Worlds Apart

by Stein Willard

  Tia blinked. “I don’t understand?”

  “You truly want to know, milady?” Pope sneered and Tia wanted to close her ears. He had never spoken to her like that and it make her want to cry. He walked up to her and she flinched when he grabbed her hand and placed it against his chest. Tia felt a softness under her palm and jerked her eyes from his to look at his chest. “I’m sure you can make your own conclusions.” With that he slammed out of the cabin, leaving Tia with her hand still hanging uselessly in the air, her mouth open in shock.

  XVII

  ‘Slum Tourism’

  Tia was nervous as she walked next to the queen, greeting everyone present in the drawing room. She had come to the Palace to have tea with the queen and discuss their excursion into the slums. When the queen had suggested that they take a short walk through the drawing room after tea, Tia had wanted to decline, but explaining her reason would’ve brought on more questions that she didn’t want to answer right now. The queen was chatting with a group of ladies, while Tia was using that time to search the drawing room. Earlier when she had been announced for her audience with the queen, she had caught sight of Pope. A large group of Parliamentarians were waiting to see the king and Tia knew that Pope was part of the group. She felt eyes on her and Tia took a shaky breath when she met the familiar dark gaze from across the great expanse of the hall. She wondered if he would allow her to apologise now. All her messages, since her return from Trenton Hall, had been left unanswered.

  “Ah, I see you and the dashing Lord Pope are still making eyes at each other,” the queen said next to her and Tia blushed wildly. The queen’s green eyes became sad as she studied Tia. “You should’ve made a move when you had the chance, Tia.”

  Tia shrugged. “I’m loyal to my king and country, Your Majesty. If the king needs my services, I gladly offer them to him.” She noted that the queen was surprised by her remark.

  “Well, I wish I could handle it as well as you do. I simply hate the idea of losing you.” They continued their walk and Tia glanced nervously at the queen when she realised that the woman was steering right towards where Pope stood. “Don’t worry, my dear. He is still the most gorgeous man around and I love to look at him.”

  Pope bowed deeply as the queen joined the group. Tia tried not to look at Pope, lest her thoughts become visible to all present. Since finding out that Pope was in actual fact, a woman, her hormones had been going wild at the thought of ‘him’. She had made a mental promise to herself that she would regard Pope as a man in her words and her thoughts, for both their sakes. There was too much at stake for him. And for her? A lot of her strange behaviour around Pope could be explained now, especially the attraction. At last an answer to the question that had been haunting her. She wanted him more now than she had ever before. If only he would allow her to apologise and explain. Memories of their lovemaking kept running through her mind, day and night as if on a loop and Tia had found herself overwhelmed by desire at the most inopportune times and places during the past three days.

  “Lord Pope, what a pleasure to see you again,” the queen greeted in a silky tone and Tia swallowed hard when jealously shot through her, sharp and ugly. Pope smiled warmly, his dimples showing. Tia tried not to stare at him.

  “The most beautiful of England’s roses reside in these walls, Your Majesty. Where else would I go to enjoy its splendour?” The deep timber of Pope’s voice reverberated through Tia’s body and she clenched her jaw to stop the groan that threatened to escape her lips. The queen giggled and Tia saw her flush prettily. She quickly looked at Pope and found him looking at her. She blinked when he addressed her directly.

  “Your Grace, it’s a pleasure to see you.” He sounded like his old self and not the sneering stranger Tia’s foolish selfishness had created.

  “Thank you, milord,” she said timidly and bowed deeply. When she looked up, there was a peculiar look in Pope’s eyes, but it was gone quickly.

  “Well, we are planning an outing to the slums for Wednesday morning. Feel free to join us, gentlemen.” The queen gave Pope a lingering look before she and her entourage moved on. Tia stayed behind and looked at Pope. She saw a flash of anger in his eyes as he realised her intent.

  “I was hoping to ask a favour, milord, if you could spare me a moment later.” She braced herself for his rejection.

  “Of course, Your Grace, I’m at your service.” He bowed deeply and Tia smiled at him before she hastened to catch up to the queen and her entourage.

  Later when they had finished their rounds, she went in search of Pope and found him talking seriously to the Speaker of the Assembly. He quickly made his apologies and joined her. His eyes cooled perceptively as he came to stand before her, even as a charming smile played on his lips.

  “You wanted to see me, Lady Tia?”

  “Please come for dinner tonight, milord. There is an urgent matter we need to discuss.”

  Pope frowned. “I can’t. I already have prior engagements.”

  “When will suit you best, milord?”

  Pope lowered his voice to deter eavesdroppers. “We don’t have anything to say to each other.”

  “I know, but you have already entrusted me with two of your secrets. I would like to exchange two of mine for a chance to apologise to you.” She could see that he was intrigued by the offer, but he still hesitated. “Please.”

  He sighed deeply. “I’ll come by tonight, but it might be late.”

  “It doesn’t matter, I’ll wait for you.”

  He bowed deeply and joined the Speaker again. Tia exhaled softly, only realising at that moment that she had been holding her breath.

  ***

  Oasis watched as the man moved slowly towards the end of the alley and using the shadows move down the row of houses to stop before one. It was a non-descript house, one of thousands like it. The man knocked softly and the door was opened. In the dim light that fell on the man on the doorstep, Oasis recognised Durham. It had taken the man a week before he had made a move. But he made a move and half of Oasis’ problems were solved.

  “Shall we grab him now?” Caleb asked next to her.

  “Yes, grab them both, but keep them drugged. Opium will do.”

  “Are you sure? Killing them would be less of a hassle.”

  “I know, but I have something planned for them. Come by the house tomorrow and I’ll tell you all about the plan.” She looked at her pocket watch. “We’re late.” They moved out of the shadows and Caleb signalled for his men to move in. Six men suddenly appeared out of the nowhere and kicked down the door of the house.

  “You go on ahead, I’ll join you soon,” Caleb said as he joined his men.

  The house was alive with voices and laughter as Oasis let herself in. Following the voices, she found everyone in the kitchen. She pushed past all the people there, her goal, the tall, dark-haired woman standing at the stove. The woman looked up and their eyes met.

  “Oasis!”

  “Mother.”

  So eager to be in her mother’s arms, Oasis almost climbed over the table to get to the woman. They embraced fiercely. It had been almost six years since she had last seen her mother and Oasis greedily soaked up her mother’s nearness. When they parted, Floure looked up into Oasis’ eyes, her dark ones swimming with tears.

  “You’re so handsome,” she gushed as she wiped an errant tear from her own cheek. “I can’t believe how much I’ve missed you, draga mea.” She planted a kiss on Oasis’ cheek and laughed. “I’ve brought quite a lot of things for you and Caleb. Where is Caleb, by the way?”

  “He’s running late, but he should be here soon.”

  “Then we’ll wait for him, but first, I need to finish supper.” She gently pushed Oasis towards the other family members who immediately swamped her. Caleb’s mother and sister had also made the trip and Oasis couldn’t wait to see her friend’s face when he arrived. She had wanted it to be a surprise for him. She was pouring herself a brandy in the drawing room when Caleb arrived
and immediately joined her for a drink. He drained his glass quickly and held it out for a refill.

  “We’ve locked them up somewhere safe and I’ve set up around the clock guards. Are you sure I have to wait until tomorrow for you to tell me about your plan?”

  Oasis chuckled. If there was one weakness Caleb had, it was his impatience. That was one of the reasons she had kept mum about his mother and his sister. He would’ve worn out the floor of the Dockmaster’s office with daily updates on the voyage had she told him.

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow, old friend. If I tell you anything tonight, I’m sure I’ll have to repeat it again tomorrow once you’ve seen what I have planned for you.”

  “Planned for me? Tonight?” Caleb placed his glass on the table. “You know you can’t tell me that and not elaborate,” Caleb whined.

  “Fine. You stay here and I’ll be back in a few seconds.” She sent one of the servants to call Caleb’s mother and sister. When she returned to the drawing room empty-handed, Caleb looked disappointed.

  “And? I thought you said you have…”

  “Caleb!” A tall teenage girl burst into the room and when she saw Caleb, ploughed into him. A stately black woman watched the siblings’ exuberant reunion from the door, her eyes ablaze with love. Caleb looked up from his sister and his face turned soft at the sight of his mother.

  “Mama.” He dragged his sister over to his mother and the three embraced. Oasis quietly left the room.

  ***

  The fowl was tender and delicious, but Tia couldn’t seem to get a bite down her throat. After a while, she finally gave up. Burton glanced over at her.

  “Something wrong, Tia?”

  “No.” She took a healthy sip from her wine.

  “Then why are you not eating? If memory serves me right, this used to be your favourite meal.”

  Tia sighed. “I’m not really hungry.”

  Burton carefully put his cutlery down and glared at Tia. “I know I’m not your first choice anymore when it comes to confiding your secrets and troubles, but I’m here now and I can see that something is bothering you.”

  She blushed and quickly looked away. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, you don’t need to apologise, Tia. I understand why you feel that you cannot confide in me.”

  “You…you do?”

  “Yes. You find I’m too overprotective.” He sat back in his chair. “Well, I’ll tell you that that is not necessarily a bad thing. When you love someone, you protect them and protecting you, Tia, is not always easy. You are not like any of the women here. You are fearless and adventurous and you give me countless sleepless nights.” He reached out and gently touched her hand. “But I wouldn’t want it any other way. All I want is for you to remain unhurt while you live your life to the fullest.” He sipped from his wineglass. “It’s not as if you always listen to me, anyway.”

  Tia found that tears had trickled down her cheeks as she listened to Burton. Everything he said was true. She found him too overprotective at times, but she knew now why he felt the need to shelter her like that. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it gently. She couldn’t count the number of times Burton had come to her rescue. He was always there, not so quiet, but consistent. She looked up into his eyes and saw a mixture of love and concern in his dark gaze. She had not told him about what had happened on the Trenton Estate. She had been too confused and sad that morning, when Pope took her back to Trenton Hall and arranged for his carriage to take her to the city. He had left her there to join his men working in the field.

  “Our plan, had it been successful, would’ve cost him everything. His title, possession, everything.”

  Burton’s eyes widened in shock. “How…who…”

  “He told me so after…” She looked away. “He was very angry and has ignored all my notes since then.”

  Burton’s hand squeezed hers gently. “I’m sorry, Tia. We never thought of how it would affect him.” He looked around and leaned closer. “How do you know the plan was not successful? Didn’t he…?”

  She blushed deeply. “He did.”

  “Oh.” Now it was Burton’s turn to blush. “Then…then I don’t understand.”

  Tia swallowed. “Meet me in the library after supper. There is much I need to tell you.”

  ***

  Supper had been a joyous affair with every seat at the twenty-seat table filled and the table creaking under the many dishes. Jokes and laughter filled the room as both guests and servants shared in the mood. Oasis sat at the head of the table and her mother at the other end and throughout the meal, Oasis could feel her mother’s gaze on her. She knew her mother would corner her as soon as the meal was over and strangely, Oasis actually welcomed her mother’s interference. For so long it had always been just the two of them and they had learned to trust and confide in each other. And she needed her mother’s ear right about now.

  Two hours later, the night was slowly drawing to a close and Oasis was pouring herself a small whiskey, from one of several crates her mother brought with her, when Floure entered the library. Oasis smiled and held up the bottle in invitation.

  “A small one, my darling.”

  They settled in the chairs before the fire, for a moment, each lost in thought.

  “Gentle Dove’s daughter got married in the spring.”

  Oasis looked at her mother with surprise. What a way to start their conversation. Oasis rarely thought of her first love.

  “She must be looking forward to becoming a grandmother.”

  “She is.” Floure rolled the tumbler in her hand, watching the amber liquid changing colour in the glow of the fire. “She also asked about you.” Not knowing how to respond to that, Oasis returned her attention to the fire. “Her husband, Strong Bow, died recently.”

  “That’s…I’m sorry to hear that. How is she doing?”

  “She misses you.”

  Oasis got up and walked over to the table to refill her glass. She hoped she knew where this conversation was going. Gentle Dove had broken her heart when she accepted Strong Bow’s proposal and it had taken Oasis a while to get over her first real love. But she did. And they’ve managed to remain friends. “Why are you telling me this, mother?” she asked as she join her mother by the fire.

  “Because she asked me to tell you.”

  “And what, pray tell, am I supposed to do with that information?”

  Floure’s dark eyes were sombre. “I don’t know. She wanted me to tell you and I did. However, I suspect that there is something you would like to tell me.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “I’m your mother, Oasis, I know when something’s amiss. What’s wrong, my love?” Oasis studied the liquid in her glass. If she still wanted to go out later, she should probably limit her intake. “Your aunt told me that you were at the camp a few nights ago. She also said that you were not alone.”

  “Aunt Malina should not be gossiping about things she knows nothing about,” Oasis snapped, her nerves raw at the thought that her aunt might’ve been too liberal with her account of that night. She doubted anyone heard them since their hut was on the outskirts of the camp.

  “I doubt you want to take on Malina, my child. You might be tall, strong and rich, but she will cut you down to size, if need be.”

  Oasis sighed. Her mother was right. Taking on her aunt would be very foolish. She had found that out the hard way as a child. “I’m sorry.”

  “My lips are sealed,” Floure whispered with a smirk. “But I still want to know about this woman, though.”

  Oasis drained her glass, she needed it for this conversation. “She’s unlike any other woman I’ve met. Beautiful, intelligent, courageous and amazingly kind.”

  “Oh,” Floure looked shocked. “That…that part your aunt left out.”

  “She only met her for a few hours. I doubt she had enough time to get an impression of Tia.”

  Floure smiled broadly. “Tia? That’s a beau
tiful name. And yes, your aunt got a good impression of your Tia.” Oasis wanted to say that it wasn’t ‘her Tia’, but she wisely held her tongue. “She said that Tia was very beautiful, warm and funny. She also said that she danced like a true gypsy maiden.”

  Oasis swallowed hard at the mention of the dance. Aunt Malina had seen nothing. Tia’s moves were even better in bed. She looked up and caught her mother looking at her.

  “You’re blushing. That says a lot. When will I meet her?”

  “What…NO! She’s…I …”

  Floure looked even more shocked. “Oh dordi, Oasis, you’re in love.”

  “NO! I’m not!” Oasis snarled and rose. “It’s late and I have to go out.” She placed her empty glass on the table. “I’ll see you over the weekend at Trenton. Send my regards to Aunt Malina.” She stiffened when she felt her mother’s arms circle her from behind and hold her tight.

  “If the arrow of love comes straight for you, be happy when it strikes you, my child. Many people would give everything to be adored by another person.” She ran her fingers through Oasis’ curls. “Your aunt Selina, on the other hand, said that your Tia looked at you the same way your father looked at me.” She walked to the door and turned, a mischievous look in her eyes. “He still visited me, even though he…”

  “Oh, no,” Oasis mumbled as she covered her ears and squeezed past her mother. Her mother’s throaty chuckle followed her out the front door.

  ***

  Tia felt the matrass dip and rolled over. She smiled at Pope drowsily. “You came?” Then she shot up into a sitting position. “You came.”

  She saw a flash of amusement in the dark eyes, although his face was expressionless. “I told you I would.”

  “Yes, yes, you did,” Tia said as she swung her legs off the bed. “Uh…Would you like something to drink?”

  He rose and walked over to stand at the fireplace. “No, thank you. But it’s late and I have an early appointment tomorrow.”