Capítulo 11: Chapter X
Christian hoped he had done the right thing by letting his wife get involved. She had seemed enthusiastic about the prospect of helping him in his investigation so he had not had the heart to tell her no. And this was exactly the thing that bothered him. He had started to come to terms with the fact that she had a most unusual influence on him. One moment he had all his wits about himself but when he saw her they fled him in an instant. She was a dangerous being. He had vowed never to be played by a woman again but… he was vulnerable when it came to her.
He played with the pen between his fingers while thinking back…
10 years ago
"My Lord" the butler gave Christian a letter signed by his mother. He had been living here in Kent for the last year, after finishing at Cambridge. His father and older brother were both in residence and were trying to bring the estate back to life. It seemed that his father had had problems with some investments and he had lost substantial amounts of money. He had wanted to take a look, to tell them his opinion on the matter but it had been unwelcome.
He slowly unfolded the letter and read its contents.
"My dearest son, I can bear it no longer. Your father has threatened to kill me."
Christian heard another knock on the door and he was startled from his reverie. His mother had played him well…
"Yes?"
"Here I have the account you requested from the steward" his footman said and handed the piece of paper to Christian.
"Thank you" He said and began inspecting the story.
Apparently one of his horses had been injured while the "creature" had tried to flee. Hmm…he thought. If the creature had tried to flee than the main intention had not been to harm the horse, so it had happened by chance. But what had the "creature" tried to flee from? The account said no more, but his instinct told him that there had to be more.
The next morning, Eva met with one of the men's wives, a Mrs. Smith.
"Thank you for taking this seriously me lady." The woman had slowly recounted how both her and her husband had seen the "creature" roaming through the village one night.
It was dressed in black, me lady, all black. Its face was so grotesque…"
"You've seen its face?"
"Yes…"the woman said, slightly paling as she described it.
"It was nightmarish. It was almost red and rugged, its lips bloodied…"
"Mrs. Smith are you really sure?" Eva asked again, not really believing the woman.
Mrs. Smith threw herself at her feet and took her hands into her own, tears flowing down her face.
"It's the devil, I tell ye me lady. It's come for us!"
Eva was shocked. She tried to disentangle her hands from the woman's but she was frantically screaming.
A servant quickly came and helped her get Mrs. Smith off of her, escorting the poor woman home.
Eva was not at all sure of what to believe. The woman had been terrified, yet the account seemed so surreal.
She went immediately in search for her husband and she found him in the eastern wing of the mansion.
"Christian…"she called him tentatively
He was with his back at her but upon hearing her call he turned immediately.
"Eva" he smiled and gestured for her to come to him.
"We have to talk"
Christian frowned as he took in Eva's desperate expression.
"Yes, of course, come" he led her to a chair.
"What is it that troubles you?"
"I have spoken with one of the women."
"Oh" It was all he said.
"Mrs. Smith, she came by this morning"
"Did you manage to find something useful?"
"I do not know… but it was enough to make me worry"
"What is it?"
"Mrs. Smith says that both she and her husband saw this creature but that's not the disconcerting thing. The way she describes this creature…"
"Continue"
"At first I do confess that I was quite reluctant to believe her… She tells of a creature dressed in black and with a red and rugged face. When I asked her about it, if she was sure… she burst into crying and she fell at my feel begging me to believe her. This is all so…strange."
Christian regarded her silently for a moment before speaking.
"I am not sure if what Mrs. Smith is saying is true, but I have come across something interesting in my own search." He said and he removed the piece of paper containing the account of the steward and he read it to her. Eva frowned as she considered the contents of it.
"What was it looking for here? Is something missing?" she asked, searching his eyes.
"I have requested that my servants look for anything out of ordinary about the house and for any missing item…but…"
"But?"
"You are right, it must have been looking for something here because my steward says the horse was only harmed when he tried to flee, not intentionally…"
"It is a most peculiar thing."
"Indeed. We shall have to wait and see if something was taken before we can conclude anything."
Eva just nodded, lost in her thoughts.
"Otherwise, how was your day?"
"Huh?"
"Your day, how was it? "Christian asked, very much aware that she was still thinking about their case.
"Mundane" she gave him a tight smile.
"Are you sure everything is to your liking?"
"Yes, of course. Why would you ask?"
"Because I know your father is wealthy and…"he trailed off, not sure how to admit to the fact that even with her dowry he was nowhere near rich.
"My father? "
Christian nodded.
"I know that your town house was much much better than anything I can offer you…"
"Christian "she stressed his name and he looked into her eyes.
"I scarcely lived there… even before my coming out… I lived in our home in Yorkshire until I was sixteen and after that...I was sent to the country."
"The country? "He asked and she did not really wish to broach that subject because she knew she would have to give some explanations.
"Yes, in Cornwall" she whispered and Christian knew immediately what she was talking about. He knew about her father, the earl, that he was very rich, but he also knew that he had come into wealth once he had married an heiress and that the estate in Cornwall was among the ones that he had not bothered to repair or even pay enough servants to maintain it. He realized that his little wife had not had extravagant holidays in Europe nor had she enjoyed herself at her father's majestic estates. She had been shipped off to a remote place where she would not have anyone to speak to.
"Were… were you all right? "He found himself asking her when he felt her hands shaking. She just nodded and gave him a tight smile. That moment, he could not help himself and he gathered her into his arms and hug her. At first she was stiff as a stone in his arms but eventually she brought her hands up and embraced him back.
"You are with me now." he soothed her.
"Thank you"
She drew back and laughed. Christian raised his eyebrows in question.
"I keep n having things to thank you for."
"I guess you do." He smiled sheepishly at her.
"Why don't you thank me in another manner then, not with words?"
"How?'
"A kiss."
Eva was both scared and excited at his demand. She dipped her head and slowly pressed her lips to his, relishing their texture. His hands came up and cupped hear head, deepening the kiss and bringing her closer to him.
A moan escaped her lips and she held on to him as if this were her heaven. No bad memories, no rebuffs, only her and her husband. He caressed her cheek with his thumbs, slowly kissing the spots that his fingers left.
"My dearest Eva" he whispered in her hair.
Christian did not want to stop. He wanted to hold her like that for an eternity. She evoked in him feelings that belied everything he was but it felt so good... No, he told himself as he wrenched himself from her. He could not give his heart on a platter again just to be smashed into pieces.
He looked at her disheveled appearance and her swollen lips and for a second, time seemed to stand still. He did not want to believe in rumors, but there had been some truth for those rumors to exist in the first place. It was too much for him... too much and way too quickly. He stood up, excused himself and left.
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