Chapter 20
A key turned in the lock and the heavy chains rattled to the ground as Raul lifted the lid on Robert's coffin, "Well, brother," he greeted Robert and tossed him a nearly dead animal to feed on as he had almost nightly since he returned Robert to their father's lair, "have you changed your mind tonight?"
Robert watched his older brother's arrogant expression as he spoke, "No," Robert replied stubbornly, "I have not."
"Sooner or later you'll have to," Raul said with confidence, "and when you agree to marry Lisa, I will allow you some time out of your casket to feed on some good quality blood. Until then," Raul turned his gaze to someone Robert couldn't see on the opposite side of the coffin, "Esteban will once again secure the chains."
Raul closed the lid returning Robert to the darkness he had known since his abduction and he heard the chains being drawn up and over the coffin and the locks clicking closed.
In anguish over his own imprisonment and his anxiety over Amy's unknown situation, Robert angrily ground his jaw and beat against the satin lining of his casket. After months of imprisonment he now hated Lisa and the idea of marrying her. He also hated his cruel and selfish brother who only cared about his promise to the two elder men and had no respect for the life of his own brother. Robert knew that there must be a way to escape his predicament but he couldn't think of one. He would need help to escape from his coffin and help escaping St. Augustine with a good lead on Raul. He realized that if he were fortunate enough to escape all the way back to New London he would have very little time to find Amy and flee town with her before Raul would undoubtedly catch up to him.
For the thousandth time it seemed Robert considered his chance of escape if he were to attack Raul during his next visit, but realized that even with the element of surprise the fight would be in Raul's favor since he always brought Esteban, one of his human guards, with him. Even if he were to escape the lair chances were he wouldn't get very far. He also considered playing along with Raul by agreeing to marry Lisa and convince Raul that he could be trusted outside of the lair where he could eventually escape. But he didn't believe Raul would be so easily convinced of his trustworthiness after spending five years searching for him. He wouldn't want to have to repeat that lengthy search again.
While these thoughts filled Robert's frustrated mind he heard a tapping on his coffin. The chains rattled slightly and he heard two of the chains fall and realized someone was unlocking them. Raul had yet to visit twice in one night and hoped he hadn't decided to bring Lisa to him in another attempt to change his mind. He heard the last chain slide to the floor and the lid began to rise, but instead of the cruel arrogant face of Raul he saw his loving mother.
"Oh," she cried when she saw Robert, "my baby boy! So, it is you Raul has been hiding here. I'm so happy to see you!"
"Mother!" Robert was overjoyed to see his mother again and embraced her so tightly she was almost pulled into his coffin, "it's so wonderful to see you! How I've missed you."
"And I you, Robert," she sighed pulling away to see his face, "I'm so sorry I expected you to marry Lisa. I had no idea you were so strongly against the idea. Raul led us to believe that you were agreeable. We were all so hopeful to put this feud behind us that we didn't notice how miserable you were. That's why he's keeping your hiding place a secret from us. After you left, your sisters and I told him we would never force you to marry Lisa."
"But how did you find me?" Robert asked as he sat up for the first time in more than a year.
"After being away for almost five years, Raul returned but wouldn't tell me whether he had found you or not. He was very evasive when I asked which made me suspicious, so I began to watch him closely and to follow him. I realized he made nightly trips down here to the wine cellar and almost always came back empty handed. I had to know why he was visiting the wine cellar so often. Tonight I had my chance after he went out for the evening."
"But the key to the locks," he asked, "Where did you find them?"
"They were on a nail outside the cellar door," she held up a small silver ring that held three keys, "the cellar door, and the two locks on your horrid chains."
"Mother," Robert said hopefully as he stood and stretched, "can you help me to devise and carry out a plan to escape?"
"Of course, my dear boy," his mother replied lovingly, "of course."