Prologue

Posted on Tuesday, 2 December 2003

Carefully he slipped his fingers through the opening of the curtain to see the city. It was dusk and the fog was rolling over the Seine while the lamplighters slowly made their way up the street igniting the stands as they went. ”I was king of this city” whispering to himself while rubbing his hand over his brow. As he returned to the small lumpy bed, he looked at the small writing desk, chair and mirror, all the contents that made up this one of the two rooms he was able to afford; he thought about his life. His once enormous fortune, the adventures, his days with his fellows, and nights with women, in short he thought about all the things that had brought him to this point.

One candle burned to the quick and the fear began to settle on him again. Crawling up his back, Fear’s hand caressed his neck, feeling it surround him his heart began to faster.

“Light!” he screamed running to the door of the antechamber he found it in utter darkness. Fumbling through the room, he heard the whispers. Beads of sweat formed on his face. “Light, I need the light!” Fear had completely overtaken him now all the while the whispers grew louder and he could hear the girl. She was laughing that same clear passionate laugh that woke him at night. He heard her moving toward and tried to escape but the divan was blocking his way.

“Oh look. What is the matter? Is there something wrong?” said she in cold tone with mocking sweetness. She lifted her smooth cream hand to his face. So beautiful he thought, but the hand began to change into a course hideous thing, red and cracked from labour. His eyes grew wide as he could see every wind beaten crack of the once beautiful hand. “Papa?” the girl called.

“No! Do not touch me! Stay away!” His body curled into a ball as his cries grew louder. The light poured in as the landlady opened the door to find her tenant lying on the floor crying like he had been doing for the last four nights in a row.

“Make them go away!” The tenant screamed as she placed fresh candles around the room.

My Lord, she thought as signaled with her hand that enough had happened for tonight. She looked at the man lying on the floor like a child and, for an instant, took pity on him. “Monsieur. Monsieur, there is no one here.” She hesitated and looked around before she took the man in her arms.

“No, they are here. They are….”

“No Monsieur, look around, you are alone.”

As the man slowly opened his eyes to take in what the landlady had told him the shaking in his body started to subside. Yes, these are my rooms, I am alone. He began to take in his surroundings, the faded gold walls, the chipped furniture with worn upholstery, and the faded paintings. Yes I am alone, alone. Clasping onto the landlady who looked as old and worn as the furniture he begged “Do not leave me”. It was a desperate plea that left him hoarse as repeatedly cried out to the woman. As she held him close to her breast she caressed his head and said “No ami, I will not leave you. We will never leave you.” Rocking him gently in her arms a faint smile crossed her face as she felt his body relax as he lost consciousness.

Six Months later

He was laying there a mere shadow of a man, lost in his thoughts, fever racking his body. His skin was so pale and clammy that had it not been for the trembling of his dry blood-cracked lips one would know that he was alive.

The rustling of skirts and shuffling of feet informed him that they were all there, watching and waiting. The hawk tip of the cane rapping against the poster of the bed silenced the room. He opened his eyes as the door open. Trying to wipe the blur away from them he saw a petite figure in blue traveling gown enter the room as murmurs and sneers began to resonate from those present. This woman was new to the group and even though a thick veil covered her face all but he seemed to know who she was. As they made way for her she walked through the crowded room up to the end of the bed. She looked down on the man and with a sigh said “Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments” as she sat down close to him on the right side of the bed.

“Love is not love which alters when alteration finds…” placing her gloves in her lap as the landlady smiled ad closed the door locking it from the outside.

“Soon” the landlady announced to those who had gathered in the antechamber and took her seat in the weathered velvet green chair next to the fire.

“Or bends with the remover to remove” His eyes grew wide as she untied the scarf around her neck and began to lift the veil.

“Oh no! It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken” Even time could not destroy her beauty. Her eyes shinned brightly through the tears of sadness. Clutching the brown leather book with gold gilding, he knew…. the time had come.

“Is it not, Willoughby?”

Dorsetdshire, England Three Weeks later

He rode hard fast through the rain. Cries of shame and tears of anger mixed with the unrelenting children of the clouds. His horsed suddenly turned away from some unseen danger bucking him from his seat. He welcomed the thought of death as his body was thrust in the air and then fell to the ground. Blood gushed, from the wound that a rock had given him during the fall, staining his olive completed face and matting the black curls of his hair.

Shouts and screams could be heard along the courtyard as the chaise and four came to a stop in front of the main doors of Delaford. A well dressed man exited the manor house with a look of pleasure tinged with an unknown anxiety. He opened the door smiling as he clasped the hand of his wife who had just returned from an extended tour of the continent with her sister.

“My dear, what is the matter?” she asked in her jeweled tone that always sounded as lark singing on a spring day.

“There seems to have been an accident” replied her husband, his deep baritone voice carried over the wind, trying hard to convey to his wife that there is no immediate danger.

“Not the children?” in feigned distress.

“No, no my love. Just a traveler, who should know better to be out in conditions such as these.”

“Oh. Well then. How goes things? Have you missed me immensely?”

“More than words can say my love.”

“Yes, I thought as much. That is why I have returned early.”

“Early? My dear how can you call returning after three months early?”

“Oh my dear sweet husband. We had planned to be away for at least six months. But I could not bare the thought of being a way from you any longer so, you see, I have returned early.”

“Quite right my dear. Quite right.” As he kissed her hand as he secured her from the carriage.

Just then some of the workers round the corner of the mansion carrying with them the cumbersome load that was the afore mentioned traveler. As they came closer the owner of the estate told them where to place the invalid. The men obeyed their master and began to move away from their mistress, nodding their acknowledgement of her presence. At that moment the face of the unconscious man passed before her. The mistress let out a blood curdling scream that deadened as she fell to the ground, mud straining her blue traveling gown.