Chapter
Three
Nickolas was indeed not happy about the
arrangement. Lynn cried as he yelled at her for doing such a thing. But he soon
came to his senses and realized this was better than dying. By nightfall, they
were settled in Lord Alexander's castle. Brian brought them a late dinner and
then they settled into bed for there was a long day ahead of them.
"Lynn," Nickolas whispered in the dark,
"are you awake?" "Yes," she whispered back. He rolled onto
his side, facing her. "It is very strange here," he said quietly.
Lynn concerted, "It is indeed. I feel even though we are alone, we are
not." Nickolas sighed heavily. "I feel it too," he whispered.
They were silent for a few moments, the sounds of the night enveloping them.
The crickets and the whistle of the wind through the crooks in the stones.
"Was not it odd that Lord Alexander was not in at the late hour we
arrived?" Lynn said, breaking the silence. Nickolas agreed. "Let us
not worry about his affairs," he said. Lynn nodded and curled up in his
arms. Sleep soon overtook them.
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Nickolas wiped the sweat off his brow, but smiled
as he saw his beautiful wife walk back to the kitchen door with a pail of
water. He went back to working up the earth in the Lord's plot. The field boy,
Howard, trailed after him, planting the seeds. They finished that section and
Nickolas thought out loud, "I wonder if this is how Lord Alexander wants
the layout to be....the potatoes usually should be on the right and carrots in
the middle. I need the confer with him. Howard, where can I find your master
this time of day?" Howard looked up at him with wide brown eyes. "No,
sir, no one must meet with the master during the day," he informed
Nickolas with a vigorous shake of his head.
Nickolas furrowed his brow. That was odd. Usually
masters watch closely over field hands and run the plot with an iron fist. Even
the supervisors in the fields were rigid. "Why is that, boy?!"
Nickolas asked the cowering child. Howard's body shook as he stuttered, "I
know not, sir. I j-j-just do what I am t-told!" Nickolas knew he knew more
by the crippling fear in his wide tearful eyes. The poor field boy's person
convulsed with terror. Nickolas gave him a hard look but pitied the child and
sent him off. Howard sprinted off to the stables.
Nickolas shook his head at the boy's foolish fears.
He turned and trudged up to the kitchen door. He spied Lynn boiling the water
she had just brought in. With an impish grin, Nickolas crept up behind her and
wrapped his arms around her thin waist. He jumped back as she started and
screamed. Lynn turned and he saw a wild look in her eyes, like the one he had
witnessed in Howard's. "Lynn, what has gotten into you?!" Nickolas
asked, running a hand through his messy hair. She leaned backed against the
wood counter, her hand pressed up on her breast. "Nickolas, I should bind
you for that!" she cried out, "You scared the wits out of me!"
Nickolas took her trembling hands in his. He waited as she caught her breath,
her heart pumping back in her chest. "What is it, my darling?" he
questioned.
Lynn took in a shaky breath and started, "I
did a home blessing ritual..." Nickolas said, "That's not so
bad." She looked up into his smiling face, tears in her dull green eyes.
"Just as I was finishing up," she continued, "the candle went
out by itself." Her tears flowed down her cheeks as Nickolas's face went
pale. "There was no draft, no wind, nothing, Nickolas," Lynn sobbed.
He pulled her to him, letting her cry into his chest. *AN: It is believed that
if a candle goes out by itself, it's an omen of a death in the family.*
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Alexander smiled sadistically in his suspended
state of sleep. Even though he was in his silken coffin, down in the bowels of
the castle, Alexander could still hear and see what had transpired up in the
kitchen. He was everywhere. He was with them last night, heard their fears
about their new home. Someone would have to die to get what he wanted. And
Alexander always got what he wanted. "Soon....." he thought and that
thought carried up in the air, a faint whisper that found Lynn's ear and sent a
chill down her delicate spine.
