29. Freedom At Last 1

The gobsmacked Hazel, who thought that she was at her last port of call, became disenchanted with him. She looked at his trembling hand, and collected the paper. At that point, her eyes were wet, and she could not help but allow the tears to drop. All the same, she tried to defend, “Old Pa Walter, we are adults.”

Nevertheless, the old man knew better, and clarified her, “I know what my grandson is capable of doing. You can leave,” he dismissed her. She left at once, and met Sir Jackson Walter at the door. He was surprised to meet an unkempt girl, walked out of his father's chamber. Meanwhile, Kenny and his siblings disappeared the moment their father appeared.

“Did you hire a new janitor?” He asked one of the guards.

“Not at all, Sir.” The guard responded. Now, he had walked into his father's chamber and greeted, “Good morning, my father,” and took his seat.

“Good morning, Jackson. How are you?”

“I'm fine, my father. And you?” Jackson asked, and lifted the flask to ascertain that there was enough for his father to drink.

“I'm fine. What of Alfred?”

“I expected to meet him here.”

“He has not shown up. Why not give him a call.”

“You are right, my father. I will do that right away,” he promised, and dialed Alfred's number. He relaxed, and waited for it to ring, but it was switched off. He furrowed his brow, and dialed again, and he got the same outcome. Furthermore, he looked at his phone, and wondered what could be the matter.

“What is the problem, Jackson?” Old Pa Walter, asked.

“His phone is switched off.”

“That is strange. He hardly does that.”

“I am wondering too,” Jackson stated. Then, he gave his Personal Assistant, who was outside with the security team, a call, and he picked forthwith. Then, he instructed, “David, call Alfred's PA and ask him to inform Alfred that I wish to speak with him.”

“All right, boss,” David responded, and gave Steve a call.

At Horton De Spellcaster's House

After Hazel walked out of Old Pa Walter's chamber, she was almost mentally deranged. To her perturbation, she could not find Kenny, who had introduced her to Horton De Spellcaster, so, she had to pay him a visit alone. Although, he had been helpful in preparing the poisonous casket that infested her family with deadly diseases, she wondered why Alfred would not be trapped. Presently, she had grown lean, and her temporary beauty had gradually waned.

“Spellcaster, good morning. What is going on? Alfred had annulled the marriage, and he would not sleep with me to consummate the marriage. Answer me. I am losing my mind,” Hazel poured out in quick succession.

Horton De Spellcaster consoled her. After a while, he looked into his magic pot, and inquired, “Did you succeed with the poisonous casket?”

“Yes, Spellcaster. They are all infested, but Alfred seemed stubborn. At one time, I would think that I have gotten him, at another time, he would be himself. He almost strangled me to death yesterday, before the spell caught up with him again.”

“Yes? Go on. What happened after that?” The Spellcaster requested.

“After that, we went to the court, and got married.”

“That is good to hear. When did he annul the marriage?”

“I wouldn't know. I got to his grandfather's house this morning to get his blessings, and he gave me this certificate.”

The Spellcaster meditated for a while and looked into his magic pot, before he gave Hazel a searching look. Then, he inquired, “Did you say that his grandfather gave you that certificate?”

“Yes, Spellcaster.”

He looked into his magic pot again, and wrinkled his forehead, and asked, “Who is his grandfather?”

“Old Pa Walter is his grandfather. He gave …”

“Stop. I say stop. Why are you courting disaster? Why didn't you disclose to me that the person in question is Old Pa Walter's grandson?”

Now, Hazel was befuddled, and was losing her sanity.

“I didn't know that I should have done that. Pardon my oversight.”

“Did he visit his grandfather?”

“I think so.”

“Leave right now before you bring death on me. No spell can work on anyone connected to Old Pa Walter. If you attempt to, it gets nullified the moment you step into his house.”

“I see. What do I do? How do we get the special child?”

“Oh! Are you still talking about the special child? Leave my house, and don't bring up that matter up again. Leave.”

At that moment, Hazel was disorganized. She had many questions to ask, but could not. She picked her old purse, and stepped backward. Then, she asked, “What about the fake sense organ restoration, and the perfume?”

“To your ruin, you can't reverse it. Leave at once,” he said angrily, and chased her with a whip. Although, she ran, but he chased after her.

“Wastrel. You don't know your limits,” he cursed when she out ran him, and returned to his consulting room.

At Pa Walter's Chamber

After David spoke with Steve, and gathered that Alfred was missing, he was reluctant to inform his boss, especially in the presence of his sick Old Man. Nevertheless, he sent a message to him. Jackson read the message as soon as he got it, and recalled that the perfumery exhibition would begin that day, and concluded that he was there. Then, he informed his Old Man, “My father, I propose that we should postpone the visit. Alfred had left for an Exhibition in Argentina, and would not be back soon.”

“That is weird. He was here yesterday, and did not mention it to me.”

“Yesterday? Did he visit you?”

“Yes. I sent for him, after I got a wind of his unauthorized marriage with the third Princess of the Martin's family?”

“Marriage? Does Martin have a third Princess?”

“Don't let it bother you. He has annulled the marriage. I perceive there was a mix-up somewhere.”

“How can Alfred go into marriage without involving you and me?” Jackson asked with worry, and focused on Old Pa Walter, who was trying to pull off his outing shirt, since the visit to the Martin's family was not feasible again. Jackson helped, and he stated, “Like I said, he was not in his right mind. I noticed that the moment he stepped into my chamber.”

“It's okay. We will talk more about it when he returns. I will take my leave. Get well soon.”

“All right. Take care of yourself.”

At the Martin's Family

Alfred's absence had saved him numerous trouble, and caused his enemies numerous pains. Old Pa Walter's visit would have nullified the deadly ailment from the poisonous casket. After the attack the previous night, the family of four were in pain, just like Lady Charlotte was before she died. Furthermore, the family doctor could not ascertain the cause of their ailment, and they were too ashamed to say the cause of their predicament.

Nevertheless, Hazel, who thought that she would inherit the Martin's family after her secret marriage with Alfred, was stranded. After the Spellcaster chased her away, she was unable to think of anywhere else to go, and decided to return home.

“At least, no one would harass me again,” she told herself when she recalled that her family members were all sick, and walked into her mother's old hut. Likewise, she slumped on the bed, and hissed, “Bad business.”

At the Walter International Conglomerates

Jackson was worried over the news he got from his father concerning Alfred. He knew that his son was humble and involved him in all his dealings. “What came over, Alfred?” He mumbled, and took his seat in his office. He dialed his number again, and his phone was still switched off. To quell his worries, he decided to contact the organizers of the Perfumery Exhibition in Argentina. To his perplexity, the news about the Exhibition popped up in the company's email, and he paused to go through it. Then, to his distress, his company was the only that did not clock in, and was marked absent.

“What!” He exclaimed. “Where could Alfred be?” He asked himself. Instantly, he sent for David, and he appeared at once.

“You sent, for me, boss.”

“Yes. What did Alfred's PA say about his whereabouts?”

David interlaced his fingers, and put them on his stomach, and elucidated, “I apologize, boss. I did not wish to break the news to you in the presence of your sick father, to avoid complicating his condition. I wanted to do that when you are alone.”

Momentarily, Jackson became uneasy. He cast a searching glance on David, before he demanded, “What are you talking about?”

“What I am talking about is that Steve said that the last time he saw him was last night, and he was with a strange lady that he was not familiar with.”

“Since last night?” Jackson imagined aloud.

“Yes, boss.”

“With a strange lady?”

“Yes, boss.”

“Ask his PA to see me immediately.”.