Ian had decided to take over the driving since he could see perfectly well in the dim light. Before he could act on that, Celeste awoke and said “Bad men are waiting for us.” Cosette looked at Ian and then said “Where, Celeste?”
“Very near right now. They’re just ahead of us.”
***
Celita and Alandra strolled through the marketplace in Barcelona. This one was a favorite of theirs, being on the waterfront, looking out at the harbor. Seagulls swooped and flew about, hoping to snag a scrap of food. It was a typical beautiful Mediterranean evening in a beautiful part of the world. The girls strolled aimlessly, talking about nothing in particular and just anything in general, as young girls will often do.
A group of five men was following them. They too were only out seeing the sights. They were all young single men, privileged, from wealthy families. One named Carlos spoke to the others saying “Amigos, look at those two beautiful Senoritas just ahead of us.”
“Ah, I see them. Such beauty, no?”
“Perfection, no doubt.”
“One may be the maidservant of the other.”
“How can you tell, Carlos?”
“There is a little difference in the quality of the clothing it seems. Just a guess though.”
“Carlos is usually right about things to do with women, eh?”
All agreed with that. None knew who they were at first. One said “Wait. I have seen that one before. Ah! Such a beauty! Yes, I recall that she is the daughter of our ambassador to France. Her name is Almerita….. no it is Alandra. She is Alandra Vasquez.”
Carlos pondered that as they followed the two. Her father was the Ambassador. Yes, now he recalled that her family was of a lesser known noble bloodline. However his father was prosecutor for the Crown, a man feared throughout all of Spain. The Chavez family was a well-known noble family of Madrid, with property in many places including Barcelona. They were known to have far-reaching influence. Carlos Chavez had spent his entire life as one pampered, spoiled, privileged, and grew to have an ego to match his upbringing. He was one to enjoy using his family position to make others squirm or be uncomfortable. Having enormous pride in himself he had taken lessons in swordsmanship from the finest instructors in Spain from an early age. Having killed two men in duels already, he exhibited a cruel and callous disregard for any life but his own.
“Amigos, I’ll wager that I can obtain an invitation for myself and my family to the Vasquez home before this day is through.”
No one wanted to take the bet because they held Carlos to be irresistible to women and had seen some evidence of that before.
“What will you wager then, Carlos?”
“Diego, I’ll wager the gold inlaid pistol you shot last week at our summer home against your pistol.”
“My pistol is a fine one, but not as fine as that one of yours. Done amigo. I’ll enjoy owning such a fine piece.”
“We’ll see amigo, we’ll see.”
Carlos picked up his pace to overtake the two women and one asked Diego why he had bet against Carlos.
“I know that girl. She is not turned by a handsome face. She has a keen mind, and is no silly girl to be easily swayed by even one like Carlos. She looks….. deeper when she meets someone it seems. Senorita Vasquez will not succumb to Carlos’ charms. There is something special about her. No amigos, I’ll win this bet.”
Carlos had overtaken the pair by now as they stopped to look at flowers. He removed his hat and introduced himself courteously. Celita and Alandra both answered courteously. He went into his well-perfected speech which had never failed him. He used his family name and even that his father was the prosecutor for the crown, which never seemed to fail to impress anyone. The two seemed to be quite interested in what he had to say. Their manners and responses were impeccable. Celita could easily have been of noble upbringing herself in his opinion, having now been in her presence. It was soon easy to see that Alandra was the more observant, more perceptive of the two though.
They chatted for several minutes, and then Alandra signified that she was done with the conversation and was intending to resume her walk, but not with him. Her manners and conversation were beyond any reproach. She never once gave reason for offense, but clearly was not interested. She and Celita turned to walk the last little distance to their waiting carriage. She graciously accepted his hand assisting both her and Celita into the carriage. Without smiling once she thanked him, and bid him good day, telling the driver to take them home.
He was left standing with his hat in hand, watching the carriage depart in a state of shock and embarrassment. In seconds his embarrassment turned to rage. His body trembled at the level of anger he felt towards Alandra. But by the time his friends had rejoined him, he had his raging emotions under control.
The others surrounded Carlos and began to question him.
“I have until tomorrow amigos.” was all that he would offer. Diego noted the tight-lipped response and wisely never reminded Carlos of their wager. He would make good on it. He had made the wager in front of four people after all. Diego knew that pistol was his, but he also knew not to anger Carlos. That could be a deadly thing as he well knew.
Chapter 37
Ian took out the pair of loaded pistols and handed one to Cosette saying “It’s ready. You only have to cock the hammer. When they ask for our valuables, drop them out the window, then shoot immediately.” He handed her a wicked curved dagger some ten inches long. “Celeste, get down on the floor right now.”
She did and Ian put a blanket on top of her saying “Don’t get up until this is over.” Ian signaled the driver quietly and he stopped the team. In only seconds two men rode out from under a large tree alongside the road. They both pointed pistols at the driver and ordered him to step down. They positioned themselves, one on each side of the horses so as to see both sides of the carriage.
They ordered the driver to kneel on one side of the carriage. Then they nudged their mounts, easing up to each side of the coach. A third one then came into Ian’s field of view on his side.
Damn it all! A third one! Ian pondered the odds that a shot might hit the driver or penetrate the walls of the carriage and hit Celeste. The latecomer had a pistol too and kept it aimed towards the carriage. They demanded all money and valuables. Ian looked to Cosette who nodded to him. Together they dropped their purses out of their respective window. No sooner had they done that than Ian and Cosette fired knocking two of the three men from their saddles. Before they could even fall to the ground the two exploded out of the two carriage doors like two cannonballs. She cut the throat of the one on her side and leaped over the top of the carriage in a flash. By then Ian had rolled to his feet and had leaped through the air and hit the third one as he fired. The shot hit Ian high up on his right shoulder as he collided with the third highwayman. The man’s neck was broken about the time Cosette had landed, plunging her knife deep into his chest as he hit the ground. Cosette ran at vampire speed back around to her side of the carriage and then saw Celeste peeking out from under the blanket as she approached the door on her side. Ian went to the driver and made certain that he was all right. The driver had seen nothing in the darkness but the flash of a pistol discharge on his side of the carriage.
Ian then took all three pistols, powder horns and some balls that two of them had. Giving two of them to the driver he said “These are both loaded. Keep them with you from now on.” It was dark by now. Ian took each corpse to the trees and dropped them into some bushes. He went through their pockets and took the little money that two had and took three knives from them. Tying all three horses to the back of their carriage he went around to the other side to see Cosette and Celeste.
She threw her arms around him and said “I knew the bad men couldn’t harm us, but you’ve been shot Ian.”
“It’s nothing Celeste.” How did she know that? It’s too dark for her to see
it. “I was lucky that he aimed too high and just grazed me. She held on to him tightly saying nothing. Gently he pried her arms off and kissed her tenderly on her forehead, stroking her hair. Then he lifted her into the carriage. He turned to Cosette and pulled her close, kissing her long and tenderly. “Lass, you’re quite skilled with that thing. Wherever did you learn to shoot like that?”
“A handsome Scottish sailor taught me, sir.”
Celeste giggled, and Ian held Cosette’s arm as she climbed back into the carriage.
“I’ll ride on top with the driver until we reach a stopping place.”
They walked the horses for a little under an hour and came to an inn. There was room only for Cosette and Celeste, so Ian spent the night on the floor after he and Cosette took turns taking a hunting trip and bathing in a stream.
The next morning he sold the horses and saddles, and told the buyer that he had taken them from three highwaymen. He gave the money to Celeste who was wide-eyed. She had never had money of her own in her life. Ian told her that since she had warned them, the money was hers to keep.
They made Paris in nine more days, registering at a fine hotel in a posh district. The first thing Celeste wanted was a hot bath. They had a magnificent room overlooking the Champs Elysees. Celeste was in wide-eyed wonder just looking out the window. They spent two days sightseeing and then readied themselves to depart the next day.
That night they sat and talked with Celeste. Cosette said “Celeste, you have a unique gift. There are people in this world, really bad people who would try to lock you away and use your gift for their own purposes. Tell no one, not even Caryn. Your gift must remain our secret.’
“And I will keep your secret forever.”
“Our secret?”
“Yes. I know that you’re…different. I know that Marie, Henri, Li and you two are different than other people. I saw what you did to the Bad Men. I saw you nearly kill one like it was nothing. I saw your eyes glow the same way as the bad man’s eyes glowed. I saw you tear an iron door down with your hands, Ian. I know that you are different.”
Exchanging looks with Cosette, Ian said “We are different, Celeste. We haven’t lied to you about ourselves. There aren’t many of our kind. We have to be careful not to let others know that we live in this world. It could start a big war and a lot of people could die trying to fight us. They don’t have to, but they would because they’d be afraid of us. Most of us don’t want to fight or harm others.”
“I can see that.”
“Celeste, when we find those of us like the Bad Men, we kill them. I killed the ones who took you, and I would kill any others that would ever try to hurt you. We love you so much that we wanted to adopt you to be our own daughter, to live with us near Henri and Marie. We were very sad to learn that you had an aunt, but we’ve gone through that door now and closed it. There is no going back. You’ll always be a daughter to us and will always be welcome to be with us wherever we are at any time. When you’re grown, you can spend your entire life with us if you want. We’ll never leave you or send you away. That’s a promise that we both make to you now.”
“You thought that others like you were watching us last night. I could tell. Can you tell when others like you are watching?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Well, my neck gets to feeling prickly, like this.” He reached around to the back of her neck and lifted up her hair and pulled gently on the hairs along the base of her neck.”
“Really?” She exclaimed, wide-eyed.
“Really.”
“It’s our special secret?”
“Yes. We each have one don’t we?”
She kissed his cheeks and turned to Cosette and kissed her repeatedly. They talked about all of the things they would do and see together.
The next day, they all went to the studio of Caryn Rochelle. She wasn’t in, so they took off sightseeing once more. After a leisurely lunch, they returned to Caryn’s studio. She was surprised to see them, but opened her arms wide and received Celeste warmly, hugging and kissing her. Thirty five years old, she was a slender pretty woman of medium height, with auburn colored hair like Celeste and with large brown doe eyes too. Ian and Cosette exchanged looks of relief. Ian had had fears of a cold and uncaring aunt. They would have taken Celeste with them, everyone be damned had that been the case.
It was nearing lunch time when they said their final good-byes to Celeste. She had seen her room and was in love with it, but her countenance was sad now. She wept and Caryn was moved deeply to see the bond of love between the three. She said her goodbyes with eyes brimming too, as did they all. Ian whispered “Remember what I told you last night. Be good for Aunt Caryn. Goodbye sweet Celeste.”
Chapter 38
Aldric Moreau walked confidently to the hall of records. After looking thoroughly through the Red Dolphin he had come up empty-handed, but he had an idea. He introduced himself to the records-keeper and made a request which was refused. Wordlessly he left the place. Within less than an hour he returned with the Chief of the King’s tax collectors. Soon he was looking through the tax rolls of Marseille. He spent the day there and found nothing so he told the supervising director of tax records that he would return tomorrow. The third day he found what he was looking for. It was a house belonging to Erin LeBlanc, and within an hour he was there.
It was near the edge of the city, a vine and weed-choked place that appeared to be boarded up but for an attic window. Leaving his carriage, he walked around the place and found the boarded up window that had been kicked out from the inside. He noted the size and thickness of the timbers. This place was not just boarded up, but was done so in a way to truly discourage all but the most determined person to enter, and only with hand tools at that. His interest piqued, he climbed through the damaged window.
He noticed some blood on the floor of the kitchen and a deep gash in the wall just above knee height. Rocketing upstairs at vampire speed he found nothing but that there was very little dust in the center of the floor between the stairs and the broken attic window. Rocketing to the main floor and then down to the basement he saw the iron bars and the demolished door, bent and broken. Nodding his head, he flashed upstairs then climbed out through the broken kitchen window at human speed. He strolled about out back until a dark spot drew his attention. Examining it, he determined that the spot appeared to have been made by a hot fire. Charred remnants of two pairs of boots lay there nearby.
He returned to his carriage satisfied that he now had a good picture of how the Francoise ‘cargo’ failed to reach its’ destination. He knew well that there had been no transgression here, no penalty would or could be imposed for what had happened. Knowing Henri Lafayette, he was sure that he would make a full disclosure at the next meeting of the Council. His action would be hailed as a timely and properly handled intervention.
He would report to Francoise, but would leave the Lafayette’s name out of it. That was too risky even for him. He knew full well the reach and influence of the Lafayettes. Worse yet, Henri Lafayette himself was one of the nine judges of the Supreme Council. There would be no mention of the Lafayettes. His report would include a recommendation that Francoise just let it go. He was satisfied with himself, and feeling smug. He had earned himself a handsome sum for only a few days’ work. And who would ever know anyway?
***
Ian and Cosette had departed from Paris that afternoon. They took six days to get to Brussels by way of Amiens and Lille. Ian did the bank’s business in that same day and the next day they were off for the Netherlands, arriving late on the sixth day after leaving Brussels.
They went immediately to Ian’s grandfather’s home. It was a massive place by Dutch standards, and finely appointed. Jan and Mary were both at home and surprised and delighted to see them. Cosette took a liking to the couple immediately as they did to her. They told their carefully craft
ed story as they had rehearsed it. Cosette noticed the sparkling intense blue eyes of Jan Vandenoever and realized what side of the family Ian had gotten his unique eyes from.
They had an enjoyable visit with the Vandenoevers and Ian was able to persuade his grandfather to endorse the draft-honoring partnership with Henri’s bank
He thought he could convince his guild partners to try it being as drafts and credit were always a thorny problem for those who were merchantmen. He was especially impressed to learn that the Lafayettes were partners through a proxy in a bank in Hong Kong as well.
Ian was sure that his grandfather’s partners would all accept the offer. He and Cosette stayed two weeks and at the end of that time, they had an agreement to take back to Henri. At that time Cosette and he departed for Edinburg. Warm good-byes were said. Passage had been arranged by Jan aboard a two-mast merchantman bound for Edinburg.
It took six days to get there due to heavy rough seas. Cosette had never sailed in her life, her only sailing experience being the short trip on Elsie when they were married. She thrived on it, roaming the deck by day with Ian no matter the weather unless it was clear. Her parasol and hat would do no good in the weather of the North Sea. She reveled in the cloudy cool air and the relative absence of direct sunshine. At night, she delighted in the rocking of the ship and the creaking noises and sounds of the sea sliding by. She found it to be somewhat of an aphrodisiac and that delighted both of them.
They reached Edinburg and disembarked. Ian soon had gotten a carriage to take them to the home of Angus. They arrived and surprised Angus, Elsie, Mary and Ian’s little brother Stuart. They had been waiting for days and were overjoyed to see Ian and Cosette. She liked them the minute she saw them and felt their love. Coming to Angus she hugged him and kissed his cheeks and he hers. Ian came to his mother Elsie first and just picked her up and swung her around like she was a little girl. He did the same with Aunt Mary much to her delight. Then he grabbed his little brother and simply tossed him over his shoulder and ran back out the door running around the yard with him thrown over his shoulder. Everyone was laughing at the sight.
Forever Young The Beginning Page 19