Aubrey 34

 Chapter 34

***

But when she spotted an unexpected figure, she couldn't help but stiffen. Jeffrik, who was obviously out of town, was sitting across from Barbara.

"How are you?"

Barbara asked, leaving out the subject, perhaps because of Jeffrik’s presence. Aubrey glanced up and nodded. Barbara cocked her head at her stony expression.

"What's going on?"

"...."

Aubrey should have said something, should have opened her mouth now that Barbara gave her an opening, but her lips were pressed tightly shut, unable to form any words.

"Talk when you want to talk. I'm always ready to listen to your problems."

Barbara smiled sweetly, and then Jeffrik picked up where he left off.

"So where did the slaves on the island go?"

"I don't know, I don't know that far."

The couple talked nonchalantly, but Aubrey was beginning to find it increasingly difficult to breathe; she needed to get up and get out of here, but her legs refused to listen, as if they were numb.

"If they’ve been raised to be slaves, they’re going to get the job done."

"Jeffrik, for the love of God, don't take any interest in them, or even think of hiring them."

Barbara said firmly, as if that wasn't enough.

"I don't approve of slaves from that island, even if they're good at their job."

"Calm down, I have no intention of taking a slave from Crysis either."

Aubrey’s barely-holding heart crumbled. Her eyelids fluttered shut at the mere mention of the name of that horrible island, the one she didn't want to hear even in her dreams.

"I'm not kidding, people born and raised in places like that......!"

Barbara was about to raise her voice when she suddenly realized Aubrey's presence and cleared her throat.

"For Emily's and Aubrey's sake, no way. I don't want any harm done to our children. Besides, there's a plague."

As the conversation continued, Aubrey learned two things. There was a plague in Crysis, and all the young slaves being raised on the island had died. When the body count became too much to handle, Yank's horrific deed was finally discovered. And then another.

"Don't worry, Aubrey. They won't be coming to our house."

Barbara would never accept her.

***

 It was late at night. Aubrey sat up, leaning against the head of her bed. Her empty eyes stared off into space, at neither the floor nor the ceiling. In the end, without saying a word, she returned to her room. Barbara wished Aubrey a good night, but she couldn't stop thinking about the island. Or, more accurately, about that horrible island, but Aubrey couldn't tell the difference.

She didn't expect Barbara to take it easily, and she hadn't expected her to say no. She was adamant, her courage evaporating in an instant.

"Ha...."

The only thing that came out of her mouth was a dejected sigh. What am I going to do now, what am I going to do with my life, she thought, remembering the screenplay she'd haphazardly finished. She turned the tables on him and told the man that she wasn't going to play along anymore, that she was going to tell Barbara everything.

"What and how...... do......."

Her voice was barely above a mumble as her stomach churned, and she should be thankful for today, because if it weren't for Jeffrik, she wouldn't have hesitated to tell her aunt. 

She didn’t even want to imagine the look in Barbara's eyes. She had a vague idea of Barbara's reaction. She'd barely contain the surge of displeasure and try to say it was okay. But she wouldn't stroke her hair or hold her hand. 

She might coyly distance herself and discuss ways to get her out. In a very gentle and affectionate way, just like the Countess of Ravant.

“You'll regret it.”

The man's voice had come to her with uncanny timing. Now Aubrey knew what kind of man he was. She knew that if she didn't regret anything, he would make her regret it. 

Suddenly, everything around her seemed to be pushing her toward a cliff. There was no place that would accept her, and there never had been.

What a great and terrible delusion she had made, she thought. Aubrey stared down at her glass of milk, now completely cold. It was dawn, after midnight, when it occurred to her that it was only right to leave if she was going to be kicked out. 

After several nights of tossing and turning, waking up after only a few hours of sleep, her head was no longer functioning normally. Only anxiety remained, dominating her mind.

Everything was done with great stealth and urgency. Aubrey folded the hastily written letter into a neat little bundle and placed it on her desk, then grabbed her robe from where it hung on her chair. 

From the desk drawer, she took a purple cloth-lined box, and inside was a necklace with a beautiful amber pendant. Emily had given it to her abandonedly. Aubrey slipped it into the pocket of her dress and put the robe around her.

Then she slipped quietly out of the room. The garden was silent in the early morning dew. Aubrey didn't look at it. Everywhere she looked, she saw small memories. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she knew she wouldn't be able to do anything if she cried here. 

Before heading out the front door, Aubrey looked back at the darkened mansion. There were a few lights on, but no one seemed to notice her leaving the mansion.

That was the way it was with the Lords of the Manor. There was no such thing as Aubrey Sandalwood's place. Turning to leave, Aubrey waved a quick goodbye to the bedroom where Barbara would be sleeping. Her eyes took in the third floor, where Trin would be, and then Boris's cabin, which was nowhere in sight. Then she turned and walked away.

**** 

Aubrey fiddled with the necklace in her pocket as she walked. A dark summer night. Her tiny feet trudged along the deserted street. Aubrey was headed for the square. 

As soon as it was light, she would find a pawnbroker, drop off the necklace, and get some money, which she would use to travel to Herbaldi. To Herbaldi, where her grandparents were writers. Even if they'd never met, they wouldn't turn their granddaughter away.

It would still be a better place to hide than here, where rumors of Crysis had spread. She would find work there, or whatever she could do to survive. At least there would be no men there who knew her secret.

 A new sob escaped her tightly closed lips. Walking down the street, she felt like she was back to that day. The day she escaped and wandered the mountains with only one thing on her mind: survival.

She thought she would never live that life again. It was like coming full circle and falling back into place. Perhaps it was always meant to be. Just as Emily was born Lady of the Ravant family, Aubrey Sandalwood was born....... Aubrey was......

"Don't cry."

Aubrey stopped walking and spoke firmly. Tears were already forming in her puffy eyes.

"Don't cry, idiot."

Aubrey squeezed her eyes shut and stared at the road, but the tears she'd been holding back eventually spilled over. Why do I have to live like this, what did I do wrong? Even though the road was deserted, Aubrey buried her face in her hands, wondering if anyone would hear her cry. The sobs continued for a long time. On a hot summer night, the rain began to fall like the woman's tears. 

****

It was clear that the work-crazed man didn't know what time it was.

"Boss. It's time for you to leave."

"I know."

"Now, how are you going to organize your schedule for tomorrow? You don't have time to sleep."

"You know I don't sleep."

Khaled replied bluntly, handing the bed catalog he'd been looking at back to Smith.

"I'll send you the answers when they arrive, but run the list I sent you earlier."

"Yes, sir."

Smith's eyes were red and bloodshot, the manager's, thanks to Khaled's sudden decision a few days ago to convert a townhouse in the capital into a hotel.

"Boss?"

Lehman urged, and Khaled rolled his eyes and stormed out of the townhouse. It was now two in the morning. It was dark in the plaza, and it was drizzling with rain.

"See, I knew it. Thanks to you, I'll be just in time for my meeting tomorrow afternoon."

"Stop being a prude."

Climbing into the carriage, Khaled unbuttoned a couple of buttons on his shirt and popped a cigar into his mouth. Across from him, Lehman began to regale him with stories about tomorrow's meeting with the Angela Day Theater Company. A workaholic boss had a workaholic assistant. Rain or shine, someone came into Khaled's field of vision, spitting white smoke out the open window.

There was a person in the plaza, a woman, too, walking in the drizzling rain, though it was clearly not the time of day for a single ant to be out and about. Someone’s face immediately came to mind but he ignored it. He was no longer interested, intrigued, or disgusted by her. Khaled looked at Lehman, who sat across from him.

"They said it wasn't a ransom, it was a down payment. I wonder if that's what it is. Anyway, we decided to pay the 'down payment' and a monthly salary, as you said. We offered 2,000 gornets a head. The man wants 5,000 gornets for the ransom, or down payment. You'll have to deal with that tomorrow, because he's a little hard to talk to. And as for the monthly salary, ......."

Tut-tut-tut. The unearthly sound of rain pounded on the carriage roof. Khaled rubbed his brow irritably and squinted in that direction once more. The woman was walking, staring at the ground, oblivious to the carriage's growing proximity. 

Her brown dress was soaked from the rain that it was darker than it should have been, and her red hair, tied up in a single bun, hung limp like a horse's tail. And then he noticed the hollow green eyes.

"Stop."

His hand was faster than the horse. Khaled yanked the door open before the carriage had even stopped. He couldn't ignore it any longer.

***

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