The Curse of Deadman's Forest (18 page)

For a split second there was a strange quiet that enveloped the room as Theo and Océanne looked at each other in astonishment before both girls dissolved into a fit of giggles. “What?” Carl asked innocently, his cheeks turning red. He seemed to understand that the girls were laughing at him, but clearly had no idea why, so he turned to Ian and asked, “Mate, you’d agree, wouldn’t you? Doesn’t Océanne’s jumper look nice?”

Océanne’s beautiful gray-blue eyes turned to Ian expectantly, and for a moment he found himself unable to speak. And that was quite unfortunate, because both Theo and Océanne seemed to think that even more humorous.

Ian felt his own cheeks heat up and he turned on his heel and began to walk away. “Ian!” Theo called after him, but he did not turn back. “Where are you going?”

“I’ve lost my appetite,” he said angrily, and felt just a little bit better when the giggling from both girls ceased abruptly.

“Aw, come on, mate!” Carl called to him as he walked out of the dining hall. “They were only having a laugh, after all.”

But Ian was far too upset by his own jealousy and embarrassment to go back to the table. Behind him he could
clearly hear Theo say, “I don’t know what on earth has got into him!”

But after finding a quiet corner to sulk in, Ian began to feel a sense of shame and, even worse, foolishness for having stormed off like a petulant child. Still, he was too embarrassed to return, so instead, he dashed back up the stairs, turned into his room, and threw himself across the covers. He lay there for a long while, trying to sort through his feelings, and he thought about Theo’s words and had to admit that he didn’t know what had got into him either. He’d never been jealous of anyone in his life, but suddenly, he couldn’t stand it that Carl seemed to be commanding everyone’s attention.

After a long while, Ian rolled over and stared at the ceiling. With a heavy sigh he got up and moved to make his bed. It had been ingrained in him to do this every morning at the keep. Just as he was pulling the bedspread over the pillow, there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” he said over his shoulder.

Ian suspected that it must be Theo coming to check on him, but when he turned to face the door, he was surprised to see Océanne standing there with a tray loaded with a plate of eggs and toast and a cup of steaming tea. “I’ve brought you some breakfast,” she said kindly.

Ian’s knees felt wobbly and he could sense a blush hitting his cheeks again. “Thank you,” he said, his eyes quickly finding the floor.

When Océanne did not reply, Ian looked up again and noticed that she seemed to be struggling to find a place to put
the tray. “I’ll take that,” he said quickly, crossing the floor to relieve her of her burden. She gave it to him and added a smile and Ian felt his blush deepen. She was so pretty, and her eyes so beautiful, that he thought he couldn’t stand to look at her for very long, but neither did he want to look away.

After yet another awkward silence, Océanne finally said, “Well, then, enjoy your breakfast.” And she turned to leave.

“Océanne?” Ian called to her, and she turned back to him just as he realized he had no idea what to say next.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Er …,” he said as sweat broke out along his brow. His eyes darted back to the floor while he searched for something smart to say to her. Some compliment to pay her. “Um … your jumper
is
very pretty.” His eyes lifted and he was rewarded with the girl’s brilliant smile. Ian smiled in return and he felt his heart soar, so he added without really looking down, “And your shoes are also quite nice.”

But to his horror, this additional compliment only inspired Océanne to quickly look down at her stocking feet before covering her mouth with her hand, while attempting to stifle another laugh. She wasn’t quite able to, and it appeared that the harder she tried, the more difficult the task, until she finally broke down into a fit of giggles.

Ian felt the humiliation right down to his toes. “Er …, I meant your stockings.”

“Thank you, Ian,” she said when she’d recovered herself, and he was almost sure he heard mockery in her voice. “Just leave the dishes outside the room when you’ve finished and one of our staff will collect them.”

Ian nodded, looking anywhere but at Océanne, and to his relief, she left him then and shut the door.

He stood there for several moments longer, staring without seeing the tray of food in his hands. Finally, he moved to the bed, sat down, and pushed the eggs on his plate around with his fork. He attempted a small bite of the toast, but he found that this time, he really had lost his appetite.

A bit later he set the tray outside his door and moved quietly out of the room. He was relieved to see no one about and made his way downstairs, where he heard cheerful voices coming from somewhere nearby.

Peeking round a corner, he saw Carl and Océanne playing the card game that he and Theo had practiced on the train. Theo looked on and laughed as Océanne giggled infectiously and tried to guess the cards in Carl’s hands. For his part, Carl seemed to be trying to help her along, tapping one of the cards repeatedly and laughing back at her when she didn’t catch on right away.

Océanne finally laid her palm across the cards in Carl’s hand and, turning to Theo, asked abruptly, “Theo, would you tell me my fortune?”

Theo appeared a bit taken aback by the request, but she smiled kindly. “Who told you I could predict the future?”

Carl coughed and got up quickly, as if the conversation was going in a direction that made him uncomfortable. “I think I’d like a glass of water. Would either of you care for one?”

Theo narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “No, thank you.”

“Oh, yes please,” said Océanne.

Carl nodded and wasted no time leaving the room, allowing the girls some privacy. Ian nearly pulled himself away, mindful that he was now prying into personal matters, but part of him really wondered what Theo would say to Océanne.

And in fact, Theo did oblige their hostess. “Very well, Océanne, now that Carl has given me away, I’ll tell you what I see for you.”

Océanne clapped her hands and inched closer to Theo, who had closed her eyes and appeared to be concentrating. “I see a romance,” she said. Océanne gasped, but Theo ignored her and continued. “With a boy who lives in a foreign land. He is brave and handsome and charming, Océanne. And he would be most devoted to you if you would have him.”

“Is it Carl?” Océanne asked excitedly, and Ian felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach.

He waited anxiously for Theo’s reply, but to his chagrin, she opened her eyes and laughed before telling the girl, “Perhaps. I know he has blond hair, and that he’s quite charming—which of course fits Carl.”

Océanne laughed merrily and took hold of Theo’s hands. “I like him very much, Theo,” she admitted, and Ian felt that familiar knot of anger and jealousy wrap itself around his insides.

Theo glanced over her shoulder as if she expected Carl to come back into the room. “Yes,” she agreed. “And I suspect he likes you too.”

The girls then joined each other in a fit of giggles and Ian turned away, feeling such a pang of hurt and betrayal that he couldn’t stand to listen to another word.

He spent all the rest of the day sulking outside, exploring the grounds and keeping well away from the house.

Theo found him in the late afternoon as he was sitting on a log overlooking a gentle brook. “Hello,” she said cordially, taking a seat next to him.

“Hello,” Ian replied, with no real warmth. “How’d you find me?” he asked. Theo held up the sundial and he frowned. “Ah,” he said. “Yes, I’d forgotten about that.”

Theo took Ian’s hand and placed the dial in his palm. “This is yours,” she said to him. “Laodamia meant it for you.”

“The Guardian,” he said with a sigh, and watched Theo frown.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you, Ian,” she said earnestly. He was about to reassure her when she added, “But I also know we
must
go through the portal to find the Healer when the time is right.”

“That’s likely to be a bit tricky, Theo, what with the earl forbidding us from going anywhere near the portal and that lock on the gate at the entrance.”

Theo sighed. “I know. But Carl has a plan—”

She got no further than that, because Ian cut her off. “Carl!” he snapped, and spat into the dirt. He’d had all day to work up a good deal of resentment toward his friend and he was in no mood to hear about a new idea the younger boy
had come up with. “I’m sure he’s got a jolly
brilliant
idea to get us through the portal so that I can meet my end and he can have both you and Océanne all to himself!”

Ian hadn’t meant for all that to come out, and was ashamed when Theo stared at him in stunned disbelief. “Me and Océanne? Have you gone completely
daft?”
she demanded, and Ian felt his cheeks flush when he realized she was asking seriously. “Ian Wigby,” she continued when he said nothing to explain his outburst, but then her voice grew stern. “Carl Lawson is the
best
friend you’ll ever have. And I know that because I’ve seen a glimpse of both of your futures and I know that his loyalty to you will never waver. Never.

“I’ve also seen a glimpse of Océanne’s future, and I know that while her affections for Carl are quite real at the moment, they will shift dramatically in time. And her admirations will eventually point in a completely different direction, toward someone like …
you
. And once her affections have turned to you, Ian, they will not turn away again. Ever.”

Ian, who had been looking shamefacedly at the ground, turned his eyes up to Theo, feeling hope bloom strong in his chest, but he was surprised when she returned his gaze with one of anger, glaring down at him with her hands on her hips. “But,” she snapped, “might I add that what I see for you and Océanne is, at this very moment, in grave jeopardy of not turning out that way, because you are being so ridiculous and if you continue to make a fool of yourself, you’ll not only lose any hope of winning Océanne’s heart, but you’ll lose your friendship with Carl too.”

And then Theo stomped off without a backward glance.

Ian sat on the log for a very long time, thinking about what Theo had said. Several times he heard his name being called, but he did not answer. He knew that the others were gathering for dinner and he was being unforgivably rude by not making an appearance, but he couldn’t bring himself to face them just yet. He felt unsettled by what Theo had told him—that she saw a point at which Océanne’s attentions would turn to him—but for the moment, at least, Océanne was more taken with Carl, and he didn’t know how to let go of the anger and jealousy he was feeling so as not to ruin his friendship with Carl.

He couldn’t fathom why he felt so drawn to Océanne. The attraction to her was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He’d never thought of girls as anything but mildly amusing and sometimes even annoying. Theo was the only girl he held much respect for at the orphanage, and not one of the other girls at the keep had ever commanded his attentions.

So what was it about
this
young lady that captivated him so completely? He had no idea, but he did know that he simply couldn’t tolerate watching her affection for his best friend grow. And if he was to have any sort of future with her—as Theo had all but promised—then he needed to keep his distance from both her and Carl. At least until they could escape back to the keep, which he hoped would be soon now that the professor had finished translating the prophecy within Sir Barnaby’s journal.

As the last rays of the sun were painting the sky beautiful shades of pink, lilac, and purple, Ian finally rose from his log and made his way back to the main house. He entered quietly through a side door and stopped short. Madame Lafitte was standing just inside the doorway, looking almost as surprised to see him as he was to see her. “Ian!” she greeted him with a smile. “We’ve been quite worried about you.”

Ian cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said. “I was down by the creek and I must have lost track of time.”

“I see,” she said, and Ian couldn’t tell if she believed him. He was saved from further scrutiny when she ushered him into the kitchen and pointed to a small table. “Sit,” she ordered, and hurried over to the icebox. “We’ve still got quite a bit of ham and leftover potatoes. Oh, and I believe one or two of the rolls may have survived Carl’s appetite.”

She said this with a wink and Ian couldn’t help smiling, his spirits lifting just a bit. “He eats like that at home too,” he told her.

“I’ve never seen such a thin lad eat so much!”

“I know,” Ian agreed. “We’re not sure where it all goes.”

They made small talk while Madame Lafitte continued to fuss over him, giving him a plate loaded with ham, potatoes, and peas. Between bites he answered her many questions about the keep and Dover. “And the earl,” said Madame Lafitte lightly. “He’s happy in his castle at Dover?”

Ian thought that was a rather odd question. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “He seems quite happy.”

Madame Lafitte traced small circles with her finger on the table where they sat. “And does he have a female companion that he might be fond of?”

Ian blinked. “I’m sorry?”

Madame Lafitte laughed as if she was embarrassed to have asked. “Nothing,” she said. “Of course you wouldn’t know, now would you?”

“Are you asking me if the earl has a girlfriend?”

Madame Lafitte seemed to want to look anywhere but at Ian, and her finger stopped making circles on the tabletop and moved to pat her hair. “Why, no,” she said. “That would be a most improper question to ask, of course!”

Ian squirmed in his chair. He wondered why his hostess was suddenly uncomfortable, and tried to reassure her by answering the question he thought she wanted to ask. “The earl doesn’t have a girlfriend,” he said. Madame Lafitte’s eyes shot up to meet his. “At least, no one that I’ve ever seen, ma’am. He’s always been a bit of a loner as far as I can tell, and he’s more enthusiastic about hunting and his duties at parliament than trotting round with the ladies.”