He was most attentive and very appreciative of the update. One gave him a copy of the local paper with the story, and more recent issue containing a copy of the wild animal attack, which said that Ian McCloud was missing and feared dead.
The officials allowed him to read the account as they continued to discuss how he had been found alive and was recuperating well. They also spoke of the fight at the Red Dolphin and that there were rumors that LeBlanc might bring charges against Ian McCloud. They were both surprised that the young McCloud could best such a man in a fight, as LeBlanc was both feared and infamous as a fighter of renown in the wharf area of Marseille.
Vasquez interrupted them for an explanation. After repeating the whole thing, they said the uncle had already recently departed to see his nephew this very day.
Boarding his ship he encountered the captain who welcomed him aboard. The captain then handed the Ambassador the letter for Alandra. The captain said “I think it might be from the second in command, the same one attacked by a wild animal who now has been found alive and well.”
Ambassador Vasquez pulled the letter from his pocket and regarded it frowning in thought. He asked the captain to delay his departure for an hour. Then he sent his personal valet with money to buy a sumptuous assortment of the finest delicacies to be delivered to Elsie’s Cloud for the entire crew that very day. He hastily wrote a personal note of thanks to both Ian and Angus in English, and had the valet to take that for inclusion with the food delivery. It was an open invitation for him and his officers to be guests at the Vasquez home any time, and to never fail to call on any member of the Vasquez family for help in any situation. He then took the carriage he had arrived in and went to an attorney he knew. Explaining the situation he left money with the attorney extracting a promise to visit McCloud’s ship. He would be telling him that should LeClerc take him to court, he, the lawyer, would defend Ian McCloud. The lawyer assured him that message would be delivered to their ship that day.
Less than an hour later, the ambassador departed for Barcelona. As he stood on the deck, he thought more about the letter to Alandra. Opening it, he read it quickly, and his frown deepened. He stared at the horizon, lost in thought for a long time. Finally he resolved to give Alandra the letter and the two newspapers declaring Ian a hero and Ian being declared missing after the wild animal attack. He would let her think that Ian had died. If McCloud did take him up on his invitation while he was in Barcelona, he would just act as if he was as happy to hear that Ian was alive as anyone else. The local newspaper likely would have the story of Ian being found tomorrow. Could he be blamed if the newspaper hadn’t yet even heard of his being found? This could work very well to his advantage. He’d have no part in helping his headstrong daughter to marry a foreigner. Likely this foreigner wasn’t even a Roman Catholic. Besides that, he was a merchant seaman, an adventurer, who lived in a country far away that even now occupied Gibraltar and some of the Balearic Isles of Spain.
Satisfied that he’d reached the only logical and wise decision for his daughter’s future and for his family’s sake, he folded the two newspapers together with the letter and tucked them into his pocket. He was now simply looking forward to being home in Barcelona again.
Chapter 17
The carriage departed with Alyssa and as Ian came onto the veranda, Marie came to him and they linked arms, walking into the house together.
“What now, Marie?”
“What you’ll do is to strip to your underwear and get outside in the back yard. We’ve work to do. You’re still way more human than vampire, so we’ll work on building your tolerance to sunlight. And while I’m thinking about it, you shouldn’t wear your boots outside.”
“Why not?”
“Your feet are calloused well from being barefoot at sea. Cosette and I saw that when we washed you. Do you know how many pairs of shoes a vampire goes through? Cosette, Henri, and I keep the cobbler busy just by ourselves. You’ll one day find it convenient to travel great distances on foot. After all, we run far faster than horses do, and we barely tire at all. Shoes will be one less worry for you. We often run without them, but you will be able to do that always. You can carry them in a rucksack and put them on as needed for appearances instead of wearing them out in three days of running.”
“Marie, you think of everything.”
“Come, let’s try something.” She took a basket of eggs and began to toss them to Ian one at a time, then faster and faster. He broke two and she stopped. “You must learn to control your strength. You must catch these eggs as a human would, with a bit of give in your hand. Try again. This time Ian only broke one, then he caught over twenty without breaking one. “That’s the idea Ian. Do you see the difference?”
“Yes.”
“Now again, all of them.” They tossed eggs back and forth until the eggs in motion had become a blur and none were broken.
“Marvelous! Fine control. Let’s walk to the woods, and then we can see how your running is today.”
“Why walk?”
“We mustn’t be seen running at vampire speed, remember?”
“Ah, of course.”
They did a good deal of cross-country running and she took him to where there were a group of rock spires that the two of them would climb and then leap from the top of one to another. Two hours later he felt as if he was well able to judge just how far he could jump, whether into or out of a tree or over an obstacle.
Speaking to Marie he said “Well, I hope some French hunters don’t see me running and leaping around these woods in my underwear today”
Marie threw back her head and laughed saying “I’ll race you to the pasture behind the chateau.” She took off and Ian followed arriving not more than some ten seconds after she did. At the pasture, she took out her long gloves and a floppy but broad-brimmed hat from a lightweight rucksack and donned them before stepping out of the woods into the sunlight. Ian likewise changed into long pants but left his shirt off.
“Marie, I want to have Spearmint leaves included in my salads.”
“I’ll see to that, but why?”
“Who knows where I’ll be in this world some day? I may be where I can’t get cinnamon and clove.” By the way, I have a surprise planned for you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, you’ll like it, after you get past the surprise part. Really there are two surprises, but one won’t be seen for a while. I see that you’re having work done on the caretaker’s house too?”
“Yes, we’ll have need of it soon enough. Oh listen, what do you hear, Ian?”
“A carriage approaching, four horses I would say.”
“Your hearing has improved too. Those are my horses. Cosette, and the others are here. I must hasten to dress properly as must you.” They ran, but like two humans the last bit of distance to the house. Ian thought she can hear the difference in her horses from others! The servant staff had arrived shortly after Ian and Marie had gone running. The meal was in the process of preparation, and their clothes were laid out on their beds. Once each got to their respective bedroom, they washed and dressed at vampire speed.
***
Michelle had been sitting by herself all that day, apart from the other girls who were playing. She again pondered what had thought she had seen last night. Night had fallen on Marseille and at the Angel’s Care orphanage, the children were all settled in their beds. The staff had retired too. The place was quiet with only the slight nighttime noises associated with such institutions. The one hundred twelve children there were all housed on the second floor for security reasons. The staff living area, office, records and files, kitchen, infirmary and front desk were all downstairs. A thump on the roof went nearly unnoticed, being as there was an attic between it and the second story of the place. Shortly, there was the delicate tinkle of broken glass, then the return of near silence. A slight skittering sound might have been heard if someone had been listeni
ng. One had been listening after the thump had stopped her from dropping off to sleep. She heard the glass tinkling just as she started to drop off again. Then there was the skittering sound and a shadow with glowing eyes darted silently across her field of view. It hovered over a bed nearby for a while, motionless, head swiveling in the dark, listening. Suddenly it bent and there was a flurry of movement, but hardly a sound. Then looking like it was larger than before, the shadow flew straight up some twenty feet to a cross-beam. It then seemed to flit to the broken window and pausing only shortly, seemed to vanish. The little girl lay still a long while, and then she gradually relaxed. Sleep finally came.
In the morning after breakfast, the headmistress was notified that one child was missing at the breakfast assembly. The place was searched from top to bottom but the child wasn’t found. The headmistress sent one of the workers to the King’s Gendarmerie to make a report. A report was duly filed and given to a young inspector, Claude Rousseau.
***
Rousseau visited the place a day later, and could find no way a child could climb out. He did notice broken glass from a window high up on a gable-end wall. It was inaccessible from the floor by an adult, let alone a child. He dismissed it as due to a bird strike, knowing of a church window that had been knocked out that way once. He never did find a dead bird here though.
Questioning all of the staff it was apparent that no one could recall any disturbance the night before. His report was inconclusive, and he duly filed it as an open case. The headmistress posted a letter to Madame Lafayette notifying her of the incident, concluding that the child had run away before being secured at bed time and hadn’t been missed by the staff who had done the mandatory bed count. How else could it be explained?
She put in an order to be sent to a glazers shop for the window to be repaired. It was summertime and the window being broken would not pose a real problem with the weather being so balmy. Since no one could reach the window from the floor, no one noticed that the sturdy catch had been ripped from the woodwork. So even after the glass was repaired, it would require installing a new latch, and a new piece of trim to mount the latch. But there was no way that anyone could know that for now. Things returned to normal for the occupants of Angel’s Care.
Chapter 18
The carriage drew up before the veranda just as Ian and Marie came down the steps, arm-in-arm. The doors opened and Cosette was assisted by Ian who smiled over her shoulder at the others inside. He kissed her hands, murmuring “I’m so glad you’re here safe.”
“I missed you, mon ami.” she said, reaching up to lay her hand upon his cheek. Ian took her hand and raising it to his lips, kissed it tenderly, fastening his eyes on hers, and allowing a slight pulsating glow. She felt a tingling like electricity go through her body and allowed her eyes to respond very slightly with an answering glow.
Angus was first out of the carriage, wrapping his arms about Ian in a great bear hug, and kissing both of his cheeks. Lowering his voice then he said “By Heaven Ian, I was worried unto death until this dear lady came yesterday to calm my fears. God has smiled on you laddie, but he moves in ways that we canna understand.”
The other two piled out and each gave Ian a bear hug, smiling and slapping him on the back. He gave them the warmest greeting, taking each by the shoulder and gazing into their eyes. Then he said “I have someone who also is very dear to me whom I want you all to meet.” Turning then to Marie, he made the introductions.
Each of them bowed to Marie, saying “Enchante’ Madam.” She curtsied and returned “Honored Monsieur” to each, then stepping forward to hug each one of them and to give each a kiss on each cheek. “Whoever is friend or family of Ian McCloud is a friend of the Lafayette family. Come now. Dinner will soon be served.” Ian had helped the driver unload the long crate strapped to the back of the carriage along with the luggage, being only three seaman’s duffels. Four of Marie’s domestic staff took the crate and bags into the house.
They all turned towards the Chateau, the three men clustered tightly around Marie, and Ian could hear Angus complimenting her on her beautiful home as they made their way up the wide brick walkway. Ian turning to Cosette with a smile reached down and took her hand in his. Their fingers intertwined as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes, then slowly smiling at each other they started up the walk after the others. Both of them felt an electrical thrill at the contact.
“Where is Louis?”
“I left him aboard Elsie. Too much to discuss here, and we need time to think about how to keep him here and how much he can be allowed to know.”
Ian nodded “That’s the wise thing to do.”
Marie asked Angus to ask a blessing for the food, which he did. There was a chorus of “Amen.” During dinner, Ian was plied with many questions which he tried to answer. He was asked to give nearly a minute-by minute explanation of the attack. In between times, he gazed at Cosette and her at him, both smiling. They held hands under the table at times, fingers intertwined. Marie had cautioned all while out on the veranda not to speak of vampirism until the servants had left. She was now inquiring of Angus concerning his and Ian’s background. She wanted first though to hear of the fight with LeBlanc, a villainous thug whom she had heard of. She was enthralled and animated, hearing the details of it. Later on she engaged Li about the art of Kung Fu, and then Armando about navigation. They found her to be a woman of great intelligence and curiosity, and the three men were impressed favorably.
After the servants were dismissed for the evening, Marie excused herself briefly to check all about the house, at vampire speed. She checked all about outside as well. Rejoining the others, she nodded, saying “They’ve gone away. We’re alone now.”
The conversation turned to vampirism. Li finally said to Ian “Cosette told us of your rapid healing powers. Have you had occasion to see them work?”
Laughing, Ian told Li and the others about his first experience jumping a stream. Everybody laughed, Cosette putting both hands to her mouth and leaning back in her chair as she laughed, rolling her lovely gray eyes towards Ian, then leaning over to put her forehead on his shoulder. Looking at the two Angus said “By heaven if you’re not the most fetching couple I’ve ever seen I don’t know who is.” There was a chorus of “Aye” from the guests and Marie laughing said “Hear-hear.” Ian smiled and Cosette again put her head on his shoulder, looking happily up at him.
Ian reached towards the roast on the table and took the carving knife from it, looking towards Marie. She nodded and he rolled up his left sleeve. He then turned his wrist upwards and made a tiny cut in it for all to see. “I don’t know how long it will take, but that will shortly heal.” The three men stared at him, dumfounded. Marie stood up and said, “I have a special treat for dessert. Will you help me Cosette?” The two women left and went to the kitchen.
“We need to discuss something, Cosette. Ian must make love while he is imprinting, or lose that ability forever. I have made arrangements for a suitable young woman to come here for that, beginning very soon.”
Cosette fastened her eyes on Marie, then said “That won’t be necessary, Marie.” Marie began a slow smile which Cosette reflected, and they both ended up smiling warmly at each other, then each broke into a laugh. Marie reached out and hugged her, saying “He is perfect for you and you for him. I am so very happy. And by the way, he is quite strong already, not frail even now, Cosette. Oh, and I have prepared the caretaker’s house for occupancy. One never knows when one may have too many guests for even this big house” she said with a wink. That last remark hung in the air for a few seconds, and then Cosette’s eyes glowed and pulsed slightly as she laughed and hugged her again. About then they heard an exclamation of wonderment from the men at the table. They were all amazed at the cut being already healed.
Marie then came out followed by Cosette with five bowls and five silver spoons saying “I’ve had this broug
ht from the Swiss Confederation and it just got here today. Bon appetite’.” The men began to eat it, exclaiming how delicious it was. Angus asked, saying “Marie, what is this?
“It’s called chocolate pudding, Angus. The Swiss make it. My husband first brought it here after returning from a business trip there.”
“Aren’t you having any?”
“No. Neither my husband nor I can eat this.” She then fastened her gaze on Ian, who, looking at her, nodding his understanding.
“Uncle Angus, Marie didn’t eat this when she was imprinting.”
“Mon Dieu! It wasn’t even discovered yet!” And she laughed her musical laugh, the others joining in with her.
“Well it is a bonny good dessert, isn’t it lads?” A chorus of “Aye” came back from the other two and from Ian. Angus continued “Marie, if you don’t mind my asking, what is your husband’s occupation that takes him to places such as the Swiss Confederation?”
“He’s a banker and entrepreneur, and I do expect him to arrive while you’re all still here. He’s been in Liechtenstein. I do hope you’ll see your way clear to spending some time with us. I’d planned to take you all horseback riding tomorrow on our estate.”
All agreed, and expressed enthusiasm at the idea. Angus stood and said “Madame Marie, I thank you for your most gracious hospitality, and I do want you to write the recipe for that chocolate pudding. I intend to tell my wife about it. I’d like to turn in now if that is all right?” Then Armando and Li both stood up and offered their thanks, complimenting Marie as well and thanking Cosette one last time, they bid her and Ian goodnight. Marie led them up the stairs to their rooms.