She pulled the book from the shelf and ran her fingers over it. She walked up to the woman behind the counter and asked her if she could tell her anything about the Gaulle family. The woman looked up from her papers, and seeing the book in Arielle’s hands, she said, “Sure, what is it that you would like to know?”
“Anything at all will be more than I know now,” Arielle replied, chuckling.
“The Gaulle family is one of the oldest and most famous families around here,” the woman said. “Their home, or I should say their castle, is located up the hill behind the thick forest, which starts at the end of town on the west side and extends for quite a while, to the point where the next town begins. The house was built in the middle of the sixteenth century, when the first Gaulle gentleman arrived.
“He spent a lot of money for those days: he brought tons and tons of stone from the Abbey and used it to build one of the most beautiful homes in this part of the world. It is a magnificent site, well worth visiting. The house is fabulous, and it looks quite mysterious and inviting to anyone who is interested in exquisite architecture.”
“Have you seen it?” Arielle asked.
“Everyone who lives here has visited the location one time or another, but no one has ever been allowed inside. It has a fascination for all who see it, though. Don’t all things as old as that?” she asked, with a soft laugh.
“I suppose that’s true,” Arielle replied.
“Imagine: the house was built in the 16th century, but the material used in it goes as far back as the 11th century.”
“Do you think we should see it?” Arielle asked.
“You should most certainly be sure that you both see it.”
Now Arielle knew that she had to see the house. She thought she would go ahead and ask the next question, even though she already knew the answer.
“Does anyone live there?”
“I’m not sure if anyone is there right now, however, I know that there is a young gentleman who lives there a large part of the year. He loves to read, and he is here quite often. His name is Sebastian, and he’s one of the nicest young men around. He’s unbelievably handsome, to the point that I find it hard to stop staring at him. If I were a little younger…” she sighed, and her voice trailed off. She laughed again softly, and the girls joined in. Arielle knew exactly what she meant. Sebastian was the most beautiful human being she had ever seen as well.
“I have heard that a young lady has also been seen there at different times through the years,” the bookseller added. At these words, Arielle’s mind jolted to attention.
Who could that be? She tried not to jump to any conclusions, but she had a sinking feeling. Could the young lady be Sebastian’s sister, or a cousin? She hoped there was an innocent explanation, and she recalled that Sebastian had assured her that there was no one special in his life.
As she put the book back on the shelf she heard the bookseller’s voice saying, “There is a lady there, Mrs. Wilson. She and her family are hired to do the cleaning and take care of the grounds. She’s the person to ask for if you decide to visit the house. She is very familiar with the history of the Gaulle estate. She’s has been there for several years.”
Arielle thanked the woman and walked out of the store. “Why did I have to ask?” she thought. “Why did I have to get all these bad thoughts in my head?” And in spite of her resolve not to jump to any conclusions, she was finding it hard to feel at ease.
She knew that she would have to ask Sebastian about this tonight, but how could she do that without making him wonder why she had been asking questions about his family? But as she and Jane walked quietly to her car, she knew she wouldn’t feel reassured again until she had all the answers to her questions.
They arrived at home at 4:45, and they both headed to their rooms to take their showers and get ready for the party. As she prepared, Arielle’s thoughts were on the house behind the hill and the beautiful young lady that she had heard about. Who could she be? She wanted to be the one that he thought of, the only one who was special to him.
She lay down on her bed, trying to stop thinking about this, and relax. But all she could do was think about the mystery girl, and the more she thought about it, the more upset she became. Finally she got up and went into the shower. She stood there for about thirty minutes with her eyes closed, letting the hot water run over her body without moving, as if she could wash the worried thoughts from her mind. But it was hard to chase them away even then.
Suddenly her mother’s voice, coming from the other side of the door, startled her. “Arielle! Please be ready on time. The guests will be arriving at 8:00, sharp!”
Arielle didn’t answer. Her mind was still, up the hill on the other side of town.
“Arielle!! Are you getting ready?”
“I’m trying, mother!” Arielle replied a bit irritated.
“Please try not to be late,” her mother called out, as she made her way down the hall.
Arielle sighed, got out of the shower, and began to prepare herself for the party. Tonight she wanted to look amazingly sexy, completely irresistible. She wanted to bewitch Sebastian, to make him fall completely in love with her. She chose a black cocktail dress with spaghetti straps that fit her body snugly in all the right places, and enhanced her looks. She chose a pair of high heels that made her legs look incredibly long and absolutely beautiful. She picked out a pair of shoulder duster silver earrings, and a large, beautiful bracelet to accent her simple little black dress. She wanted to dazzle him as much as he had dazzled her. She took one last look in the mirror and smiled. She liked the girl that looked back at her!
At 8:00 she went downstairs as the guests began to arrive. The house was absolutely beautiful, down to the last detail, and the guests were greeting each other by embracing, kissing, and all looking extremely happy.
Arielle glowed with pride when she saw her mother; she walked over to her and gave her a big hug as she whispered in her ear. “Mummy, you look fantastic!” Arielle’s mother smiled softly in reply, and gave her a little squeeze.
Just then Isabella Roux, one of her mother’s social acquaintances, walked up to them. Isabella was very sophisticated, and tonight she looked exceptionally beautiful in her classy clothing.
Perhaps because Isabella’s stepfather was in the parliament, she seemed to think that she was better than everyone else. Arielle and her mother made small talk with her, both suppressing the urge to smile at Isabella’s airs. They shared a quiet chuckle as she swept away, off to impress the next person.
Everyone they had invited was there. The Chevalier family had brought their son Richard, whom Arielle detested. They had spent a lot of time together during their summer holidays when they were very young, and they really did have a lot of fun in those days. Arielle had always been nice to Richard, but as they started to get older he began to get on her nerves. He thought that they should be more than friends, and though she had made it clear she was not interested in him that way, he continued to pester her. She had finally gotten to the point where she truly detested him. Now he came hurrying toward her, as she quickly moved away.
“Arielle!!” he called out, “are you not pleased to see me?”
Without looking at him she muttered, “Not really.”
“What’s wrong, Arielle?”
“Richard, please leave me alone,” she said. She smiled to soften her words, but it was a thin, unhappy smile.
“You know that we are meant to be together,” he continued, in his obnoxious voice.
“Richard, please,” she said. “You are ruining every occasion for me as soon as you show up.” There was extreme frustration in her voice.
“But…” he started to say, and she interrupted him in a firm voice.
“Richard, please. Grow up, and just stay away from me! I don’t like you at all!” She had run out of patience and out of polite ways to say what she wanted him to know.
His face filled with anger and resentment, he turned around
and walked out the front door. He was too vain to just leave the party, and she was sure he would be back to hit on another girl before the night was over. Richard was the last person in the world she wanted to have a conversation with tonight. “How can someone so handsome be such a jerk?” she thought now, with irritation.
Jane walked up to her and took her hand. “Tristan is here, and he looks amazing!” she said.
Tristan was the son of Andre and Isabella Roux. He was a great guy who was much more like his easygoing father than like his vain mother.
Arielle followed Jane into the other room, and when her eyes met his, “My gosh,” she murmured. Jane was right!
Tristan was absolutely beautiful. He wore a pair of black pants with a light blue shirt that hugged his extraordinary physical appearance. His face was warm, tan, and surrounded by rich sandy hair. His eyes were hazel, and his lips were sensuous and beautiful. As they drew close he smiled, showing perfect white teeth.
Arielle didn’t remember ever having seen Tristan the way she saw him tonight. She could now remember her mother saying that he was around thirty years old, that he had graduated at the top of his class from medical school, and was now a surgeon at a big hospital in Paris. He walked up to her and embraced her warmly.
“Arielle!” he exclaimed. “You have grown up to be a gorgeous young lady. I hardly recognized you! I can’t believe the change in you since the last time I saw you,” he said, in French.
“Well, it has been over eight years since the last time you saw me,” she said, laughing.
“Yes, you’re right about that,” he said, and laughed along with her as he drew her closer to him and kissed her on both cheeks. Happy to see him, she smiled back. “It’s wonderful to see you, Tristan,” she said.
“It’s nice to see you again, also, Jane,” he said, smiling at the girl, as he put his arm around Arielle’s waist and moved her to the dance floor. As they moved to the music, for a few moments Arielle forgot all about Sebastian and the fact that he had not shown up yet. When the music stopped, Tristan walked back with her to where Jane was standing. “My parents will be visiting Brighton next month to celebrate your twenty first-birthday,” he said. “And I’m planning to come too. I have some meetings scheduled around the same time, so it will work out beautifully.” Arielle smiled, pleased.
“Your French is very good,” he added with a smile.
“I have been practicing quite a bit,” she said. “After all, we’re here every year, and I can’t expect everyone to speak English.” They both laughed, and Arielle felt so happy that all her efforts at learning French were being appreciated.
After Tristan had moved away, she walked towards the big window, hoping to see the man of her dreams walking up to the front door, but he didn’t. She tried to walk around and socialize with Jane but her mind was completely filled with excitement and eagerness; she just couldn’t wait to see Sebastian again.
But as the time passed, she started to get a horrible feeling that he wasn’t going to show up. How could he make a promise that he wasn’t planning to keep? He could have refused her invitation, but he hadn’t done that. He had said he would be there. Her heart began to sink as she remembered the words of the woman in the bookstore. Maybe it was all a lie. Maybe she had made up all the words she heard him say on the beach. I
When midnight had come and gone, it was clear that he wasn’t coming; with a heavy heart Arielle walked around the room, saying goodnight to all the guests, making sure that she pleased her parents. Then she went up to her room, sick at heart.
Well, here was the end of a beautiful dream. How could she have been so stupid? She burst into tears of outrage and frustration. How could she have allowed herself to be hurt so badly?
Two days went by, and Arielle saw no sign of Sebastian. He never even tried to call her, and she knew that he had her phone number. She woke up each morning with a cloud of depression settling over her and went through the day in a mood of black despair. She was absolutely certain that Sebastian was the man she wanted to be with for the rest of her life, and her heart was broken.
The day before they were scheduled to leave for Brighton she asked Jane if she would like to go with her to visit the house that they had talked about with the bookseller in town. “Oh, yes!” Jane said, eyes sparkling with excitement.
This was going to be Arielle’s last, desperate attempt to see him again. She didn’t have to tell him that she had gone there to see him: she could just say that the bookseller in town had suggested she should see the house before leaving for England. That sounded like a good excuse, and it was even more or less true.
They drove out to the edge of town and took a small two-lane road towards the house. At the end of the road, there was a fork. To the right she could see a small gravel road leading to a parking area right below the house. To the left the road went straight up to the front gate. They chose to park below and take a small path leading to the house, up a steep rise between beautiful trees and flowering shrubs.
She could smell the fragrance of blooming jasmine and sandalwood. It was in the middle of a scorching summer and the heat was unbearable. The air felt heavy, making it hard to breathe. When they finally reached the top of the hill they let out a cry of exhilaration, not believing their eyes. The house was magnificent! Jane and Arielle looked at each other unable to speak, their mouths open in amazement.
Arielle had a strange, muddy taste in her mouth. She was pretty excited even though she was also a little bit scared, wondering how they would be able to gain access into the house. She was sure she would have to lie unless Sebastian answered the door, and she started trying to think about what she would say if she encountered someone other than him. She looked over at Jane: she could see that Jane was just as excited and scared as she was, though putting on a brave front.
What would it be like to be the lady of this magnificent house, married to Sebastian? Arielle thought, looking up. She remembered reading in the book she had seen in the bookstore that the house was of Tudor origin but that it had been restored a couple of times in the last four centuries. It was really beautiful. Next to the house stood a tall, mysterious tower. It must have been wonderful in its day but today it looked like a gray phantom, enclosed by empty stonewalls. It was amazing, and yet forbidding.
The walls were built with massive, flat gray stones—imported from the Abbey, the bookseller had said—and every six feet a set of incredible carved stones created a very mysterious, fascinating pattern.
The huge windows reached from floor to ceiling, and were made out of beautiful beveled glass reflecting a variety of colors. The panels on the side of each window were carved with striking designs. The small pieces of glass were diamond-shaped, with painted images arranged to form various patterns and shapes. Some of the patterns were displayed after the emblem on heraldic armor: others replicated beautiful landscapes, flora and fauna. In the center of each and every window was an elaborate letter G. Arielle was sure it referred to the Gaulle family.
As they both stood there, mesmerized, they could not help thinking of how powerful the house looked. It felt like a huge magnet that was pulling both of them towards it and filling them with the desire to explore every inch of it.
There was something about the stones that surrounded the house that made Arielle feel as if she had been transported to another era. The front door was massive and made out of beautifully carved oak. The two handles in the middle were made out of heavy intricately wrought iron.
They climbed up the stairs and stood in front of the magnificent door. Just as Arielle raised her hand to grab the handle, the door opened and a small, very attractive middle-aged woman stood in the doorway. Arielle and Jane were both taken aback, since they had never even had the chance to knock.
“Bonjour! I saw you coming up the hill,” the woman said. Her voice was soft and kind. “Can I help you?” she added, with an inquisitive look.
“I’m Arielle Lloyd, and this is my friend Jane,�
� Arielle said. “I’m a friend of Sebastian’s, and I was wondering if he was here. He told me that he would show me the house before I left for England,” she lied. “We’re leaving tomorrow and this will be the last chance we have to see it,” she added. She was a bit surprised at how easy it was to lie once she had gotten started.
She was driven by her compulsion to see part of the world in which the man of her dreams lived in if there was any way possible to do so.
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Gaulle is out of the country. Please come in,” she said, smiling. “If you’re friends of Mr. Gaulle I’m sure he would have no objections to my showing you the house.”
She was smiling and she had a very friendly air about her. It almost seemed as though she was happy to see them, as if she were eager to have company.
Arielle and Jane stepped into the great hall and followed Mrs. Wilson into a huge room decorated with gorgeous antique furniture, with huge tapestries hanging from the high ceilings. They were both shocked by the incredible beauty of the place.
Arielle’s heart was beating fast and she could feel the air thickening around her. She was not sure if it was fear of the unknown, or the fact that she was standing among very old and very incredible things that were part of Sebastian’s world. Suddenly Jane touched her arm, and it made her jump.
“I’m cold,” she whispered, and Arielle suddenly felt a chill come over her as well. She started to think of Sebastian’s ancestors and the ladies who had lived here, who had purchased all these beautiful things and were responsible for decorating the room so exquisitely.
There was no doubt in her mind that a great deal of love and caring had gone into the choosing of each and every item in this house. She thought of all the great balls that must have been given in these huge rooms, as well as the sadness that must have taken place throughout the centuries.
“It’s so exciting to be here!” she heard Jane whisper.
She nodded and walked further in. There was an absolutely beautiful, very wide staircase that led to the upper level. “To the bedrooms,” Arielle thought.
Arielle: Immortal Awakening Page 13
