CHAPTER 6

"What are you doing?" She asked nervously. "Get out of my way and let me go immediately," she said, blinking nervously.

                   The man continued to stare at Isabelle, measuring her from head to toe, and began to smile. The color of his hair, his face, his piercing grey eyes... his smile. Isabelle had a strong feeling that she already saw him. But she didn't know when or where. She tried to escape, but he stopped her again.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” she yelled, keeping her scared horse at bay.

"The last time I saw you I didn't notice your temper... You’re so fiery, I like it!" He replied and started to laugh. “I remember you were quiet as a mouse and so... submissive. Come on, stop pretending, you know very well who I am. As far as what I want from you... well, you will have to wait and see.”

“Listen, I don't know who you are and I don't want to know. What I know is that you are rude and obnoxious! Now, get out of my way!” Isabelle exclaimed in a tone she didn't remember ever using.

"Amazing..." he added, continuing to laugh even harder.

               He let her pass, and even though she was moving away from him, Isabelle kept hearing his irritating laughter. The sense of knowing that man stayed with her all the way back home. She took her horse to the stable and left it in the care of one of the stable boys. Her thoughts were constantly occupied by the stranger she had met earlier. What an arrogant man!

               In front of the main entrance of the house, Isabelle saw a car she recognized immediately, since the only person who visited the ranch and was gladly accepted by Andrew, was Marie Grayson. Isabelle entered the house and approached the living room door that was ajar. She heard Mrs. Grayson's voice and wished to come in and say hello, but she knew her father wouldn’t approve of this. She stood near the wall and listened for a moment to what the woman was saying to her father. Her son, Richard, had to go on a business trip. He and his wife, Christine, had thought about turning this trip into some kind of honeymoon and they left their little girls in Marie’s care. Everything had happened so suddenly and she was in need of help to keep an eye on her grandchildren. And she had thought of Isabelle for this job.

"I don't know, Marie," Andrew began talking after sipping from his glass of whiskey, "my daughter is neither very prepared nor very good at keeping up with small children. Besides, I really need her here. You know, Lucy is old and she can’t keep up with the things that need to be done in this house..."

“Andrew, it will only be for a few hours a day. I absolutely need Isabelle, since Richard left the girls with us so suddenly, without warning me. And I don't know a person more appropriate to take care of my two little dolls.”

          Isabelle winced when she heard someone approaching. It was Lucy who was carrying a tray with a pitcher full of ice tea and two glasses for Marie and her father towards her. She put it in Isabelle's hands and invited her to enter the living room. Lucy gave her a smile and a nod and slowly returned to the kitchen.

“Ah, there she is… Here’s our girl!” Marie exclaimed. “Hello, sweet girl! How are you?”

             She whispered ‘I'm all right, thank you’ to Marie and poured some ice tea for her father and their guest. Out of the corner of her eye, Isabelle saw her father starting to fidget in his armchair. So, she simply smiled at Marie and handed her a glass of ice tea. She put another glass in front of her father. In her heart, Isabelle prayed to every saint listening to convince her father to agree with what Marie had asked earlier. Sensing his eyes on her, Isabelle didn’t dare to look up. She was afraid that by doing this she might chase away the possibility of getting away from him and from ‘Silver Spur Ranch’ even if it will be for a few hours a day only.

“Marie... I’m not sure that this could work... Since my wife died, this girl has become rather wild. I wouldn't want her to do anything wrong in your house... Besides, I don't know how good she can be at babysitting your grandchildren,” Andrew added, pushing away the glass filled with ice tea that her daughter had put in front of him, taking instead the glass of whiskey.

"Isabelle, what do you think of my proposal to come to my house and take care of my granddaughters for a few hours a day? Do you think you could do it?" Marie asked turning her face to Isabelle.

           She was stunned. Isabelle stared at the woman's face, but her body felt her father's gaze filled with rage. Out of the corner of her eye, Isabelle saw him taking the glass to his lips and nervously finishing his whiskey. She couldn't speak her mind; she mustn’t do it.

"Mrs. Grayson, my father needs me here," she replied in a voice reduced to a whisper. “If he decided that...”

“No need to ask Isabelle what she wants to do. I have already decided for her,” Andrew exclaimed slamming the empty glass on the table. His gesture startled the two women, but he didn't realize or he didn’t care. “Isabelle, starting tomorrow, you will go to Marie’s house and you will work for her.”

             Isabelle struggled to hold back the smile that was trying so hard to show on her lips. Finally! A small step towards the much-coveted, longed-for freedom. She would give a hand to Mrs. Grayson and she would spend a few hours away from ‘Silver Spur Ranch’ and from her father. Isabelle looked down at the floor and thanked softly her father. With a short gesture, Andrew sent her away from the room.

“Perfect, Andrew! Thank you very much!” Marie replied extremely happy and got up from her armchair. “Now I really must run. My nephew is waiting for me in the car to take me home. Soon Christopher will be back to ‘Villa Mimosa’ and I want to be there and wait for him, as I always do.”

“You're a great woman and a wonderful wife, Marie. Chris is a very lucky man. Tell him I said ‘Hi’.”

“Thank you, Andrew, consider it done. I will wait for Isabelle tomorrow around 9’o clock. This way, the girls will finish their breakfast and they will be ready for the new day.”

            Andrew said goodbye to Marie and waited for her to leave before calling his daughter to the living room. Isabelle tried to sit down on a chair, but Andrew stopped her.

“I didn't give you permission to sit down! Stand up when I speak to you!” he shouted at her. “Tomorrow morning, at 9.00, Marie will be waiting for you at 'Villa Mimosa', the Grayson residence. I gave you permission to go there and take care of those brats for a simple reason. William will be there. Long-time ago, I chose him for you. You absolutely must marry him." He stopped and gave Isabelle an intense and angry stare. “Be careful about how you behave. Especially with William. I have certain plans in mind and I don't want you to say or do something stupid that could ruin everything. Am I making myself clear, girl?”

"Yes, father," she answered softly.

“Very well. Bring me another glass of whiskey and then get out of my sight. I want to rest now. Your presence is so tiring!”

            Once her father got what he wanted, Isabelle was free to leave the living -room. She took the tray with the pitcher and the two glasses and returned to the kitchen. She helped Lucy get up from the chair and started dancing together around the kitchen table. Isabelle was smiling like she hadn't done it in such a long time. She was so happy that the words her father had just told her earlier didn’t hurt her at all.

“Baby girl, what's happening to you? Did you lose your mind? Stop right now, twirling it makes me sick,” Lucy said and she sat down on her chair.

"Lucy, it finally happened!” Isabelle replied. “Starting tomorrow, I will go to the Graysons villa to work for Marie Grayson. I'll be the babysitter of her granddaughters. I will finally be able to do something else other than staying here all day and hear father all day.”

"Work for Marie Grayson! May God bless her heart!" Lucy exclaimed. “This way you would be able to put some money aside and get out of this place and away from your father!”

           Isabelle stopped her happy dance and looked at the old housekeeper. She didn't want to leave. She couldn’t abandon her father and certainly won’t abandon Lucy. No, she will never be able to do it. Lucy had raised and protected her from her father and his violent rage. Lucy was the only person who could reassure her and protect her and she will never leave Lucy alone.

"I don't want to leave here, Lucy," she replied sadly.

“Sweetheart, you are twenty-three years old, you still have so many things to do, so many experiences to live, people to know... As long as you stay here, keeping your head down and swallow all your father’s wickedness, you won't be able to fully leave your life.”

"Lucy, I wouldn't know where to go... besides, even if I had a place to go to, I couldn't go without you," Isabelle added and hugged her tight.

“You have to be with people your age, you have to make some friends, you have to let love finally find you.”

“Oh, Lucy, don't start again with this speech about love... I've already told you that I’ll never fall in love. My heart is better without knowing love.”

“Hush now, don't talk like that. Love is the most wonderful thing that could happen to you,” Lucy said caressing her face tenderly. “You have to let the wall you build around your heart fall down! Love and happiness are waiting for you!”

“I can't, Lucy. Look at me, who will want to be with me? You know very well that father won't let me be with a man of my choice.”

“I know he has William Grayson in mind for you. Maybe he could be your ticket to go away from here...”

“That's enough, please! I don't love William. He is a good, charming, and intelligent man, I know he works with Mr. Grayson, but I will not marry him just to escape my father's violence. I won't do it, Lucy! I'm not in love with him and he's not in love with me. I just said to you that I will never fall in love.”

“Baby... don't say that...”

“Lucy, love didn’t save my mother and my father from living a life filled with pain and misery. It didn’t prevent my mother's death and didn’t prevent my father from losing his mind. I'll be better off without it. Case closed.”

               Isabelle kissed Lucy on her cheek and left the kitchen. She went to her room and after she closed the door with the key, Isabelle lay down on her bed. She closed her eyes and the image of the stranger she saw earlier came back to her. The feeling of knowing him was still so persistent. Why was that? She had already seen that smile; she was so sure of it. But where?

“Stop it, Belle! Forget about it, at least for now. You better think how you will manage Mrs. Grayson's granddaughters and put aside the memory of this arrogant!” she said softly to herself. “Starting tomorrow, your life will finally begin to change!” she added, then hid his face in the pillow and started laughing.