Shouldering his rucksack with the weapons first then he turned to her and whispered “Time to take you home now.” Scooping her up he leapt to the ground and took off with a great bound at a speed that made the wind roar in her ears as her hair whipped in the wind. She couldn’t believe the speed at which things flashed past. They had rocketed past a man on horseback and she thought that maybe she heard the horse whinny in fear as they went by. Two sharp turns and another short burst of speed, then they had stopped. He set her on her feet at a darkened alleyway.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll never tell what you’ve seen this night. I’d better never hear of it. Now go.” he whispered.
She stood and gawked at him, and then realized that she was only three doors away from the front of her apartment building. How could we get here from Mauritarius’ house so fast?
“Go now. Shoo!” He made a shooing motion with his hands. “I have things to do before the King’s Gendarmes come.” he whispered.
Still she stood staring at him in awe.
He took a small step toward her. “Don’t try my patience.” he whispered.
That did it. Thinking suddenly of the fearsome power that she had seen demonstrated tonight, she backed slowly away from him and finally turned and ran to her well-lighted front door. She turned and thought she could still barely make out his outline. He suddenly streaked across the street in less than a heartbeat and was gone. Quickly she went to her apartment and sat dumfounded. Unaware that she was shaking violently, she began to cry and couldn’t stop.
What in God’s name did I just witness this night?
And who… what …was that…thing… that knows where I live?
Chapter 57
Marie was beyond curious when notified of a large crate waiting for her at Marseille. She would have to see to it herself since Henri had gone to Paris so she would take the boys with her to Marseille the next day and would visit the orphanage while she was at it.
The next day, they departed for Marseille. By eleven o’clock they were at the docks and the warehouse superintendent showed her the large crate. Within two hours she had gotten it loaded into a rented wagon with a team of four horses. She had shopped for some items at the local market such as honey for the boys and some boots for each of them. They both were growing like weeds, as children that age always do. She had visited the orphanage as well and had taken their monthly report to read at home.
They departed in their carriage, the wagon with a driver and helper following them. That afternoon she got two of the men on her staff to help the other two and they got the crate off of the wagon and onto the large front veranda. When it was uncrated and unwrapped, Marie’s mouth flew open in wonder. There sat a Silbermann piano. She had heard talk once that such a thing existed, but had never even met anyone who had seen one. In an hour, it was sitting not too far from her Harpsichord and she was playing it.
Soon the sound drew the staff who listened in wonder to the music that Marie was playing. After a while Li and Sophia entered the parlor and stood listening raptly as Marie played. She started a tune that they all had sung often and soon they were all singing as she played. The song ended and Marie turned to all who were present.
“This is a gift from Ian.”
Sophia said “It’s wondrous. I’ve never heard such a sound.”
Sending the boys to wash for supper and sending the staff back to their duties; Marie linked her arms to those of Li and Sophia and walked them out the back door. They walked toward the barn as Marie turned to Sophia and spoke.
“So how are you doing on your third day as a vampire, Sophia?”
***
Celeste sat in the carriage in her usual place, next to Ian, her arm linked through his, her head leaning on his shoulder as they left Orleans and headed down the Loire valley toward the Atlantic. It had been no problem getting permission from Caryn to allow Celeste to come stay at the chateau
She was in heaven being with Ian and traveling to places she had never seen before. Bubbly, curious, and exuberant, she was a wonderful travelling companion. Near Toulouse she proudly told Ian that beyond the mountains to the south was Spain. She rattled off the various items that Spain exported and its capitol and told him all about the Basque country of the Great Pyrenees Mountains. He thought of Alandra wistfully as Celeste talked of Spain. Sighing he thought that by now she had surely married and started a family of her own and thought that he’d like to see her and her children once. He entertained thoughts of going there one day when she would be in her middle age and would no longer recognize him.
At last they reached the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and turned to follow it to Marseille. In six days more they arrived at the Chateau de Lafayette. There was a joyous reunion then and there was still time so Marie busied her staff to make a sumptuous welcome home meal for Celeste and Ian. Later after eating and exchanging news in general, Marie played her new piano for everyone. Celeste sang for them on and off all evening long. Before the evening ended though, she insisted on showing how she and Ian could dance to Ian’s song, ‘Dance with Anna’.
Later Ian took Li aside and said “You two stay in my house. Sophia and you will need the privacy until she is through with her imprinting.”
“Who told you, Ian?”
“No one. I knew it as soon as I saw her. Not to mention that when she looks at me I get the prickles on the back of my neck.”
Laughing, Li shook his head as he said “The prickles never lie.”
“She’ll be a good one. I’m happy for you, my friend.”
“There is more that you should know, Ian.”
“What’s that?”
“Louis and Mustafa know all about us now. They’ve been helping me with Sophia. Marie and Henri thought it was time that they knew.”
Ian nodded and stood silently a bit, and then he responded “They would eventually have to know at some time. I’ll speak with them about it later today myself.”
Later after the staff had been dismissed and the boys and Celeste had been sent to bed, there was a meeting held. Ian gave an account of everything that had transpired concerning the incident with the vampires in Paris.
“It was after I shot the fourth one that I saw that the woman on the sofa was Alyssa.”
There was a collective sharp intake of breath, and Marie even gasped audibly, her hand flying to cover her mouth.
“So you took her out of there and then came back and killed the other two?” Henri asked in wonderment.
“Yes.”
Marie said “Oh, Ian you shouldn’t have taken the chance!”
“But think of poor Alyssa and the horror of being killed that way.”
“She refused?”
“Yes.”
“And you took her home afterwards?”
“Yes.”
“Well, is there any chance that she recognized you then? Ian, Alyssa will remember your eyes.”
“No. I wore a hood of black cloth and black gauze.”
Li exclaimed “Black gauze? Good idea!” Marie and Henri concurred.
Ian shrugged. “I brought it for all of you to see. I think we each could use one of them. In fact, I even put a bit of garlic oil on my clothes before I went there that night.”
“Whatever for?”
“In the event one would escape and might remember my scent.”
Marie said “Garlic! What a grand idea!”
“I rarely spoke, and then only in a whisper. She was terrified and in shock.
“We’ll report this at my next session with the Council. Alyssa has become a person of some renown and her disappearance at the hands of vampires is a severe violation of our protocols. You’ll be magnified in their eyes. This is the perfect event to introduce you to the Council.”
“And the Francoise incident?”
“What Francoise incident? Oh you mean that terrible accident where his Chateau burnt to the gr
ound? It’s a mystery from all I can determine.” said Henri with a wink. “Is there anything else of interest with this affair?”
“I searched the house after taking the bodies far away, but I found no evidence that this group was linked with others.”
“And it was the one with one foot which led you to them?”
“Yes.”
Marie spoke for all of them then, her eyes suddenly taking on a violet-blue glow “I’m glad you got that one, Ian.” Li and Henri nodded grimly, their eyes blazing.
***
Anna and her son Serge came to visit on their way to Nice. Ian ran to the carriage and helped her down and then just picked her up and kissed her passionately and then he swung her in a circle several times. When he set her down she was flushed and laughing, with tears in her eyes. She immediately threw her arms around his neck once more and kissed him passionately. Introductions were made all around as the staff carried their bags in to the house. Marie sent a maid who knew both Li and Sophia to Ian’s house to deliver a note telling Li to stay there with Sophia until Anna and her son had gone.
Everyone sat in the cavernous parlor. Ian sat next to Anna who held his hand and sometimes leaned her head on his shoulder. Celeste sat on the other side beaming and holding Ian’s other hand with her head leaning on his upper arm at times. Henri said “Ian. Look at you between these two pretty ladies!”
“Aye, Henri. It seems I’m a thorn between two roses.”
At that there was laughter all around and Anna said again “Oh, Ian I have missed you and hearing things like that so very much.” She reached up and turning his head toward her she kissed him. Serge could see the change in his mother and had to admit that they seemed to be a good match.
That evening Marie regaled them with music, playing her new piano with Ian accompanying her on his violin. It was a night of fun and laughter and Serge was truly impressed by these people.
Afterward Anna came to Ian’s room well after midnight and they made love passionately several times. She still wanted to go fishing with him in the morning, so he awakened her before dawn and they left while it was still dark. Ian took her by horseback all over the estate to places she had never seen.
Later after breakfast they all put on old clothing and went swimming at the waterfall.
That night Anna announced that they’d be going to Nice for a week or two. She said that there was a limited amount of room at her uncle’s place, but invited Ian and Celeste to come stay there. They all departed three days later.
The trip to Nice was scenic but uneventful. Ian and the others drove themselves, taking turns. Jacques was glad to see them and quickly ordered his staff to prepare his last empty rooms for Celeste and Ian. They went sightseeing the next day and Jacques was a wonderful host, showing Ian and Celeste all of the sights.
The days passed in splendor. They took Celeste and Serge to a lagoon nearby for swimming. Ian worked with Celeste to refine her swimming technique, being as he had taught her the fundamentals at the chateau. The time flew by and soon they were making their way back to the Chateau, having said their goodbyes to Jacques. They took their time and arrived some six days later, in late afternoon.
Ian took them to Marseille and wanted to show them around, taking them to eat at the Blue Oyster, which had been remodeled after the kitchen fire. The proprietor Henrique Pronovost recognized Ian as soon as he saw him. He came up to him and hugged him and smiled and performed a little bow as he was introduced to the others. He looked at Ian and said “Your money won’t spend here, Ian. My place is your place. Order what you will my friend.”
They ordered and while they sat, Ian looked about the place. It looked a lot the same. Corinne, the girl who used to be his old shipmate, Lorn’s girlfriend, waited on them. She remembered Ian and asked about Lorn so Ian told what he knew from his last visit, and offered to dispatch a letter to Lorn if she wanted him to.
Anna said “You’re known here it seems.”
“Yes, I came here to eat a few times with some of my crew after the storm.”
About that time, Henri Pronovost said “Oh he’s known here for more than that. He and his shipmates saved this place from being burnt to the ground one afternoon. And he also beat that big bully LeBlanc to a pulp over at the Red Dolphin.” Anna, Celeste, and Serge wanted to know more, so Henrique told them the story about how LeBlanc had slapped a young boy and Ian had stopped him from beating the lad. He told them that the end of it was that LeBlanc pulled a knife and Ian broke his arm. Anna looked at Ian and thought I don’t doubt that one bit.
Ian said “Would you like to meet the boy?”
They all said “Yes.”
“Well, you already did. It was Louis.” He laughed at his joke.
“Really?”
He turned to Anna and said “That’s how I came to meet Cosette.” Anna gave a sympathetic smile and inclined her head to rest it on his shoulder. Celeste got up from her place and came to him, and hugged him.
They ate then, and after thanking Henri and hugging him goodbye, he saw that the serving wench Corinne had a letter for Lorn. He took it and promised her it would get to Lorn, feeling bad at not at least keeping in touch with Corinne. He truly liked her and resolved to try to help her in the future if she needed anything to make her life easier. This was a small favor, but it would later prove to be a life-changing event.
The days at the chateau were wonderful. Around ten days later, Henri came to Ian and told him that he had to go to Liechtenstein for a meeting of the High Council. He wanted to take Ian with him for that and to meet some bankers in Bern.
Ian put forth the idea of taking Celeste along, so they conferred with Marie. She thought about it and said that Celeste should be taken back to Caryn when they left Switzerland and not brought back to the Chateau. She would write the necessary letter to keep Caryn apprised of the change in plans, being as she could post Henri through the banks’ courier network if things changed.
Ian went to see Li and Sophia one afternoon and stayed until evening visiting them. They were happy and Sophia had long since finished her imprinting. She was an Adept with some tolerance to sunshine, which thrilled Marie and Henri both. Li had of course been teaching her the principles of Kung Fu and she was doing very well in that science. He would be starting her on firearms training and on fencing with wooden sabers too. Marie had already taught her English. She was to learn Spanish next. For her part, Sophia was still in a state of wonderment at the speed of the changes in her life. She was very happy with her life now and was devoted to Li and to all of her new family at the chateau. She confided to Ian that she had finally found a place and people to whom she felt she belonged. Ian was warmed to see how the couple was devoted to each other and was especially pleased at how well Louis and Mustafa had helped her.
Chapter 58
The next day, goodbyes were said all around and they were off to the Swiss Confederation. They took Henri’s best carriage and his best four horse team and a driver who would make the entire trip.
Celeste pointed out things that she had seen on her trip to Lyon the year before. It was an uneventful trip with a day-long break near Lyon before starting the leg to Lausanne. Ian and Henri were silent as they passed the entrance to the old Francoise chateau. There was no sign of any activity at the place. Some of the staff had been allowed to stay and live off of the output of the farming part of the estate. So there was some livestock to be seen in the distance and crops had been planted.
It was an easy trip with no complications. They arrived in Lausanne and took three days to see the sights.
A few days later they were at Anna’s home, all at the breakfast table visiting. When Liridona the maid brought their breakfast in she thanked Ian again for his help in her little brother’s recovery from the Wasting Disease. When Andre saw Ian he ran to him for a manly hug and a handshake. Liridona stood there watching the whole thing with tears of joy in her eyes
. She came to Ian and taking both of his hands she kissed them, once more thanking him for saving her brother’s life. Being both touched and embarrassed by it, Ian hugged her and said it was nothing.
In two days they were off to Bern. Anna had furnished a fresh team of horses for the trip. They went by way of Fribourg to Bern, and it was a scenic trip as is any trip in Switzerland. Serge showed them the location where he went to school. Henri and Anna both visited a bank there and transacted some business while Serge showed Ian and Celeste around Bern. They spent two days there and Ian got a few prickly alarms now and then so he knew that there were vampire Adepts in Bern.
Departing then they went toward Liechtenstein by way of Lucerne and Zug. When they came to the Rhine Henri announced that they would be staying near Schaan. He said he had an uncle there who he wanted to see. Henri’s ‘Uncle Karl’ was a silent partner in his banking network who was an Adept. He had a charming wife also an Adept, and they had known in advance that Henri would be coming with Ian so it was no inconvenience to accommodate all of them at their large estate.
They were all glad to be at a place where they were not in a carriage for a while. Karl and Elsa Von Brandt were both charming hosts. Henri was able to speak with Ian as the others were getting settled in the guest quarters of the house. He informed Ian that Karl was an expert in trusts and estate management and inheritance laws throughout Europe. He gave Ian a basic outline of how he and Marie held the bulk of their wealth in anonymous trusts throughout Europe.
Von Brandt was very secretive in his dealings and had earned his reputation of being the man to see in all matters relating to trusts and estates. He was going to be starting a small network of such trusts for Ian at Henri’s request. It would be domiciled in Liechtenstein and would have branches in Henri’s banks in France and Luxembourg. The Netherlands, Scotland, England, Spain, and Italy were all mentioned as possibilities for future locations of anonymous deposited funds.
Ian raised the question of them expanding their banking and trust networks to America and both Karl and Henri raised their eyebrows as they looked at each other. “Well, Henri you’ve done well indeed with the way you and Marie have been bringing this young man along. I had thought of that and I don’t know of another who had until now.”