Forever Young The Beginning (15 page)

“
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 brought 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.

Ian rose and started to clear the
table with Cosette joining him. They cleared it at vampire speed,
and then they sat to wait for Marie to return. She returned at
vampire speed and said “I’m going to my room. The servants will be
here early tomorrow to clean the kitchen and to prepare meals
again. Good night.” She departed at vampire speed.

Ian turned to Cosette saying “Would
you like to take a walk?” She looked at him with a smile and
nodded.

Arm in arm they walked out into the
moonlight and began to stroll slowly out towards the outbuildings.
The smell of jasmine hung in the night air. Crickets and cicadas
sang as they strolled along, arm in arm. She would lean her head
onto his shoulder at times. They walked about the grounds for over
two hours, during which time he had a weak spell. He told her about
his family, his childhood and all about Scotland. She related her
life up to being orphaned and falling gravely ill and ending with
her rescue by Marie who brought her over.

“
Ian, I missed you these two
days, even being only on a short errand.”

“
I thought often of you as
well.” He thought
that is not a
lie.

“
Marie tells me that you’re
progressing well.”

“
Thanks to you and her, it
seems that I am.”

“
Ian, is it crazy to think
that I have loved you maybe even the first time I saw you, when our
eyes met outside of the inn?”

“
I’ve wondered the same
thing, Cosette.” Stopping he held both of her shoulders and looked
gravely at her. “I had a dream of being attacked by a wild creature
the night before it happened. In that same dream, I saw your face
Cosette, right before I awakened.” At this her lovely gray eyes
widened greatly. “There is more. I could tell the difference
between when you were looking at me and when the creature was
looking at me.”

“
Really?”

“
Yes. Right before I was
attacked, I felt you looking at me, and then I felt an icy
prickling go all of the way down my back. That was how I came to
turn at the very last second. It’s why I had a knife in my hand as
he knocked me down. I thought I heard you shout my
name.”

“
I did, just after I saw him
jump from the building. I was well back from you so as not to be
seen. I was in a conflict, but wanted to come and thank you in
person for protecting Louis. I might have killed that man had you
not intervened when you did. I thought that I would step forward
and take Louis right then, before you left the
Red Dolphin
. I heard all that Angus
said, so I knew that Louis would be safe. Something told me I was
to stay with you that night.”

“
Thank God for that and for
you, Cosette.” He slowly drew her to him and tenderly kissed her
lips. Parting then, Ian kissed her gently about the face and neck.
She took his face between her hands then and kissed him gently in
return. She parted her lips as he did his, and then each tongue
caressed the other gently. Her faint lilac scent washed over him as
he was overcome by her nearness. Both felt a fiery thrill course
through their bodies. He pulled back from her and both looked at
each other in wonderment. Her lovely gray eyes were aglow, pulsing
softly.

He murmured her name as he kissed her
eyelids and around her cheek and down on the side of her neck as
she tilted her head to one side saying “Mmmm….that is so
nice….don’t stop.” He continued to trace the lovely curve of her
throat and up along the side of her face with his lips as she
pressed herself against him passionately. Again they kissed, a bit
more urgently this time, each pressing against the other. The
incredible fire now coursed through both of them as their eyes
glowed softly, pulsating slightly. Suddenly Cosette reached around
and took his arms from around her and stepped back. “Ian, the
caretaker’s house…come my love.”

She led him the short distance to the
door of the building and opened it. He picked her up and even in
the dark, he could easily make out the stairs. He bore her up to
the second floor in three gentle bounds, and turned into a bedroom.
There he set her upon her feet and immediately she was in his arms,
her lips caressing his throat and chest as she undid his shirt.
They undressed each other then, but slowly, stopping to kiss and
caress as they were led by their passion. A shaft of moonlight
extended into the room from the window. Ian lowered her gently to
the bed and sank to be with her. They completely abandoned
themselves in ecstasy and wonderment, softly murmuring each other’s
name over and over again.

The night passed with each of them
only aware of the other and of their desire for each other. It was
as nothing Ian had even imagined, let alone experienced. This time
he was not constrained, not bound to be passive to avoid hurting
his partner. He loved freely with abandon, heedless of anything but
Cosette and his desire for her and to please her.

Later they lay resting, both on their
left side. She with her back to him, and he fitted himself against
her, his arm draped over her abdomen. The sounds of the night
outside drifted in, the darkness somehow amplifying the intimacy of
the setting. He raised his hand and brushed her hair back, nuzzling
her neck and kissing her ear. “Ah, Cosette. I never knew it could
be this way. I’ve never felt as…complete as I do now, being with
you like this. I canna put words to this…this…feeling… this…
this…wonder.”

“
Nor can I, mon cheri. I’ve
not imagined such a thing as this, not ever my love.” They lay like
that for a while, and then Cosette murmured “Ian, if you don’t stop
kissing my ear and neck like that, I’m going to get the wrong
idea.” Just as she finished speaking her hand snaked back towards
him and she laughed low, throaty. “It seems that I’m not the only
one getting an idea my love.”

They melted into each other, unknowing
and uncaring of the world outside of that very place they occupied.
It was a night of torrid lovemaking, unlike anything either had
ever experienced.

The little girl was so terrified that
she had wet herself as the vampire carried her along at a great
speed. She couldn’t shake herself free from his grip of iron, nor
make a sound for the gag in her mouth. Her innocent brown eyes were
wide with terror. Finally they came to a lane and turned off of the
road. It led back through some trees to a large dilapidated house.
Large trees and dank vegetation surrounded the place. The child
suddenly was borne upward in a tremendous leap to the front porch
roof, then to a large window that had been broken out. Shortly she
had been lowered inside and dropped a short distance.

She was then taken downstairs to a
room which was divided in two by a wall of iron bars. The vampire
produced a key and opened a barred door and set her down. He
produced a knife from which the girl recoiled in terror, but he
only used it to cut her bonds. The floor was covered with moldy
straw that stank of urine and feces. The gag was removed and the
cords cut from her hands and feet. Two apples were tossed into the
cage and the vampire added some water to the bucket before he
walked from the cell and locked it. Then he darted up the stairs
and slammed the door, locking it from the outside, then shaking it
to be certain it had locked. The little girl whimpered in the dim
light, then began to sob.

She heard a sound nearby and froze,
sniffling. A voice came out of the darkness “Don’t be afraid. It’s
only me, Celeste.”

“
Where am I?”

“
We’re where the Bad Man
lives.”

“
Who is he?”

“
I don’t know, Juliet. He
brought me here.”

“
Why?”

There was no answer for a while, and
then the voice said “I know some songs. Would you like to hear
one?”