his voice became faint and the room grew dark. For a third time in Mr. Brighton’s presence I fainted.
Once again I awoke in my bed and looked towards the moon. I was frightened. Someone knew I was here, and that someone had to be Kurten. I shivered despite my room being warm. Naza climbed in to the bed with me and I buried my face into her wiry fur.
Mr. Brighton stayed at home all week but hardly spoke to me. He did not mention my fainting spell nor anything else, which I thought peculiar.
Only on one occasion did he speak when I made to go out the front door to retrieve the day’s paper.
“Not going out are you?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Only for the paper.” I answered. He looked away but answered.
“Leave it. I saw an animal squat over it, we’ll get a new one.”
I made sure to stay in my room as much as I could since I did not have an answer for him if he did question me regarding my fainting spell.
After what seemed an eternity, the day to leave arrived. Naza was taken ahead of us with our luggage but not without a kiss from me and pat on the head from Mr. Brighton.
“Now there’s a good girl Naza. Soon you’ll be running down acres and acres of grass after rabbits.” He said in a light hearted tone which I was relieved to hear. Perhaps his mood was lifting and whatever dark thoughts he had regarding the incident in the city, were leaving him.
We arrived at the train station early to have our tickets punched and to be led to our private care. The modern trains were sleek tubes made of copper and glass. Beautiful things to look at and to ride in. They ran on steam and electricity and were whisper quiet. The porter shut the door to our private car and Mr. Brighton sat on the couch across from me. He looked at me without smiling.
“Have you ever rode on a steam train Lilly?”
“Yes, once when I was a child. We attended the world fair in Luxington.”
The porter’s voice came over the intercom to announce the departure. The train lurched in the beginning but after that its movement was imperceptible. I watched the autumn landscape speed by our window. The leaves had already turned beautiful shades of gold, red and brown and you could see a slight mist in the air. I was aware of Mr. Brighton staring at me, and for the first time in a long time I felt uncomfortable in his presence.
“I have a question to ask you.” Mr. Brighton finally spoke after awhile. I looked towards him hoping to clear the air between us.
“What is it that you wish to accomplish with all the lies you tell me, Claren?”
I had heard that when one is faced with a sudden shock, their knees tremble and their heart feels like it skips a beat. When faced with my own shock, I thankfully did not faint but I felt as though my knees began to tremble. I didn’t know what to say, so I sat there stupidly. He grinned at me from behind white, even teeth. My heart fluttered and felt like a huge fish was rolling over in my breast.
“Well?” He said as he moved forward and traced the outline of my knee through my heavy skirt with his slender, white finger.
“What is your wish, Claren?” My heart, upon hearing him use my real name, beat harder. I felt the adrenaline push itself through my veins. He seemed to be aware of it, and licked his lips quickly.
“I don’t know what is it you ask Sir.” I stammered, my own voice sounding as a child’s would when confronted with some wrong doing. He had used my real name, was it safe to assume he knew who I really was? He stopped smiling and cocked his head to one side, contemplating me.
“But you do Claren, you know very well what I want, what you want.”
How did it ever come to this? I thought franticly. What was I going to do, now that he knew who I was? He seemed to read my thoughts because he answered my question without it ever being posed.
“What will I do indeed? What can I do
Once again I awoke in my bed and looked towards the moon. I was frightened. Someone knew I was here, and that someone had to be Kurten. I shivered despite my room being warm. Naza climbed in to the bed with me and I buried my face into her wiry fur.
Mr. Brighton stayed at home all week but hardly spoke to me. He did not mention my fainting spell nor anything else, which I thought peculiar.
Only on one occasion did he speak when I made to go out the front door to retrieve the day’s paper.
“Not going out are you?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Only for the paper.” I answered. He looked away but answered.
“Leave it. I saw an animal squat over it, we’ll get a new one.”
I made sure to stay in my room as much as I could since I did not have an answer for him if he did question me regarding my fainting spell.
After what seemed an eternity, the day to leave arrived. Naza was taken ahead of us with our luggage but not without a kiss from me and pat on the head from Mr. Brighton.
“Now there’s a good girl Naza. Soon you’ll be running down acres and acres of grass after rabbits.” He said in a light hearted tone which I was relieved to hear. Perhaps his mood was lifting and whatever dark thoughts he had regarding the incident in the city, were leaving him.
We arrived at the train station early to have our tickets punched and to be led to our private care. The modern trains were sleek tubes made of copper and glass. Beautiful things to look at and to ride in. They ran on steam and electricity and were whisper quiet. The porter shut the door to our private car and Mr. Brighton sat on the couch across from me. He looked at me without smiling.
“Have you ever rode on a steam train Lilly?”
“Yes, once when I was a child. We attended the world fair in Luxington.”
The porter’s voice came over the intercom to announce the departure. The train lurched in the beginning but after that its movement was imperceptible. I watched the autumn landscape speed by our window. The leaves had already turned beautiful shades of gold, red and brown and you could see a slight mist in the air. I was aware of Mr. Brighton staring at me, and for the first time in a long time I felt uncomfortable in his presence.
“I have a question to ask you.” Mr. Brighton finally spoke after awhile. I looked towards him hoping to clear the air between us.
“What is it that you wish to accomplish with all the lies you tell me, Claren?”
I had heard that when one is faced with a sudden shock, their knees tremble and their heart feels like it skips a beat. When faced with my own shock, I thankfully did not faint but I felt as though my knees began to tremble. I didn’t know what to say, so I sat there stupidly. He grinned at me from behind white, even teeth. My heart fluttered and felt like a huge fish was rolling over in my breast.
“Well?” He said as he moved forward and traced the outline of my knee through my heavy skirt with his slender, white finger.
“What is your wish, Claren?” My heart, upon hearing him use my real name, beat harder. I felt the adrenaline push itself through my veins. He seemed to be aware of it, and licked his lips quickly.
“I don’t know what is it you ask Sir.” I stammered, my own voice sounding as a child’s would when confronted with some wrong doing. He had used my real name, was it safe to assume he knew who I really was? He stopped smiling and cocked his head to one side, contemplating me.
“But you do Claren, you know very well what I want, what you want.”
How did it ever come to this? I thought franticly. What was I going to do, now that he knew who I was? He seemed to read my thoughts because he answered my question without it ever being posed.
“What will I do indeed? What can I do
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