“Good morning Miss Griffin.” Pushing past her with a silver cart of food, Patrick continued without seeming to notice her state of disarray, “Lord Shatan thought you might enjoy breakfast in bed this morning.” As Patrick locked the wheels on the cart next to a small wooden table beside the balcony, Lucia pried in an overly nonchalant tone, “Oh! Thank you Patrick. Um…where is Mr. Shatan…uh, Lord Shatan…um, Draken?”
Without taking his eyes off the task at hand, Patrick responded, “Lord Shatan is down with the movers. He has an exceedingly busy schedule this afternoon.” Glancing up from his task as if something important had just struck him, Patrick turned to Lucia with an intent look on his face and asked, “Would you like me to summon Lord Shatan for you Miss?”
“NO!” Lucia shouted too quickly. “I mean no, he’s very busy today. Let’s not disturb him.” Changing the subject she asked, “Who’s moving?”
Patrick raised his eyebrows and gave her a look that said, ‘you must be joking’, before he answered without actually answering, “Lord Shatan has been up for hours taking care of matters. I recommend you not worry yourself with such masculine affairs.” As he strode past her he added, “Your breakfast is getting cold Miss,” then closed the door behind him.
Perplexed, Lucia slowly walked to the table and picked up a piece of still-warm bacon. Chewing on it, she wondered why she could never get a straight answer from Patrick.
She knew that time was of the essence, but she was too famished to allow the delicious smelling breakfast to go to waste. She made a breakfast sandwich with the toast, eggs, and bacon on the plate. She ate quickly, taking large gulps of the tall glass of orange juice between bites. Setting the last bite of the sandwich down on the plate, she drained the glass of orange juice in one swallow, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and tiptoed back to her own room.
In her room, she noticed that her bed had been made, and the bathroom door had been repaired. She quickly showered and emerged from the bathroom to discover that the clothes she had been wearing the day before were missing from the bedside chair where she’d placed them the night before. Crossing the room to a large chest of drawers, she opened a drawer to pull out clothing that had been purchased during her stay and that was still kept in her room.
She retrieved white socks, a pair of lacey panties, a pair of blue jeans, and a sky-blue t-shirt. After dressing quickly, she shoved her feet into a pair of canvas shoes she found at the foot of the bed, brushed her hair back into a ponytail, and applied light make-up. She couldn’t decide if she was feeling nauseous from the breakfast she’d eaten or from her nerves, but she was positive it was the latter.
Crossing the room to the bedroom door, she opened the door a crack and peeked out into the hallway; it was empty. Taking a deep breath, she decided she was going to walk straight down stairs, find Patrick and demand he arrange for a taxi to pick her up at the estate’s front gate, where she planned to stand and wait until the taxi arrived.
As she strode from her room, she set her chin defiantly in the air and resolved to not be deterred from her course.
Descending the stairs, she could see that the foyer was buzzing with activity. Movers in grey suits were filling the vast entrance area with tarp-covered furnishings. Several movers brushed past her on their ascent up the stairs, each carrying large boxes. Lucia scanned the floor for Draken and was simultaneously relieved and disappointed not to find him.
Tearing her eyes from the commotion of the movers, she smiled appreciatively to herself as she turned the knob on the front door. Wow! This’ll be easier than I thought.
As she opened the door to walk out of the manor, her brow furrowed with annoyance, as she had to step aside for two movers; each carrying the end of a long bulky object. She stood holding the door open as the movers passed by. Part of the tarp covering the heavy object they carried caught on the bottom of the door and was pulled back revealing a couch similar to Lucia’s own. That would look exactly like my couch, if only it were torn on the right arm rest.
Scanning the couch as it passed by, her heart stopped when she saw the small tear on the right armrest. She turned and glanced at the many covered furnishings. Slowly, she walked to the nearest one and carefully peeled back the tarp to reveal a hope chest that exactly matched one she had purchased from a street vendor in Venice.
Quickly, she began negotiating the room and ripping the tarps off several items. Anger welled up with each item she uncovered, until Lucia simply stood back and yelled, “These are my things!”
The movers all stopped their efforts and simply stared at her. After a few moments, the movers looked at one another then returned to their efforts as if she hadn’t even spoken.
Lucia ran from the room to the library just off the foyer. “Draken!” she shouted, but no answer came. She ran from room to room, shouting for Draken, but was unable to find him.
Almost hysterical, she ran into the kitchen and startled several housemaids who were placing dishes into cupboards. Out of breath and shaking with anger she demanded, “Draken…where I can find him?”
The maids all began speaking at once and all Lucia could make out was several “Lord Shatan's”. Annoyed, she held up her hand and the maids ceased talking. She looked at the nearest one and said, “You. I’m sorry I don’t know your name, but can you please tell me where I can find Draken.”
Nervously, the girl lowered her head and looked at the other maids, then looked back to Lucia after receiving approving head nods from her co-workers. “My name is Annie Ma’am. Lord Shatan is in the stables. He rides there every morning.”
As Lucia made to walk out the back door the maid stopped her, “Ma’am, if the movers have damaged any of your belongings, you should inform Patrick. Patrick always handles those types of matters for Lord Shatan…and for you too now I suppose.”
Lucia turned to the girl and asked, “What does that mean? Me too? And why are my belongings here? Would somebody please tell me what in the hell is going on!”
An elderly maid entered the room just as Lucia finished her plea. Turning to see who had entered, Lucia turned back to the young maids to find them all scurrying from the room with their heads down. Behind her she heard the older maid clear her throat.
“Requesting information from the maids isn’t wise Ma’am. Speaking out of line could cost those girls their jobs.”
Feeling a little guilty, Lucia spun to address the lady dressed in a grey and blue maid’s uniform. “I wasn’t trying to get anyone fired; I just have questions that no one will answer. Do you know why my furniture is out in the foyer?”
The elderly maid pursed her lips and gave Lucia a quizzical look, “You feeling alright Ma’am?”
When Lucia didn’t answer the maid continued, “I haven’t been informed of the particulars. Only know that I was informed to notify the staff to prepare for tomorrow as quickly as possible, and that the lady of the manor wasn’t to be disturbed.”
Lucia felt her head throb with jealousy, “And where exactly is this lady of the manor?” Lucia gritted through clenched teeth.
“Why it’s you Ma’am,” was her simple reply.
Frustrated beyond all sanity, Lucia shook her head in disgust and asked, “Tomorrow, what’s happening tomorrow?”
A grin spread across the maid’s face turning her stern features almost childlike in their obvious pleasure at whatever tomorrow held. “Oh Ma’am! You shouldn’t jest so about your precious day, it might bring ill luck.”
“Precious day?” Lucia whispered to herself and caught the maid just as she made to exit the room with a basket of shiny red apples. “What’s so precious about it?”
The old maid spun in a circle with the basket of apples clung to her hip as she danced out of the room, “Not since Lord and Lady Shatan has there been a wedding on the estate.”
Lucia heard the maid’s tone change to one of concern as she passed through a side door, “So much to do, so much to do” she tisked as she scurried down the hall.<
br />
Lucia stood in the empty kitchen looking from left to right and wondering what had just happened. “Wedding, who in the hell is getting married?” she asked aloud to the empty room.
Chapter 17
Lucia let herself out the back door of the kitchen and found her way to the stables, which were nestled on the East end of the estate. As she approached, she saw Draken standing in the shade of a large oak tree brushing the mane of an all-black stallion. Her feet stalled when the hounds from hell came bounding toward her.
Draken looked up to follow the dogs’ excited path. Lucia stood frozen in fear of being torn to shreds. She heard Draken whistle once just as the dogs approached her. Upon hearing Draken’s whistle, all three dogs skidded to a halt and began sniffing each other as if they had suddenly forgotten what they were so excited about.
Without moving her body—in fear of attracting the dogs’ attention—Lucia shifted her gaze from them to Draken as he smiled at her from his place next to his horse. He simply stood for a moment and stared at her before he set down his brush and strode toward her.
“Well, I suppose I should introduce you.” Looking from her to the dogs, he kissed her on the cheek before he bent to one knee and hugged the gray Irish wolfhound closest to him, “This is King. He runs the show.” Releasing his hold on the dog, he stood and ruffled the ears of the black lab standing next to King. “This is Zora; she’s the cause of great dispute between my two boys here.” Brushing past Lucia, Draken knelt in front of the third dog, a pit-bull/terrier mix. Draken chuckled as the golden furred dog licked his face excitedly, “And this is Ruger. He thinks he’s a person and gets highly offended when I make him sleep with the other two dogs.”
Nervously, Lucia offered a shaky, “Hello.”
Draken erupted into laughter, “They aren’t going to attack you. They’re just babies, they mean you no harm.”
Unsure, Lucia bent and gave each dog one stiff pat on the head. Standing, she met Draken’s furrowed brow.
“Haven’t you ever had a dog?”
“No”, she offered stiffly.
“Well why not,” he scoffed.
Bending over and attempting a looser version of her first pat, Lucia answered, “I always wanted a dog, but they weren’t allowed at the orphanage. By the time I was out on my own I was too busy working to feel right having one. I didn’t think it would be fair to the dog to leave it at home alone that often.”
Ruger licked her face and she quickly stood and beamed up at Draken in delight, “I think that one likes me.”
Draken, whose expression held a hint of sadness at Lucia’s confession, changed to one of delight as he bent and picked up a stick. “They all like you. That’s the nature of dogs. As long as you’re good to them, they’ll love you without question.” He threw the stick a great distance out into a field and the dogs eagerly chased after it.
Watching the dogs run, Lucia asked, “Are those the guard dogs?”
Draken cast her a sidelong glance, “Yes, why do you ask?”
She lifted her brows and shrugged, “Well you just said that they’re babies and that they mean no harm, but can that be true if they are guard dogs?”
He turned his gaze back to the approaching dogs and smiled as Zora and Ruger tried to take the stick from between King’s teeth. “They’re guard dogs in name only. While I’m positive they’d attack an intruder, they’d never harm any one without provocation.”
Lucia nodded, feeling like a ninny for allowing these not-so-viscous beasts to keep her locked in the manor on multiple occasions.
Draken threw the stick again and grabbed Lucia’s hand, practically dragging her to the horse. “Do you ride? Would you like to take the horse out for a while?”
Remembering why she’d been intently searching for him, she pulled her hand from his and tried to renew her anger. “No. I don’t ride and I don’t want to take the horse out for a while. I want to know what’s going on. Why is my stuff in your house?”
Draken bent and picked up the brush and began stroking the horse with it, ignoring her questions.
Lucia demanded, “Are you ignoring me to be rude, or because you don’t know the answer to my question?”
He turned and scanned the grounds, looking above her head as if he were trying to find something. Before she could protest, he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her into the nearby stables. The dogs, having retrieved the stick, made to follow but instinctively stopped at the threshold of the stables, choosing to lie just outside the door and await their master’s return.
Inside the barn Lucia protested, “Draken, your hurting my arm.” She shrugged free of his grip, “I don’t know why you’re so furious all the time. I’m the one who has no idea what the hell is going on... ever!”
Clenching his jaw, Draken backed her into a stall as she practically screamed, “Just tell me what’s going on!”
Draken clamped a hand over her mouth and peeked over the stall on both sides to ensure their privacy. “Listen. I don’t know how to approach you with this; it’s certainly something I’ve never done before. I’d meant to discuss this with you in a much more suitable atmosphere, but since your pressuring me.” He appeared unsure as he speared a hand through his satiny hair. “Oh hell….you’re moving in here with me and we’re to be married tomorrow.”
With his hand still clamped over her mouth, Lucia’s eyes grew wide in incredulity. Draken dropped his hand from her mouth and again scanned the stables for any eavesdroppers. Lucia stood for a moment with her mouth agape and eyes wide until finally she erupted into hysterical fits of laughter. She laughed so hard that tears streamed down her cheeks and she doubled-over to hold her aching belly.
Draken whispered loudly through clenched teeth, “Lucia, pull yourself together.”
Lucia stood up and rubbed tears from her cheeks, her smile still stretching from ear to ear, “Oh, Draken you caught me off-guard with that. I haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing your sense of humor until now.” Beaming up at him as she stood somberly staring down at her, her smile slowly faded. “Draken, you are joking?” She tried to convince him more than she questioned. Still he stood and stared.
Lucia’s expression changed to one of serious concern and it was her turn to tiptoe and peer over the stall, “This is a practical joke…isn’t it?” Annoyed, she brushed past him, “It’s not funny, Draken. You’re really scaring me.”
Draken forced the stall door closed, just as she approached it, locking them both in the stall.
Turning on him, Lucia roared, “Stop it! It’s not funny anymore.” Her chest was heaving and her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
Draken walked up to her and cupped her face in his hands as he bent down and kissed her forehead, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to frighten you. You’re safe with me, I’d never let anything hurt you.” He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back gently.
She relaxed in his warm embrace and sighed deeply, “Don’t do that to me, I was really scared. I almost believed you.”
His caressing touch ceased and Lucia looked up at him and into the realization that he wasn’t joking. He meant every word he’d said.
Anger and fear welled up inside her and Lucia shoved him with all her might.
He smiled softly down at her as his massive frame remained unmoved by her shove. Realizing she needed space he took a step back as he spoke, “Lucia, I know you feel…” his words were cut off as his step backwards was fumbled by a rake lying face down buried just under the hay they were standing on. Draken fell back and landed with a hard thud, the back of his head smacking the wooden wall of the stall.
Lucia gasped, “Are you alright?” She made to help Draken up as he rubbed the back of his head.
“Fine.” He moaned and one eye closed as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.
Instantly Lucia froze. This was her chance. She looked down at him then quickly turned and shoved the stall door open. Slamming the door closed behind her, she bolted from the stab
les. She heard Draken’s thunderous boom follow her out, “LUCIA!”
Exiting the stables, she nearly tripped over the three dogs as she turned and ran in the opposite direction of the house.
Instantly, the dogs sprang to their feet, but remained at the stable door waiting for their master, tails wagging excitedly as they eagerly watched Lucia run. She was unaware that Draken had sprung to his feet to chase her down, but had been delayed by the latch on the stall door closing firmly into place after she’d slammed the door shut.
She ran blindly through a thickly wooded area of the estate. The sun was now high in the sky and her heart raced. She didn’t know where she was going, but she didn’t want to stop for fear that Draken would catch up. The closely set trees and bushes caught on her flimsy t-shirt and pulled at her hair. She could feel branches slap at her face and arms as she ran with her hands up in front of her in an effort to clear a path. She ran until her lungs burned and her legs nearly gave out. Exhausted, she stopped to rest on a log that crossed her path.
Shaking like a leaf, she was now worried about what Draken would do if he caught her. She hugged her body tightly and rocked back and forth on the log still trying to catch her breath. She tasted blood and licked her lip realizing she must have been cut by a branch.
Seconds passed like hours and she decided her rest was long enough even though she had barely caught her breath. Jumping up, she looked in the direction she’d come from to see if Draken was in sight. She scratched at her throat and hands and turned to run when she noticed that when she scratched her throat and hands it only made the itching intensify.
Looking down she saw that her hands were red and swollen with several scratches. She remembered the doctor’s words right after the accident, “You’ll have to steer clear of foliage that could scratch or irritate your new skin. Where you have scars from your burns, the skin will be extremely sensitive. Sun block must be worn at all times and you must avoid allergens and skin irritants.”
Furious Page 9
