by Auriane Bell
Magdala? No, it was Mairin who was sitting next to her own bed, the body bent over, burying his hand. He gently tucked at it, eliciting Mairin a complaining moan.
Adrijan felt dazed. Had he succeeded? Was the kitten alright?
“Mairin…” he whispered. “Wake up, Mairin.”
“Mhmm… Adrijan?” she murmured, slowly rising from the mattress. “Adrijan! You’re awake!”
“Good morning,” he said, smiling sheepishly.
Mairin hurriedly released his hand. It felt numb and he drew it back to revive it with an amateurish massage. In doing so, his gaze fell on his old, leathery skin and realising what it meant, he quickly hid his arms under the blanket and turned away from Mairin.
“Adrijan?”
“Don’t look at me…” he begged her.
“Don’t be silly,” she scolded him. “Who do you think I’ve been watching for the past day like the most fabulous painting of Sunflower Garden’s distinguished art gallery?”
“I’m probably looking just as old.”
Mairin shook her head.
“Late forties, early fifties maybe.”
If she had tried to comfort him, she hadn’t found the best words to do so.
“Is Therry alright?”
Mairin bent down. “Come here, Winther! Here, boy!”
Winther?
“I- I mean Therry,” Mairin corrected herself with the fidgeting kitten on her hands.
“You have named him after me?”
Mairin nodded and released Winther, who happily started to wander around on the bed.
“I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have.”
“No wonder he had bad luck then,” Adrijan remarked, more to himself than to Mairin, but her face immediately darkened.
“It’s a good name,” he tried to comfort her, cursing his loose tongue. “The bad luck has nothing to do with the name – it’s probably just shadowing me.”
Mairin gazed at him with a more than upset look and made him realise what he had just indicated.
“No-no-no. I meant…”
Adrijan sighed.
“I’m sorry, I’m an idiot.”
Mairin responded with an innocent smile.
In the end his desperate attempt to save himself had been enough to cheer her up.
“Thank you for keeping your promise,” she said.
“You’re welcome,” he replied. “And you too,” he added, poking Winther, who had started kneading Mairin’s fluffy blanket. The kitten stopped purring for a moment to find out who had interrupted him and continued right after he had determined that there was no danger.
“Are you feeling better? I was worried, but Vivian said you’d be alright. He gave you an infusion and told me to watch over you.”
Adrijan examined the crook of his left arm and found an adhesive plaster that was obviously designed for children. Considering its pink colour and the corny heart pattern Adrijan guessed that most men would have rather done without it, even if it had meant bleeding to death – which of course he wouldn’t have, with or without the medium of Vivian’s teasing.
“When did he come back?”
“Hmm… about two hours after the incident. Luckily he was already on his way home when we reached him. Alfred said he had been instructed not to call for a doctor, so I could only wait for Vivian to arrive.”
“All that counts is that the little one is alright.”
Mairin shook her head. “I’m glad both of you are alright.”
She had told him what he had wanted her to say, but hearing the words made him feel overly self-conscious.
Therry sneaked closer to him and rubbed his head against his chest. Adrijan rewarded him by caressing his small head behind the disproportionately big ears.
“Hm… Adrijan…”
“Hm?”
Mairin stole his hand away from Therry and held it down on the mattress with her own.
“What if I decided not to marry Vivian? What if I wanted to be with… someone else?”
Was she insinuating that she wanted to stay with him instead of the charming master of Mondstein castle? That wasn’t very likely.
“Nobody will force you to-“
Mairin sighed.
It wasn’t in her nature to think ill of people but when he didn’t take her hint, she was truly doubting his comprehension. Adrijan’s ignorance had caused her to feel insecure and once again she was severely doubting the correctness of her own conduct. After all he was a priest and his past seemed complicated enough to make his behaviour at least rudimentary credible. The only problem was that he had in fact shown interest in her. Was she tempting him without considering his feelings? She had to find out if he wanted her to stop and he was the only person she could ask about it.
“Am I bothering you?”
Her heart was pounding as she anticipated a devastating reply.
“No, why-“
He had denied it.
“Is it alright for me to keep holding your hand like this?”
“Well…”
Mairin took a deep breath. She knelt on the bed and leant forward, tremendously glad that she was too excited to think about consequences. She was so close to him now that she hardly noticed Therry rub against her arms.
“Will you kiss me?” she whispered.
Adrijan didn’t move away from her but he also didn’t follow her invitation. Every second that passed in silence screamed at her that she had made a fool out of herself. One moment elapsed after the other and the disappointment she had weakly felt in the beginning, grew stronger and stronger until it raged within her and threatened to tear a hole into her chest.
“I see,” she finally mumbled.
She claimed to have understood but in fact she hadn’t. When she was about to jerkily turn away Adrijan held her back.
“Stay. Stay and let me explain,” he begged her.
“What more is there to discuss?”
“A lot, actually.”
Mairin eventually stopped resisting and sat down on the bed with her legs to one side. Therry took the chance and nestled down in her lap between the folds of her gown. Now that Adrijan could be certain that she wouldn’t abruptly change her mind and leave him, he slowly lowered his arms.
“So?” she asked impatiently. Mairin was clearly upset and he didn’t hold it against her.
“I’ve lived my life trying to avoid something like this for a reason.”
Mairin slightly turned her head. Her eyes looked watery and Adrijan felt a lump in his throat.
“Your invitation was more than tempting but-“
“I’m sorry for tempting you. I know you are a priest,” she murmured.
“No… it’s not that. It’s not only that.
Mairin, I’m more than six centuries older than you. Do you even realise what that means, what I have done? Take a good look at me… this is a not even a tenth of my real age.”
Somehow he had to make her understand.
“Do you think I mind your appearance?”
“Perhaps you don’t, but I certainly don’t enjoy looking old enough to be your father.”
“This is silly…”
A tear had dared to make its way down Mairin’s reddened cheek and she awkwardly wiped it away.
“Have you considered your suggestion properly? What about Vivian’s financial support for you and your family? I can’t assure you that he won’t change his mind if you decide not to become his bride.”
“He wouldn’t do that. Vivian is a good man.”
What she said was true yet there were rules about the bride, rules Vivian had always abided by. And even if the immortal decided to make an exception, it was still no guarantee for happiness.
“Give me some more time,” he requested and pointing at his face, he added, “I have to do something about this anyway. I can’t show up in Traumstadt looking like my own ancestor.”
“Do you have to drain a lot? Will you… people will die, won’t they?”
Slowly Adrijan got up from the bed and gently kissed Mairin on the forehead. It felt strange to finally do something he had continuously denied himself.
“Will you accompany me when I call for you? I want you to see for yourself what it’s like.”
Mairin’s face had brightened and her reaction made him feel a sharp pain in his chest.
Wasn’t this too cruel?
As promised Adrijan had asked for her presence. Early in the morning Hilda had helped her to put on clothes that were common for young women of her age and after a long and to her mentally strenuous journey – first in a private jet and then on the front passenger’s seat of a car that had been provided by Vivian – she had finally arrived at her destination, an apartment building that stood among many.
Through the windscreen she had already discovered Adrijan and saw that he was wearing the usual type of clothes, his full collar shirt, the cassock and black trousers. Even though he hadn’t put on a coat he didn’t seem to mind the biting cold.
Mairin’s driver slowed down in the narrow street and steered the car closer to the pavement. With parked vehicles on both sides of the path there was no getting past them in spite of his precaution and the man earned aggressive honking from the drivers behind him. Mairin, who hadn’t anticipated their reactions, nearly jumped out of her skin and when she was asked to exit while the engine was still running, she was too scared to comply with the request. Adrijan came to her rescue, opened the door on her side of the car and dragged her to the pavement. Finally the driver was enabled to leave and when the holdup had cleared shortly after, Mairin breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief.
The tall apartment building looked old and impressive but it naturally couldn’t keep up with Mondstein castle regarding either of the aspects.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he welcomed her.
Within two days Adrijan’s face had reverted to the one of the handsome young demon who had saved her from Sunflower Garden and even though she had said that his appearance hadn’t mattered to her, she had to admit that she felt more familiar with this version of him.
“And here I am,” she replied with feigned cheerfulness. Her mind was troubled by the thought of how he had regained his youth.
It was bothersome how difficult it was for her to make out his mood today. His expression was disturbingly solemn and his voice lacked the warm tone she had gotten accustomed to. Was he in a bad mood because of what he had done?
Nervously Mairin followed him through the entrance, trying not to tug at the tight pants Hilda had forced her into and wishing that Adrijan would treat her differently in this unfamiliar environment.
Without a word of explanation about his intentions he continued on. As they progressed through the staircase they encountered a resident of the apartment building, a middle-aged woman, who upon seeing them turned around and hurried back to her apartment. Her peculiar reaction led Mairin to believe that Adrijan wasn’t a stranger here and considering the expression on the woman’s face she wouldn’t even have been surprised to find out that he was known as the local Grim Reaper.
Adrijan halted in front of an old, ornate double wing door. A small plate at eye level revealed to her that it was apartment number six.
“Here we are. This is the home of Mrs Crouse. Won’t you go in and talk to her?”
“But…”
“I’ll be waiting outside. Take your time.”
Mairin had the strong impulse to turn around and run when Adrijan simply rang the doorbell and stepped aside. What had become of the man who had gently kissed her on the forehead?
Soon a young woman appeared, axing her plan to make a strategic withdrawal, and agreed to take her to Mrs Crouse.
Curiously Mairin followed her, taking her chance to gaze at the high walls and ancient furniture. The apartment looked impressive, yet she was unable to ignore the displeasing stench that lingered in the air. Despite the wintery cold most windows were open – obviously a desperate try to oppose the smell.
“Who are you? What do you want? I don’t know you.”
The moderately loud but discerning voice that welcomed her belonged to an old woman who was sitting at a heavy wooden table almost in the centre of the room. A thick fur coat and a fitting hat kept her from freezing in her own home.
“My name is Mairin. I’m… I’m a friend of Father Adrijan.”
“Oh, Father Adrijan!” The woman’s eyes that had looked bleak were suddenly glowing and her hostile manner had dissipated without a trace. Mairin suspected that her own reaction regarding Adrijan was strangely similar.
“Yes, yes… How nice of him to send you, Miss Mairin!”
“Just ‘Mairin’ is fine, Mrs Crouse,” she awkwardly corrected the woman.
“Yes, yes… Won’t you have a seat, child?” Mrs Crouse encouraged her.
Mairin decided not to take off her coat and hesitantly sat down on the only free chair, cursing Hilda’s choice of clothes. She had always thought corsets to be inconvenient but the pants she was wearing were probably unbeatable.
“Yes… yes…” the woman murmured.
“Have you lived here for long?”
“Yes, yes… we have been living here for a long time, my husband and I.”
“Your husband?” Mairin asked. She hadn’t seen anyone else around.
“I used to travel a lot with my husband. Together we went to see the world. We resided in fine hotels and ate at expensive restaurants… yes, yes.”
The woman paused, and Mairin could literally see that she was reminiscing.
“Oh how I loved him… do you want to see a picture?”
Mrs Crouse didn’t wait for a positive reply and with the help of a walking stick slowly hobbled to her bureau, where she retrieved the photo she had been talking about.
“Yes, yes,” she kept muttering.
The way the old woman walked, Mairin expected her to trip at any moment, but she miraculously managed to return to her seat unharmed.
“Here it is… yes, yes.”
She seemed agitated and Mairin couldn’t tell whether that was the reason why she was breathing heavily or if she was simply exhausted from the short distance she had covered.
Mrs Crouse’s treasure rested on the table but instead of an explanation the white-haired woman moved it closer to Mairin and gazed at her in anticipation. The object seemed too valuable for her to touch, so that she decided just to lean forward to be able to study it more closely.
“Yes, yes… “ Mrs Crouse repeated.
The black and white photo showed several people having supper in the dining hall of a luxurious establishment, perhaps a five-star hotel or an exclusive restaurant. A woman in her thirties was obviously the attraction of the table. She wore an exquisite gown and her hair had been put up in curls. Around her neck lay a close-fitting expensive looking necklace. Mairin couldn’t ascertain what kind of jewels had been used but she guessed it were diamonds. There were two men sitting to the woman’s right, the first keeping a bit of distance between his and her chair. To her left, sitting noticeably closer, was another man, who seemed to be more intimate. Mairin pointed at him.
“Is that your husband?”
Mrs Crouse nodded proudly. “Yes, yes… isn’t he handsome?”
Mairin wasn’t sure how to reply. The man was considerably older than the woman, whom she believed to be Mrs Crouse, and even though he looked cultivated and distinguished in his dinner jacket, she wouldn’t have thought him handsome.
“Was this on one of your many journeys across the world?” Mairin asked, trying to avoid telling a white lie.
“Yes, yes… one of our journeys. He passed away soon after. It’s so sad without him and I’ve been so sad ever since.”
Mrs Crouse’s change in mood was unpleasant and Mairin was afraid she
had caused it with her question.
“But surely you must have friends,” she suggested. “Everyone on this picture clearly adored you.”
“Yes, yes… we had many friends. They supported me for the duration of my mourning period and then…” Her gaze wandered to the window. “When they realised that I had no intention to remarry or give them money they gave up, one by one… yes, yes. Soon only a few female friends remained.”
Mairin swallowed. Making conversation wasn’t her strong point.
“And now?” she dared to ask.
“Yes, yes… now…”
Mairin inclined her head.
“Now I don’t have anyone to talk to. Yes, yes…”
“Don’t you have any relatives?”
“A niece. Oh she’s a nice girl, my niece. Yes, yes… but she is so far away.”
“Will she visit you soon? For Christmas perhaps?”
“Yes, yes… Christmas. No, she won’t visit me. She is staying with her children… yes, yes.”
“And besides your niece? What about your friends?”
“Yes, yes… I have a nephew.”
Mairin was glad she had finally found someone, but Mrs Crouse leant closer to her and started whispering in an unpleasantly loud voice, in a manner only people, who were hard of hearing, were able to, “But I think he is after my money and my jewels, yes, yes.”
“I’m certain that can’t be the case, Mrs Crouse,” Mairin tried to calm her.
“Yes, yes… he visits from time to time but sometimes things go missing...”
The young woman who had guided Mairin into the living room brought tea and cookies on a tray and she was grateful for an opportunity to stay silent and search for a less inconvenient topic.
The servant however had overheard the accusation and felt the need to disagree.
“Don’t say that, Mrs Crouse. Joseph surely means well.”
“Yes, yes… well… but things go missing. Do you know where my sapphire ring is, Jane?”
The woman declined sharply and left the room. Had she been accused of stealing before as well?
“Your friends…” Mairin tried to change the topic, “what about your friends?”
