Arielle Immortal Awakening (13 page)

Annabel was a very striking woman, though her looks held no charm for Sebastian. “Where are you going tonight?” she asked him now, sounding arrogant.

“That is absolutely none of your business,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Oh, but it is,” she said. Her eyes, filled with fury, were scrutinizing his, trying to discover his plans for the night.

A sudden thought made Sebastian quiver. Did she already know about Arielle? And if she did know, what was she prepared to do? He pursed his lips in frustration, but tried to keep his cool.

“Annabel, I am losing patience with you,” he said. “I hate being close to you, and I can’t tolerate the sight of you. Do me a favor and leave me alone. Go and find someone else to be with for the rest of your miserable life. I don’t want you coming into this house anymore.”

“But how can I do that?” she asked in a falsely sweet tone. “Haven’t I promised you a life of misery?” Her cruel, uncompromising promise burned like a fire in her eyes. “I thought your mortal life would be short, but somewhere along the way, someone changed the rules.” She chuckled with a miserable, insinuating laugh, and he understood exactly what she meant. She was the one that had changed the rules to make them suit her. “Now I’ve all of eternity to make you miserable, and that is a very long time,” she said. “There’s no woman that will dare to defy me. I’m sure something is going on with you these last two months, and I’m determined to find out what it is. Remember, Sebastian, I’m not joking.” Now she was glaring at him with true loathing.

“You know that you’ll have to get through me first,” he said. “And we both know you are no match for me now. I’m not a mortal any longer and I’m much stronger and faster than you’ll ever be. So watch your step.”

“I’ll follow you anywhere you go, and I’ll make sure your plans are ruined. Just try me,” she replied with a hiss, and walked into the other room.

Sebastian knew that Annabel was going to be a problem tonight. Arielle had no idea who she was, and he couldn’t allow Annabel to create a scene in front of Arielle’s parents. He decided reluctantly that the best thing to do was to stay away from the party and hope that he could explain to Arielle later the reason he hadn’t shown up; and hope that she would forgive him.

Suddenly the terrifying thought that he might not see her again rippled through his soul. He couldn’t stomach the thought of not being close to her.

He decided to call her, and looked for the piece of paper with her phone number on it, but he couldn’t find it anywhere. He began looking frantically, going out of his mind with anxiety. The vision that he had had in London flashed before his eyes. Her beautiful face, her tears, and something that she was trying to tell him. Oh! He felt shattered, helpless! Even though he possessed all the powers in this world, he still couldn’t fix this dreadful moment. He knew Arielle would be hurt and that he would be the cause of it. How could he expect her to forgive him when he couldn’t forgive himself?

He got into his car, knowing that Annabel would follow him, so he drove with no particular destination in mind. How would he ever explain to Arielle his not showing up? He knew it wouldn’t be hard to find her again, but that trying to regain her trust was going to be a challenge. He was falling into deep despair, knowing that he couldn’t keep his promise to her, and that she would be going home in a few short days.

He drove by her house - that was the closest he could get to her tonight. He saw the lights, the happy faces of the people, and heard the wonderful music. “Oh, how I wish that I could see her beautiful face and stand by her side, holding her hand,” he thought. If he could have cried, he would have wept bitterly. But as an immortal, there was no such relief for his pain.

It was morning by the time he drove back home and found Annabel waiting for him, a disgusting smile on the face he detested so much. He knew that he would have to stay away from Arielle to keep her safe as long as Annabel was around even though the pain of staying away from her was unbearable.

Still, he had never been happier in his life, and he knew he couldn’t allow Annabel to create any major issues between Arielle and himself. He just had to somehow find a chance to explain to Arielle about Annabel. He had to!

The next week he had meetings scheduled in Germany and Spain. He hoped that Annabel would leave soon and that the whole thing would blow over. As soon as she was gone, locating Arielle would become his next quest. He was sure about the depth of her feelings for him. What he didn’t know was if she would be able to forgive him.

Chapter 12

A
fter Sebastian left, Arielle stayed home for the next two days. She laid by the pool, read her book, and listened to her music. She didn’t go to the beach; she didn’t want to be there without Sebastian. She knew deep in her soul that she was desperately in love with him even though they had only known each other for four days. She had only one desire, and that was to be in his arms and listen to his magical voice. Sebastian was her Darcy - she felt this and knew this with her whole heart and soul. It was a wonderful feeling!

The day of the party, the whole house was buzzing with caterers, florists, and tons of other people coming in and out of the house, getting everything ready for the party, down to the last detail. Her mother’s best friend, Myranda and her daughter Jane had flown in from London for the party and were going to stay on for a few days afterward before they all flew back home together.

Jane was like a little sister to Arielle, and Arielle was glad she would be there to help keep her busy until Sebastian got back. She was so looking forward to introducing her beautiful and enchanting dream to her family! She wanted everyone to meet the man who had captured her heart forever. She was boiling over with love and she could hardly wait to be in his arms again.

“What do you say we drive to town, do a little shopping?” she asked Jane. Jane was sixteen, a wonderful, beautiful, bubbly girl, and they always had fun together.

Arielle was planning on getting back to the house around 5:00 with plenty of time to get ready for the party. The party didn’t start until 8:00, so there would be ample time for Jane and her to shop, walk around, and get back in time to take a shower before it started.

The street cafés were buzzing, and Arielle could hear people’s happy thoughts as they enjoyed the day. She and Jane both got caught up in the wonderful holiday atmosphere, they talked nonstop and laughed about every little thing.

As they turned down a quiet narrow street they noticed a small quaint bookstore. They both loved reading, so they walked inside to take a look and see if there was anything interesting to purchase. As they walked around the bookstore, Arielle’s eye caught the title of a large hardcover book. The first line read “The Gaulle Fortune,” and right below that it said “16th Century.”

Seeing Sebastian’s last name, she pulled the book from the shelf and ran her fingers over it. She walked up to the woman behind the counter and asked 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 at 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 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 laid 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 got 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 came 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 ruin every occasion for me as soon as you show up.” There was extreme frustration in her voice, half from his irritating manner and half from her impatience as she waited for Sebastian.

“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 reject him.

His face filled with anger and resentment as 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 muscular body. 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, Arielle,” 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.