Chapter 3 – Meet Lord Blackstone
Elise fought through the haze, struggling to regain consciousness, and desperately trying to remember where on earth she was, and more importantly what had happened to her. A deep dull ache throbbed above her eyes, and she found it almost impossible to move her hands. Moving her body slightly she realized she wasn’t actually paralyzed, and her fingers felt a soft comfortable surface beneath her body. Finally, Elise succeeded in opening her eyes, only to find she was staring into complete darkness. Panic seized her, had she become blind? Gradually she was able to make out the forms of various objects within a room, and reality slowly returned to her as she now remembered having been attacked during her mission to steal that damn silver box.
She remembered hearing a growl behind her, and then as fast as lightening, she was attacked. Trying to sit up, Elise realized with horror that her limbs were tightly bound! Trying to remain calm and take stock of her situation, which didn’t appear to be too good, Elise noticed that she hadn’t been left lying on the floor but was in fact on a small soft bed. Well, at least whoever her attacker was, it would appear that they just might have a conscience. A slight prickling of her nose followed by a hearty sneeze, reminded Elise of the sick business man on the plane that was sitting next to her. Great, he has been generous and shared his cold with her. So, not only would she have to contend with finding a way out of her constraints and tending to her throbbing skull from being violently knocked out, she now possibly had an oncoming cold to deal with!!
Lying in the darkness, Elise tried to contemplate a solution to her plight. While Elise certainly didn’t think she was dying, she was suddenly having flashbacks over her life and viewing series of events that have seemed to have led her to the current situation in which she was now in. Elise couldn’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t fiercely independent. Even as a small child, she had rebelled against any constraints put on her, and her resolve to be self reliant had only grown stronger throughout the years. Elise had always been aware of a deep primitive feeling that she didn’t belong in this era, and consequently she often struggled to maintain any meaningful friendships or romantic relationships. She tended to keep to herself, moving swiftly through life from one situation of danger and mystery to another, which seemed to be the only thing her soul thrived on. Along the way she had encountered a couple of tepid romances, but being a person who is unwilling to expose her emotions to the outside world, these would be romances quickly died out before any sparks were ever lit.
Elise decided that this current challenge was nothing she couldn`t solve. Feeling more settled now, she decided to lie back and await whatever was coming next before making another assessment or course of action. And, by being bound to the bed, she certainly had little choice in the matter at the moment.
Going in and out of sleep, Elise had no idea how much time had actually passed before she heard heavy footsteps approaching the bedroom door. With a strange mixture of fear and excitement, she stared at the door mentally preparing herself for the inevitable encounter. The footsteps were now entering the bedroom, and Elise was temporarily blinded by the unexpected glare of the light being switched on. "So you are awake now, are you my little mouse?' a deep male voice addressed her from the doorway.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, Elise squinted and focused on the source of the male voice. Expecting to see perhaps a law enforcement officer, or an elderly house owner, instead…leaning against the door frame, stood a magnificent figure of a man. He was tall, powerfully built, strikingly handsome, and his mere presence in the room felt almost magnetic, drawing Elise further into his deep gaze.
There he stood, this magnificent specimen of masculinity, arms folded across his broad chest and gazing intently at her, almost as if he were a creature sizing up his prey. Elise was taken aback. She certainly had not expected this, and the angry defiant retort she was ready to spew at whomever came in the room quickly died on her lips as she fought to regain her composure.
“I must say, I am quite impressed. You are the very first to get that close to my precious treasure in, oh, let's just say, quite some time.” The man smiled coyly at her.
“Are you Andris Blackstone?” Elise asked the man.
He nodded in confirmation. “I most certainly am the man himself”.
Well, listen here Mr. Blackstone, I can pay you for my release. How does five hundred thousand dollars sound? You can just untie me, and I will leave peacefully, without the box. We can both then just forget that any of this ever happened”.
Holding her breath, Elise hoped the man might be reasonable. However, her hopes were quickly dashed as Blackstone chuckled and shook his head. ”Oh no, I’m afraid I cannot allow you to leave, my pretty little mouse. Allowing a thief to depart without proper punishment would only encourage further attempts. Still, your ability has certainly impressed me.”
Punishment? What was he talking about? Elise was floored by his words. So, did this man intend to keep her prisoner here, in this Manor house, trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Not if she could help it Elise thought, her survival instincts taking over. She would try different tactics, or offer more money.
Blackstone walked from his spot by the door, and sauntered over to where Elise was lying bound and helpless on the bed. Leaning over her where she lay, he gazed down at her studying her face with intent before eventually speaking “You may make yourself comfortable during your stay. However I would strongly advise against any escape attempt, young lady. You will find that I have many ways of making your stay less pleasant.”
Elise, unnerved by his penetrating gaze, tried once more. "Mr. Blackstone, I thank you for your offer of a comfortable stay, but unfortunately I have pressing business to attend to, so I’m afraid I will have to decline. If you could just release me from these ties, I can guarantee you a further payment."
Blackstone smirked as he moved away from the bed, "Allow me to make myself quite clear my little mouse. You are to stay here, either as my guest or as my captive, so let us put an end to this talk of leaving."
Elise decided the best course of action was to allow her captor to believe she was being submissive, while she worked on her escape route. “Very well Blackstone. Will you then please loosen these ties so that I may move my arms and legs. I assure you, you have made yourself crystal clear.”
Blackstone sat down next to Elise, slightly suspicious of her quick compliance. Her reputation as an accomplished thief would suggest she wouldn’t be so quick to submit. Perhaps the nasty hit she took to her head during her fall has skewed her judgement.
"During your stay here all your requirements, including your meals, will be seen to by Lydia, the woman who helps me manage my household. She is a good woman and will see to any needs you may have, while I decide just how I intend to deal with you."
To Elise’e immense relief, Blackstone obliged her request and bent down and proceeded to untie her hands and feet. She could feel the blood pounding back into them as the ties were loosened, and she rubbed at her wrists and ankles in relief.
Suddenly, one of Blackstone’s strong hands grasped Elise’s chin, and tilted her head upwards towards his face. Elise found herself gazing into a pair of mesmerizing green eyes, and almost hypnotically he held her gaze long enough for her to experience an intense and strange sense of deja vu. Elise’s body reacted, sending strange feelings coursing through her from head to toe, while her mind reeled with the question, who was this mysterious man, and why was she feeling like she might know him from somewhere? Maybe it was the bang to her head that was causing her to imagine things, but she certainly wasn’t imagining the reaction her body was expressing at the moment.
Blackstone slowly removed his hand from Elise’s chin, though never dropping his gaze as he moved towards the door. “Behave yourself my little mouse. I will be back to see you again, soon” he declared as he strode from the room closing and locking the door behind him.
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