“That’s it! You must have a family member with you at all times.” Mother said in a frantic tone. “It’s getting too dangerous and I don’t want to hear an argument.”
“Don’t worry! I won’t argue!” I looked at Madame Cecilia. “Do you know who is behind this?”
“I am not sure.” She stood up. “But whoever it is, they’re pretty bold about their contact with you, especially around the outsiders.”
“You have no idea?”
“No.” She frowned. “We’ll just have to be more guarded with you until you come forward.”
I shifted nervously and moved closer to Mother. “Will it leave me alone then? It’s just nerve wracking, not knowing if I’m going to be attacked again.”
Mother gazed over at Madame Cecilia. She nodded slightly. ”Alixia, I can promise you that we’ll keep you safe.” I stood up and heaved a sigh. “I hope so. I’m going up to bed, see you in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Alixia.” Mother kissed my cheek. “Everything will be okay, you’ll see.”
As I went out the door, I turned back to look at them. They were already engaged in quiet conversation.
One thing I have learned about the Ambrosines is they are good at keeping secrets. I know there is more to all of this than they are telling me. I can sense it.
****
The next morning, as I was getting ready to go downstairs for breakfast, I heard Madame Cecilia at the door. “Alixia are you up yet?”
I opened the door. “Good morning.”
“Good morning to you. Did you sleep okay?”
“No, not really. The dreams…” She hugged me. “I‘m sorry, but remember like I told you last night, it will pass soon. Come on. Your friends are waiting for you downstairs.”
We entered the dining room where Mother and the girls were already eating. I took a chair beside Claire and poured a glass of juice.
Libby said, “Remember, you’re all invited to my engagement party next month.”
“Yes,” I said, “we will be there. It will be nice to go home again…right, Mother?”
“Yes, it will be. Now eat your breakfast.”
Throughout breakfast we talked about all of our holiday plans. We also discussed a dressmaker for our Masquerade Ball gowns for Mardi Gras. Madame Cecilia told us she knew several dressmakers in New Orleans who were excellent at their craft. We agreed to let her contact one for us. We finished breakfast and the girls went upstairs to pack for their return trip home as I sat visiting more with Mother and Madame Cecilia over our dresses.
As we drive into the train platform and got out of the car, I could see the boys coming toward us. They greeted Mother first.
“Good morning, Mrs. Cavelier.” She nodded saying, “Good morning.” The boys took the girls’ bags from the driver.
Davis put his arm around Libby and said, “Well, I guess we better get on the train.”
Libby hugged Mother. “Thank you for the weekend. It was the best!”
“Yes, it was great.” Claire added as she also hugged Mother. “Well, I enjoyed seeing you girls, too. Tell your parents hello for me.”
“We will.”
“I will be right back, Mother.”
I walked with Libby and Claire to the train and hugged them goodbye. “I am going to miss you both so much.”
“We’re going to miss you, too.” Libby said. Claire put her arm around me and added, “So, we will see you at Libby’s engagement party, right?”
“Yes, I’ll make sure of it.” We hugged again. They boarded the train. Davis and Robert followed behind them. Marcus took my hand. “I’ll try to get back in a couple weeks, if I can stay away from you that long.” I looked into his eyes. He leaned toward me and whispered, “I do care about you, Alixia.” He kissed me softly before he boarded the train. The final boarding call sounded and the train slowly began moving. I stood on the platform and watched until it was out of sight.
The Photo
Millie and I were going through more history on the family council members when I heard Madame Cecilia enter the library.
“Who’s ready for some sweet tea?”
She had a plate of pastries with her, too, and she placed them on the coffee table. I was ready for a break and I knew for sure Millie was. It wasn’t easy for her to translate some of the journals. They were pretty old and damaged.
As I took my first sip of tea, Madame Cecilia asked, “Alixia, are you ready for the Gathering next week?”
“I hope so. I’ve been working hard on getting to know each of the High Council members. Right, Millie?” I said, giving her look that said, “Please agree!”
Millie smiled and said, “She’ll be ready.”
“Good.”
I put down the glass. “Madame Cecilia, I’m curious. Are there any photos of this Charles Gautier anywhere?”
“Why would you want a photo of him?”
“I just wanted to see what he looks like, that’s all.”
She stared at me suspiciously, but told Millie to get the album on the center shelf. Millie placed it on the table. Madame Cecilia opened it to a faded picture that was unrecognizable. I was disappointed. “Do you have another photo of him?”
She closed the book quickly and handed it back to Millie. “The families rarely have photos taken of them, Alixia,”
“Why’s that?”
She paused for a second and looked toward Millie. “They just want to keep their identities secret to the outside world.”
“Are you sure there are no more photos of him?”
Madame Cecilia stood in anger. “What are you up to, Alixia?”
“Nothing!” I finished my tea and placed the glass on the tray a little harder than necessary.
She glared at me. “Sometimes, Alixia, curiosity isn’t a good thing.” She picked up the tray and left.
Millie grabbed my arm and turned me toward her. “What was that all about?”
“Just go get the album again, Millie.” She walked back to get it and placed it on table. I opened it to the photo of Charles Gautier. She leaned over me. “What are you doing?”
“I am going to see if I can travel by focusing on his photo.”
“Don’t do it! It could be dangerous!”
“Hush, Millie!” I picked up the photo and tried to make out the faded image. “Nothing! It’s not clear enough.” I closed the album. She took it from me and placed it back on the shelf. “You must stop this obsession with the Gautiers!”
“But aren’t there any other photos of him?”
“No! And did you hear what I said?”
“Yes, and I’m not obsessing, I’m just curious, that’s all.”
“Come on, let’s just go outside for a walk to get your mind off this foolishness.” As she touched my shoulder, I could sense she was trying to avoid answering any more questions. She pulled her hand back quickly when she realized what I was doing.
“No fair, Alixia. Ask me if you want to know something. Don’t be sneaking into my mind.”
“Okay. But you have to admit it is a good way to find out answers, especially since no one will ever give me a straight answer around here.”
Millie mumbled something to herself and then said, “Come on. Let’s go for that walk.”
We went out to the gardens and saw Mother and Madame Cecilia sitting on a bench by the statue. Mother was the first to acknowledge us with a wave as we came down the path.
As we approached she asked, “Are you done studying for the day?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Good. We were just going to town. Millie, we will take you home. Madame Cecilia and I have some errands to run. Alixia, you can ride along with us if you like?”
“Uh…not today. I think I would rather stay here and do some more research on the family.”
Millie nudged my shoulder. “I think it would be best if you came with us, Alixia.” She said.
Mother eyed me with concern. “Yes, Millie’s right. You should
come or one of us should stay with you so that you’re not alone.”
“I’ll be okay.” I knew what Millie was up to. She was trying to keep me out of the library and from finding any more information on Charles Gautier.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Mother. Sofia and the rest of the staff are here if I need anything.”
She hesitated and then said, “Okay, I guess it will be all right. We won’t be gone long.”
As we walked back to the mansion, Millie put her arm around me deliberately, so I could read her thoughts.
Don’t be foolish, her mind said.
I whispered to her, “Don’t worry.”
I waved goodbye and watched them until they were out of sight. I went back inside and told Sofia that I would be in the library if she needed me. I only had a short time before Mother and Madame Cecilia returned. I went directly to the library and searched shelf to shelf for anything with the name “Gautier” on it.
I pulled four albums out and turned pages, looking for his name under the photos. There it was, his name printed in black ink. But it was a younger image of him. It looked like he was in his twenties, but I thought he had to be somewhere in his late thirties or even forties by now. I looked for a date or a year, but there was nothing.
Focusing on the photo, I noticed that he was kind of handsome. He was wearing a robe. I wondered if the picture had been taken at a Gathering. I focused on the background in the picture. There was a clock in the corner of the room, a desk and he was standing by a painting.
“Okay, here it goes.” I said quietly. I slowly took the image into my mind, focusing just on the background in the photo. I could sense myself moving toward a room. As I moved forward everything was the same—the clock, the desk. I looked around the room and there was the painting. I was hearing voices coming from another room, so I moved slowly in my ghostly state, entering a second room. Two men were talking. Hoping that they couldn’t sense my presence, I moved closer to get a better look.
Neither man was aware that I was invading their privacy. I couldn’t believe it! I must have gone back into the past. There was Charles Gautier, still in his twenties. He hadn’t changed at all from the photo. The second man was younger than Charles. He was staring right at me, but it was hard to focus on him. It was almost like I was being blocked. I took a couple of steps forward and suddenly, I felt him moving toward me. But it was odd, since he was still standing by Gautier. I sensed danger in the room. It was time for me to leave. I focused back on the library and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was back and safe.
I put the photo back into the album and placed all the albums back on the shelf. I couldn’t wait to tell Millie, but I still wondered what Charles Gautier looked like now. I left the library and went to the den to wait for Mother and Madame Cecilia to return.
They returned home just in time for supper. I cleared my thoughts of my recent out-of-body experience so nobody would find out what I’d done. Madame Cecilia came over and put her arm around me. “What did you work on while we were gone?”
I smiled. “I’ve been working on a little more research on the Aimeri family.”
She seemed to be satisfied with that answer as she released me. We entered the dining room and I knew my secret was safe.
The conversation was light during the meal. Mother was discussing who would be staying with us during the Gathering. She passed the dinner rolls and said, “I’ve invited family members from the West Indies. I think that will help you learn more about our family lineage.” I took a roll from the basket.
“West Indies…wait…uh…Millie and I did find some diaries in the library that talked about a West Indies girl who had fallen in love with a soldier.”
“You did? I didn’t know those diaries were still in the library? So what you are reading is the lineage about your ancestral grandmother, Correa. She was very important to the family.”
“Well, if you want us to read more about her, the journals we have now are faded and there are a lot of missing pages.”
Mother put her coffee cup to her lips, took a sip and said, “You and Millie could go into the attic. There are some old trunks up there that probably have more journals in them if you want to investigate more.”
“I’ll tell her.”
“Well, I’m proud of you, Alixia. You are staying focused on your studies. Are you starting to understand more about our beliefs?”
“Yes, with Millie’s help.” I paused. “But, I was wondering, why is so little written in English around here?”
Madame Cecilia interjected, “Most of it has been written in French, we don’t question, why.”
“Oh.” I said. “So there is no chance of anything being transferred into English?”
“No, it stays in French. But don’t worry, it’ll get easier for you to decipher.” She reassured me by patting my hand. “You are still studying the language, aren’t you?”
“Yes…um, I’m trying to.” I stretched out and yawned. I really didn’t want to continue this conversation. “I think I’ll head up to bed.” I stood up. “I’ll see you both in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Alixia.” They both said with a smile. I left the room.
I opened my bedroom door and noticed right away the room had a chill to it. I checked to see if the windows were open again, but they were all closed tight. I quickly undressed, slipped on my nightgown and climbed under the blankets. I rubbed my bare feet together to warm them. Turning out the light, I noticed the full moon was shining through the windows, taking the darkness away and revealing a silver-gray contrast throughout the room. I lay quietly until a feeling of warmth surrounded me as I slowly drifted off to sleep.
While asleep, I felt my body stir with strange emotions as I sensed a presence around me. A male voice softly whispered to me, “You are so beautiful. I will be here to protect you.” I felt the warmth of his breath against my lips as he kissed me lightly and then the caress of his hand on my cheek. I moved restlessly to his touch. My heart was racing. I woke up and reached for the light and focused on the whole room, but nothing was there. But the sensation I felt was still there.
Another crazy dream.
I fell back asleep.
The dream was still very fresh on my mind when I woke early the next morning. As I was getting dressed, I still felt his touch on my skin. Buttoning the last button on my blouse, I wondered if I would dream of him again.
I entered the kitchen and asked the cook, “Sofia, do you know when Millie will be here?”
“Not until mid-morning. Why? Is there something you need?”
“No, it can wait.”
“Are you hungry?”
I shook my head. “I think I’ll wait for Mother and Madame Cecilia and have breakfast with them.”
“All right.” She turned back to the stove.
I left and went out on the back veranda for some morning air. As I sat down on one of
the white wicker chairs, I stared out onto the grounds getting lost in the beauty of the morning. The sun was shining through the barren, winter trees and a cool breeze was playing the veranda’s wind chimes like a musical instrument. I thought about the dream I’d had last night.
It felt so real. No, it couldn’t be. But why does it have such an effect on me?
I breathed out.
Let it go; it was just a dream.
“Alixia! Breakfast!” Sofia called out from the back door. I went back inside and entered the dining room. Mother was sitting at the table, buttering a slice of toast.
“Good morning, Alixia. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.” I said as I sat down by her and took a muffin from the serving plate. I decided not to mention my dream. I didn’t want to give her more reason to hover over me.
“That’s good.” She said, preoccupied with her paper. I ate my breakfast listening while Mother read the headlines from the paper. Then she moved on to all the upcoming social events.
One of the even
ts was Libby’s engagement party. “You know,” I said finishing taking a drink of juice, “we better call the staff at our home, to let them know when we’re coming back to Baton Rouge.”
“It’s already been done. Finish your breakfast.” She went on reading a collection of facts and opinions in the day’s paper to me.
Madame Cecilia walked in with a smile on her face and greeted us as she sat down at the table. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she took a sip and then said something in French to Mother.
I understood only one word, Gautier.
“What about Gautier?” I asked.
They both looked at me in amazement. Madame Cecilia repeated it again in French. “I only know a couple of words.” I confessed, feeling a little inept again. Madame Cecilia shook her head and said, “Well, what I said was Charles Gautier sent me a note telling me he wouldn’t be attending the family gathering because he was summoned to France by the High Dominion. He will be sending his nephew, Phillip Gautier to sit in on High Council during the Gathering.”
“He’s not going to be there? But, I wanted to meet him.”
“Why is that, Alixia?” Mother eyed me nervously.
“Curiosity, I suppose.” I said, moving my plate away from me. “I just want to see the man you almost married and the man tried to possess me.”
“Alixia! It wasn’t him as I told you and the things I told you about Charles were from the past, and that’s where they should stay. If you do meet Charles, I expect you to be respectful!” Said Mother.
“I will. As I said, I just want to meet him, that’s all. You don’t have to get upset. May I be excused?” I didn’t want to argue with her.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m just going to the library.”
Madame Cecilia spoke up. “Wait, I’ll go with you.”
“Okay, sure.”
Mother put down the paper. “Before you leave, some of the families will be arriving tonight. They will probably be wondering how you’re progressing in your abilities.”
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