Volume 8 - CH 4(2/2)
He made sure no one saw him as he climbed up on to a windowsill of the mansion where Lloyd’s lover apparently lives. “Nevertheless, making the departure tonight is just too sudden.” He wanted to wait until the moon came out to departure and promised to meet up with her in a place in the outskirts of Londonto escape being noticed.
At that time, Lloyd also asked for Lydia to accompany him to there.
When it came to the Lady Norma, he was apparently being watched, and so if he got on a hack to get out of London by himself, there was the possibility that their elopement plan would be figured out immediately.
If Lydia accompanied him, no one would imagine that he would try to elope with Lady Norma with another woman with him.
And how Nico came in all of this, was that he was supposed to make sure that the daughter of this house was safely able to sneak out of the house without being seen by anyone.
P. 169
Lydia asked him to help her if something happened as if so easily, but Nico thought to himself how would I help in what way.
All he could do was wish that the daughter didn’t screw up?anything.
“Oh bother, I don’t want to do this.”
Peeking into the room where light was spilling out, there must have been some sort of banquet starting as there were crowds of people making conversation with each other.
There were a number of young ladies, but you could immediately judge who was Lady Norma.
She was a girl who gave a plain impression, and listened and?responded with a shy expression. She was dressed extravagantly, but appearedlike she didn’t fit in with the lavish people and place.
Even the invited young men went past the main host’s daughter, maybe because she didn’t stand out or they had no interest in her.
For a girl who was completely used to that sort of treatment, maybe Lloyd was different.
Even so, she continued to just sit in the chair. If she didn’t?leave pretty soon she wouldn’t make it in time, but she still didn’t show a?hint of a hurry.
“Huh?” Just then Nico noticed the blond young man that walked up to the girl and pressed himself up to the window.
“Isn’t that the Earl?”
P. 170
With the soft composure and perfect smile, he lowered his face to girl and whispered something to her. There was no mistake, it was that rake.
Edgar was already a popular figure in the high society of London. It seems like this house is also high class, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were invited to their ball.
However, if he was interested in Lady Norma and was following her, then she wouldn’t be able to slip out of the house.
“Oh, no, this is bad.”
Nico circled over to the terrace, and from an open window slipped inside.
When he was about to head over to the open hall they were in, he heard a voice come from a different room.
“My lord, so did Mr. Lloyd promise to never appear in front of the young miss ever again?”
“Who knows, he kept quiet, but must have understood.”
The one that was called lord must be the lord of this house,?Browser. The woman was not a servant, more like at a position of the daughter’s?governess.
“Although he was surprised that I showed up at the secret location where he was suppose to meet up with Norma.”
Huh?
Nico, tilted his head in confusion. Did this old man get his hands on the letter that was suppose to call our Norma and open it.
“I told him that Norma showed me the letter. And that she has a brilliant proposal and is deeply in love with her suitor the Earl Ashenbert and that she has long forgotten about Lloyd.”
P. 171
P. 172
“Did he believe that?”
“I let him see Norma from afar. That was just when the Earl?invited Norma to horseback riding in Rotten Row. Seeing the two of them having?fun, he must have realized that he has her no longer.”
Wait a minute. Lloyd didn’t make the promise with Norma to elope tonight?
“That is a relief to hear. Besides he was a man who approached the young miss aiming for her fortune. He wouldn’t linger on one target once he’s figured that he has no chance.”
Wanting the fortune? Nico pricked his ear up to listen closer.
“Good god, I heard that there were con-artists for ages who?tricked young rich daughters into eloping to live lavishly off their money or?fortune, but I never imagined my own daughter would become a target.”
“Now that I remember, Mr. Lloyd seems to be approaching the young lady that was rumored with the Earl once.”
“That is a different matter, it was nothing to do with me who that man runs off with.”
Said Browser irresponsibly, pulling the edges of his mouth up slightly.
That, oh no, could that be Lydia?
Hmmm, Nico stood up on his back legs and folded his arms to think it over.
Lloyd said to Lydia that the Lady Norma had agreed to his elopement. Then why did he lie.
P. 173
Even now, if he knew that she wasn’t coming, then that means he was headed to the outskirts with Lydia.
That means, he plans to take Lydia with him in place of Norma
Before his life is sucked away by the Leanan sídhe, Lloyd needs to marry someone in order to save himself.
Lydia didn’t have a fortune compared to the Browser family but for Lloyd right now,?his life was more important than inheriting a fortune.
“That’s right, he did seem like the type to take the liberty and get over-familiar with women and once Norma is out of the picture and he sets his eyes on Lydia who happened to show him her kindness, then I shouldn’t taking my time right now!”
It was just when he was about to turn to dash out from the door’s shadow. Someone suddenly grabbed a hold of the ruff on Nico’s neck. He was dangled up off his feet.
“I finally found you, you little pest. How dare you flip over the pudding that took so much time to prepare!”
The woman looked like one of the kitchen maids, and she started to walk off with the Nico dangling by his neck.
“No, that wasn’t me!” He struggled to get free by moving around his legs but the maid didn’t loosen her grip.
“I’m not a cat! Hey let me go! You’ve ruffling my fur!”
Even if he yelled with all his might, to the maid’s ear it only?seemed to sound like a cat that was howling its head off.
“Good lord, I should throw you into the washing pot.”
P. 174
“No, stop it,” Nico searched the area to look for an escape.
And then his eyes stopped on Edgar who was in the landing of the stairs. Being alone together with Norma who he must have lead away from the?hall, he seemed to be in full flirting mode. He whispered something into the?young girl’s ears who was flushed red in her cheeks as her hands were held by his.
“Hey Earl! Come over here and help me!”
Edgar just moved his eyes toward Nico and the maid’s direction. But, simply ignoring the cat, he turned back to the girl. He even put his hand on her shoulders casually.
“Oh fine, so women are more important!? ...You scoundrel, flirt! You don’t care what happens to Lydiaat all!”
“Excuse me, miss.” Just then he heard Edgar’s voice stopping the maid.
“That cat is a pet of mine that I brought along, is there a?problem?”
Being called a pet, Nico felt humiliated and sick, but seeing the maid who immediately dropped him and left after meekly excused herself which made the chagrin lift off his chest a little.
“Nico, was there something that happened to Lydia?”
But then he was only picked right back up by Edgar at the scruff of his neck.
P. 175
“Hey don’t pick me up.”
“How’s Lydia?”
This egotistical Earl, wouldn’t make a concession for Nico in times like this. Reluctantly Nico remained held at the scruff of his neck like a cat and spoke humiliatingly.
“Lloyd told Lydia that he made a promise to elope with the daughter of this house tonight and asked for her help. That man, he’s possessed by a fae, and he’ll die unless scares away the fairy by marrying someone, and so Lydia’s being soft on him. Right now the two of them should be heading to the spot that he was going to meet up with the Lady Norma in the outskirts of London.”
“Elope from now? She’s here right now and doesn’t seem to be?preparing to go, besides the ball is about to start.”
“That’s why that Lloyd is hoodwinking Lydia. Because he figured he couldn’t marry that girl, he must be planning to take Lydia with him?and force her to consent to marrying him..”
Nico was suddenly tossed away.
Edgar half-forcefully asked his pardon from the dumbfounded Lady Norma and swiftly headed to the entrance hall.
Nico got up and scurried after him.
The hackney carriage that was carrying Lydia and Lloyd, left the London town buildings and was going along a wooded dirt road.
P. 176
In between the short trees, the round white moon was slowly?creeping its way up into the darkening sky.
Lydia looked up at it with the strange feeling that this reminded her of the eloping scene that was in the romance novel.
For Norma, this would be the romantic trip that she dreamed?of.
“I hope that she snuck out safely.”
Lloyd had a nervous look the whole way, and sat silent with his eyes fixed on the landscape outside the window.
She was told that further along this road, there was a noticeable?spot that had two high trees standing together. Apparently, that was the?meeting place that had also came out in the novel.
Lydia was planning to watch off the both of their departures and head back to London.
“Mr. Lloyd, are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. But, the fae, is still near me, isn’t it?”
“She doesn’t look like she’s come inside the hackney..”whispered Lydia.“If she heard about the elopement, she might try to interfere, so even if you meet with Miss Norma, you mustn’t talk about it.”
He was able to nod back to her, but then just stared towardsLydia.
Just then, Lloyd’s expression suddenly turned grief-stricken and mournful.
“Miss Lydia, there is something that I must apologize to you for.”
P. 177
“Huh?”
“To tell you the truth, Norma isn’t coming.”
Surprised, Lydia bent herself forward. “I don’t understand, what happened?”
“She must become happy with the right man that she deserves. And because I thought so, I realized that I needed to give her up.”
“But, then you wouldn’t be able to fend off the Leanan sídhe.”
“Yes, but then, I’m all right with that. As long as she’s happy.” From his expression, she could see his unwavering resolve.
But, if he thought so, then why did he talk to me like he was going through with this runaway.
There didn’t seem to be a point of going all the way and taking Lydia out of London.
Just as she was sensing something suspicious, Lloyd reached over and grabbed Lydia’s?arm.
“I have a favor to ask you. Miss Lydia, please give up your courtship with the Earl Ashenbert.”
“Eh, what, what are you..”
“Norma apparently has an arrangement with the Earl. And it looks like she’s built feelings for the Earl, I saw the two of them looking happy, enjoying horseback riding with each other. She seemed so much happier than when she was with me.”
P. 178
Oh my god, was the woman that Edgar had been seeing lately, Miss Browser?
“Sir Browser may think of me as after her fortune and wealth, but I truly had sincere feelings for Norma. I just wanted him to know only that, but then he say that I should take you, for Norma’s sake, and said that I should try to separate you from the Earl.”
“I-I’m not, there’s nothing between me and Edgar”
“I’m aware of that. More or less, it seemed like the Earl was just teasing you. But, then what I plan to do, shouldn’t be something that would hurt
you that much. Anyway, as long as the Earl loses his interest in you, then there’s a chance that the arrangement with Norma would work out well, wouldn’t it?”
Lydia had not idea what Edgar was planning on doing in his approach of the Lady Norma.
She had a feeling like she wanted to think he had the intention of just playing around and flirting with her, but Lydia just took in a deep breath to
calm herself down.
“What are you planning to do with me?”
“Please come along with me for just a while longer. Just that. I have no intention of harming you in any way.”
It looks like he planned to do a sham elopement.
P. 179
If Edgar was offered an arrangement by the Browser family, then he would have found out that Lydia was purloined by Browser’s?servant who was monitoring Lloyd. If Edgar were to hear that Lloyd, who had?approached Norma to elope with her, changed his target to Lydia, then even he would believe it.
Perhaps if someone had the tile of Earl, then one could assume that his feelings would disappear for a girl who tried to elope with another man.
Yes, Edgar might give up.
On a girl who wouldn’t listen to his warnings and warm up to a man after other’s fortune and become interested in eloping.
But Lloyd wasn’t after money. But just because he was pure and sincere, this was becoming a misfortunate situation for Lydia.
Misfortunate?
It was just that Edgar might loose interest in Lydia, that’s?all.
“I’ll drop you off at the next town. You can still return toLondon by?train.”
So no disgraceful rumors about an unsuccessful elopement would spread and so that this would only reach Edgar’s ears as just rendezvous escape that lasted a few hours. If it turned out like that then Lloyd thought that Lydiawouldn’t be that hurt.
That’s right, who cares if Edgar’s attitude changes. It just means that he was indeed that low of a level frivolous man.
P. 180
Lydia went over that in her head, and tried to focus her attention away from the prickle that she felt paining her heart.
She only wanted to help Lloyd as a Fairy Doctor. She had no?regret.
Since she wasn’t able to help him, then she wouldn’t mind at least giving her hand in helping Sir Browser understand his serious, earnest?feelings.
It was just when she thought that.
“....Was I wrong?”
“Huh...?”
“Oh, no, Uh, Miss Lydia, please don’t cry.”
I’m crying? Lydiaflustered and rushed her eyes.
“Oh, no, was there someone you love in London? ....No, it must be the Earl, isn’t it? You really care about him..”
“No, no, I don’t! There is absolutely no way of that happening.” But even Lydiadidn’t know the reason why her heart was so bothered.
“I’m sorry, I had no intention of hurting you.” Alarmed and thrown off balance, Lloyd dropped his head into his hands. Then lifted it back up.
P. 181
P. 186
Lydia grabbed onto Edgar who had the scruff of Llyod’s shirt in his hand to stop him.
“No, don’t hurt him, Edgar! Mister Lloyd just seriously loves Lady Norma. He thought if her feelings had switched to you then he was?going to give up and do as Sir Browser said for her sake!”
“Hey, Lydia, the Leanan sídhe is..”
The one who interrupted was Nico.
He must have accompanied Edgar as he stood atop of the?carriage roof and pointed to the sky.
Like she was carrying the moon on her back, a female figure was floating softly in the air as her long, white hair was waving in the wind.
She must have heard about eloping and marriage. The fairy?that purposefully made her body appear to human eyes came floating down to land?in front of Lloyd.
It looked as if there was light glowing under from her pale white skin and she was wearing an extremely thin vale that looked almost?transparent. She was so beautiful but also had a lush and sultry air about her.
She looked at Lloyd with her eyes that were clear as a pond and he stood frozen.
Even Edgar was standing in amazement as his grip on Lloyd?went loose as he seemed to be awe-stricken in the sudden appearance of something that was like not of this world.
The Leanan sídhe slowly lifted up her arms as if she was going to wrap them around Lloyd to embrace him.
P. 187
“No, Stop!” cried out Lydia.
The sídhe was going to take control of Lloyd’s will and take him away somewhere. So that he wouldn’t be able to betray her.
“Mister Lloyd, you mustn’t look at the fairy!”
However, Lloyd couldn’t fight back from the power of the fairy and weakly lifted up his hands.
“Please wait, don’t take him!”
Just then, there was a young woman who came running out of the tree shadows as she shouted out towards them.
It seemed like she had come on horse-back by herself and?must have been watching them secretly from all this time.
She snatched Lloyd’s hands which were about to touch the Leanan sídhe like she was stealing them back and stood in between them.
As she stood trembling, she didn’t let go of her grip on his hands as she looked back at the fae with strong resolve in her eyes.
“Th-this person is my fiancé! It’s useless for you to?possess him!”
Norma, whispered Lloyd in a weak cry.
“I was so surprised when the earl was talking with a cat.?Oh, yes, I couldn’t believe that a cat would talk, but it was indeed talking,?but the thing I was more surprised about was what it said, that you were?possessed by a fairy and nearly dying.. So after that, I questioned my father.?He told me everything and so I came as fast as I could after the earl.”
P. 188
“But, Norma, you looked so happy when you were with the?earl, and so I thought you might have forgotten about me...”
“You’re not going to believe me? From the beginning, I had told the earl that I already had someone I loved. And so he advised that it was best that we should pretend like we are enjoying each other’s company so that we could let my father’s guard down. And as we did, he was kind enough to?advise me on my worries.”
That was completely a method he was using to put her guard down. Edgar, who was saying negative things about Lloyd, would have no such intention of helping him out.
Lydia had that thought, but this wasn’t the time to be thinking of sarcastic things about Edgar.
Because, the Leanan?sídhe had grabbed ahold of Lloyd’s shoulder.
Norma resisted by clinging onto him.
Lloyd too, must have finally made up his mind and let out a strong, firm yell.
“....L-let go of me! I’m in love with Norma. I’m going to?marry her!”
A strong tornado-like wind erupted out of no where.
The fairy’s long hair wrapped around Lloyd like they had a will of their own which was so strong that his hand was nearly going to be?pulled away from Norma’s.
“Leanan sídhe, listen to me!” cried out Lydia.
P. 189
“Please, please let that man go. You’re a being who should find a man whose pledged his soul to the arts, aren’t you?”
As Lydia wobbled from the wind, she continued on.
“There is sure to be a man who desires you as his muse more than a human woman!”
She thought she saw the sídhe had looked over to her for an instant.
She felt the tension of the fairy magic loosen, which made Lydiathink that the fae had understood her and so she relaxed; but.
“But still, she really is a beauty.”
She heard Edgar’s whisper.
“Idiot, don’t say anything unnecessary,” panicked Lydia.
In an instant, the wind had fallen and that was because the Leanan sídhe turned her face to look over to Edgar.
Lydia felt cold sweat rush out of her.
Oh, no, she might plan on switching over.
Just as she feared, the fairy gracefully turned herself?around and was slowly heading over to their direction.
Lydia didn’t think and her body reacted by grabbing onto Edgar’s arm.
“No! Don’t come! You absolutely can’t do that! This man is my....”
P. 190
Once again, the tree leaves in the area rustled and shook?and the sound of heavy winds sounded like they were circling around them.
Lydia stood ready in fear of another gust of wind that might hit them and gripped onto Edgar so that he wouldn’t be taken. Just when she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her as if they were protecting her, everything went silent.
In the dark crossroad path in the forest, the Leanan sídhe was gone and no where in sight.
*????????????????*
The light of the moon made the shadow of the horse stretch out long across the side of the road.
Lydia had her waist cradle by one of Edgar’s arm and was so unbelievably close to him. She wanted to resist but she couldn’t allow herself to push him away. Because, she was on top of a galloping horse.
The carriage was used to carry off Lloyd and Norma after the driver was slapped awake and now currently heading to Scotland.
Lydia was left with the option of going home with Edgar and since she couldn’t ride a horse by herself, it was inevitable that the situation would turn to this.
A little ways behind them, Raven was riding another horse?with Nico.
She wondered if it was a better idea to ride with Raven, but even if she asked for something like that, her request probably wouldn’t be?considered.
P. 191
“I wonder if the two of them won't be followed and will be able to peacefully have their wedding,” said Lydia, as remaining silent was too unbarably embarassing for her.
“I’ll make sure to tell Sir Browser to not to anything?pointless like going after them.”
Edgar’s tone of voice had a little bit of irritation in it, which could have been because he still had a grudge about Browser telling Lloyd to take Lydia with him.
Edgar should have been asked to turn Norma away from Lloyd, but since he ended up helping them elope, then that means it wasn’t that much of a deal to him.
More like he probably was going to demand an apology from?Browser with an overbearing attitude.
“By the way, Lydia, what were you going to say back then?”
Out of the blue, he leaned down to whisper suggestively into her ear, which made Lydiaflinch up at the air from his breath brushing up against her hair.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
She tried to play dumb just for sake.
“When you protected me from the fairy. I’m your lover?”
“.........My employer.”
Edgar made a frown like he was a little unsatisfied and?suddenly picked up the horse’s pace.
Lydia wasn’t used to riding on a live horse at all, so that alone surprised her and so she tightened her grip on Edgar’s coat.
P. 192
“No, go slower! I’ll fall off!”
“If you answer me honestly.”
It probably wasn’t that fast of a speed, but to Lydia, it felt like they were cutting through the wind.
“That was.., I was just saying it to ward off the Leanan sídhe!”
“I see. I guess I’ll have to have you hold on more tightly.”
“You mean brute!”
He snickered as he tightened his arm around her to hold her pressed up to him.
He didn’t speed down, and yet, with just that gesture she?didn’t feel any insecurity of falling down.
“While I’m being mean, maybe I should slay you away like?this to Scotland. What do you think about having a eloping wedding at your hometown?”
“What are you thinking!”
She panicked because there were times when Edgar would?actually go through with the jokes he said.
When she imagined that, she started to feel like the road?was different from the way she came.
Lydia swiftly turned her head about.
After she spotted the Londoncity buildings beyond in the distance as they loomed up like shadows under the moon light like they were welcoming them, she relaxed, but at the same time, had a small feeling like pity that they were nearing their arrival soon.
P. 193
She thought, if it was for a little while longer, then an?outing in a moon-lit night wasn’t going to be that bad.
P. 194
Cover of this story when published in Cobalt magazine in February 2006 issue