Red Wolfe (13 page)

They exited the house through a back door that led behind the mansion. It was obviously the outside gardens with the way the pines perfectly aligned and the careful placement of different shrubberies. It was covered in snow, but Ellena could still make out the marble fountain in the center. This one was enormous and had the silhouette of marble woman perched above the frozen water, looking very vague and very lonesome as her empty eyes gazed down across the meadows.

John bore a quick right and Ellena followed. They passed the house and came to a flight of steps. She could see them, the stables, just a few feet beyond the icy stairs. An old stone archway stood above the steps and Ellena gently touched the ivy covered stone as they descended.

“The horses are already prepared. I hope you like the one I’ve chosen for you.”

She turned to see two horses tied to a stand nearby, saddled and impatiently whining. One was sheer black, and the other a dark brown with splotches of white and red. Both were muscular and lean with a coat that shined more than Ellena thought a horse coat could. As they drew closer, she noticed the dry bales of hay that had been placed along the newly swept ground and the smell of fresh straw filled her nose. Someone was tending to the stalls and doing a very good job of it.

“The pinto is yours,” John smiled as he untied the horse and walked it closer. Ellena instinctively drew back. This one was much more intimidat
ing than a little pony.  “Go on and pet her.”

Ellena removed the glove from her hand and reached out to pet its long snout as it snorted in her scent. “It’s a girl?”

“I thought you’d like her unique coloring.”

“I do.” Ellena was feeling much braver as the mare relaxed.

“Her name is Jolie.” He then crouched, entwining his hands. “Place your foot in my hand and I’ll heave you up.”

Her heart beat faster as
she gripped his warm shoulder and stepped her boot into his waiting hands. In one swift motion she was atop the horse and feeling a little nervous.

“Don’t be fearful. They can sense it.” He g
ently placed her brown boots into the harnesses and then handed her the reigns. “Make sure to pull outward when you want her to turn. If you pull back, she’ll stop.”

“Are you sure my saddle is secure,” she was starting to panic as the horse moved. “I think I’m falling!”

“You aren’t falling,” he tried to force his laughter down since his riding partner was far from being entertained. “You’re just sitting crooked.”

That seemed to be the problem. The moment Ellena straightened her back she felt more balanced. John then leapt onto his horse with the ease that only comes from years of practice.

“Gently use your heels to apply pressure to her belly when you are ready.”

Ellena obeyed and the ho
rse set off at a very slow pace.

“I’m a little higher
up than I’d thought I’d be,” Ellena’s voice quivered as she spoke.

“Well, these are Percherons. They are known for being quite big, but don
’t worry. Jolie is very gentle that is why I chose her for you.”

“What’s your horse’s name?”

“Roulette,” he smirked.

“Doesn’t that mean—?”

“A game of chance?
Oui
, riding Roulette is always a gamble. Half of the time he throws me, but his untamable spirit is what I like the best. It’s a game we play,” he leaned forward to pat the black stallion’s neck.

“Have you ever gotten seriously hurt?”

“Many times,” he proudly declared. “The first time he threw me was on my twentieth birthday. I landed on my face and broke my nose.”

“And you still rode him?” Ellena was astonished.

“I was trying to impress a young girl,” he chuckled. “But eventually I became fond of the troublesome thing.”

“Did you win the young girl over?”

“Only for a short time,” he answered in a low tone.

Ellena could tell he did not wish to discuss that topic any longer, but she couldn’t help but think that perhaps the young girl was the Janelle that he had mentioned. From the look on his face, the short union did not end well.

“I am glad I came back,” she suddenly confessed and John’s face beamed with pleasure. “I wasn’t going to a first, you know, but something about this place beckoned me to return and I am glad that I did.”

“I have a notion of why. It is same reason why I could not resist riding Roulette.”

“And why is that?”

“You like a challenge.”

“Well, I’m not sure if I like them, but I certainly don’t run from them.”

She found herself enjoying the rocking motion of Jolie’s movements as they continued down th
e path that led into the forest and around a frozen lake.

“What of your family? Do they not miss you?” he asked as she leaned forward to caress Jolie’s mane.

“My mother died years ago. She was very sick, for a very long time. Once she passed away, my stepfather just disappeared. I haven’t seen him since.”

“Nasty fellow?”

“Very nasty and I do not miss him.”

“What happened to your real father?” he gently asked.

“I never knew him.”

“Did you ever consider marriage?” It was a question that surprised her, especially coming from him.

“I am not against it,” she confessed. “I’ve just never found that special person.”

Without warning, Jolie suddenly
began pulling to the left and then the right. Even Ellena, not having any experience with horses, could sense how rigid Jolie had become. Something was scaring her. Roulette seemed on edge also as he anxiously whined and Ellena could only pull at the reigns as Jolie began to stomp in an aggressive manner, nearly causing her to fall from the saddle.

“John!”

She was losing the battle as Jolie nearly tossed her to the ground.

That’s when
Ellena saw him. His yellow eyes and gray form leapt from the shadows along the forest.

He lunged at Roulette first, but one swift kick from the black stallion sent the wolf clambering for a different target. Jolie bucked as t
he wolf snapped and tore, sneered and clawed at her legs. Piercing clothes ripped at Ellena’s dress as she clung to Jolie’s mane. John was bellowing something, a muddled jumble of words that she could not understand in the chaos. The horses were screaming, John was shouting, the wolf snarling, but Ellena couldn’t utter a sound.

Jolie gave one last jerk and then Ellena was falling. The horse giving such a cry as she lost her footing
on the snowy bank and plummeted, that Ellena dropped the reigns to cover her ears. 

Ice shattered as the horse’s heavy body crushed the frozen lake’s surface
and Ellena was engulfed by the freezing water. It felt like a thousand prickly needles, the pain shooting through her veins almost like fire.

The surface was so close. She could see dark sha
dows move from just beyond the edge. Jolie’s powerful legs were cutting through the water, stampeding all around and Ellena realized in horror that she was underneath the massive animal, a massive animal that was panicking. An ironed hoof hit her shoulder, pushing her even further down into the depths.

A crimson ribbon
was filtering through the water, a crimson trail that was not her cape.

Blood.

Was it Jolie’s or hers? Ellena couldn’t tell.

She would not die like this. She refused to give in so easily, but her heavy coat had become like cement as Ellena battled toward the light. Her lungs were screaming for air, her limbs dense
and stubborn as they refused to obey her demand to move.

It was just so cold, t
he kind of cold that lulled its prey into a slumber that no one could wake from. The numbness seeped into her legs first and her frantic kicks became slower and slower before completely stopping. Her arms were soon infected with the growing deadness and she was suddenly floating motionless into the rising darkness.

         Chapter Eleven

Whispers.

Someo
ne was whispering and her mind was thick and hazy as she struggled to move. Was she dead? She had to be, but the warmth enveloping her feet told her otherwise. Silk covered her skin. Was it a silk nightgown or a silk blanket? She couldn’t tell. Either way, it didn’t matter. How happy she was just to be alive! The whispers continued and she wanted to open her eyes, but found her eyelids like blocks of lead.

“Hurry, Louisa,” she hea
rd Gregor whisper as they placed something underneath the blanket by her feet, something hot and wonderful as it warmed her toes and sent a tingling heat through her body.

Ellena could tell two things. One, she was back in her bed at the
manor. Two, she was lying on her side with her face buried within a pillow. If she could have cried she would have, but it’s amazing how much energy is needed for such a simple task. That was her last thought before sleep claimed her again and what welcomed her were sweet dreams, full of sunshine and green meadows. She was not alone as she walked along the flower covered valley. A man was close behind, a man whose presence she did not mind. In fact, she felt happier than she had in some time. The next time she awoke it was to a sore throat and aching body. She opened her eyes to see Louisa.

“She’s awake!” The w
oman bellowed coming to hover over her. Gregor soon arrived, as did Sir Phillip. Even some faces she didn’t even recognize appeared, looking down at her with anxious eyes, but one face was absent.

“Where is John?” she strained to ask.
“Did he get hurt?”

“No,
mademoiselle.”
It was Gregor. “He’s out getting some herbs. You have a nasty fever.”

“How long have I been asleep?” Her throat was throbbing.

“Nearly three days. Here drink some water.”

Louisa
and Gregor helped her sit up and only after two gulps, she pushed the cup away. It was just too painful trying to force the liquid down. Louisa shooed the others away, but Gregor remained behind.

“What happened?” she whispered.

“Three days ago, Lord Wolfe came barreling through the door with you in his arms, completely soaked to the bone. He said there had been a wolf attack. Both of you were a sight to see! He recovered quickly, but unfortunately, my lady, you developed an awful fever.”

“He came in after me,” she more said to herself than Gregor
. “I can’t believe he did that. Is he all right?”

“Lord Wolfe is well.”

“What of the horses?”

“They received a few bites and cuts, but they’ll heal.”

Her throat was feeling better, but her body still horribly ached, not only from the strain of her unfortunate plummet but also from hunger.  Before she could even ask, Louisa came storming in with a tray of hot porridge and meat.

“What’s that at my feet?” Ellena asked when she noticed a small lump under the blanket.

“It’s a warming pan,” Louisa answered. “Has it gone cold?”

Ellena shook her head as Louisa set the tray into her lap. “I just didn’t know that people still used them.”

It didn’t surprise her. She had realized some time ago that the mansion didn’t have any electricity. What she did want to know was why. Why did he not have any of the basic necessities of the modern age? Was he so far lost in his own delusion world that he even insisted on living in such a primitive state? He didn’t seem crazy. In fact, from the time she had gotten to know him, he seemed rather the opposite.  The smell of melting butter reached her nose and she thought no more of it.

“We are glad to see you are feeling much better. You gave us quite a fright with that fever, but it seems to have gone down considerably. I
t didn’t help that you were already ill when all this occurred.” Louisa touched her forehead and nodded in approval.  “But we still need the medicines that
Monsieur
Wolfe went to fetch.”

Ellena’s mouth was full of porridge as she tried to s
peak. “When will he be back?”

“Any time now,
” Gregor answered.

After eating, Ellena so wanted to get up and escape the confines of her room, but Louisa would have not of it. She ordered the younger woman back to the bed and Ellena reluctantly obeyed.

“Here are some books,” Gregor gently laid them down on the table by her bed. “So that you are not too terribly bored.”

She thanked him
and both left the room. Once the pounding footsteps and ringing voices died away a curious sound reached her ears, a sound that she had never heard in all her days on the great estate.