Arabelle

Chapter 3 - Memories

Derrick’s POV

As I watched the city speed past me from my car window, my mind was far away from the things passing me by, my mind was floating in this memories of centuries past, I was remembering events from 400 years ago, I was remembering the I asked Arabelle to marry me, I sighed and closed my eyes to allow the memory become clearer.

It was a warm summer afternoon, the air was pure and fresh, the birds sang beautifully in the trees and I walked with Arabelle by my side, she looked beautiful in her deep red dress, it came in sharp contrast with her pale skin, her black hair was piled up in an intricate knot, my fingers itched to slide themselves into that thick mane of hers, to feel the silky strand of her hair brush my fingers as they undid the infernal knot and give freedom to those wild curls that had no business being tied up lie that, I craved to see her hair loose and wild but with great difficulty I kept my fingers in check.

“My lord, you are not listening to me”

I heard her smooth velvet voice say, I had no idea she had been speaking, I was lost in the beauty of the woman before me, I looked at her as she pouted her strawberry red lips, her way of showing displeasure which I found maddening, when she pouted her lips like that, I had to call on the good name of my ancestors to able to keep my honour as a gentleman intact, this woman will be the death of me, this much I knew already.

“You have chosen to ignore me as well and you stare at me as though I amuse you my lord” she said and turned away from me

I chuckled and said “Do not misunderstand me my lady, I wasn’t ignoring you, my thoughts were simply occupied with rather pleasing affairs”

I folded my hands behind my back and walked casually behind her,

Without turning to look at me she said “Pleasing affairs my lord?”

I chuckled again, Arabelle couldn’t hide her curiosity, she always sort to know everything

“Yes my lady, pleasing affairs involving a beautiful young woman and certain things I wish to do with to do with her but I am afraid my honour as a gentleman prevent me from stating those things out for your ears”

She stopped and turned around, her eyes flashing like blue crystals, I stopped as well, fighting a small smile that threatened to break my features

“A woman? What woman? And what blasted things can’t you say?” she said looking at me like she wanted to murder me

I found it all amusing, I merely shrugged my shoulders like I had no idea what she was saying

“My lord” she said, the warning in her tone was not unnoticed, she was getting and I loved to see her looking very angry, she looked even more beautiful when she was angry, with the colour spreading through her skin and her eyes flashing just like they were now,

“Calm yourself my lady, you tend to fuss over nothing, I merely said I was thinking about a woman, there is no need to get angry about that” I said, a rakish smile playing at the corners of my lips,

Her eyes flashed once more and suddenly the air around us picked up, the warm breeze was suddenly chilly and the birds flew away from the trees,

I felt panic rise inside me, though we were far from the town, someone might be close by and if they saw Arabelle looking like she did now, with the blue flames flashing in her eyes and the wind surrounding her, they would scream “Witch” and that would be the end for her, she would be caught and burnt at the stake without me being able to do anything to stop it from happening.

“Arabelle, stop this, you need to get back to your senses” I said as I grabbed her arms and shook her slightly, the glow in her eyes dimmed until slowly it faded into nothingness, she blinked twice and then her eyes focused upon mine,

“Richard I am sorry, I lost control of my powers once more, I am sorry you had to see me like that” she said and attempted to pull away from me, I held more firmly, she was crying by now, my heart broke for her, she was forced to live a life pretense all her life, forced to hide who she was and I would never be at rest, my mind will be in unease whenever I thought of what looming danger she was in constantly, I wanted to be able to protect all the time, I could always keep her safe if she was by my side,

“Marry me Arabelle” I said with conviction

She looked at me, confusion was evident in her eyes “Richard what are you saying?” she said and attempted to pull away once again and once more I held onto her,

“Listen to me Arabelle, I will surely go mad with worry if I don’t marry you, every moment I am away from you, I worry about what you are doing, if something like what just what just happened happens in front of the town’s people, I dread to think of what will happen, every day I wish that night doesn’t fall because I have to leave you when night falls and I can no longer protect you, I am sick of worrying about you Arabelle, marry me now and I can protect you forever, even if heavens forbid, the secret gets out then I will fight the world before they ever get to you, I love you Arabelle and I will protect you no matter the cost, just marry me please” I said, her blue eyes bore into my hazel ones

“Richard, I do not wish to burden you with what I am, if I get married to you and anyone finds out, your life will surely become a living hell, I can’t do that to you, I cannot” she said

“Do you love me?” I asked

“What sort of question is that Richard? I have never hidden my feelings for you, you know how much I love and care for you” she said

“And I love you too, so nothing holds us back, let us get married and to hell with the rest of the world, I have decided to have you as my wife, you are free to reject my offer, you have that right but if you do accept to marry me then I am responsible for whatever events unfold themselves in the future, my decision is my burden to bear” I said

Tears spilled down Arabelle’s cheek “Was there ever a man nobler than you Lord Blackwood?” she said with a smile

“Great tales have been told about the nobility of my ancestors, if was any less noble than I am now, then surely I shame the good Blackwood name” I answered with a rakish smile,

Arabelle laughed, a glorious sound it was indeed

“And wouldn’t I be considered a fool for letting such a nobleman slip through my fingers” she said

I felt a happiness that I couldn’t explain even if my life depended on it, hearing those words meant she had intentions of accepting my proposal

“I will hate for it to be said that I was heard insulting a well-bred lady of society but I am afraid I must say you will be an utter fool to let such a man pass you by Lady Highwater” I said

“And I will so hate to be termed a fool, so I fear I must accept your proposal my lord” she said, her bright eyes looked happy, very happy indeed

“You will not regret this Arabelle, I swear on my honour as a gentleman” I said, my voice was calm and quiet, I wanted to reassure her for I knew she was scared,

She smiled up at me “I know my Lord, I trust you” she said and wrapped her arms around me and I did the same, she felt small and fragile in the confines of my arms

“I love you Arabelle” I said

“As do I, my Lord” she said

I opened my eyes and the memories seized, what a bastard I was, I had promised to fight the world for her, yet I had been the very one to condemn her, I sighed, I would never escape the torment of my memories, no matter how hard I tried, I was doomed to suffer for the rest of my life.

The car pulled up in front of my family’s company “King’s Enterprise” it was a marvel to behold, it towered high to the sky, this was my family’s legacy, I smiled, I was always the son to great men in every lifetime, back then, the Blackwood fortune was and wide, my family held most of the town’s fortune and I was heir to all of it, little had changed now, I was still the son born to great men and heir to a vast fortune, now I hoped I wasn’t destined to ruin the life of another innocent girl, perhaps that was my own personal legacy.

“We have arrived Sir” my driver said to me

“Thank you Alfred” I said and stepped out of the door Alfred was holding open for me,

The sun was bright and the sun was high, a beautiful day I thought, if I could hope for one thing, it was that my life couldn’t become even worse than it was now.

I looked up at king's “At least, this is one thing I am sure I will get right, I didn’t mess it up last time” I said to myself

“Did you say something sir” Alfred said from beside me,

“No Alfred, I was just thinking out loud” I answered

“Okay sir” Alfred said

With one last look at the towering building, I walked inside with Alfred following closing behind.

************

Bella's POV

Beautiful hazel eyes looked down at me, eyes so bright they looked like they could glow in the dark, then a nose, a long masculine nose, then lips, a pair lips that begged to be kissed and then a strong jaw, a dashingly handsome face came into full view, he was a man with a beauty that almost seemed otherworldly, a rakish smile played on his perfect lips, his lips moved as though he was saying something but I heard nothing, his clothes seemed odd, he was dressed in a white linen shirt with draw strings at the sleeves and black trousers, he also wore black boots that gleamed in the height, he was tall, very tall, I had a feeling I would stop just beneath his chin, he was truly a sight to behold.

Suddenly, he started to blur and distort, like an image that was fading, the scene morphed and soon enough, I was outside my body, I saw myself tied at the stake, I saw the movie of villagers scream curses at me and suddenly, there he was, the young man I had just seen, he was dressed like he was before only he had a black cloak on, his eyes gleamed in the dark, just like I thought they would, he was so familiar and still, he seemed very strange, I watched as I or the girl who looked like me started chanting words that I couldn’t understand, the ground started to shake and the window howled loudly like an injured animal, I looked on with confusion and suddenly the man kept onto the stake and stabbed the girl in her chest, I felt sharp pain course through my entire being, I was staring into those bright hazel eyes that had seemed ethereal before but now they just seemed wicked and malicious, the hard lines of his face stood out,

“Die you bloody witch” I heard him say and like I had thought, it was deep and masculine, I felt my heart break when those words left his mouth, I watched with horror and sadness as he jumped to the ground and collected a burning torch which he threw toward the oil soaked pyre, it caught up in flames immediately scalding my feet, he looked up at me and for a brief moment, I couldn’t understand the emotion in his eyes but almost immediately it was gone and his eyes were cold again, the pain and the heat became overwhelming and I felt myself float somewhere far away and peaceful, far away from him and those eyes that seemed to hunt me.