The Black Lotus (Night Flower) (24 page)

Chapter 25
:

Justin fell silent, still able to remember those fateful mom
ents when his life had changed forever. He could recall the first time his fingers grasped that brooch, it was seared into his memory and no amount of time had dulled that image. He had woken first, seen Alistair lying as though dead next to him and he had tried to draw him out of sleep but to no avail. He could only wait as the light dimmed further, leaving them blind in the dark. 

“Justin?” Melissa’s voice pulled him from his thoughts
.

He pulled his mind free of the memories of that dusty attic and
into the ruins of his old home. He looked at her face and tried to smile. “So there you have it, my tale, convoluted though it may be.”

“The brooch gave you immortality?”
Her voice was hushed, incredulous, half believing and half chalking him up as insane. Well he couldn’t blame her for that, if he had not lived it, he would find it hard to believe also.

“
You could say that.” He did not wish to mention the price of this life; she would turn from him in disgust if he spoke of the horrors that had filled his life since. It would not matter if he did not tell of it, she was ephemeral and he would have to leave her behind. “Neither my brother nor I have aged since that day.”

“It’s incredible.” M
elissa sank back into the chair, her thoughts full of his tale. She should not believe it, dismiss it all as fancy and yet. “It explains so much about you.” She said finally, running her mind over everything that had seemed strange about Justin. His mocking laughter, his studied boredom and his knowledge, all were explained by this simple yet absurd tale.

“Really?” Justin raised an eyebrow and looked across at her.  The perpetual mocking expression had vanished from his face and he seemed gentler, more open than he had ever been.
A thrill of excitement rippled down Melissa’s spine, glad that he could trust her so far. “How so?” He continued, curious to know what had intrigued her about him.

“
Why you seem so much older than you are and how you know so much.”

“It’s an occupational
hazard; you must do something to fill up the days in a long life.” He stood and crossed the floor to stand before her, his face calm. “I’m relieved in a way that you found out.”

“Why?”

Justin reached forward and captured her chin. Melissa felt her heart skip a beat as his eyes stared down at her, eyes that were naked with raw emotion.

“Don’t you know?” His thumb delicately brushed against her lower lip; she shivered with anticipation as he leant forward. His breath wafted softly against her lower lip and she closed her eyes.

“JUSTIN!”

A loud voice from deeper in the house startled them. Justin pushed himself away from Melissa. “By all the hells it’s Alistair.” He glanced round rapidly and pushed aside one of the long curtains beside the nearest window. “Hide here.” He pushed Melissa gently behind them and pulled the fabric closed. No sooner had the curtains swished together when the door
to the library swung open. Melissa held herself rigid as several loud footsteps crossed the stone floor.

“You do know that there’s a maid and trap outside?” A slow drawling voice rang across the quiet space as the footsteps came to a stop.
Melissa drew closer to the curtain and pressed her right eye against the small gap in the middle. Barely daring to breathe, she watched the unfolding drama.

“I had noticed yes.” Justin replied laconica
lly to his brother as he settled back into the chair behind him. His long fingers rested on the arm of the chair with apparent ease as his dark gaze took in his visitor. Alistair was playing the role of preacher this day, all black and white. It was a disguise he had used on numerous occasions in the past century. Justin privately thought that Alistair hoped to be healed by continued devotion to God. From behind the curtain, Melissa watched Alistair approach, taking in the details that she had missed during their brief meeting. He was tall, like Justin and he walked with the self assurance of a soldier. His face was handsome, though at this present time his features were twisted in contempt. His gaze raked across the table with its reams of notes and his lips sneered with barely concealed distaste. With a swift movement he reached across and pushed aside a stack of paperwork. Justin flinched slightly as his precious stack of papers cascaded across the table, yet he controlled the impulse to shout. 

“And what is she doing here?” Alistair sat on the cleared edge of the table and carelessly flipped open the nearest journal. Justin’s eyes hardened slightly as Alistair’s fingers idly leafed through the book.

“Asking for a favour fr
om her mistress.” Behind the curtain, Melissa heard the chill coating Justin’s mocking tones and she bit her lip. Alistair was smirking openly as he skimmed the rough pages, his fingers lingering on the detailed notes, smudging the writing.

Don’t get angry.

Melissa silently pleaded with Justin to remain calm as she watched Justin’s knuckles whiten as they gripped the arms of the chair with suppressed tension.

“
What favour?” Alistair finally asked, his fingers running along the flowing script of the book with casual insolence as though daring Justin to say something.

“Her mistress left a scarf in my carriage.”
Justin swallowed the angry words that threatened to overwhelm him and fell back on calm nonchalance. Ignoring Alistair’s studied efforts to annoy him would drive his younger brother mad.

“And she came all this way to retrieve it?” Alistair snapped the book shut with a decisive motion and stood. “Oh come now Justin, you can think of a better excuse than that.” His eyes swept across the room
and lingered briefly on the shut curtains. Melissa jerked backwards, hoping that he hadn’t seen her.

“Explain what you mean Alistair
.”

“Nobody comes here.” Alistair replied with exaggerated patience as though he were talking to a child. “No one has been to this hous
e in a hundred years, no one except for us. You honestly expect me to believe that you have been handing out this address as a contact?”

Melissa held her breath as Alistair pushed himself upright
and paced the floor between the table and Justin’s chair. “So why don’t you tell me where your latest fancy is?”

Justin laughed, a short sharp sound of mockery. “Really Alistair, do you think I would invite someone here, to our home and only sanctuary? You are deluding yourself.”

“Then what is that maid doing out there? Hmm?” Alistair was still pacing the floor, his eyes travelling back and forth between his brother and the closed set of curtains at the far end of the room. Melissa shrank back against the cool glass of the window, hoping that Alistair would soon lose interest. A wrought iron handle pressed into the small of her back and she fumbled with it, wondering if she could make a run for her carriage.

“As I told you Alistair, she is returning a scarf. I was writing a note for her to take back to her mistress. That is why she is waiting.” He watched Alistair pace the floor for a few moments more before he too stood up. His voice became hard, less mocking and infinitely colder. “I am no longer interested in discussing this Alistair, now why don’t you tell me why you are here?”

Alistair went quiet, ceasing his movement across the floor as he looked across at his brother. Justin was
gambling that the reversion to strict, older brother would cease Alistair’s faltering efforts to find out about Melissa. Of course there was no guarantee that this would work.

“Well?”

Alistair took a breath. Melissa bit her lip and silently prayed that Justin’s gamble would pay off. She seized hold of the window latch, preparing to clamber out and run should Alistair come any closer towards her hiding place.

“You could never lie very well.” Alistair retorted as he turned fully to the curtains and took a step forward. Justin moved to intercept him as Melissa groped clumsily at the iron catch. “Your slut can come out now.” Justin seized hold of Alistair’s arm, face incandescent with fury as Melissa finally pushed open the window. In a panic, she fell over the ledge and landed hard onto the weed choked ground. Pulling herself upright, she hitched up her skirts and ran.

“How dare you?” She heard the words clearly through the open window and she risked a glance over her shoulder. The open window sent the long curtains billowing and she clearly saw Justin strike his brother across the face.

“What?” Alistair replied mildly, ignoring the thinning trickle of blood from his nose. “Are you telling me that she isn’t your whore? Because it certainly seems like it to me.” He released himself from Justin’s grip and headed to the window.

“It will do you no good to run Miss De Vire.” He called in a cruel, amused tone. “So you visit my brother illicitly? Do not fear, I won’t tell.” Melissa stopped moving and turned back to the window, clenching her fists tightly as her panic slowly turned to anger.

“Who are you to call me such things?” She demanded, her voice quavering only slightly as she faced him. “What right do you have?”

“What right?” Alistair threw back his head and laughed. “I have every right. He gave me that right when he destroyed everything I held dear.” With one smooth movement, he climbed out of the window and stood before her. His dark eyes roamed over her body and he gave her a broad, leering wink. “And am I really saying anything so terrible, forgive me for not knowing that this…” His hands flailed in the air. “This meeting was fully chaperoned and sanctioned by your family. Oh.” He stopped speaking as the colour rose in her cheeks, tinted her face a delicate shade of rose. “Does that mean that you are not supposed to be here?”

“Leave her be Alistair.” Justin had reached the window and he climbed out after his brother.

“But why Justin?” Alistair turned to face his older brother and gave a mock smile of concern. “I’m terribly afraid for her. After all it takes so little to destroy a reputation and I’m sure her parents would be so delighted that she has decided to take up with an old rake like you?”

A knot of anger twisted deep within Melissa and she stood a little straighter, her fists clenched so tight that she could feel the nails digging into her skin.

“What do you want?” She threw the question into the clear air, each word tense with suppressed anger. “Are you here to warn me once again to stay away from your brother? Are you here to gloat about your night-time excursion to my chambers and the lovely note you left?” Alistair stared at her, his face registering shock at her words, yet Melissa wouldn’t let him speak. She kept talking, a torrent of repressed anger spilling from her tongue as she poured out her frustration.

“Yes.. I know all about it, all about you and Justin and your curse. I know why you want me to steer clear. Well here’s something
for you to chew on, your brother seems to think the same thing. He seems to think that I should be happy to spend my life at the mercy of my parents, my brother and my future husband. He won’t even countenance the thought of a relationship, so really, your warnings and disgusting invasion of my bedroom was completely unnecessary. I have done nothing to be ashamed of, save hoping for something that was foolish. I refuse to stand here and take your abuse.” Alistair flinched slightly as her words raked the air between them and he opened his mouth to reply.