The Castle of Love (17 page)

 "Ha!" cried Lisette. "You think not? I will tell you!"

She was fourteen when her aunt took her into the school. The other pupils were from privileged backgrounds and were indulged, yes, indulged by Madame Gravalt while she, Madame's niece, was expected to fetch and carry. While the other girls prepared for wealthy marriages, she had to prepare to be a dull old teacher, like her aunt. This was unfair.

She was the most beautiful girl in the school, everybody thought so. She was clever, too. She watched the other girls and learned how to walk, how to speak, how to behave like a lady of class. She listened to the pupils from England and learned how to speak English.

Whatever she did, though, she could not please her aunt. Her aunt told her she was vain and ambitious and it would do her no good to have ideas above her station.

"But who is ze Countess now?" screamed Lisette triumphantly. "Who has ze diamonds now?"

Of all the girls in the school it was Felice whom Lisette resented most. Felice was the star pupil. She was so good it made Lisette sick. Madame Gravalt loved Felice more than she did her own niece. She encouraged Felice's romance with Crispian Ruven, but when Lisette herself fell in love, with Fronard, her aunt forbade her to see him.

"And my lover is a man," said Lisette scornfully. "Not a pale, skinny boy like Crispian!"

Listening intently, Jacina was thrown sideways as the coach gave a lurch. She was sitting with her back to the coach driver's box and she could hear Fronard cursing and beating the horses. The creatures were struggling valiantly, but the wind was fierce and the blizzard was like icy needles in their flesh. The coach was moving in a cumbrous fashion.

Lisette did not seem to notice. Her eyes glittered as she continued her tale.

 When Felice's fiancé died and Felice became ill and went away to a sanatorium, Lisette was glad to be rid of her. She did not even mind when her aunt took her to Rougemont to live. There were no other girls for her aunt to continually compare her with and her workload was less. Her lover came to a nearby town to be close to her and she was often able to sneak out and see him. She was sure her aunt would eventually come round to the idea of her and Fronard marrying.

Then Felice recovered from her illness and came to live with Madame Gravalt in Rougemont. Lisette was incensed. Not only was Felice back to absorb all Madame Gravalt's attention, she had meanwhile acquired another rich and titled fiancé.

"But then at last ze Gods were with me!"

"W-what do you mean?" asked Jacina.

Lisette's eyes burned like torches. "What flies withoutwings, hits without hands, and sees without eyes?"

"I am sure I – do not know."

"The White Death," cried Lisette. "The avalanche! It was sent so that I could at last find a way out of these mountains, and this little, little life!"

Jacina heart grew chill at these words and she shivered.

"Oh," said Lisette haughtily, "you are cold are you, with your thin passionless blood? Here!" She drew a small flask from her purse and threw it across the carriage.

It was brandy. Jacina sipped gratefully, eyeing Lisette as she did so. Was this the moment? As she handed the flask back, could she grasp at the pistol? With this intent in mind, she half rose from her seat but Lisette was too quick. "Oh, no. Just throw it on the seat beside me."

 The pistol was levelled directly at Jacina's brow. Jacina did as she was instructed.

"You think I am stupid, hein?" Lisette asked with amusement.

Jacina shrugged. She had no intention of replying, but at that moment her eye caught movement on the road behind. She vaguely discerned the shape of a horse and rider through the driving snow.

Her heart gave a lurch. Who else could it be in this isolated area but the Earl? His horse had not gone far into the ravine – or had returned of its own accord – and he was now in pursuit of the coach. He had managed to catch up with them because the coach was moving so slowly.

She looked back at Lisette. She must keep her kidnapper's attention occupied.

"No," she said slowly. "I do not think you are stupid. I think you are very, very clever. Reading all those letters while Felice was in a coma – gathering all the information – playing your part so wonderfully in Castle Ruven. Who could have guessed that you were not Felice herself?"

Lisette's eyes gleamed with malice. "Only you," she said. "Only you suspected something. But for your meddling, our plan would have gone so smoothly. And for that, you are going to pay with your life."

At that moment there was a thump on the roof of the coach. Lisette's head jerked up. "What was that?"

"A stone, I am sure," said Jacina. From the window she could see the horse falling riderless behind. The Earl was on the coach!

Lisette's eyes narrowed. She was uncertain. Then there came the sound of a struggle from the coachman's box. The coach began to lurch wildly from side to side. Lisette rushed to the window and leaned out, twisting her body round so that she could point the pistol at the box. Jacina saw the pistol waver as it followed the movement of the figures fighting above.

 She must seize her chance. She leaped up and grabbed at Lisette's arm, trying to drag it back in through the window. With her free hand Lisette attempted to hold her at arm's length. They struggled for a moment and then a shot rang out, reverberating from peak to peak. There was a groan and a body fell through the air, landing with a soft thud into the thick snow.

It was Fronard.

Lisette dropped the pistol and gave a wild shriek, like an animal pierced by an arrow. She flung herself from the still moving coach, and ran to his body.

"He is dead, he is dead," she shrieked. "I have killed him!"

The coach lurched to a halt and the Earl jumped down. He scooped up the pistol and moved swiftly over to Lisette and the prone Fronard.

Jacina was shaking as she climbed from the carriage. She waited shivering by the carriage door.

Lisette was covering Fronard's face with kisses. The Earl placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come madam," he said. "There is nothing you can do here."

Lisette wrenched herself free and staggered to her feet, staring at him in bewilderment.

"You – you can see!"

"Yes, madam, I can see."

Lisette threw her head back with a loud moan. The Earl put out his hand.

"Let me lead you to the coach," he said.

"No, no!" Lisette stared wildly around like an animal

trying to find a way out of a trap.

 The Earl insisted. "Madam, you must."

"To go where?" cried Lisette. "To prison? To a life without my Phillipe? No, never. Never."

She began to edge away from the Earl.

"Look out – take care!" warned the Earl with a frown.

Lisette did not heed him. She turned and stumbled into the blinding snow. There was a rattle of loose rocks – a plunging scream – and Lisette was gone.

A deep, icy chasm had claimed her forever.

Jacina covered her face with her hands. She heard footfalls in the snow as the Earl came to her. She felt his strong, tender arms clasp her safely to his manly chest.

"My darling, oh, my darling!" he whispered. "I have yearned for you for so long. Even before the woman I thought was my fiancée came to Castle Ruven – your voice melted my heart. I tried so hard to remain strong in the face of duty. I made myself cold towards you when you so innocently offended Felice. I made myself doubt your words, when you told me what you had seen in the garden. But now, at last, I may claim you! Tell me that is your wish. Tell me that you have longed for me as I have longed for you!"

"Oh, y-yes, my Lord – I have," breathed Jacina.

"Then you are mine!" cried the Earl. "Body and soul – you are mine!"

"I love you – I love you – I love you – my Lord – "

He held her even tighter and looked adoringly into her eyes.

"I now realise that I must have loved you from the moment I rescued the best bonnet from the stream and gave it back to a tiny enchantress with golden hair and green eyes. You have been my ideal for all these years and now I can declare my eternal love for you."

 His lips sought hers. The blizzard raged about them, the wind howled, but they were lost in their mutual embrace. The heat of passion burned in their veins.

At last the Earl pulled away with a long sigh. Gazing deep into Jacina's eyes, he traced a finger gently across her cheek.

"Sweetheart, let us drive on to Savrin. We will return to England, to our friends at Castle Ruven. There we will be married. And this time, my darling, it will be a marriage made in Heaven, with both our hearts entwined and we will make it last forever. We will make it our own Castle of Love"

Jacina felt herself melt, softer and more yielding than the snow itself.