Doing a customary drive round he parked about a mile away, before doing a circuit on foot, heading back to where he entered the previous day. He watched the camera and scaled the fence, making sure to keep his hands gloved. Maybe she had told someone about him, maybe he would have a welcoming party, could be interesting. As he landed on the other side, he palmed his knife, ready. The dogs came again, but this time they ran toward him with their tails wagging.
He found her sat in the same swinging chair; the moon shining above her, stars twinkling in the distance. Tonight she had a light blue sweater on to keep her warm. Crouching in the bushes again he wanted to just watch her for a few minutes, watch her enjoy the solitude.
"Paulo, is that you?" she hadn’t turned around, he was watching so he knew she had not moved, yet she sensed him,
"How did you know?" knife still in hand he stepped out of the bushes.
"I don’t know I just knew you were there. How are you today?" she was the injured one, yet she was asking him how he felt.
"The better question is how you are doing?" hearing her sigh, he waited.
"Good I suppose, I am not in as much pain today, but I had my first counselling session today. The Counsellor is called Cane, he is really nice. I was really worried about seeing him and had made myself really nervous, only for him to ask me almost nothing. We just chatted about everything and nothing really. So I was all stressed for nothing, go figure" her voice actually sounded tired.
He could also hear the anxiety in her voice, he wanted to comfort her, but wasn’t sure how. Stepping out of the bushes, he pushed her gently on the swing, watching as she lifted her feet from the ground. Her feet were tiny, even with the bulky slippers on.
"So have you decided not to keep hunting my friend?" it was his turn to laugh.
"I am afraid not Leila. Have you told him about me?" he was not overly concerned only mildly curious, whether Darius knew or not made little difference to him.
"What would you do if I had?" normally he would do something to remove the threat but Leila, he didn’t think he could. It would be like taking out a wounded animal that was in the middle of recuperating.
"I am not sure, the thought of hiding you away from him sounds good, but I am sure that is a terrifying thought for you."
"It is but what would you do to me if I told him about you?" although there was a little fear in her demeanour, there was also some curiosity and laughter.
"Why I wouldn’t do anything, what do you take me for Miss Leila" she laughed at the quiet yet slightly outraged tone in his voice, he liked her name, he liked calling her Miss Leila, it suited her.
"Well no I haven’t told Darius, although if I had been awake when he visited and left me chocolates I might have" the bastard, chocolates, why hadn’t he thought of that? Darius always seemed to make him look bad.
"Will you tell him tomorrow?" he continued to swing her, his dark hood pulled over his head, sunglasses covering his eyes and sweater zipped high limiting Leila's view of him.
"I don’t think so" as his eyebrows rose, he was pleasantly surprised, in fact he liked that she said no.
"Why?"
"I have decided to convince you Darius is a good guy, and then maybe you will change your mind about him" she was full of surprises, she planned to change his mind, he was notorious in the circles he ran in for his grit determination, finishing every job he was hired for.
"And how do you plan to do that lovely Leila?"
"Well I was thinking that I would give you a list of his virtues, tell you a little about what I know about him, and maybe you will give him the benefit of the doubt" her voice was soft, yet he could hear the hope in it. She lay back in the chair, he could see the gentle breeze again whispering in her hair. He couldn’t picture her dressed for prostitution; she was so natural and soft.
"Why would I listen?"
"I have been living my life wrong for a long time. Every time I come sit out here I expect to be carted off to my old life." he stopped swinging her, she sat up and he motioned her to see if he could sit down, she moved and he joined her using his foot to swing the chair.
"Then why come out here?" if she felt safer inside, that’s where she needed to stay.
"These people, I don’t know them and they don’t know me, yet they have been so kind to me. I don’t want anyone to hurt them, so if I am outside they can take me."
"Wouldn’t you fight?" letting life happen without being involved seemed alien to him, he needed to have control of what was happening.
"No, what's the point, I have fought all of my life and where am I?"
"What can I do to help?" he would help her, on that he was determined.
"Give me two weeks to convince you about Darius, please" she was looking off into the distance, he had noticed that she didn’t offer eye contact.
"I ask you what I can do and you ask for that, why? Why not something to help you?" this woman confused him, in a way no-one had before.
She actually moved to lay her head on the edge of his shoulder, it made him feel wanted, an odd sensation he wasn’t sure he liked. But it felt relaxing sitting out here with Leila, he had to keep reminding himself to check around him.
"In my life there have only been a handful of people who have genuinely wanted to help me, most of those are gone, there are two left, my friend from the streets, Angie, she's older than me and looked after me even though I had Carlos. Then there is Darius, he dropped in on me and Angie from time to time, you should speak to her if you want to know about Darius and his good deeds."
"Enough, please my ears are bleeding with all this talk of Darius. You have your two weeks, but I have a condition of my own."
"I am listening" taking out a pen and the small but unused note pad from his pocket he jotted some details down.
"If you have any problems get a message to this number, I will come and find you but until then you fight, fight like one of those wolves you see around okay?" As she nodded he felt a little relived.
"I am going to go, you look tired, but before I leave I need to tell you not to worry about anyone coming for you, that won't happen."
And then he was gone.
Chapter 15
It was much quieter at Claude's; Emily spent the mornings in our house, the afternoons at Claude's cleaning his house and cooking the evening meal. We always ate together, very often Charmaine and maman would visit, I think they enjoyed the peacefulness of Claude's.
When we had first moved into the stables it was just that, a stable, but between us we had managed to make it nice. She was so sweet, my Emily, innocent. The days were busy particularly in the winters, although I had previously helped Claude, doing it fulltime was much harder.
During my first year at Claude's, I convinced him to buy sheep; I had heard word about merchants buying the wool. On my first trip to sell the wool, I was told about spinning it for clothing. I received a good price for the wool and obtained a spinning wheel for Emily, the initial thought was to use the wool to make clothes for ourselves, however Charmaine started to help and then maman.
Very quickly they were able to make clothes with speed and ease; it wasn’t long before villagers were asking to purchase some. So we brought more sheep and made a little profit, then a little more and a little more. Now it was Charmaine and maman who visited the markets, Emily was too shy. It was starting to become lucrative and within a year we owned over 150 sheep, I looked after them and the other animals. It was hard work, but Emily's confidence grew and grew.
By year two we had people travelling from other villages to buy our goods. It was at one of the markets that they met Simon, as a merchant he traded in most goods. Requesting food and lodge from Claude in return for goods. He stayed a week and he spent some of his time watching Emily and Charmaine; I noticed he watched Charmaine a little too much, so in return I watched him.
However, Simon turned into a valuable person to know, although he was a little flamboyant even for mid 1300's. His tunics were
a little tighter and shorter than the ones I and the villagers wore, he might still wear leggings, but where ours were woollen, his were a thinner material, where my covered me, his accentuated his assets. Simon spent much of his time travelling across to India, during those days it was hard and dangerous work. Before he left he gave Emily a gift of some silk, he told her what he wanted and promised to return in the month. He did indeed return and was very pleased with the custom tunic she had made.
I remember waking some nights to find Emily sat in front of the candle, forehead creased in concentration as she continued to work around her designs, she was adding to the tunic with the silken thread. I would rise from our make shift bed, cold and naked, pad over to her, remove the thread and material, take her hands, and remind her to sleep whilst taking her back to bed. When I went to sleep, I always tucked her into me, when I awoke she was always wrapped around me.
It was on one of these cold winter nights that she finally told me about her life before me, I was unsurprised to hear that her father was a nobleman in England. She had run after finding out her father had betrothed her to a much older man. He had been an acquaintance of her fathers for some years, and they had decided that combining their holdings would increase their power and standing. Emily had watched this man abuse his slaves and watched the unhappiness on the face of his last wife before she was taken by the plague. She didn’t plan on being the next wife. No-one from her old life knew where she was, it had taken her three weeks to get to France.
I think she expected me to be shocked or angry, I was neither. From the moment I met her, I had known she had come from better stock than me. It made little difference to me, as long as she was happy and she was. I did however feel privileged to share her secret. No longer did I need to question.
Every summer we had a fair come to the village, we had yet to go there together, I had come as a child and loved watching the jugglers and jester, and Emily was fascinated by the French poems and treats there.
I had always watched the knights and their tournaments with envy. It was while we sat watching the tournament that I saw a man watching us. I saw him gather two others and head over towards us. We had Charmaine and maman as part of our party. Standing to greet the men I expected it to be someone who knew maman. It wasn’t, instead there in front of me stood a man, relatively small, with slicked back dark hair, without a doubt this was an angry man.
"I take it you are the man who has ruined my girl?" I stood there wondering who the hell this man was, I looked behind him and saw at least two other men on horses. Behind me I could hear Emily scrabbling around to stand, I moved my whole body so that it blocked these people from seeing her. I had never been stupid, this was Emily's family and she was scared.
"It depends on who you are and who your girl is, I have taken a bride but I don’t believe I have ruined anyone" people were starting to look at us, even though I could hear the noises around me, the noise in the immediate vicinity suddenly reduced.
"My Emile, where is she?" Emily came from behind me and touched my shoulder prompting me to move aside, I took her hand and adjusted my stance, thankfully I had my sword with me. I tried to look stern and hopefully I did. I could see some of my friends step closer, but I was a man with honour and I would fight my own battles.
"Father what are you doing here?" Emily sounded anxious; her normally tranquil face was tense and her eyes were large. As much as she was focussing on her father, she was very conscious of the two men behind him, both of whom were piercing her with their stare.
"You dare ask me what I am doing here, looking for you of course" the man bellowed at Emily, automatically I drew myself up tall, this was my wife and I would protect her.
There was a fleeting resemblance to Emily, although he was pale, his dark hair was of the same colour as Emily's, but slicked back. He had a sword in a sheath, his tunic embroidered in gold, betraying his upper station in society. His horses were of good calibre, I was certain these men had seen battles. I watched as the men with him started walking towards me.
Both were pretty tall, but somewhat thin. Both looked confident as they traipsed across the lush green grass. They wouldn’t look at Emily, but were more than happy to glare at me, as they came closer I could see the exhaustion etched in their faces.
"Don’t father, leave here now. You know why I left. Please father just leave me in peace, I am happy" there was a pleading note in her voice, I saw her father's eyes soften, before he strode forward and raised his open palm high, I watched as it came down, it was like slow motion, I could see it get lower and lower. As his hand came down to near her face, I grabbed his arm.
"That is my wife, no-one raises a hand to her, no-one. Now I suggest you leave, I am slowly losing my temper."
I watched as his face turned an almost beetroot colour, he was breathing hard, his face clenching in anger "not without my daughter you barbarian."
"I will not return. I am no longer the meek girl who left, father. This is Darrell he is my husband and so you no longer own me."
When her father looked back to me, I saw the hatred in his face. I knew Emily was a genteel woman but from looking at her father, I hadn’t realised just how well brought up she was.
"I do not care who your husband is, you are mine and I will return home with you, no one need know what has happened here" although his tone was lower, his words were spat out.
I heard her sigh, she looked up at me with those big eyes, "I am so sorry Darrell, I did not mean for you to find out this way."
I remember the confusion at her statement, was there something else I didn’t know about, would she return with her family? Every noise around me completely disappeared while I focused on my wife,
"Father I cannot come with you, I am with child, our child" her voice was barely a whisper, I almost missed it. I was staggered.
"Really", I don’t know why I was whispering, I remember standing there looking at this lovely woman, who was growing our child inside her. I couldn’t breathe; the excitement was welling up inside of me. Ignoring her father, I picked her up and swung her round, maman and Charmaine were beaming.
"For god's sake Emily, we can take care of that when we get home" her father's voice interrupted out happiness, his comments rude and inconsiderate. Enough to warrant my ire, I step away from Emily but she didn’t let me go.
"But what about I father? What about my happiness?" Only now could I hear the steel in her voice, I had never heard Emily angry and unwavering, I liked it.
"You will want for nothing, what more do you want?" he was pleading and I waited to see if Emily would crumble, she didn’t, in fact she became annoyed, very annoyed.
I had waited long enough and it was time to make my stand "well sir I am Darrell and Emily is my wife; I have no intention of letting her leave, as long as she wants to stay she will have a home with me.”
"You believe I will leave my daughter with you, a heathen?"
Looking back even now I can't believe that this was my first meeting with my father-in-law and Emily's brothers. Needless to say he wasn’t my number one fan. The two men with him were Emily's brothers, Stanley was the older one and he stepped forward, and challenged me to a duel.
There I was, stood there in the middle of a fair with all these people looking on, some knew my mother and wanted nothing more than to watch me a young upstart bested. Others knew me and wanted nothing more than to watch me a young upstart bested. There were a few that knew me and wanted me to win but not many. There was no way I could stand there and concede, so I accepted.
Pulling my sword I looked at Stan, dressed in his rich, heavy and well decorated surcoat. I looked down at my blue tunic with my belt and sword sheathed to my right. Maman and Charmaine were aghast; Emily just looked to me and her brother with tears in her eyes. As I stepped forward she grabbed my arm.
"Oh Darrell please don’t, you don’t even have a surcoat" I had never had a surcoat and to this day I can still remember the weight of the inter
linked metal, how knights didn’t buckle under the constant weight I still don’t know. Soldiers today complain about the weight of their pack, but try a surcoat first.
From behind me I heard a familiar voice "he can use mine" I turned to find Philippe grinning. He looked a little more portly but good, healthy even, much better than when he left. He was dressed in his battle clothing, crimson tunic, leather boots, and surcoat, the hood was down so I could see the smile in his eyes, "I see you are still getting into trouble Darrell."
I bowed slightly, "thanks brother" It took a few minutes to swap his surcoat onto me, then a couple of minutes for me to become accustomed to breathing in it, we could have waited until I became accustomed to moving in it, but we didn’t have a decade to wait.
"Good luck little brother". By the time the duel began quite a crowd had gathered and I was pushed into centre of a loosely formed circle, as the crowd cheered. As I came closer to Stanley I almost turned and ran, in fact if there had been a way out of the crowd I probably would have. He was much larger than me and he was clearly much more comfortable in the armour than I.
The Man Behind the Vampire (The Silver Series) Page 9
