“What is that, Henri?”
“Ian was still imprinting along with another of my colleagues when they helped take down those kidnappers in Marseille. Ian fought with one of them by himself and overcame him, and I can tell you that he was a big one, a fearsome fellow.”
“Fought with an adult male vampire while he was still imprinting?”
“Why, that is remarkable indeed!” said Robert Milliken.
Several judges spoke to each other then, shaking their heads.
The chairman said “That is truly remarkable, but pistol wounds don’t stop us.”
“Sir, a vampire shot between the eyes will drop and be helpless for a while.”
Judge Milliken spoke then. “Four of them shot in their heads? Oh, I’ll wager that the other two ran like hell!” At this the entire council laughed.
Chief Judge Heinrich Von Steuben then spoke. “Enough of this! We still have the mess in the Balkans to consider. Is anyone here in doubt that this was a righteous execution?” Several said “No.”
“Then I move that we either make it unanimous or close this chamber to deliberate this matter now.”
Judge Milliken said “I second that! My vote is a ‘yes’ to the question of righteous execution, and a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to young McCloud here as well.”
There was a chorus of “Yes.”
“Opposed?”
“Then this is judged to be a righteous execution of judgment and has the full support of this council. We are adjourned for refreshment.” The gavel dropped with a loud bang.
All of the council stood and several beckoned saying “Ian, come have some refreshment with us. Come over here.”
Ian sipped from the cup that was offered as he was questioned for a quarter of an hour then, mostly about the pirate incident. All of the judges shook his hand and several slapped his back saying “Well done.” The chairman then stepped to his place and banged his gavel saying “We’ll now consider the report from the Balkans.”
Henri nodded toward the door and Ian walked out, relieved. He sat outside patiently. It took about an hour, but finally five judges came out with Henri. Three were wearing sun glasses. They came over to Ian and said that it had been an honor and a pleasure to have met him. One took his new sun glasses from a breast pocket and said “Henri tells me you invented these.”
“Yes, sir.”
Judge Milliken from Britain said “Well I love them and I know that my wife will too.” Then two others said he had relieved the boredom of the assembly, and that they couldn’t recall having such a good time doing council business. They all chatted in a most congenial fashion, pressing Ian for more details of the pirate affair. Two had sailing experience and greatly appreciated the craftiness of Captain McCloud in the way he deceived the pirates to get them within range of Elsie’s cannon.
A half-hour later Ian and Henri walked out and got into their carriage. They had gotten maybe two blocks from the place when Henri erupted in laughter and slapped his knee repeatedly. “By Heaven Ian, I’ve never seen the like at a Council meeting. Never! We never come out of those doors. We always exit using the other door. They came out with me so that they could talk more with you.”
“Well it was a first for me too, Henri.”
“A first?”
“Yes, my neck prickled the whole time I was in there what with nine vampires staring at me.”
Henri threw back his head and laughed all the harder. “Ian, this has been one good day for us.”
“So it did go well then?”
“Go well? They’re ready to give you the key to the city!” He laughed all the harder.
Chapter 60
Karl had taken Anna, Celeste, and Serge into Vaduz for a sightseeing trip. Some old Roman fortifications were viewed and they ate at a really nice inn where Karl was well known. They all met later at Karl and Elsa’s estate.
They spent two more delightful days there at the Von Brandt estate and then departed to return through Zurich. Henri had business there and included Ian on all of that since he was there. After that, Henri said he needed to go to Vienna and then to Turin, Italy. He would return to the Marseille area by ship. They parted company in Zurich and everyone came to Lausanne to stay for a while with Anna at her big country Chalet.
Celeste got to sing while in Lausanne and even got to sing in Geneva. She was added to existing engagements as a prelude to the main show, but quickly gained a following even in just a short while in both cities. She was never paid nor did she ask for payment, so the various opera houses were only too glad to have her as a preliminary to the main production. She did ask though that she be allowed to tell her audience that she was only able to tour and sing because of the support of the Banque de Lafayette and Caryn’s Fashions.
All too soon they had to bring her back to Paris. Ian attended a bank conference there and got to spend time with her before leaving. He pressed her aunt Caryn to see about having Celeste do impromptu prelude appearances at various theaters about Paris. She agreed to do that in the understanding that it would please Marie Lafayette.
***
The next three years were a lot like that, what with Ian meeting with Anna at the chateau at times and at Lausanne or Paris at other times. He traveled to Scotland alone and also with Anna, and their reunions were always joyous occasions. She had never mentioned marriage and Ian thought that owing to her social station, she would have been embarrassed to be married to a much younger man so he never pressed her on the issue. He loved her enough to commit to marriage though, should she have indicated the desire for that.
Celeste’s popularity grew each year and she was coming to be considered a prodigy. She and Louis began to spend more time together when she would come to the chateau. Ian tried to spend the winter in Switzerland if business would allow it and desired nothing more than to be snowed in with Anna. Serge graduated and was now working for an engineering company in Bern. The maid’s brother, Andre remained healthy and never became sick with even a cold in all of this time. He was in robust good health and Anna had paid for his education to recommence. Ian bought both him and Celeste ice skates, having them made at the same boot shop and blacksmith shop.
Celeste finally got to learn to skate while at Lausanne one winter. She was becoming quite a young lady now and was wildly popular in Lausanne, Geneva, Lyon, and was growing in popularity in Paris. Still a prelude act she was not a part of any opera company. The good will generated by her performances caused a noticeable growth in Henri’s banking business. People began to establish new accounts there and to do business with them simply because of her.
Ian’s personal fortune grew as Henri guided his investments and kept them widely diversified. He still went regularly to Scotland, usually after the spring thaw let him leave Switzerland. If near Paris he always tried to see Celeste and sometimes got to hear her sing a prelude for some production there. People had heard of her in England and as far away as Austria. She was studying English and German in order to be able to sing to audiences in the Bavarian countries and the British Isles.
Li and Sophia were both now helping Henri and Marie manage the many properties they owned around Marseille. The boys had grown tall and were becoming young men. Their education continued under tutors hired by Marie and they were well-rounded indeed for their age. In addition to French, both spoke German, Italian, Spanish and English. Mustafa had long since taught Marie a Moroccan-Arabic tongue. She had in turn taught it to Ian and to Henri.
There had been no incidents requiring raids on vampire covens during this time, which was fine as far as Ian was concerned. It was wintertime now and Ian had once more come to Lausanne to hopefully spend the winter with Anna.
Once again he had bought a small herd of goats for nourishment and kept them at Anna’s big chalet. He still used the same ruse of collecting and studying blood samples to disguise his need for blood during the long Swiss winters.
It was a parti
cularly windy day late in the fall of the year. Ian had gone to the barn to draw some blood. He had forgotten his flasks and had decided to just fill his bowl first before going back to the chalet to get them. There are things that happen that profoundly affect lives although they are simple events, seemingly of no importance. This was one such event.
Having just finished filling the bowl he had gotten situated to take a drink from it which he rarely did. Normally he’d fill his four flasks instead. It was a blustery windy day and the wind gusted extremely strong , blowing something against the north side of the barn which made a very loud noise. The goat which he had just bled spooked and jumped. It bumped the bowl of blood just as Ian had it raised to his lips to take a sip. The blood rolled up and covered his face from his nose down to his chin and was running off of him in rivulets.
He turned to grab for something to wipe his face and there standing in the doorway was Anna. He hadn’t heard her approach because of the wind. She recoiled from him with a look of utter fear and revulsion. Then the fear passed and she suddenly looked stricken as if something had torn out her heart. She began to weep and to shake her head from side to side like a wounded animal. The sounds coming from her wracked her body and pierced Ian’s heart. He rose and reached his hand out to her and she screamed at him “No! No! No! You …you…ghoul! Leave my house at once! Go now! Go now!”
He took a step towards her saying “Anna, I can explain. I’ll tell you everything.” She backed away from him and slipped and fell on her back. He came forward to help her up and she screamed hysterically, scrambling to her feet with a look of utter terror and turned to run weeping toward the house.
Ian was numb with the realization at what had happened. My God! What have I done? He walked to the water trough and washed his face thoroughly, and then went to the house only to see his rucksack and some of his bags had already been thrown out on to the snow-covered ground. Picking through his belongings, he found his sun glasses, and then he picked up his rucksack and went back into the barn. He filled all four flasks and drank the rest and then rinsed the bowl and put it away in his rucksack. Stowing everything he went to the kitchen door and knocked. He kept knocking until Anna finally came and looked through the window. Backing away he sat down on the ground and gestured to her to open the door. She opened it a crack and he could see the grief in her face and eyes, and that she had been weeping.
“Anna, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
“No! You’ll leave my house and never come back.”
“There are things that you don’t know about how…”
“No.”
“Ah, Anna lass, don’t go through with this thing. Please don’t do this.”
“I want to hear nothing from you again, Ian. How could you be this…this…monster? How could you deceive Henri, Marie, those boys, Celeste! Your own wife Cosette! Oh Ian, how could you tear out my heart? You will go now and never come back! Do you hear me? Never come back!”
“Anna, please sit and listen to me for just a minute. Please Anna! I love you.”
“I have shared a bed with you for these years and you keep this from me? Leave now I say, leave now!”
“Please hear me out, Anna! I love you. Oh please don’t do this!”
“You’ve lied to me for the last time! Leave now, Ian and never return!”
He sat then, hanging his head while shaking it.
“I’ll leave now, but you should know something for Serge’s safety and for yours and the safety of your staff. Please let me tell you for their sakes!”
“What Ian? Just go!”
“Don’t go telling this to anybody for your own sake and for those of your household. I’m not the only one like this in the world. My kind live here in this city. If you tell this, you’ll be putting everyone you love in great danger. There are those of my kind who will come and kill anyone who reveals our existence. You must hold your peace on this, Anna. Think of Serge if of no one else. The others will assume that an entire family knows if one single member of a family knows of us. They’ll come and kill all of you. Please promise me that you’ll hold your peace on this.”
“Just go! Your dirty secret is safe. Do you think that I want my friends and associates to know that I’ve taken a filthy ghoul to my bed these four years? Just go! Get a carriage in the city.”
He stood up, his head hanging, and then he looked at her and said “My kind travel faster on foot. I’m so sorry that I’ve hurt you. It’s the last thing I would have wanted to ever happen. I… Anna… I tried to tell you this at the chateau, long ago when you first returned there. I love you. Goodbye.”
Swinging his rucksack he shrugged his shoulders into the straps, abandoning the rest of his belongings. He walked away then but heard the sound of running feet. Turning hopefully he saw that it was only Andre running toward him. Stopping, he hugged the boy and spoke to him briefly. Then he bid him goodbye. He stayed walking at human speed until it was dark. Then he took his boots and socks off and stowed them in his rucksack. He began to run then, faster than the wind.
***
Alandra and Celita had gone riding. Celita had seen little change in Alandra following the death of Philippe’. She had barely begun to eat and often didn’t even come to the table at all at meal times. She was a little too thin, but she was neat, clean, and well-groomed in her appearance; albeit listless and uninterested in anything outside of Barcelona House and her part time work as a tax consultant. She talked little and when she did, it was usually to Celita.
The Rodriquez family had gone back to Almeria. Roberto Rodriguez was considering selling all of his considerable business interests and retiring from public life.
They had ridden to the market and to the place where Philippe’ had died. Alandra just sat on her horse and gazed about the place, her beautiful eyes empty. They had left and walked their mounts along the harbor area. There the two gathered sea shells and just walked, talking little. As the afternoon wore on, they made their way slowly back into the hills to the Vasquez villa. Celita asked if she could stop and see a neighbor and come along a little later. Alandra nodded, lost in thought.
She turned into the driveway and dismounted, leading her mount across a garden area out of sight of the house, taking a short cut to the stables where she allowed her horse to drink until she was done. Then she took the saddle and blanket off and rubbed her horse down and turned her into the pasture, walking up to the servants’ entrance of the villa. As she entered and made her way towards the kitchen, she heard her mother and father talking.
“She barely eats anything, Esmeralda.”
“Yes, yes, but she’ll recover in time, Eduardo. These things take time.”
“You know, I could have given her more good news about that young man, you know that Ian McCloud? When I was in Marseille I heard that he’d been found and was being nursed back to health by the young lady who found him. I think that is the lady that he married later.”
“Well, it would have made her happier at the time, but then the man did marry that lady, did he not? So eventually she would have been dispirited by that, Eduardo.”
“You and I know that if she’d known that he was alive, there is no way that she wouldn’t go to him. Had she found him, who knows what might have happened? I did fear her marrying a foreigner and not one of our faith either. I thought it best to keep that from her, Esmeralda. In the light of all that has happened since, now I doubt my actions, even though my motives were for her benefit. She really did begin to care for Philippe’ though. I really do think that they could have been very happy together. He was such an exceptionally fine man. His only faults were that he was hot-tempered and impulsive.”
“Yes, it was his temper that got him killed in the end from what I know of it.”
“That Carlos is a cunning devil! Did you know that I have since talked to the florist Geraldo? His shop is wher
e that happened. That devil called Alandra a whore!” Esmeralda gasped.
“Yes. He said it in a very low voice but the florist and Philippe’ were the only ones who heard it. Poor Philippe’ never knew that he was being pushed to his death. And the position that his father holds ensures that Carlos will never have to answer for that. The matter is now concluded forever in the eyes of the law. That devil! May he burn in hell for what he’s done!”
Alandra walked into the kitchen and said “So, Papa, you knew that Ian was alive and kept that from me? What now, Papa? Will you plan the rest of my life for me? Will you find another suitable husband for me?
“Alandra, your mother and I….”
“No, Papa. You and Mama won’t plan my life for me. You’ll not choose a husband for me. I won’t marry. You can’t force me to. I won’t be cloistered in a nunnery, there to be told what to do for the rest of my life. I’m grateful for the care and education that you and Mama have given me and I love you both more than I can say, but I’ll be managed no more. I’ll live here and will work for nothing in the charity that you and Uncle Adolfo started. If you’ll allow me to, I’ll manage it. You can save money not having to pay a manager. I’ve been studying tax laws this year on my own. I used your influence to have a copy of the tax laws sent to me in care of Celita It may be that I can help Uncle Adolfo in that part of his business. I won’t embarrass you or Mama. But no one will direct my life any more. Everything bad that has happened to me has been due to things out of my control. For the rest of my life, I’ll control it. I’ll make my own mistakes, Papa. If this isn’t acceptable to you I will leave this house today.”
Chapter 61
Ian ran all night until at dawn he realized he was nearing the Mediterranean coast. The vegetation had changed drastically and finally he crossed the road to the sea and saw the Rhone River. He stopped to drink the last flask and soon he was off, knowing that he would be at the chateau in around an hour.
Arriving at the chateau he decided to go to the river to bathe. And while there he caught some fish. Familiar things had a comforting effect, as did the sight of the chateau as he came through the pasture and approached it from the back.