„Oh, woman, you and your madness! If you set yourself to do something, you won’t give up not even threatened by bullets”

Laying on the bed and feeling so pleasant the movement of the man’s fingers, who was laying next to her, on her naked chest, Lorenne closed her eyes and fell prey to pleasure. And when the young man’s lips kissed her naked breast, she slowly bit her lower lip and hugged him, looking for more caressing, comfort that she longed for so much in the last 10 years since her husband died, a pleasure that she forbade to herself to feel in some other man’s arms.

And she did this till she meet Patrick, for, before him, she considered all the men as being cold and incapable to feel something. In the young man’s arms instead, she felt as being a woman again, loved again, and once again the teenager that fell completely in love with a man, whose wife she became later, and who she cried for years, to forget him later laying her head on the naked chest of a man twenty years younger than her, but who made her vibrate again in a pleasant and harmoniously way, making her thinking that she never felt this way for someone else.

Actually, she deceived herself at a moment while was hovering around Edward, thinking about revenge, for then, while she was trying to seduce him, she has been about to fall for him, for, being so eager to be loved again, she fell prey to his kisses and was about to enter his bed.

Yet, Miss Davis’s stubbornness, whose plans seldom failed, awoke her from that strange dreaming about love next to a forbidden man and she said that it was forbidden for her to love again.

Till one day, about a month before Emily Davis’s tragic death, when she met Patrick. It happened so suddenly, one day when she was walking on the street. And, even if she didn’t know who he was and what he could do, she liked him. Thus, she followed him till they got to the inn where he was staying, and she followed him, for she told herself that she had the right to dream again.

And, even if she thought that he didn’t notice her following him, he saw her, and when Lorenne turned her back on the inn to turn back home, she saw him staying in front of her and staring at her.

„Do we know each other?” he asked her in a playful voice, crossing his arms on his chest, still staring at her. Yet, his glance wasn’t harsh or glacial. Per contra: there was a strange fire in his eyes, a fire of desire, for… he also liked the stranger that followed him from the center till the outskirts, walking onto narrow winding streets just to confuse her. Yet, that woman, that seemed so keen and interesting, followed him from close and caught up with him in a place he considered hidden enough from the curious glances.

„Let’s just say that I mistook you with someone,” said Lorenne eventually, confused and looking elsewhere, for she really felt weird because she has been discovered by a kid as she considered him, but who was a man in her eyes at the same time, for his strong arms, his well-formed chest, and his black like pitch eyes attracted her as she saw him.

„Why do I still have the feeling that you are lying?” the young man insisted, smiling, seeing the confusion on the face of an adult woman, as if she was a teenager only, who blushed when the young man she liked talked to her.

Lorenne also smiled, feeling herself naked in front of him. Later, looking into his eyes, she whispered barely heard, slowly moving her lower lip: „because this is true?!” and the young man understood that she was coquetting with him.

„But I don’t understand the reason,” he insisted.

„Because I like you. A lot,” said Lorenne, forgetting about shame and, taking a few steps toward him, she approached her face a lot of his, staring at his fleshy lips and the sketched smile, barely noticed.

It was almost dusk then when Lorenne dared to take the last step between them, and how is known the September evenings are so romantic, and as if guessing the woman and man’s thoughts, who so gently touched her arm, the night fell so suddenly over the surroundings, catching the two kissing each other in the semi-shadow of a narrow street.

At the moment the young man’s hand grabbed the skirts of the dress, trying to denude her hips, Lorenne grabbed his hand and whispered: „not here,” and she pulled him after her, inside of the inn, where they spent an entire night.

Actually, she was with him when Emily and Albert finished their life together, even if she told Emily that she goes to visit a friend. Then, before leaving Brighton, she went to the inn to see Patrick and she found him ready to go. „Which way?” she asked him in amazement and she understood that she never asked him what he was doing for a living.

He simply said: „London. My master needs me. That’s why I must go.”

„Then… let’s go together, for I also must vanish from this damn city where I’ve lost so many dear people,” and she really felt this, for even if she and Emily disagreed on so many things, yet, Lorenne got to strangely care about Miss Davis, still considering Emily her friend, and she really regretted that she died so: in the arms of the same love which Lorenne spurred Miss Davis to accept, thinking that this way Emily will be happy, without knowing that actually she wanted that love for her.

And… before vanishing from Brighton, Patrick told her to leave Albert at the edge of that forest, to confuse the police. This is how Lorenne understood that he wasn’t a simple man as he seemed at first to be. But she found out who he really was after spending a few days with him in the carriage that was taking them both to London. It was when Patrick told her: „Lorenne, I know that you are also hiding things from me and that you aren’t a simple woman. That’s why, if you need to hide from the world or just to reach so goals, come to baron Lyre Walker’s house, for he also needs allies, more at this moment.”

And she did this, for, after a few days spent in Christine’s house, she understood yet that Mrs. Bircham can’t protect her if necessary and she went to see Lyre Walker, who she actually knew since long ago, but with another name. Yet, she didn’t let Patrick know about this. She only told him that her agreement with Lyre has been to do everything for him just to leave them two living together in that house.

„What are you thinking about?” Patrick asked her eventually, awakening her from her daydream. Then he kissed her forehead.

„About us, about our first meeting, and… about Emily.”

„About Miss Davis? Why?” the young man asked her in amazement.

„Because I realize that I fulfilled my dream, the one of being happy next to another man, while she died before seeing her biggest dream come true - the one of being a mother.”

Patrick smiled: „Yet, she chose alone which way to walk eventually.”

„I’m not that sure about this,” murmured Lorenne, sticking her body more of the man’s body. „I still think that Albert also had to do with that death.”

„The teamster? The one we left then at the edge of the forest?”

„Yes, but… let’s not talk about him right now.”

„No? Then? Who should we talk about now? About us?” the young man asked in a playful voice, gently touching her skin with his fingers.

„No. I want to know what you could eventually find out about Brian Beneath. Did you find the document the old Walker is after?”

„No. And I don’t think I’ll find it eventually.”

„Why?” asked Lorenne surprised, raising her head a little bit to look into the young man’s eyes.

„Because nobody enters Shelby Storm’s castle. Not with that dog, Colby, guarding it.”

„Colby? Who’s this and how do you know him?”

„Actually I don’t know him personally, for I hadn’t to do with him. By now. Yet, others met him and told me that he’s really dangerous, a real pitbull, which if it stubs its fangs into the prey’s throat, it won’t ever escape. At least not alive.”

„Yet, I don’t understand what has Brian Beneath to do with that Shelby Storm.”

„Neither I. But… it seems that they live all into the old count’s castle.”

„They all? Do you mean that Eva too…?” Lorenne suddenly asked, supporting her body with her forearm on his chest and staring somehow afraid into his eyes.

„No. Miss Stonebridge continues in Christine Bircham’s house. The one who’s living now in count Storm’s castle is her protector, Alice Huntington.”

„Interesting,” murmured Lorenne, lying again on the young man’s chest. „It seems to me damn suspicious that that woman is now into Shelby Storm’s castle and not into old Walker’s one.”

„Why? Do they know each other?”

„It seems so, for… as far as I could find out, the one known as Helen Walker, Eva’s mother, died eventually in that old lady’s house. Yet… it seems that namely that death kept Mrs. Huntington away from this house. But… I don’t understand why Brian Beneath took her with him. This means that something more complicated is hiding behind this story.”

„Complicated? Like?”

„I don’t know exactly. But… Patrick, we must find out this if we want to survive and be young forever. That’s why the first thing we must do is to bring Eva Stonebridge in this house and… immediately,” and Lorenne smiled, thinking that she did thus the most important plan of her life.

***

„Beth, do you sleep?” Mrs. Huntington asked Beth, entering on tiptoe in her room and approaching the bed.

Beth instead, being with her back to the door, closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, for the last thing she wanted at that moment was to explain to Mrs. Huntington why did she cry in front of Eva and why did she accuse her that she was indifferent and at all different from Alfred Stonebridge if she could abandon her little girl so quickly, being stubborn to punish Brian thus, as she thought.

Alice, however, didn’t give up, just as she didn’t kid herself that Beth’s game of the „Asleep Beauty” was real - sitting on the bed, she touched the girl’s arm and forced her to watch her: „I know you are upset, child. Yet: you could understand Eva instead of blaming her.”

„To understand her?” flared up Beth and started crying. „How to understand her, Mrs. Huntington when she gives up so easily on happiness because of a simple caprice?”

„What if isn’t this a simple caprice, Beth? What if doing this she sacrifices herself?”

„And who her sacrifice will help? Nobody, for she only hurts everybody thus, including me. Well, she could not take me into account, for I’m a simple stupid, and naive servant who thought that she could be friends with her master. But… how to give up on happiness, Mrs. Huntington? How could she give up on being a mother? How could she tell me that I must be Laura’s mother and that she won’t ever return?! This is selfishness, hypocrisy, cowardness, and caprice, for… she has been hurt and she wants to get revenge. But she isn’t the only one who has been hurt but left everything behind because of love. Mister Beneath also suffered a lot because of Mister Stonebridge’s betrayal. But he didn’t go anywhere and neither he left her behind, even if he could have done this very easily, for he’s a man and he could find for sure another woman. Yes, what Miss Stonebridge does is something done for being selfish, Mrs. Huntington. It’s unfair to leave us behind just to make her life,” mumbled Beth repeatedly, through tears and sobbing, at Mrs. Huntington’s chest. „It’s unfair. It isn’t right to do this. How could she do that, Miss Huntington? Doesn’t she feel shame to…?”

With her eyes wet because of the intense emotions which she took from Beth, Alice bitterly smiled, for, on the one hand, she understood Beth very well. Still, on the other hand, she also understood Eva’s reason for moving away from everybody, more after finding out about Sophie’s death and that she died in weird circumstances. Thus she came up with the idea that not Mrs. Anderson Bell should have died that night, but Brian.

Actually, Alice considered that namely this has been her mistake because before she mentioned that Sophie died, Beth almost got to make Eva accept to turn back to Brian. Eva even stood up to go to her room and pack her things. But, ups, Mrs. Huntington opened her mouth and ruined everything, for, soon after this, stopped in the middle of the room, Eva turned to look at them and said: „it means that I can’t be Laura’s mother in this life, Mrs. Huntington. That’s why I must go and as far as possible from here if I want everybody to be happy. And, Beth, please: take care of my little girl and be her mother in my place.”

Such words made Beth whip out of the house, telling Eva shameful words, all those words she didn’t tell till then, reproaching her thus her sudden departure from Image a year ago when she didn’t say at least goodbye to her good friend. But even if it was heavy rain outside, Beth preferred that weather instead of staying in the same house with Eva, who she got to consider selfish and spoiled. Then, a few days after that, because she walked through rain all the way to Shelby’s castle, Beth had a high fever and raved. But, right after she came a little bit back to her senses, she started to cry again and feel sorrow for Eva, who „fell” so down that she got to give up on Brian and her daughter, once again giving up on her, leaving her behind to take care of her baby girl this time.

Mrs. Huntington instead, even if she knew that Beth’s accusations were unfair, couldn’t say the truth to her, for she got to believe too that Sophie Anderson Bell died instead of Brian, and this was because Eva refused to join the „Red Ants” at Lorenne Fabeau’s request, who sent Lyre’s order this way, a man who Alice got to hate even more than Eva hated him.

Actually the day Eva gave birth she went out to have a walk through the garden, feeling strong cramps in her belly, which she considered fake labor, for Mrs. Huntington talked to her about this not being scared if this happens and she won’t be by her side. Yet, even if she was barely standing, she thought that the cold air will refresh her. That’s why she got out of bed. But, instead of being only her and the fresh air, she saw Lorenne and Lyre descending from the carriage right in front of Stonebridge’s house, and, even if she didn’t know the old man, she knew very well what Lorenne could do. That’s why Eva felt the blood freezing in her veins and turned her back on them intending to enter. And she not only wanted to enter the house, but also to lock the door and, for the first time in her life, she got to hate the fact that she was alone that day, even if before she dreamt about having at least some free time, alone, without Brian or anybody else by her side, for Brian was careful and knew that in her condition leaving her alone won’t make her feel safe in case of something.

But… Bardain has been wrong that day, for he left her alone while being afraid that something could have happened to Brian. That’s why Lorenne and Lyre took advantage to approach that house, for even if Bardain didn’t see them that day, at that crossroad, Lyre saw him on the driving box and recognized in him Beneath’s teamster. That’s why he said to Lorenne: „it seems that God loves us, for… Brian Beneath isn’t home, and with his teamster away from this place, we have a free way to fulfill our plans.”

That’s why when he saw Eva turning her back on them and intending to run, he told her in a severe tone: „for how long will you hide from me, Eva Stonebridge? Do you still think that you can protect your dears this way?”

This made Eva really freeze and swallow hard while shaking with all of her body. Even so, she turned and watched her in the end.

Lyre instead didn’t care at all about his granddaughter, but on the contrary - he wanted her to pay for Helen’s brazenness of running away with Alfred just not to fulfill his wish. That’s why he told her in a severe and demanding voice: „or what? Do you think that your father’s death has been a simple coincidence? Of course, not. It was me who took care of this, for… one pays for everything he did in this life and not after this, and your father had a lot of debts in front of me, debts he wouldn’t have been able to pay for his entire life.”

„What the hell you’re talking about?” faltered Eva out, doubling up with pain, for she felt a powerful pang in her stomach.

„That the shameless of your father was who trumped my ace 17 years ago, taking my daughter away from here, making her his mistress and not his wife.”

The sky collapsed over Eva when she found out that her parents hadn’t been ever married, even if she thought that, although nobody told her about this.

Lyre continued his thought, trying to make her suffer even more. Lorenne even saw a kind of savage sparkle in his eyes as if he was making a feast of Eva’s sufferance: „but as Alfred died too soon, it’s you who must help me to get what I want - Beneath’s fortune. That’s why you’ll marry him right away, and as soon as you give birth to your baby, Brian Beneath must vanish and his fortune written on my name, something that had to happen 17 years ago, for it was for this I decided to sacrifice my 17 years old daughter, marrying her with a decrepit man.”

„That’s enough,” shouted Eva. „It’s enough hearing such words from you. I don’t want to hear them.”

„But you have to. And you’ll listen to the end, for you have no choice. You owe me as Helen’s daughter, who had the shame to…”

„Damn you all and your revenge,” Eva hissed through her teeth, staring with hatred at Lyre. „It seems that’s the only thing you live for and you don’t even think about others while trampling their souls under your feet just to feel fulfilled. And what for? For damn money and fortune.”

„Does it seem little to you?” asked Lyre with a swagger.

„Yes, for you won’t take that money with you in the grave, ever,” Eva snarled the words, for she felt such unbearable pain in her stomach, pain that was increasing with each second, with each breath, making her think that she’ll collapse and very soon actually. Yet, she kept standing, for she didn’t want to give up, not in front of that old man who she understood that he was her grandfather, but she considered cruel and mean. But more than this she hated the fact that she listened to him saying to her that he never loved her mother and that he tried to sell Helen as Alfred sold her. „That’s why, keep my words in your mind, old man: you won’t ever have what you want, for… only to wash my mother’s honor, I’m ready to step on your soul and fight with your madness till I’ll see you on your knees in front of me.”

Hearing her talking like that, even if she knew that Eva’s words were only the product of her instructions for months, Lorenne felt sorrow for her, so suddenly. More: she felt sorrow for bringing Lyre there, even if at first she intended to come alone to Image and convince Eva willingly accept her grandfather’s plan. At that moment instead, she understood that everything was lost, for Eva, who she knew damn stubborn, would fight to the bitter end to protect her family, for which Lorenne knew that Eva was capable to kill if necessary only to know them safe, for even if they never talked about such things, she was more than aware that Eva hated betrayal the most, and Lyre, with his simple presence and arrogance, was only outlining this once again in front of his granddaughter - that life was betraying her once again and that that betrayal had a material shape - Lyre Walker.

Lorenne winced when she heard Eva saying: „I’ll kill you with my hands if necessary, if you touch what’s mine, for… neither Brian nor my child is for sale and they won’t be ever goods. And this will happen, even if I die.”

After this, Eva ran across the field, in her desperate attempt to hide from the two. But what she didn’t know was that once away from that place, after turning her back on that house, Lyre told Lorenne confidently, at all bothered that his plan seemed to have failed: „she’ll look for us when she understands that she’s powerless.”

Then Lyre climbed into his carriage, demanding his teamster to rush to London for he had better things to do than to watch the breakdowns of a stupid girl, who couldn’t learn how to show her caprices. Lorenne instead knew very well that things weren’t as Lyre saw them, for she knew Eva better than he knew her and if she got to talk to a strange man just as she talked to him that day, it meant only one thing: she was more than prepared for war and kill, as she told them before running across that field.

***

With such memories in her mind, Lorenne Fabeau came that day to Christine Bircham, intending to do everything she could to convince Eva to accept Lyre’s plan, at least for the moment, for Lorenne got to love Patrick a lot. That’s why she decided to supplant Lyre and give her lover his freedom, who she considered a captive in Lyre Walker’s house.

But… instead of her grandiose plan, which she had at length planned and wanted to tell Eva about this, she found something awe-inspiring in the small hall, next to the stairs that led to the second floor: Christine Bircham was lying unconscious on the ground, at the base of those stairs, after falling on them and, on the floor, around her, was seen blood.

However… not Christine’s death seemed impressive to her, but the fact that, upstairs, she saw Eva and Anne, shaking like hell, and she understood that one of them was who pushed Christine off those stairs. The reason - she could only guess it, for it was too obvious: Anne Ross was touching her belly, feeling a lot of pain, after a fight where she has been forced to apply some effort.