husband, I am not going anywhere. This leaves only you as the one who must leave.”

  “You think you can come to my home, and in a day, simply kick me out of it?! My son will not allow this – no matter what you’ve done to fool him, seduce him!”

  “Madam, it is nothing more than a choice he must make, forced on him by you, not me. I would spare him this if I could – you – however make it impossible.”

  “You will not win! Do you hear – you will not win! WhistHirst is mine – I have not done all that I have, only to lose it to the likes of a common Moor!”

&n
bsp; Sarah straightened her back and squared her shoulders, stating, “There are worse things Lady Lilith, than being a Moor – I could have been born you – and nobody here, seems to like you; in fact, you don’t even like yourself. What possibly could be worse than that?”

  Lilith stood so angry she actually bared her teeth as her upper lip snarled and quivered. Because Sarah would not leave, or break the stare into her eyes, she had little choice but be the one to snatch her gown back, spin and storm from the room.

  Chapter XVIII

  Sarah finished her breakfast, went back into the kitchen to check on the baskets and found that many had been done. With Heathcote’s assistance, a carriage was made ready for her, and the baskets loaded onto it.

  She tried to find Quinton, but could not – and gave up looking, deciding to focus her attention on the people who could not help themselves. Ellen was busy with Colleen on the assignment she’d given them; Erwin was in the village helping and directing the repairs to the cottages; Evan could not be found and so Hayden made himself available for anything Sarah might need, including driving the carriage, with her mother present and together they headed off to the village to give out the baskets, and check the health of those in need.

  The size of the village and the need of so many, kept her busy. She did not check the time, and would not. In truth, she did not care to see Quinton or his mother again that day. Hayden didn’t think that it was a good idea that she keep her distance from their Lord, but also, found her so irresistible he would follow her anywhere. As the day progressed, with each new visit in the village, Cora could see that her daughter had more than just her husband as an admirer. To be fair, Hayden was a perfect gentleman to them both; even so, Cora noted the look in his eyes when Sarah was distracted; his heart was there for her – and that could be risky to her marriage.