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Chapter 6
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Eugene crossed to the window and looked down at the garden. He had a suspicion about Erin. He was sure she had been in the garden with someone but she had told him she was talking to herself when he had asked her.
Had she been telling the truth? Was she secretly seeing someone? If she was, it had to be one of the household staff. A servant. He would not let her drag the family’s name through the mud for her childish, immature impulses and crushes.
He decided to have her watched even as he thought he saw some movement down in the gardens in the shadows. As his eyes followed the shadow, he saw it separate from the other shadows in the garden and disappear behind the far corner of the castle. She had been with someone. He sighed as he changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed.
An idea hatched in his mind. He had heard of it a few years before and had discounted it then as just a legend but now it seemed that it would be a most appropriate course of action to take. He fell asleep with the beginnings of his plan firm in his mind.
“I must leave for a few days,” Eugene announced the next morning at breakfast.
“Why?” Erin asked.
“I have business I need to go and settle with merchants in the forest. I have left it much too long and it can wait no longer.”
“When will you be back dear?” Loren, Erin’s mother asked.
“A few days. Nothing more,” he said. “I will pack and leave after breakfast.”
“But it’s so sudden, Father,” Erin said.
“I know Erin. It completely slipped my mind and I remembered last night after I spoke with you. Thank goodness I did not forget the date. I agreed a while ago to meet them today. I almost forgot. You will be fine with mother and the servants here. There is nothing to worry about.”
“Okay, but please hurry back father,” Erin said. She did not like her father going away. He did not go away too often but when he did, she was always afraid he would not return.
“There is no need to worry child. I am taking soldiers with me this time. I fear the woods become more dangerous as the years pass and our dear king raises taxes as an answer to every problem.”
The family finished breakfast and Eugene disappeared to their room where he supervised the packing for the trip. When it was finished, he kissed Erin and Loren goodbye and headed out to the stables where his horse was waiting with a team of five soldiers who would accompany him.
He took the captain of the guard aside while the servants secured his belongings and fitted the saddle to his horse.
“I suspect that my daughter is seeing someone secretly because I do not approve of him. I believe she is seeing him in the gardens at night. He must be entering through a secret entrance. I want you to watch the gardens and find out where they enter the castle. Do not arrest them and do not be seen. When I return, you are to report to me.”
“Certainly my lord. It will be done.”
“Good man,” Eugene smiled and patted the captain on his back.
Erin watched her father in the courtyard from her window. She saw him pull the captain of the guard aside and speak with him briefly. As he did so he glanced up to her window. Erin quickly shrank back from the window hoping that her father had not seen her.
She wondered what her father had told the captain of the guard. She had a feeling it had to do with her and she couldn’t push away the feeling that something terrible was going to happen soon. Was her feeling a premonition about her father’s trip? She wondered if she should run downstairs and beg her father to stay. Perhaps the feeling she had was because she was still seeing Lark despite her father’s warning. Seeing him talking to the captain and looking up at her room was perhaps a warning she should heed. Was her father talking to the captain about her? Was he telling the captain to watch her? She felt goosebumps rise on her skin and she rubbed her arms to stave off the sudden chill she felt pass through her.
She stepped back to the window carefully and watched her father mount his horse. Then with instructions to the soldiers that would ride with them, they headed for the castle gate. Her mother stood in the courtyard waving goodbye to her father. She knew her mother hated her father’s trips as much as she did. They always both feared for his return. Their father was ambitious and had not been born into royalty. Yet he had worked hard for the king and been rewarded with the title for the castle and the surrounding lands. Erin sensed her father feared that it could be taken away as easily as it had been awarded which was why he expected only the best behavior from her. His efforts to marry her off to someone were an effort to ensure the continuation of his legacy when he died one day as well as strengthening Erin’s position in the world of royals and the game of politics. He wanted to ensure that these lands would remain in the family after he passed on.
But Erin was still young and headstrong, a trait she had inherited from her father and which frustrated him immensely. She did not want to marry yet and hated being told who she should marry. The men she had been introduced to so far were all boring and none of them interested her. Sometimes she wondered if she was being unreasonable but then she would convince herself otherwise. She knew too that if she agreed to be courted by any man her father arranged for her to meet, her life would be over. She would never be able to go back.
The fact that she had her heart set on Lark now did not help. Lark was so different. So much more the type of man she wanted to be with. He was hardly a man though and she was hardly a woman yet but he was everything she wanted.
Lark listened to her and heard her when she spoke. He saw her, looked at her, into her eyes and her soul. He wanted to know everything about her and would listen to her every word like a child listening to his teacher in class. He learned what she liked and didn’t like in almost every aspect of life she could imagine including the clothes she wore, books, drawings, painting, people and so much more.
Erin learned from Lark too. He was so uncomplicated. There wasn’t much that troubled him and he had an aura of freedom that followed him everywhere. He brightened the day wherever he went, and always made her laugh. When he held her hand, he held it firmly but softly. A true gentleman. His touch was gentle, caring, and kind and he always placed her first in everything.
She taught him about the castle too. She showed him secret passages they explored and got lost in together. She told him who he could trust, who he should avoid, and who he should be wary of.
Even though Lark now lived in the castle and she was able to see him more often, she felt as if a part of her was missing in every moment that she wasn’t with him. Sometimes they would pass each other in the castle and he would wink at her if he was sure no-one else would notice. Other times, if it was just the two of them he would pull her close for a kiss no matter how brief.
He excited her. He never bored her. She didn’t care that he wasn’t royalty. She didn’t care that he was not wealthy. She knew that they would survive somehow if they could marry and be together. But as much as Erin loved Lark, she realized there was only one way that she was going to be able to be together with Lark and that was if they eloped.
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They entered the woods a little over an hour after leaving the castle. Eugene directed the soldiers to follow a specific path until they finally reached a rundown cabin in a clearing. Smoke puffed from the cabin’s chimney and Eugene ordered the riders to halt. He dismounted his horse and called out.“Keller!”Silence reigned in the clearing around them. Then the cabin door opened and a small man stood silhouetted against the light from within. The man’s hair appeared silver in the light from the cabin and hung down the sides of his face. He had a hat that sat askew on his head. It looked ridiculous but he seemed not to notice or care. He left the cabin and stepped out onto the porch.“Eugene? Is it you?” he called in disbelief.“Keller,” Eugene said as he walked forward and climbed the steps up to the porch where he stopped. He offered his hand and Keller took it. They shook hands briefly before Eugene pulle
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“So what did the witch say?” Eugene said when Keller at last arrived back at his cabin.“She will see you,” Keller said.“Great. So which way do I go?”“Follow the path,” Keller said. “You can’t miss it. The path leads straight to the cabin.”“You mean that this path only leads to the witch’s place? What are you? The witch’s guardian?”“We have worked together often enough but I am not her guardian. What witch needs a guardian?”Eugene studied Keller looking for signs of deceit but he couldn’t see any.“Very well then,” he said tossing a few coins on the dinner table. “Thank you. If I have success, I shall pay you more.”“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Keller scoffed.“Don’t be so pessimistic Keller. Surely there will be success. She is your friend after all,
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Eugene thought of Lark and Erin as he rode into the woods again. He had warned Erin to stay away from the boy and he had warned the boy too. But they believed they were smarter than him. They believed they could sneak behind his back in the gardens late at night and that he was none the wiser.Well, they were about to learn otherwise. She would learn that when he told her to do something she would listen and do as she was told. Erin would understand that he would do the same to anyone else she chose to be with if he did not grant his permission. She would understand her options clearly.He had come with fewer guards this time. There was no danger here he believed. Who was going to try to challenge a witch he wondered to himself?They reached Keller’s cabin and brought their horses to a halt. Eugene dismounted and knocked on the cabin door. He didn’t wait for an answer but opened the door and entered.Keller looked over his shoulder from the fi
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Erin and Lark had chosen a room in a secret passage for their date for the evening. Everyone thought they were asleep. Torches burned in sconces in the walls and they sat on blankets Lark had managed to sneak from the laundry room.They snacked on bread, cheese, and wine as they enjoyed themselves.“What would your father do if I asked him for your hand in marriage?” Lark asked.Erin laughed, “You know what he told you before. First, he will inquire how you managed to get into the castle, and then he will have you thrown out or worse, into the dungeons.”“I am being serious,” Lark said.“And so am I,” Erin replied. “What makes you think he will change his mind?”“I don’t know. But if we see him together, perhaps he will understand,” Lark persisted.Erin shook her head. “You do not know my father. We are commoners just like you. But father has worked ha
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Lark had a meager portion of food pushed through the bars of his cell the next morning. He had no visitors until just after lunch when Eugene arrived outside his cell. Eugene said nothing initially but only looked at him before he finally entered the cell and locked it behind him. The guard that accompanied him kept the key.Eugene approached slowly. “We meet again,” he said quietly, triumphantly. “What did I tell you?”“I… I’m sorry sir. Please… please… I beg you. Have mercy. Give me the chance to show you how good I can be for your daughter,” Lark said.Eugene lashed out and slapped Lark so hard he stumbled backward and fell on his butt. “Get up!” Eugene said menacingly.Lark stood shakily.“I told you never to return didn’t I?”Lark said nothing.“Didn’t I?” bellowed Eugene as he struck Lark again. Lark stumbled backward i
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Erin stared out of the window of her room as her maidens and her mother fussed around her making sure she was perfectly dressed and made up for her wedding.Today was her day. At least that was what her mother and father told said. She didn’t agree. She did not want to be married. It was her fathers’ day. He was getting exactly what he wanted.She did not want to be married but she had no choice. Her father had threatened to cast her out if she did not marry Horton Ashford.When they were finally satisfied that she looked like a bride, they sent word that she was ready.Her father joined them in her chamber a short while later and led her to the chapel that was attached to the castle.Horton Ashford and the guests were all waiting eagerly.Eugene led Erin down the aisle and finally left her before the altar where she stood beside Horton. The priest began the service and Horton and Erin exchanged their vows.Horton kissed E
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When Lark had looked through the window of the cabin, he had been terrified to see the headless body of the witch on the floor with the head not far away.He had realized then, the cabin belonged to the witch Eugene had paid to curse him. He pieced together what had happened, concluding that Eugene had murdered her after she had cursed him.He cleaned the cabin and removed all traces of the witch. If anyone came looking for her, he would simply tell them she had left and that he had bought the cabin from her.He added a secret storage space beneath the cabin. He was able to access the storage space from inside and outside the cabin just in case he was thrown out of the cabin by some unforeseen circumstances.He stored everything that had belonged to the witch in the storage space, and over the days and months that followed he studied the witch’s magic and searched for a spell that could reverse the curse she had placed on him.He finally foun
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Erin returned the next night and the next to see Lark. She waited until she thought Horton was asleep and then left the house. She sat on the swing that had since been completed. Lark left the cover of the field and stood on the opposite side of the tree so she could not see him. He was at least close enough that she did not have to shout.They spoke like they had before he had been cursed and they both felt the love they had for one another, as strong as ever.Lark persisted in asking Erin to kiss him but she resisted. She wasn’t sure it would work. She was afraid too that another enchantment would be passed to her if she kissed him.“If you do not try you will never know. Your father told me that the only way the curse can be broken is if you kiss me. Why would he have the witch place another enchantment on that? When your father told me, he was certain you would never kiss me…”“Erin?”Hor
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Lark kept Sasha away from his house for a few days longer as he converted one of the bedrooms to an office for her and satisfied himself that Lynn was really gone. Everywhere he went he checked to see if he was being followed. He even hired a private investigator to follow him when he went out. The private investigator reported that no-one had followed him at any time and, finally satisfied that Lynn had decided to leave him alone, he had let Sasha come to his house.She was amazed when she saw what he had done for her.“Thank you so much, Lark. You didn’t have to,” she said. “We could have managed in one office.”“We could have,” Lark smiled, “but I need space as much as I enjoyed having you less than a shout away.”“Thank you,” Sasha said again. Then she asked, “Is Lynn here? I should say hello to her. It would be rather rude of me not to.”“She’s gone,&rdqu
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Lark opened the door as quietly as possible, stepped inside, and closed it just as quietly. He placed the thermoses on the table in the entrance hall and then, after quickly peering into the living area and not seeing Lynn, proceeded down the passageway.The first room was his office. He had suspected he would find Lynn in his office. Her back was to him and she was muttering to herself angrily.“Damn you… where is it? Where have you hidden it?”Lark stepped into the study behind Lynn and watched her silently. She was going through book after book quickly, angrily, trying to cover as much ground as she could.Then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed something out of place in the room.She noticed Lark. She turned to look at him and dropped the book, surprised. She gave out a small shriek of surprise.“Lark! What the hell? You almost gave me a heart attack!” she exclaimed.“Looking for somethin
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“So what if I want to read up on how to do spells and teach myself more when you’re busy writing your books?” Lynn asked.“Well, I’m sure I could always give you a book to read. What do you have in mind?”“Well, let me carry on with the book that you’ve been teaching me with. How do I read it so it doesn’t look like a fiction novel?”Lark smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll unlock the book for you.” He reached up to the shelf and removed the book he had been using to teach Lynn. He turned away after removing it from the shelf and muttered something before he turned and held it out to Lynn.She took the book from him and opened it. It was no longer a fiction book. She paged through it reading about spell after spell.“There you go,” Lark said.“Thank you,” Lynn said. She left the library and returned to the living room lost in reading the book and
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Lark felt as if a weight had been lifted off him. He could not believe that the curse was finally broken. It was a dream come true when he had given up hundreds of years ago.A few things that seemed out of place crossed his mind but he pushed them aside.Lynn’s father had not made an appearance since he had met her. It was strange considering what he knew about the curse and his previous experience.Lynn had seemed to be much more relaxed about what he had told her. He guessed though that everyone was different and that it was more difficult for people in today’s day and age to believe in magic.Lynn didn’t look anything like Erin. Sasha looked more like Erin than Lynn did.But who knew how the universe worked? Justin had not looked the same as Eugene despite Emma looking exactly like Erin. Emma’s mother had also not looked like Loren, Erin’s mother.If he expected everything to be the same, he would most likel
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Lynn made her way to Lark’s study and began to go through his books one by one. The books on the shelves in his study were all genuine as far as she could tell. There was a large variety of fiction and non-fiction books on the shelves. There was not a single one about magic that she could see. She began to take books off the shelves and to check the backs of the shelves for hidden buttons and levers that would reveal a secret opening in the wall that would grant her access to a secret library filled with magical books and knowledge.She could just imagine what she could do with the knowledge Lark must have stored somewhere. She had an alternative plan if she failed to find the books or Lark’s secret storage place. She didn’t want to set that plan in motion but it was beginning to look like she had less and less choice in the matter. It was beginning to look like she would have to activate her plan ‘b’ as people called it.Lynn was so engro
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Lynn collected the sleeping pills for which she had obtained a prescription. She headed back to Lark’s place and placed them in her cupboard. Then she went to see Lark in his office where he was busy working on his latest novel.He looked up from his computer when she entered his study.“Hi there. Where have you been?” he asked smiling.“Oh, I needed to go and get some things,” Lynn smiled. “I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight.”“That sounds like a plan,” Lark smiled. “Where are we going?”“No, no, I mean just dinner here at home. I’m cooking. My treat.”“I certainly won’t say no,” Lark smiled.“Okay. Well, you just carry on doing what you’re doing and I will make dinner. I insist on doing it alone tonight okay?”“Okay but just shout if you want some help,” Lark smiled.“That will
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Lynn was over the moon with the departure of Sasha. She felt as if she had newfound freedom in Lark’s house now that Sasha was gone. She had always been restricted from searching Lark’s house for where he kept all the magical knowledge she believed he must have gained. Now at least she had some more freedom to search with less chance of discovery. There had been a few occasions when Sasha had almost caught Lynn going through Lark’s things. Now she only had to concern herself with Lark while she searched his house.As if Sasha’s moving out wasn’t enough of a gift, the universe seemed to play even further into her hands. Sasha arrived in the morning two days after moving out. She was in tears when she entered and Lark ushered her into his office. He closed the door and they spoke quietly. Lynn did not eavesdrop. She was sure that Lark would tell her what had happened later.And he did. Sasha finally left looking a bit better. Lark saw her ou
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Lynn moved in two days later. Lark was happy about the decision to let Lynn move in. He thought it would give them both more time to get to know each other better and for him to build up her trust to an extent that she might not be as surprised when he finally told her the truth about his reluctance to kiss her. She might be willing to trust him to the extent that she wouldn’t hesitate to kiss him at all when he told her.Lark helped Lynn get as settled as possible. She told him she had stored the majority of her belongings with a friend since she was only staying in a room at Lark’s house and her possessions would never fit in the room that Lark had given her.In truth, Lynn had kept her place. She wasn’t in the financial difficulty she pretended to be in. This was all temporary until Lark trusted her enough to tell her what she needed to know. When he did that, she would be in control. Until then, as long as she lived in Lark’s house, she had
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Just before Christmas, Lark had started advertising for a personal assistant. He had halted the interviews just before Christmas because it was Christmas after all and people were going away for the holidays. He checked his e-mail daily though and on Boxing Day he received an e-mail from one of the applicants. Her name was Sasha.Dear Sir/Madam.I am writing about my application for the position of your assistant. I would like to inquire if you have considered interviewing me. I believe I am very well suited for the position and I would be most grateful if you would interview me. I do apologize for pressing you for an interview at this time but I have limited resources and time in New York City before I have to leave if I do not find a suitable position to support myself. In truth, my application for this position is my last chance. I have always dreamed of being in New York and I hope that you would consider making my
