The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (22 page)

           
"How could I forget... it was a memorable night." He replied with a sneer.
Further up ahead Iliana could see Yuki tied up on one of the benches where
she had left her there most of the day. Yuki’s eyes were on Lucas and was continuously
growling deeply at him. Clearing her throat and avoiding Lucas’s eyes Iliana began to walk
pass him and made her way towards Yuki. Knowing that she was wasting her time and not
getting anywhere with him. For a moment Lucas did not move and allowed her to walk past
in front of him. However, when Iliana had her back to him Lucas grabbed her from behind
and pushed her back against the wall with his face inches from Iliana’s. He leaned his right
elbow on the wall covering Iliana from view of the people walking in and out of the
hospital door.

           
"You are delving into matters that are way
beyond you... even for a Purifier!" He
commented, his voice was so deep and guttural, he almost sounded like Darth Vader.

           
"So you do
know about the Unknown World then?" Iliana said looking up at him but
felt very uncomfortable with her back being pressed hard against the red brick wall of the
hospital building.

           
"I know enough."

           
"And clearly you are not going to share what you know... Why? Afraid of what your
own Father might do to you?... Or are you already possessed?... Maybe that explains why
your eyes are so soulless." Iliana said acting all confident but in reality was a little scared of
Lucas and the strange aura he was radiating.

Lucas sneered before he answered pressing his body harder against Iliana. His left arm
pinned her across her chest and prevented her from moving.

           
"If only you knew the true nature of things such questions and accusations that are
directed at me, would not slip from your lips so lightly." Lucas whispered glaring at Iliana
but his eyes then lowered to her lips.

Suddenly he stepped back releasing Iliana from the wall. He looked up at the pastel blue
sky and after smiling to himself in an uncanny way, he gave a little bow.

           
"Guess that was my cue to leave." He said standing up straight then turned round
and walked away.

Iliana was about to call out to him but a little white fluffy feather floated down in front of
her eyes. Iliana laid out her hand and the feather softly landed on her palm. She looked up
at the sky, it was clear with not even a wisp of a cloud. When Iliana lowered her eyes
Lucas had vanished.

           
Walking for what seemed like hours with Yuki trotting proudly beside her Iliana
held on to the little white feather. The sky was now changing from pastel blue to light
orange. Iliana did not even realise how late it had become. She remembered Mother telling
her when she was very little, that if a white feather falls in your path it means your guardian
angel is watching over you. Ever since then Iliana had always believed that. The words of
the female voice which spoke to her when she was at Lord Baddesley’s mansion, echoed in
Iliana’s mind.

           
‘I will always be watching over you. When times are dark, I will help and support
you and your companions.’

           
‘Are you still watching over me?’
Iliana whispered, gazing up at the orange tinged
sky.
‘Are you my guardian angel?’

           
All of a sudden Iliana felt herself kick something hard and flew forwards, crashing
onto the concrete ground face first.

           
"Ow-ow-ow!..." Iliana groaned picking herself up.

Sitting on the ground Iliana gently massaged the side of her face but winced as she did. A
smudge of blood appeared on her fingertips. Standing in front of her Yuki whined as she
nudged Iliana’s arm with her nose.

           
‘Yeah... I am fine.’
Iliana said to her, stroking her back then adding in sarcasm.
‘Looks like I forgot pavements still existed. Guess my guardian angel did not watch over
me at that point.’

Iliana slowly got up to her feet then brushed off the dust from her calf length black leggings
and her long light blue and black printed chiffon blouse with long sleeves. Looking up
ahead she realised she was standing in front of the iron gates leading to her home.

           
"Look Yuki... without knowing we somehow walked all the way home." Iliana said
walking up close to the black iron gates.

           
"Miss D’coye... long time no see!" Called a voice from behind her.

Iliana whipped round to find a couple crossing the road and making their way to her with a
golden retriever on a lead but was trotting ahead of them. The slightly rounded lady was in
her late fifties, her dark burgundy dyed hair was short but was naturally in tight curls. Her
light green eyes were framed with long lashes that was touched with black mascara. She
was wearing black flared trousers with an electric blue blazer on top of her plain white
blouse. The man next to her was taller and thinner. He was probably a few years older and
was wearing a light green and brown tartan flat cap. He wore a matching coloured tartan
blazer with dark trousers. His thin rimmed silver spectacles made his pale blue eyes look
bigger than they were.

           
"Mr. and Mrs. Croppe... good afternoon!" Iliana said as the couple stood in front of
her.

Iliana bent down and stroked the golden retriever’s head, it’s tail wagging excitedly behind
him.

           
‘
Hello Rupert... it is good to see you too.
’
Iliana added.

After Iliana stood up, Yuki too acknowledged Rupert by rubbing her nose under his chin in
a friendly way.

           
"My goodness my dear girl... those hooligans must have hit you quite badly!" Mrs.
Croppe commented. "Just look at your face... it is still so raw looking."

           
"Actually..." Iliana started feeling a little embarrassed. "I just tripped over the
pavement a few minutes ago and grazed my face. It was not from those... umm...
hooligans."

           
"Oh... thank goodness for that. I thought they had beaten you harshly. A friend of
mine is a nurse at the hospital and she told me about your Mother. Clive and I felt awful
and still do." Mrs. Croppe stated sympathetically.

           
"But we are glad you were not hurt too badly." Mr. Croppe added.

           
"Thank you for your concerns." Iliana said smiling.

           
"I must say... I think your Mother well deserves a good rest anyway. That Lord
Baddesley overloads her with many jobs. I have seen that poor woman run around the city
for him." Mrs. Croppe said then turned to her husband. "Do you not agree Clive?"

           
"I do agree my dear. Lord Baddesley has many other people under his influence
including your Mother... even those at the City County Hall follow his orders." Mr. Croppe
commented nodding his head.

           
"Do you work for him too Mr. Croppe?" Iliana asked.

This was the first time Iliana had a good conversation with the couple instead of just the
Hello, Goodbye, how are you and ‘thank you for looking after Yuki today’. She actually
knew nothing about them apart from how much they treasured their house and Rupert.

           
"Oh... no, no, no my dear girl. Although I am a senior member of the City Council, I
try to stay well clear of Lord Baddesley when he has his frequent visits to the City Hall.
Now more than ever... especially this past year, he has been rather moody."

           
"It is a shame... he was never like that many moons ago!" Mrs. Croppe remarked. "I
will never forget that time at Beach Cove... Do you remember that Clive?"

           
"Remember what Deborah?" Mr. Croppe asked scratching the side of his head under
his cap.

           
"You know... the first time Beach Cove was deprived of fish and then..."

           
"Oh... yes, yes I do remember. Golly... that was many moons ago."

           
"I am sorry... I do not follow. What happened?" Iliana asked utterly lost to where the
conversation was heading.

           
"It was along time ago... the Williams’s used part of Beach Cove as their very
successful fishing business. But for about four months on the trot there were no more fish...
no matter how far you go out to sea. The young Lord Baddesley who I think
was at the
tender age of eleven... yes, because I just turned twenty-two at that time. Anyway... he
decided to go into the sea water and did not rise for a good five minutes. Clive and I along
with a small group of people who were there began to worry, and were about to dive into
the water to find him. But then he suddenly appeared up from under the water." Mrs.
Croppe informed, telling the story theatrically. "And following behind him were masses of
fish splattering on the top surface of the sea water... it was monumental."

The image of the large painting that hung in the William’s dining room flashed back into
Iliana’s mind.

           
"It fed the whole of Primrose Bay and the City for years and even made Primrose
Bay rich. When we told our friends about young Lord Baddesley, they all thought it was a
coincidence. But Deborah and I believed he did something out of this world... magic." Mr.
Croppe added with a little hand jive.

Iliana’s eyes widened.

‘
Could Lord Baddesley be a Miracle?
’ She thought in disbelief, then asked out loud.
"So... how did Beach Cove become what it is today?"

           
"I believe it was when Lord Baddesley was about your age... sixteen or seventeen.
Apparently the day his father died he had a very
loud argument with his friend at Beach
Cove and everyone
who was there heard every
word of it. They even had a fight in the
water... and after that the fish was no more, up until this day." Mrs. Croppe replied. "The
William’s had to think of another business so they decided to harbour expensive yachts
which kept the family name clinging to the end of the rich list even to this day."

           
‘
Kazuki’s Father was Lord Baddesley’s friend
?’ Iliana thought to herself, wondering
if Kazuki knew of his Father’s past.

           
"It was lucky our Lucy met Lord Baddesley a few years later." Mr. Croppe said after
looking down at Rupert who had sat down. "Our little Wagtail calmed the storm within
Lord Baddesley’s world."

           
"Ah yes... I miss her so." Mrs. Croppe agreed, her green eyes filled with sadness.
"And she still loved Lord Baddesley no matter how obsessed he became in splitting the rich
from the poor... not that she agreed with it though. She loved helping the less fortunate side
and even gave money away... Lord Baddesley did not
like that, but he did not stop her...
God only knows why... They were like chalk and cheese. It still baffles me to how well they
got on together."

           
"Was she a relative of yours?"

           
"Yes... our little niece... our little Wagtail was what we used to call her." Mr. Croppe
replied looking up the sky as if reminiscing the good times. "She did not deserve to die
such an horrific death."

           
"That was when Lord Baddesley turned again. It was like a light went out in his
world. He rarely spoke to anyone who was related to her, not even his own son who awoke
from a month in coma... I think that was why Lucas was transferred to London Academy. I
was very surprised to hear that Lucas came back... I thought he would have stayed away for
good!" Mrs. Croppe said with a sigh before adding sorrowfully. "We did not even get
invited to his welcome back party... That plucked at our heartstrings."

           
"It feels as if both Lord Baddesley and Lucas had forgotten about us... I hope neither
of them have not forgotten about our little Wagtail!" Mr. Croppe remarked sliding an arm
round Mrs. Croppe’s waist and pulling her closer to him.

           
"Did
Lord Baddesley love her?"

Mr. and Mrs. Croppe exchanged looks then both smiled.

           
"We think so..."

           
Iliana leant on the big rocks at Beach Cove staring down at her toes through the
clear sea water that came up to her ankles and lashed lightly against the rocks behind her.
The white feather still in one hand and her white plimsolls in the other. Yuki occupied
herself by splashing around in the low waters near Iliana who was in her own world with....

           
‘Lord Baddesley is a Miracle... A Miracle with a broken heart’...
ringing constantly
in her head.

           
‘After what he done in the recent past, it just did not seem possible. His Father died,
he broke up with his friend, and his wife died a tragic death years
later... His heart and
soul had been battered most of his life. No wonder he gave into his inner demon.’