Chapter Eleven

The Marquess and Marchioness lived in bliss and content throughout the whole week, feeding each other bites of food in the privacy of their chamber and staring at each other through lovey- dovey eyes at the dining table. However, they did not keep the love blossoming between them a secret and others at the table were able to notice the love flowing between them.

Isaac simply looked at them and wished to find a woman would love him the way Lady Beatrice loved Lord Alexander. Victor was joyous about the love between her first son and her daughter - in - law. Love that she had feared was lost before. She beamed from ear to ear and prayed fervently in her heart for a grandchild soon. Annalise stared at the couple especially Beatrice with contempt although she tried to mask her true feelings by smiling at the couple whenever any of them caught her staring. She hated Beatrice for having the love of Alexander, something she had wanted since childhood when she and Alexander had played in the meadow together.

Annalise was angry. She vowed in her heart to have Alexander at all costs, be it by force or any other means possible. She would have to tread carefully at first so as not to raise suspicions, she reasoned. Alexander was hers and she was meant to be by his side not Beatrice, that ugly animal. It did not matter to her that Beatrice was more beautiful than she was . Deep down in her mind, she was envious of Beatrice's shiny skin, pale hair and clear blue eyes and that was why her hatred for Beatrice intensified because she wanted everything about Beatrice including her features, husband and position. I must get them, she vowed firmly in her mind.

Annalise went on with her ravings in her mind. Her anger increased tenfold as she thought of the event that Beatrice was supposed to be shamed, but unfortunately, things had not gone the way they were supposed to go.

Not only the people at the table had noticed the love blossoming back between the Marquess and the Marchioness. The maids and guards had also noticed it too. They saw them holding hands as they went for walks beside the lake sometimes their Lord leaving their Lady there for some personal time. The servants also saw them in each other's arms as they stole kisses when they thought no one was looking. The servants stared at them and smiled. They had noticed a new bounce in Lord Alexander's step after the ball and now they attributed it to the joy of love.

Beatrice was happy with Alexander. He treated her right, not with any of the cool and proud demeanor he used with others. He brought food for her and washed her body as if she were a child. He kissed her with hunger as if he would never get enough and they made love with passion after which both of them felt satisfied. She was very happy with him and he too was happy with her. They also went for walks by the lake side while holding hands . During these periods, they talked about things in the keep and her life back in the twenty first century. Alexander was amazed at the comforts in the coming centuries but he frowned at the thought of the loneliness she must have faced there. No wonder you picked up a book and a spell brought you here, he said. Nature must have been tired of the lone state you were in there. Beatrice would smile at his words and hug him tightly.

Most times, after their refreshing walks, Alexander left her outside to go inside and attend to his other duties. He did not neglect his duties now that they had fallen in love. Alone, Beatrice would take some time to meditate before she called on Nomar. Nomar was always with her but most times, he chose to stay silent. He could talk to Beatrice with Alexander hearing nothing of his words but he chose not to. He did not want her to be distracted thereby raising suspicions from Alexander.

When Beatrice called to Nomar, they started to practice. She still had a mission at hand and she had not forgotten despite her loving state. During these times of peace and quiet around the lake, Nomar taught her the prayers, spells and chants she would need for water, wind and fire magic. They still had not delved into wind and fire magic yet. Nomar wanted her to learn the water magic to perfection before attempting the other two. However, he taught her the chants, prayers and spells of wind and fire magic together with the ones of water. She had learn them before she started to practice the actual magic.

Beatrice felt more determined to face the mission and give it her best. She wanted to protect Alexander and his people who had now become her people too because she was the Marchioness. She wanted to save them at all costs. And I will, she thought. During training sessions, she focused all her energy and might into learning and perfecting whatever she was taught. She had to be perfect at it and make no mistake. The resolution in her heart was strong and she did not let anything get to it. She would fight and defeat the bastards who wanted to attack this town and its people.

After the training sessions, Beatrice went into the keep feeling drained but happy and joyous at the same time. She felt drained because of the grueling sessions that Nomar made her to undergo and she felt happy and joyous that she would defeat the people that wanted to harm Ludlow and therefore, her husband and his people.

After the trainings, Beatrice would ask for bathing water and go upstairs to their chamber to await it. When it had been brought, she would go into the washroom and scrub all the fatigue and exhaustion from her body. Sometimes Alexander assisted her when he was around. Afterwards, she would step out of the store tub feeling fresh like a daisy and scenting of whatever bath salt she had poured into the water. She would the dress up beautifully and go down for dinner together with Alexander. After their evening meal, both of them would retire to their chamber and talk about the day's events before making love passionately.

With all these events swimming around her head, Beatrice forgot that she has not seen Lucia since the night of the ball when Alexander had bursted into the chamber and thundered for her to pull off the white dress. Then, as Lucia had bolted because of the anger of Lord Alexander, that was the last time Beatrice had seen her.

Now, as Beatrice suddenly remembered Lucia, she was unhappy with herself. How had she forgotten the kind girl who had helped her so much? She would have gone to check on her there and then but it was already late at night and Alexander's arms were wrapped around her in bed. Beatrice decided that she would wait till the next day before going to check on Lucia.

When Beatrice awoke the next day, the first thought that came to her mind was to go and find Lucia but Alexander insisted that she have her wash and eat breakfast first. After they had both washed and dried themselves in the washroom, they put on their clothes and went down the stairs to the dining area to eat breakfast. The only person they met there was Annalise who was picking at her food. She only gave a nod to show that she acknowledged them but Alexander did not react. He did not want to face Annalise's tantrums on so beautiful a morning.

Alexander and Beatrice ate their food and when they were done, Alexander went to his office while Beatrice hailed a passing maid on her way to their chamber and told her to ask Lucia to come to the Marquess's chamber. She went on her way and after some time, there was no sign of the maid or Lucia. One of them ought to be here by now, Beatrice thought. What was going on? As she got up to try to find Lucia by herself, a knock sounded on the door. She called for the person to enter and the maid that she had sent earlier came in.

"Lady Beatrice, Lucia is ill and cannot come to you," the maid said.

" Take me at once to where she is. I need to see her," Beatrice ordered.

The maid led Beatrice through a series of turns and twists and through numerous hallways before at last, they arrived at the servants quarters. She led Beatrice to a corridor and pushed a door open. On the bed in the room lay Lucia, shivering like she was outside in the cold.

"Lucia, what is wrong with you?" Beatrice asked.

Lucia shivered before she was able to speak. Even then, her voice had lost its usual cheeriness. By this time, the maid that brought Beatrice to the room had already left.

"Lady Beatrice, this sickness is one of the heart and not of the body. I am deeply burdened by a situation I have caused."

" Say no more, Lucia. Let us go to my chamber. When we get there, you shall tell me what bursens you."

Beatrice went outside and called to a maid to come and assist Lucia to walk. The maid assisted her and they all moved to the Marquess's chamber. When they were at the door, Beatrice waved the maid away and both of them were now left there. She pushed the door open and assisted Lucia inside to a sofa which she sat down on.

"What is it that is burdening you, Lucia?" Beatrice asked for the second time.

" My Lady, I have wronged you terribly. Please, forgive me if you can."

" How have you wronged me?" Beatrice asked feeling confused

" Lady Beatrice, it was Miss Annalise that asked me to suggest the dress in the portrait of the woman in the great hall. She wanted a bad outcome from your wearing of the dress to the ball."