Forever Young The Beginning (48 page)

***

Alandra and Celita had gone
riding. Celita had seen little change in Alandra following the
death of Philippe’. She had barely begun to eat and often didn’t
even come to the table at all at meal times. She was a little too
thin, but she was neat, clean, and well-groomed in her appearance;
albeit listless and uninterested in anything outside of
Barcelona House
and her
part time work as a tax consultant. She talked little and when she
did, it was usually to Celita.

The Rodriquez family had gone back to
Almeria. Roberto Rodriguez was considering selling all of his
considerable business interests and retiring from public
life.

They had ridden to the market and to
the place where Philippe’ had died. Alandra just sat on her horse
and gazed about the place, her beautiful eyes empty. They had left
and walked their mounts along the harbor area. There the two
gathered sea shells and just walked, talking little. As the
afternoon wore on, they made their way slowly back into the hills
to the Vasquez villa. Celita asked if she could stop and see a
neighbor and come along a little later. Alandra nodded, lost in
thought.

She turned into the driveway and
dismounted, leading her mount across a garden area out of sight of
the house, taking a short cut to the stables where she allowed her
horse to drink until she was done. Then she took the saddle and
blanket off and rubbed her horse down and turned her into the
pasture, walking up to the servants’ entrance of the villa. As she
entered and made her way towards the kitchen, she heard her mother
and father talking.

“
She barely eats anything,
Esmeralda.”

“
Yes, yes, but she’ll
recover in time, Eduardo. These things take time.”

“
You know, I could have
given her more good news about that young man, you know that Ian
McCloud? When I was in Marseille I heard that he’d been found and
was being nursed back to health by the young lady who found him. I
think that is the lady that he married later.”

“
Well, it would have made
her happier at the time, but then the man did marry that lady, did
he not? So eventually she would have been dispirited by that,
Eduardo.”

“
You and I know that if
she’d known that he was alive, there is no way that she wouldn’t go
to him. Had she found him, who knows what might have happened? I
did fear her marrying a foreigner and not one of our faith either.
I thought it best to keep that from her, Esmeralda. In the light of
all that has happened since, now I doubt my actions, even though my
motives were for her benefit. She really did begin to care for
Philippe’ though. I really do think that they could have been very
happy together. He was such an exceptionally fine man. His only
faults were that he was hot-tempered and impulsive.”

“
Yes, it was his temper that
got him killed in the end from what I know of it.”

“
That Carlos is a cunning
devil! Did you know that I have since talked to the florist
Geraldo? His shop is where that happened. That devil called Alandra
a whore!” Esmeralda gasped.

“
Yes. He said it in a very
low voice but the florist and Philippe’ were the only ones who
heard it. Poor Philippe’ never knew that he was being pushed to his
death. And the position that his father holds ensures that Carlos
will never have to answer for that. The matter is now concluded
forever in the eyes of the law. That devil! May he burn in hell for
what he’s done!”

Alandra walked into the kitchen and
said “So, Papa, you knew that Ian was alive and kept that from me?
What now, Papa? Will you plan the rest of my life for me? Will you
find another suitable husband for me?

“
Alandra, your mother and
I….”

“
No, Papa. You and Mama
won’t plan my life for me. You’ll not choose a husband for me. I
won’t marry. You can’t force me to. I won’t be cloistered in a
nunnery, there to be told what to do for the rest of my life. I’m
grateful for the care and education that you and Mama have given me
and I love you both more than I can say, but I’ll be managed no
more. I’ll live here and will work for nothing in the charity that
you and Uncle Adolfo started. If you’ll allow me to, I’ll manage
it. You can save money not having to pay a manager. I’ve been
studying tax laws this year on my own. I used your influence to
have a copy of the tax laws sent to me in care of Celita It may be
that I can help Uncle Adolfo in that part of his business. I won’t
embarrass you or Mama. But no one will direct my life any more.
Everything bad that has happened to me has been due to things out
of my control. For the rest of my life, I’ll control it. I’ll make
my own mistakes, Papa. If this isn’t acceptable to you I will leave
this house today.”

Ian ran all night until at dawn he
realized he was nearing the Mediterranean coast. The vegetation had
changed drastically and finally he crossed the road to the sea and
saw the Rhone River. He stopped to drink the last flask and soon he
was off, knowing that he would be at the chateau in around an
hour.

Arriving at the chateau he decided to
go to the river to bathe. And while there he caught some fish.
Familiar things had a comforting effect, as did the sight of the
chateau as he came through the pasture and approached it from the
back.

He walked to the kitchen door with
twelve fillets ready to bake, left them on the counter for the
staff and came into the dining room. Marie was just coming down the
stairs and ran to him when she saw him, sensing something wrong. He
hugged her and wouldn’t let her go.

“
What is it,
Ian?”

“
Ah, Marie; I’ve really done
it now.” He related all that had happened at the barn in
Lausanne.

“
Ian, she is human after
all. There’s always a chance that they just can’t accept us when
the cold facts are laid out. You might have been able to avoid this
if you had sat down with her at some time, but she might still have
had the same reaction. So she’ll heed your warning about keeping
the subject quiet?”

“
Yes. She can’t take the
chance of exposing what she saw because she’d taken up with me for
nearly four years. That and her son’s doubtful future should his
mother become the object of ridicule will keep her quiet. She
thinks that I’m some sort of deviant and knows nothing of
vampirism.”

“
Do you think that she’ll
want to dissolve our bank partnership?”

“
No. She’s a banker’s wife
who has become a banker now herself. She thinks I’m the only one
and that I lied to Cosette and everyone else.”

“
So you took the brunt of
this whole thing?”

“
Yes. I thought it best to
let her think that. Just in case she did talk, it would only be
about me.”

“
Oh, Ian! No wonder you’re
so crestfallen.”

“
There’s more to
tell.”

“
Let’s walk
outside.”

They walked with arms linked, and Ian
told her about using his blood to save the life of the maid’s
little brother, Andre. Marie gasped and stopped walking when he
told her. She faced him and said “I hardly know what to say. You
say it cured him of Wasting Disease?”

“
Yes. He is the picture of
health. He hasn’t gotten as much as a sore throat since
then.”

“
Then do you think that our
blood is a universal cure for disease?”

“
That’s my conclusion. I
looked at it under that microscope that Henri gave me. I could see
my blood doing something to his. I just don’t know enough about
anything like that to know what I was seeing, but it looked like
his blood benefited from mine. I doubt we have to worry about him
crossing over. What chance has he of being bitten?”

“
You must have been burdened
with this, Ian.”

“
I have. It never hit me
until my clumsiness caused all of the trouble yesterday.” He stared
off into the sky, shaking his head sorrowfully. “Poor Anna! I can’t
forget the look on her face. I’ve hurt her badly.” They walked in
silence for several minutes.

“
Oh, by the way, I did have
a long talk with Celeste and she now knows that she’ll have a
choice to make one day as an adult. I didn’t share much else with
her, but likely she’s guessed much more, and I think she’ll choose
to cross over.” The two walked on and Ian caught up on happenings
while he had been absent. He felt much better after talking to
Marie and once again he realized just how much she meant to
him.

The familiarity of coming home was
calming, and he loved spending time with the boys. He had tossed
them across his shoulders and had run out the back door with them
both at one time when they had bragged about how big they were
getting.

Trying out Marie’s new piano he had
gotten good at playing it and liked it better than the harpsichord.
He had left his violin in Lausanne, and the very thought of playing
a violin now was painful.

Henri had arrived home and had been
apprised of all and concurred that Anna wouldn’t dissolve their
working relationship nor try to expose Ian. He felt sorry that Ian
alone had taken the brunt of her hostilities, but agreed that was
really the best part of a bad situation.

***

Ian had gone to Paris to see Celeste
and to do some business there for Henri. Being as he had to go to
Luxembourg he took Celeste along. Sixteen now, she was so very
pretty and petite, but becoming a woman more every time he saw her.
She still wanted him to take her running so when they were
traveling to Luxembourg, he changed carriages and rented one that
he could drive. With no driver to be around, she and he could
change into their running clothes and go on excursions. She still
loved it and was thrilled every time they went. It was their
special time together and a thing that no one could share but she
and him.

She had felt very bad about the
situation with Anna. Ian had told her what had happened, thus
revealing a bit more about vampirism without using that
word.

While in Luxembourg, Ian saw that
there was a special singing presentation happening at the Palace.
He inquired and was able to get a special invitation by way of the
Lafayette connections. Amazingly the coordinator of the
presentation had heard of her and agreed to a single song as a
prelude to the show. She sang only one song for them and won the
whole audience. Some wept at the beauty of her voice. Afterwards
she and Ian got to meet the Grand Duchess Maria Theresa
herself.

As they traveled back to France, she
would giggle when they spoke of it. Ian told her that she would now
be in demand after something like that happening. It turned out to
be correct because sure enough it was not two months before she was
asked to give a special presentation for the French Royal family.
She chose three songs and gave the names of them to the royal
orchestra conductor who had been ordered to come to Henri’s
apartment to interview her. They determined the key she would sing
in at that time. The day she sung for the royal family was a
commemoration of sorts for Louis XVI. They were spellbound and kept
Celeste and Ian at the palace for some time afterward.

Ian sat down with Celeste afterward
and said “Celeste, you are maturing and you know that my kind don’t
age at all.”

“
Yes.”

“
You have launched your
career and you’ll be asked to perform in Austria because of your
performance for the Duchess. She is a Habsburg so that is very
likely. You may be asked to perform in Spain now because of your
success performing for King Louis. King Charles III of Spain is
related to Louis, being as both of them are descendants of the
house of Bourbon. The royalty of Europe will tend to follow each
other in things like current favorites. You are becoming that now,
so we can expect for you to be asked to perform for some of the
royal families for some time to come.”

“
Ian, how do you know
this?”

“
You know that I’m but a
simple sailor, but I’ve been schooled by Henri, Marie, and by Karl
Von Brandt. They’ve educated me on the histories and rivalries of
the European rulers, among other things. Let’s just say that they
should know about these things if anyone does. From now on, you
must appear with Aunt Caryn or Marie as chaperone. The monarchies
of Europe don’t relish scandals that their political foes can
exploit. You and I appearing alone will begin to look like a
couple, and that will cause talk that will be scandalous and
harmful to you. Do you understand?”

“
Yes. But we are a couple
aren’t we?”

“
Well, yes, but not a couple
such as Anna and I were. And that is how people may see it. You
must trust me in this. I’m right. Both Marie and Caryn will confirm
this.”

“
You’re right. It will be as
you say.”

“
We can still have our
running time, but it may have to be when we’re all at the chateau.
I suspect that soon enough you’ll tire of that.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder
and said “Ian, I’ll never tire of anything I do with you, ever.
There’s nothing that you can reveal about yourself that will
disgust me either.”

“
You have no idea just how
much that means to me, Celeste.” he said as he kissed her
forehead.