Forever Young The Beginning (13 page)

Cosette and Marie had been nothing
short of wonderful and he knew that he now could hope to at least
see his family again. He would have to be careful of who he
revealed his secrets to. It would be a burden to him. He wondered
if he should adopt an alias or not, hating the idea.

Twice during the night,
Alyssa awoke and they made love again. Each time afterwards, she
again pillowed her head on Ian’s chest and soon slept as a babe.
Ian passed the night peacefully and if he slept, it was only to
doze a bit. Twice he had the beginnings of seizures and quickly
drank from a flask Marie had given him. He absently stroked
Alyssa’s hair as she slept, kissing her forehead several times
during the night.
H
ow strange my life has become! Who would believe all of
this?

Angus anxiously awaited the arrival of
a longboat he saw approaching Elsie. He saw only one passenger,
being a woman holding a large parasol and wearing a wide-brimmed
hat. She was expensively dressed and wore long well-crafted gloves.
She paid the man in charge of the longboat and gracefully sat in
the boatswains’ seat that Angus lowered.

Upon stepping onto the deck she
introduced herself and said “Ian is well. I must speak to you,
Armando, and Li in private. But first, may I see my
brother?”

“
The lad is your brother?”
She nodded and he said “Yes, yes lass.” Turning he directed his
voice towards a crewman near the galley stairs “Fetch Mustafa and
Louis right away!” Shortly the two boys came up out of the galley
where they had been working together, cleaning it. Louis spied
Cosette and crying out “Cosette, Cosette!” he ran to her and flung
himself into her arms. They hugged and Cosette kissed him
repeatedly as they talked together, in the French tongue. After a
bit, Cosette turned to Mustafa saying “Mustafa?” He nodded. She
hugged him too, and then turned to Angus saying, “I cannot thank
you enough, Captain McCloud.”

“
You’re welcome. It was Ian
who first stepped up for Louis when that blackguard struck
him.”

“
I know. I saw the whole
thing.”

Angus regarded her, raising his
eyebrows.

“
I’ll tell you everything in
a moment. May Louis stay here for another few days?”

“
Aye.”

Speaking in French again she said
“Louis, you’ll stay here on this ship a few more days and then
you’ll come to my new home. In the meantime, I want you to behave
yourself and do as you are told by these men.” Louis agreed,
nodding. She smiled and said “I must go to speak with these men. Be
good and I’ll see you soon.” She was introduced to Armando and Li
as they walked to the stern of the ship.

In Angus’ cabin Cosette began by
saying “What I tell you now must never be repeated. You may talk
about it among yourselves only. You would be placing your crewmates
and your families in danger of death if this got back to the
wrong……people. It makes no difference where you live, your loved
ones can be found and could be all murdered should the words said
in this cabin ever leak out. Do you understand?”

They nodded in assent, and all said
“Aye.”

She said “I want each of you to repeat
what I just said, starting with you, Captain McCloud.” Angus said
“That’s not necessary, Cosette.” She fastened her gaze on him and
said in a low flat voice “It is very necessary, Captain McCloud.”
Angus sighed, and then he complied. Then Armando and Li did
likewise.

‘
Very well then I’ll tell
you what has happened.” She told all three of them exactly what had
happened to Ian. The three sat, mouths agape. Angus then said “Are
you the woman who saved him and carried him away?”

“
I am.” She saw the doubt in
the eyes of Angus and Armando. Rising she said “I’ll show you
something that may convince you.”

In a flash, she had snatched Armando’s
dagger and was holding it at Li’s throat, with his head pulled back
into her breast with her other hand, her eyes glowing brightly. Li
felt as if his head and neck were locked in a vise.

Angus exclaimed “My God! If I hadn’t
seen that I’d never have believed it. Li is the best fighting man
among us!” Armando just sat there stupefied, shaking his head in
wonderment.

Cosette returned Armando’s dagger and
said “I have to do an errand while I’m in Marseille but I’ll return
later. Because of what has happened to Ian he must stay with Madame
Lafayette for at the very least three weeks. That is imperative. He
wants to see you three. He also sent this note to you, Captain
McCloud.” She flashed around the table to him and then produced the
note, seeming to just appear at his side.

Startled, but reading it, Angus nodded
and said “Armando, you and Li see to this. I have to find MacCarr
now.”

***

Ian got up at dawn and went down to
the parlor, sensing rather than hearing Marie. She said “Good
morning. I think it went well last night?”

“
It did, Marie. Alyssa is a
sweet girl, and a fine person. I’m wondering if you have thought of
approaching her about crossing over.”

“
Let’s have breakfast before
she’s awake.”

Sitting in the kitchen, his morning
drink of rabbit’s blood downed, and a breakfast of steak and eggs
eaten, he ate his fourth sampling of fruit from the large bowl
there. Marie said “Don’t forget to drink water too. Humans drink it
all of the time.” He drank a cup of water then while Marie
spoke.

“
On the subject of Alyssa, I
have considered bringing her over. She would fit in well as one of
us. I was waiting to see if she would marry, or would stay focused
on a career in fashion. What do you think?”

“
I think she would be a fine
one to bring across. She is twenty?”

“
Yes.”

“
Then it is only a matter of
timing?”

“
Timing is not all of it.
There is the matter of Cosette.”

“
Cosette? I don’t
understand, Marie.”

She’d been gazing out the large bay
window of the kitchen and gave a long sigh. Turning back to him,
she said “You men; so dense, yet so smart too in many things. I
finally have awakened to the way she looks at you when you’re not
looking. I also finally have awakened to the way you look at her
when she’s not looking. I saw this only when you two were saying
goodbye to each other. It has bothered me all night long. This is
my mistake. Bringing Alyssa over now might bring grief to our
family, Ian. Cosette is like my own daughter. I made a mistake in
bringing Alyssa here for you so soon. This is my doing. I was so
focused on seeing to it that you were to retain your libido that I
failed to even consider Cosette’s feelings in this
matter.”

Ian sat pondering that
awhile. He had been allowing Marie to guide his
imprinting
and hadn’t given much
thought to what she’d said. “What do you want to do about this,
Marie? I don’t want to bring trouble. I could leave here after
my
imprinting
has
ended. I can go to Marseille to take care of….. you know….. my
lovemaking whatever.” He blushed. “Och Marie! I do want to travel
to see my family anyway. Then you could approach Alyssa and bring
her over with me gone. May I see all of you from time to time? I
would have a hard time… I mean…. Marie, I hate the thought of being
separated from both of you now. Is there a way to work this so that
I can see all of you at least from time to time? Whatever you
decide, I’ll do.”

“
Ian! I don’t want you to
leave, ever. God forbid! I’ll send her to Paris. I have many
wealthy friends there who owe me favors. Several can offer her work
and a chance of recognition that she can’t refuse. I’ve already
made inquiries toward that end weeks ago. She is talented and
ambitious. I have a friend who will help her to get the polish that
she needs to successfully enter the world of high fashion. I will
purchase only her work, and that alone will help her fame grow.
Alyssa has talent, so this is a natural thing. She’ll be told to
hurry home this morning and to close her shop and to pack her
clothes for Paris. She will live there. I already have a place in
mind. In fact, we own the building. Once there and becoming
entangled with her work and the wealthy contacts I will send her
way, she’ll live there. In a few more years, we can again take up
the subject of her being brought over. Is this acceptable to
you?”

Ian locked eyes with Marie and
reaching across the table, gently took both of her hands in his,
slowly raising them to his lips. He kissed the back of each gently
then fastened his gaze upon her again, still gently clasping her
delicate hands in his broad bronzed ones. “I trust you as I do my
own mother. I think this is the best course for all of us including
Alyssa. I’m grateful and blessed that my fate has fallen into your
hands. Thank you again for all you are doing for me.”

Marie’s eyes brimmed with tears. She
stood then, as did Ian, and coming around the table to him put her
arms around his waist and he her shoulders. She then said “Although
I laugh and am happy most of the time, I have so longed for a son,
Ian. With Cosette as my adopted daughter and now you in our lives,
my joy is complete.

“
All of you will remain as
my family when my human family passes from this world. I’ll try
always to please you, and to make you happy Marie.”

Stepping back from him then, she said
“Then in that case do your teeth now Ian, our guest is awake.” He
did as she said, but didn’t hear anyone stirring. He brushed and
cleaned his teeth at vampire speed and was done even with taking
the ground clove and cinnamon powder well before Alyssa came to the
kitchen.

“
Good morning, Madame Marie.
Good morning Cheri.” Smiling, she came to Ian standing near the
back door and gave him a kiss on the lips, encircling his waist
with her arms and leaning her head on his chest. As if on cue,
Marie said “Alyssa, I have just gotten word early this morning from
an inquiry I made in Paris. You are accepted to learn fashion
design from none other than Madame Caryn Rochelle herself. You
already have six wealthy customers waiting for you.”

The effect was almost electrical.
Alyssa whirled and threw both hands to the sides of her face and
squealed with delight. “Oh Marie! Is this true? Please don’t joke
with me!”

“
It’s true Alyssa.” she said
with a genuine loving smile, coming to hug her. “But you must leave
for Paris this evening. I have already arranged for travel. I will
see to it that your shop is closed properly and that your home is
kept waiting for as long as you like. You are going to be a famous
fashion designer, Alyssa.”

“
Ooohhh” she said, all the
while jumping up and down clapping her hands. Then she saddened
visibly, looking across the kitchen at Ian. “But I don’t want to be
away from you, mon cheri.”

Laughing, Ian said “She said Paris,
Alyssa, not America. We can come see you and you can come see Marie
and me anytime.”

She brightened a bit, and then
brightened more as she thought through the whole thing, with her
pretty face tilted to one side. Then, smiling broadly she said, “I
go today then.”

“
A coach will be here within
the hour to take you home. I took the liberty of hiring one
already. My courier arrived in the wee hours with the news, so I
saw no harm in preparing.” She thought
a
small enough lie and it will help you to realize your
dreams.

When the coach had come, Ian carried
Alyssa’s bags to it walking beside her. Handing them to the driver,
he turned to her saying “You’ve made me very happy, Alyssa. I’m
glad that you visited while I was here.”

Alyssa threw both arms around his neck
and pressed herself against him, and kissed him long and
passionately, then drew back, and did it again. She whispered “Come
away with me now, mon cheri.” Ian said “I can’t come at this time.
I must stay here in this area for around a month.” With tears at
the corners of her eyes, she said “Goodbye for now, Adam.” Turning
to Marie she said “Goodbye Madame Marie, and thank you
again.”

By mid-morning of the
following day, with MacCarr officially in charge of
Elsie’s Cloud
, the three
boarded a longboat. A long crate had already placed in it before
they boarded. Instructions had been left to notify the King’s
Gendarmes and the harbormaster that Ian was found and alive, and
that Louis’ sister had been found. Tom had been dispatched to find
a ship bound for Barcelona. Ian’s letter from several days ago,
before he was bitten, would get to Alandra. Cosette had returned as
promised and a coach with four horses whisked them away towards the
home of Marie Lafayette.

***

The finely appointed coach arrived in
the wharf district in an area reserved for dignitaries. A tall,
well-dressed and distinguished looking Spaniard got out after the
driver opened the door. He stood while two other men rushed to take
his luggage and carry it towards a ship. Two officials were
speaking of the heroes who had saved the ambassadors daughter. It
seemed that one of the crew had been attacked by a wild animal in
Marseille itself and had been the object of a large scale local
search. The ambassador approached them wanting to know the story.
When he introduced himself to the pair they were only too glad to
share what they knew about the great sea battle by the Scottish
hero, Angus McCloud. It was written that his nephew, second in
command, had been the one to find Alandra Vasquez and her servant
girl.