The Rake and The Rose (A Rake's Mistake) (28 page)

"I know you didn't know. God Damn it no one did!" He was infuriated. He caught sight of a young boy walking to him

"Mister?"

"What?"

"I gots a letta for ye." He handed it over and in a very masculine scrawl was his name. He ripped it open and gave the boy a few coins.

Lord Cromwell,

It is with my deepest regret that I have had to come to this. Charlotte will be well taken care of, but that fact will be changed quickly if my demands are not met. I am requesting seven hundred pounds for her return.-Alexander cursed- and in doing so I shall make sure she and the child are safe. If you do not comply with my demands, she will be killed.

I shall contact you within three days. Sincerely,

R.D

Alexander already knew who it was, though he'd never laid eyes on the man. His chest heaved in agitation and despair. He wanted to kill this man.

Three days.

Three? Where was she? Richard had her...
Essex had said there had been an attempt on her life. What if he told her? Could her mind handle it? What would happen to the baby? All of these questions pummeled his mind to a pulp and he sank to his knees unable to stand any longer. He had known deep joy in finding out about the babe. It had been the highlight of his life, other than when Charlotte agreed to be with him.

He remembered her. How could he tell her that now? Pretty hair...such gorgeous red locks... he had been snagged since he was young. In the midst of his terror, he caught sight of something pink under a barrel from his vantage point of sight. "Precious? What are you doing here!"

Merow! Merow! Merow!
It was no longer a squeak that the small creature usually used. Instead it was a yowling complaint from the little white ball of fluff. Muddied and disgruntled.

"Come." The cat knew who he was and instantly darted to him as if for comfort. "Sometimes I wonder if you're part dog." He exhaled and was startled to see blood along her front paws, not her own. "Did you get that sodding ass?" She looked like her side was bruised and he had a feeling she had fought whoever tried to take Charlotte. "You will get the biggest fish I can buy when your mother is home and safe." He tucked the cat in his arms and walked back to the carriage where the police, and Kade were.

"Alexander." Kade sighed getting off his mount. "God, what happened?" "People are saying Giselle offered her a ride when the wheel broke."

"Well the police are saying the wheel was tampered with." Kade pointed at the axle. Indeed it had been tampered with.

Alexander sucked in a breath and exhaled looking at Precious. The kitten was trembling in his arms and hissed at anyone that passed. He noticed something gold sparkle on the cat’s bow. "What the devil?"

He looked more closely and noticed it was a little gold heart...meant for a china doll, engraved with "Precious". He had told Charlotte the cat needed tagging and he would have laughed were his heart not heavy. "So that's what you're doing here," he whispered. He looked around and glanced at the driver. "Where did Charlotte go first?"

"O'er there, sir." His driver pointed to the small toyshop, before burying his head in his hands, far too upset to speak any more.

Alexander burst in through the doors "Hello?"

"Ah! My Lord Cromwell! Charlotte said you might be by! Did she already tell you about the tag? I can do locket's for the child once it's here!" The toymaker was smiling broadly at him.

"Charlotte is missing." Alexander gasped.

The gentleman's face fell "Good heavens, when?"

"No one knows...Giselle, my Aunt apparently gave her a lift."

"Yes...Yes a woman came in and found her. She told Miss Charlotte the wheel to her carriage was broken. Had a gent with her too." The toy maker sighed "He looked...forgive me sir, the sly sort. I asked her if she was sure to go home with her and Charlotte simply smiled and said she'd be alright." The toy maker shook his head.

"The tag was a gift for her and the baby.” He pointed to the cat's little heart pendant. "I am amazed at how well kept she is and well-mannered too. She never once hissed or jumped out of that large carpet bag she had."

"Carpet bag?"

"Yes, she had fabrics and such. She was telling me how lovely the nursery was. She wanted gold’s, whites and warm colors for the toys she would be ordering when she found out the gender. You know, rocking horses, stuffed animals, and what not. She wanted rabbits made."

"Rabbits?"

"Yes, with different ribbon she said she'd tell me the color. She didn't know why, but she said she was very fond of rabbits." He chuckled as Alexander grasped mentally at straws. "What did the man look like?"

"Not too tall with rather dark hair. A bit of a drunk, I might say what with his eyes so red. He didn't look the sort to be around with your family, Sir...if you don't mind me saying so."

"No. Not at all." He was curt.

He left and walked out glancing around. No sign of them. Not a hair out of place, his chest heaved and Kade watched him carefully "We'll find her Cromwell,” he said softly to his friend, unsure really of what to say at all.

"We had better. Or I will burn London down to find him."

C
hapter
21

Charlotte found herself floating in space, her mind reeling and spinning. And as if her mind played out a story, her mind narrated the images that flashed by her imagination's eyes.

"I am Charlotte...I am unconscious and I am kidnapped. They have laid me in a bed and I am tied and gagged. Uncle Richard has hit me across my head, but refuses to touch my belly. He knows I am pregnant...I bless my stars that he has that much of a heart."

She felt the numbness set in.

"I am floating in the dark and I am pain free.
I am alone, but then there are people with me now, and I do not know who they are."

In her mind’s eye Charlotte was in a large library, and had gotten a book off the shelf with her name on it. She flipped through the pages and came to a heading in the book and began to read aloud:

One evening in the Devisher Estate August 21'st 1800...

"Papa is smoking his pipe, I can smell the tobacco and it makes my nose wrinkle, his hair is shoved back and he is lounging reading the paper. Sara and I are playing on the floor, Papa has brought us dolls from a toy maker, and they are very pretty. ‘Sara!’ I call and toss my doll in the air squealing with laughter, but it ends in a soft coughing fit.

But, Mother is there with a small glass of water; and I am drinking it.
‘Easy dear, easy now and a deep breath. Remember Charlotte, Mummy always says to be calm when you breathe.’ Sara looks at me worried and pats my face comfortingly. We are two peas in a pod and inseparable, with the exception of our features; myself redheaded and she blond, my dark eyes, her blue ones. She is so calm and sweet, with a hint of daring...I am reckless and wild, but I am constantly sick.

Mama says something to Papa who nods and she is hiding two parcels behind her back ‘Mama?’ we both ask together and she holds them out to us before taking another little box from Papa. ‘Happy Birthday my Princesses!’ Mama smiles and hands us our presents. We both tear into the boxes, yanking out two white fabric and cotton stuffed rabbits. My sister and I are in awe, mine has red ribbon for my hair, and her's has blue for her eyes.

‘I like yours’ Sara says.

‘I like yours.’ I say to her.

We trade and hug our new bunnies to our chests ‘Bun-Bun!’ we cry!

'Rabbit...bunny.' Mother corrects and we both squeal again.

'Bun-Bun!'

Papa laughs wholeheartedly and waves his hand 'Let them call the rabbits what they want.'

Mother shakes her head smiling at us and takes out two shiny necklaces from a little paper bag. ‘Remember how you had to sit still for all those hours?' 

Did we! Mother had gotten a painter and had made us sit for hours, and hours, and hours. ‘And how Mama sat for hours and hours?’ We remembered. Mother showed us how to open the lockets; they were a bit heavy and gold colored, bigger than Papa’s watch that he let us play with, the front looked like her cameo. Each had a miniature painting of us on one side and then one of her on the other.

‘Mama!’ We both cried excitedly.

‘Yes. Mama. I will always be with you girls.’ she cuddled us both close to her bosom and nuzzled our hair. ‘My precious girls.’

Our mother loved us so much. In my conscious mind I felt a twinge of heartache.”

Charlotte's unconsciousness turned another page in her library of memories and a new narration began.

"I am Charlotte Devisher? My mind reels at what Richard -my uncle- has stated in the midst of my unconsciousness. I am a Lady? Suddenly it's as if the gates of my mind are flung open and I can see it all. I was born in 1796, and my sister died in 1803...But I met a young boy when I was very little.

Right before we got sick with what doctors called Typhus."

Charlotte turned another page and the colors stood out in greens and life like smells of flowers and summer...

1803 Midsummer afternoon...

“'Charlotte!' My sister called to me, her bright aquamarine eyes glistening as she looked up at our bedroom window. ‘Sissy!’ she waved and I saw a chestnut haired boy with her. He was looking up at me too. His eyes were the type of green one found outside on the big tree on our land. I looked at my own bobbing corkscrew curls that flung from my head in every which way in a deep red. ‘I can't...Mama said no outside for me.’ I cried, silently to myself; I was so lonely as a child. But I was usually sick with fever and was never allowed outside because the doctors deemed the air bad. 

Sara sighed in frustration and came flying up the stairs, into the house and up the flights of stairs to our room. ‘Come on! I want you to see the boy that those other people Cramwall people brought.’ I did not tell her she said their name wrong.

‘They have a boy?’ I asked instead.

‘Mmhmm! He's a bit older.’ Sara smiled and tugged my dress sleeve. We were very bright for our age, so speech had come very easily to us both. I looked out again, this boy was older, much more than I and already his clothing was askew and smudged with grass and dirt. He grinned a crooked smile at me and I instantly liked him and wanted to be friends.

‘If Mama doesn't catch us....’ I took my sister's hand, like many times in my life and we ran. We ran like the wind. Like no one could catch us.

We reached the bottom of the steps outside and I launched myself off the last step and landed with a dull thunk as my feet sank into the dirt and grass. I wiggled my toes and looked at the boy in front of me "Hello." I was suddenly shy and my sister grinned a front tooth missing from when she had Papa pull it. I pulled my own and always found it strange. Sara took my hand again and she sort of tugged me forward

‘You've got strange hair.’ the boy said with his head tilted. ‘It's like fire...does it hurt?’ I nearly asked him how he knew fire hurt.

‘NO!’ I yelled at him my feelings bruised. He seemed to notice and he stumbled.

‘I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you.’ I looked at my bare feet and wiggled my toes. He reached and tugged one of my curls and smiled widely ‘I like your hair,’ he whispered.

‘Hm. it’s ok.’ I glanced at him again and he looked startled. I startled many people and kids, my eyes were like my grandmothers, so dark they were nearly black but I had inherited my mothers auburn hair only lighter and brighter.

The chestnut haired boy grinned, ‘I'm Alexander.’

‘Hello, Alex.’

‘I hate that name.’ the boy scrunched his nose.

‘I like it, Alex.’ Sara was watching us and smiling broadly.

‘See sissy! You made a new fwiend!’ she had a bit of a lisp from her missing tooth and I giggled.

‘Do you want to play tag?’ he asked and I nodded. I had never played before.

‘What do you do?’ I asked curiously and his green eyes danced 

'You simply run away from the person who is It.’

‘It?’

‘Yes and then when the person who is it touches someone, that person is it.’

‘And they chase the others?’ The boy nodded and I understood. I had never played with children before this!

‘Who is it?’

‘Me!’ Sara cried and we all bolted to life. I giggled and ran as my sister knowing she'd never catch me chased after Alex. He was easily tagged and he went after me. I dodged and bounded easily away from his hand.

‘You can't catch me Alex!’ I squealed with laughter as he finally caught me.

‘Yes I can! Tag!’

‘Charlotte!’ All three of us halted, Alexander bumping into me.  It was Mama.

‘What are you doing outside? You know you'll get sick!’ she scolded.

‘But Mama, I was playing tag!’ I protested as the tears came. I did not want to go inside, I wanted to play. I wanted to have friends.

‘No, none of this when you are sick. Sara go and take care of Alexander.’ But Alexander was watching me with wide green eyes, sadly as my mother scooped me up and carried me back. I waved at him softly and he waved back.

‘Bye, Pretty Hair.’ I heard him say.

Sara later told me he pouted and threw a fit the whole day when he was told he could not see me. It made me happier.

I always wondered about the chestnut haired boy."

She reeled internally, so that was how she knew Alexander! Did he remember her? These questions vanished as another page turned again and she read aloud in her mind.

1803 Months later...

"I am in the hospital, and I am so, so sick. I cannot find my bun-bun. Where is it? I can feel a little hand in mine.

My sister. I open my eyes.

‘Sara?’ my voice feels dry and scratchy. I am frightened and I want my Mummy, I try use her first name, the one I only use on special occasions but I feel only dust in my throat.

We are lying in a hospital bed, there are many around us, but I cannot see them because of the walls. They are sick and coughing. My sister looks so sick. Sicker than I feel and I wonder what is wrong with us. Her pretty blond hair is shaved, as is mine, we had lice in our hair and the doctors said it had to go. I feel like a fuzzy chick.

‘Sissy?’ I reached out and patted her hand. She opened her dull bright eyes

‘Hi.’ she croaked.

‘I'm sleepy Charlotte,’ she whispered and I felt even in my six-year-old heart a crack form.

"Well, we need to get better for Mommy and Papa." I said firmly, not usually the one to be in charge of us…we weren’t single entities, we were one. Like peas inside a pod, or two halves of an apple like Mama used to cut for us in equal shares.

Sara always was the one with the plan. She was always the one to push me out the door. She was always the one to make me smile when I was sick. The Doctors explained to Mama and Papa that I was weaker because Mama had been sick, and I would get better with age...But now what would happen, why wasn't I this sick? I lay by my sister's side as she wheezed through her breathing. I was determined to stay awake, but it was not to be.

I awoke alone in my bed at home. Sara and her bun-bun were gone. I hugged my rabbit to my chest feeling the bell tinkle into the darkness as my mother swooped in hearing that I was awake, while the doctor checked my eyes ‘Mama?’ I cried.

‘Oh, my dear sweet girl! My little Princess!’ Mama's eyes were all swollen and puffy, her hair disheveled. I saw Papa leaning against the doorway looking ages older.

‘Papa?’

‘I'm here Princess,’ he said softly his dark eyes lost and sad, the blond hair I loved dull and brassy as if uncared for.

‘Sara?’

They both hung their heads as if trying to find a way to tell me she was gone. But I knew, as the shoulder shaking sobs took over them both.

‘Sara went to heaven.’ I said and both of them broke down. My mother clutching my small sweat drenched form, my fever still breaking. “I want to go, she can’t go without me…’ at this my mother nearly became frantic.

‘You'll never leave us Princess. You can never leave mommy.’ She shook in tears and for some reason; I knew that her heart was already broken. I knew my mother loved me, more than anything . . . It was there in her tight smile when she'd sing me to sleep, or tuck me in with my bun-bun. Sara's locket is put into my Bun-Bun so that I will always have her. Her rabbit is missing. Her presence is gone, and we as a family are never the same."

Charlotte's heart ached desperately “Sara...my sister," her mind cried out at the pain in the memories. But they were drowned as another memory swept over her.