Afterthought, M J Marlow [bts books to read .TXT] 📗

the first three measures and he smiled. “I would not think such music common for a nunnery.” “I had a life before I became a nun,” the woman sniffed at him. “Little men,” Scarlatti boomed as he turned and clapped his hands. “Little women,” he bowed to the girls and they giggled. “The Princess and I are going to show you a new dance. It is called the Jive.” He looked at Evangeline and she went to the far corner as he stood by the piano. He nodded and they danced towards each other. When Evangeline reached him, he threw her up in the air and caught her, spun her around his body and hefted her up on his shoulder. They continued on, as the children cheered and clapped. When it was over, Scarlatti was actually looking less than regal. He bowed low to Evangeline and she curtsied prettily. “Your Highness. It is always a pleasure.” “When can we learn to do that?” Maurice, one of the older boys asked. “That looked like fun.” “That kind of fun is a lot of hard work,” Evangeline told him, “and a great responsibility. You are responsible for your partner’s safety.” She saw Scarlatti go and she gathered the children. “I will show you the basic steps next time; but the lifts and spins will have to wait until you are a bit stronger.” They protested and she put her hands on her hips. “You would rather dance than eat your lunch?” They shook their heads and she laughed. “I did not think so. Go on with you.” “You are not joining us for lunch, Your Highness?” Pierre asked as he hung back. “We are having strawberry ice cream for dessert. I helped crank the handle.” “You must see that you save me a spoonful then, Pierre,” Evangeline smiled gently at the boy. “I have a meeting with Monsieur Marcel and Sister Constantia now.” He looked upset. She crouched down and put her hands on his shoulders. “Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten that I promised to take you riding after lunch.” He smiled then and ran off as the lunch bell rang. Evangeline went into the Study and spent the next half hour going over the accounts with Marcel and Constantia. When the meeting was over, they went to the terrace and found three plates waiting for them and a bowl of ice cream each. Pierre was practically dancing with anxiety by the time Evangeline finished. She took him by the hand and he shook his head and let go. He held his arm out to her and she laid her hand on it. Someone had been teaching the boy courtly manners and she was impressed. They walked down to the stables and her entourage was right behind them. “Prince Silvano showed me how to saddle my own pony,” Pierre said as he brought out the little black animal he had been using in the lessons. Evangeline nodded solemnly and watched as the boy saddled his own mount. He performed the task as if it was a holy ritual and she was happy to see he had learned it well. He mounted and waited for her and the others; then Evangeline rode up next to him and they set off. “Do you think I could work with horses when I am older, Princess Evangeline?” “You can do anything you want to do, Pierre,” Evangeline told him; “as long as you are willing to study hard and work hard and never quit.” She nodded to the tree line. “We will ride just to the tree line and then use the open field to work on gaits.” “Prince Silvano has shown me gaits,” Pierre assured her. “He says I have a good seat.” “He does, does he?” Evangeline smiled down at the boy. “Then by all means, show me how well you sit your horse in a canter.” Pierre nodded eagerly and took off. He disappeared into the tree line and Evangeline grew worried when he did not come back. A moment later, the pony came back without the boy. The guards rode in after him as Evangeline caught the pony. She saw the card stuck in the bridle and her heart stopped as she pulled it out. She opened it and her blood ran cold as she read what was written inside. “Meet me at the Eiffel Tower in one hour,” it read, “or the boy will not live to see another birthday.” Evangeline rode back to the stables, leaving her guard in the dust. She was dismounted and behind the wheel of the stables’ truck before they could catch her. She was the only one who had seen what was written on the note. She roared through the main gate and took off, her heart in her throat. If he hurt that boy, she would slit his throat, Evangeline thought as she drove to the Tower. She left the truck in the parking lot and was just getting out when someone clamped their hand over her mouth, put their arm around her waist and pulled her into the bushes. She saw Pierre lying on the ground bound and gagged. His face was bruised and his clothing was torn but she could see the fire in his eyes. He had not come quietly. “I’ve missed you, precious,” Edward said as he pulled her against him. “You didn’t need to involve him,” Evangeline snapped. “He is an innocent child…” “He is an alley cat!” Edward snarled. “I would be doing the world a favor if I ended his life now.” “No,” Evangeline cried in protest. “Please don’t hurt him.” “Then stay right here, Princess,” Edward said as he hefted the boy up on his feet. Evangeline watched as he took Pierre to the truck and dumped him in the cab. She looked around for a rock or a fallen branch and found what she was looking for. As he locked the doors, she moved up behind him and bashed him over the head. He fell to his knees and she grabbed the keys he dropped. She ran to the truck and jammed the keys in. She saw Pierre’s eyes widen and dodged. The branch hit the cab top and snapped in half. Evangeline ran as he cursed and he caught her by the hair and slammed her up against he truck and kissed her roughly. She bit him and he slapped her across the face. Her head hit the truck and stars exploded in front of her eyes. He clamped his hands around her throat and she tried to knee him in the groin. He moved at the last moment and she scratched his face. He struck her head against the truck repeatedly until she collapsed to her knees, her vision blurring in and out. “You fight me anymore,” he said as he yanked her up and claimed her lips and his tongue ran along them; “and I will slit the brat’s throat while I make you watch.” He kissed her and she bit him again. He pulled back and his eyes were cold. “You don’t want the boy to die, do you, Princess? All I’m asking for is a little affection.” She wanted to fight him tooth and nail. But Pierre was lying helpless in the truck and his life depended on her doing as this man told her to do. Edward took her back into the bushes out of sight and shoved her back up against a tree. He unbuttoned the front of her dress and his mouth moved down to her breast. Evangeline bit her lip to keep from crying but she could not stop the tears. She felt his tongue tracing the tattoo he had put on her and she could stand no more. This was too much, her mind screamed. She tried to push him off and he caught her wrists and bound them fast. “Bad girl,” Edward laughed as he raised her arms and she saw him hanging her off the lower branch of the tree. “I’m going to have to punish you for that.” He grabbed her chin and squeezed until tears sprang into her eyes. “The boy will have to die now.” “No!” Evangeline sobbed and tried to get free as he turned away. “Please don’t hurt him.” She saw the look on his face and knew what he wanted. She lowered her head. “I won’t fight anymore,” she said softly. “Please don’t hurt Pierre.” He lifted her off the branch and cut her loose. Then he led her away; his hand bruising her arm as he forced her along. She saw his car in a shadowed corner away from everyone else. She bit her lip as he shoved her into the passenger seat and kept his eye on her as he went to get behind the wheel. She heard the locks engage and knew she was trapped for now. She saw a squad car and an ambulance heading back towards the parking lot where Pierre was and breathed a sigh of relief. “The boy’s torment is over, Princess,” Edward said as he looked over at her. “Yours is just beginning.” He drove her to the train station and parked. They went to a private car waiting on a side rail and he shoved her inside. “Aileen, sweetheart,” he laughed as he watched Evangeline fall. “I’ve brought your pretty child home to you.” Aileen smiled as she rose from the seat she had been occupying to come help Evangeline to her feet. She frowned as he child pulled loose and went to sit away from her. The hurt on her mother’s face almost made Evangeline cry. If it had been sincere, she would have been. “You shouldn’t be so harsh to your Mama, Princess,” Edward said as he closed and locked the door and pocketed the key. “She hasn’t been in her right mind since just before you were born.” He smiled as Aileen brought him a drink and pulled the woman to his side. “She was one of the first of my sister’s subjects, you see.” He saw that he had Evangeline’s attention. “Every time she ‘wandered’ off, she was with us undergoing another process.” He ran his tongue along Aileen’s neck and the woman sighed. “So that she could become the gloriously obedient and willing slave you see before you.” Evangeline looked horrified. “She left you with the Sterlings at my order, child,” he continued as he set the drink down and opened Aileen’s blouse so he could claim her breast. “Mmm. So responsive.” “Stop it!” Evangeline cried in anger. “Leave my mother alone!” “Now why would I want him to do that, darling?” Aileen laughed at her. “Edward has been my lover for the past fifteen years.” She moved closer to the man as she ran her fingers along his lips. “I shall be able to teach you every little thing that pleases him before he makes me his wife and you his mistress.” She smiled. “When he has you fully trained, he will sell you as wife to one of his rich, depraved friends.” “No!” Evangeline shook her head and ran for the door, forgetting in her terror that he had locked it. She pulled on the handle, sobbing. “I won’t let you!” “Your daughter is overjoyed by my proposal, Aileen,” Edward laughed as he set Aileen aside. “Put her in storage for now.” Pierre woke up several hours later and his ears were hissing with static. He could not hear what was going on around him and he was terrified. He was lying in a private hospital room and his head was killing him. His vision was blurring in and out, and his body ached. He whimpered and five heads turned in his direction. He saw her father, her brother, her uncle, and Ynez looking at him in concern. He knew they were talking to him; their lips were moving, but he