59

Another half-hour later they are on their way to the Nomes' estate, where they hope to be in time for lunch, for it is getting close to noon already. The guard at the gate waves them through, and they cycle on, of course seeing everything in daylight for the first time, a very impressive sight. The estate is much more extensive than they thought.

Soon they reach the house, and it still looks rather small from the outside. They are welcomed in by George, somehow the guard can alert the family to visitors, and as they enter the living-room an even warmer welcome awaits them, as Catherine runs towards them with delight.

Frances invites them to have lunch with the family, and of course they accept gladly, this is a very homely family, no formality here, just a very friendly welcome to visitors. Until lunch is served they sit down and get comfortable, Vincent feeling a bit neglected as his daughter climbs in Adison's lap.

But Catherine does nothing without reason, Vincent should know that by now. For very soon he has company as well, as Lucy sits herself next to him.

'You're back already!' she says, clearly glad to see him.

'I forgot we had agreed to pick Catherine up ourselves,' he explains, 'and it's Sunday of course, so I have my day off.'

He is very surprised to find Lucy snuggling against him, as if she's trying out what she can see Catherine do. Anxious not to frighten her, Vincent doesn't dare put her on his lap, though that is what he would do with Catherine in a situation like this. But Lucy is very satisfied where she is, and she stays with him until lunch, the girls telling them what they have done that morning.

'Lukas came by again, so we could ride out because he doesn't mind holding on to Catherine. Percy came too, he likes to run along with the carriage,' that is Lucy's share.

Bertha says, 'And then we played in the barn.'

'And then we took a scene from our favourite book and dressed up and played it,' Catherine adds, 'and Jonathan said it was really good.'

Jonathan, like Lucy, is one of the children the Nomes' have saved from the street. He is not yet twenty, very handsome, and, according to Catherine, not afraid of anything. Apparently, the young man still has parents somewhere in England, but he chooses to live with the family to study magic. He is like a large brother to Lucy, and to Bertha as well, though she has an older brother of her own, who is best friends with Jonathan. They are surprisingly patient with the smaller girls, though they both draw the line at riding in the little carriage with Bertha, apparently her driving makes them nauseous.

Adison and Vincent have a very pleasant meal, and afterwards George urges the girls to enjoy themselves for another hour, offering Vincent and Adison a tour of the greenhouse and the building site where their friends will build a new one, starting with the iron frame commissioned to Melissa's design.

George has undoubtedly heard what happened last night, Lukas having been over already, and he probably wants to discuss it in private. And Vincent wants his opinion on the little figurine, though he is a bit afraid of what Lukas has told George. He must have been very shocked to see his friend capable of such extreme violence.

The greenhouse is beautiful, and the plants in it are thriving despite the cold and lack of daylight outside. There is a nice seat inside which fits all three of them comfortably, George in the middle. Vincent has no idea what to say, but he doesn't have to think of something, for George offers, 'I spoke to Lukas this morning.

Apparently your ball was not the careless occasion you expected. He told me you were taken by Mr Grey and barely escaped being abused under the influence of a spell, by some dark part of you seizing your mind and taking violent revenge on Mr Grey.

He described confronting your violent side before something really bad actually happened and talking to him, until he kissed Lukas and found peace doing so, allowing yourself to surface once more. Are you all right? Seeing you with Lucy I really cannot imagine your striking out in a rage, but I know Lukas doesn't lie or even exaggerate.'

'He didn't,' Vincent admits, but not humbly, 'I used to be a very violent man until I died and was brought back to life by Victor, totally forgetful. Adison raised me with love and good principles, but sometimes my violent nature would surface, usually when someone I loved was in danger. When I regained all my memories of my former life about a month ago, that violent side decided to become one with me once more, somehow the time was right for that.

Then yesterday I was totally befuddled, unable to do anything to defend myself against rape, and he surfaced again, delivering sarcastic comments on everything that was happening. At the moment Mr Grey became serious in his attentions, he took over, if Lukas had not interfered, my dark side would have violated Mr Grey remorselessly.'

Adison adds, 'He wasn't sorry at all, said Mr Grey had it coming, had raped seven young people each week for who knows how long. He told me he had only surfaced again to protect Vincent's mild side from humiliation and defilement.'

'You talk to him?'

George cannot get his mind around it, and Vincent doesn't wonder. Adison didn't tell him that, and he cannot remember saying that, which is weird, for he usually remembers everything the creature does.

'He wanted to talk to me, and I wanted to talk to him before he went back to being one with Vincent. No need for him anymore, Mr Grey will not try again, I guess.'

'Aren't you afraid of him, if he's that violent?'

'He's never been violent to me, I love him, he's the first part of Vincent I met, and I've loved him ever since. As he has always loved me. I'll miss him, though I know it's better this way, with him being part of Vincent all the time instead of lying in wait for a chance to see me.'

'All in all,' Vincent observes, 'I'm fine, Lukas took the guilt and self-loathing I usually feel after an episode like this, and though I still don't like the idea of being capable of such violence, I do agree with my dark side that Mr Grey needed a lesson.'

'Lukas thought you would do well to speak to him again, he thought Mr Grey might have information you lack.'

Vincent feels some anger again, and says shortly, 'I do, but I will not. He humiliated me twice, and I don't want to talk to him ever again. We'll make do without his information.

Did Lukas tell you about what Melissa saw? And the figurine?'

George seems to accept Vincent's attempt to bring up a different subject, there is no way he is going to exchange even one word with Mr Grey ever again. He may be an orphan from the streets instead of landed nobility, but even Vincent has his pride.

'What I actually wanted to talk with you about is, that Lukas told me Victor suggested his method of resurrecting you might have let the spell meant to control and change you go awry. But frankly I find it hard to imagine that any mortal could change a normal talent to a god-like talent with a single spell. Will you show me that figurine next time I visit?'

'I can do better than that. We went to master Man before we came here, to ask him that same question, so I've got it on me.'

And Vincent fishes the box out of his pocket and hands it to George without the slightest hesitation.

George does the same as Paul and Master Man, study the box, then study the figurine, with sight as well, and he observes, 'Paul will have told you plenty about the workmanship on this box, and as much as he may about the process of possession. I cannot divulge any more specifics, but I will warn you to hide this well and take extreme care it doesn't catch fire or fall back into Mr Grey's hands. I think it can still be used to have another go at possessing you, and I am inclined to think last night was Mr Grey's first attempt at either getting you under his own thumb, or his master's. He'd need to copy every change in your body onto the figurine exactly, and re-tune it to your changed mind, but it can be done, probably not by him, but by his master.

Why he would want to do that, is what you should talk to Mr Grey for. And do not be mistaken, I'm not talking about a friendly conversation among former friends, I'm talking about an interrogation, with careful application of force if needed, and with one or two of us present, me, Tristan, Jakob, master Man. Adison too.'

That sure is a surprise, George seems to actually approve of the creature's mistreatment of Mr Grey. But Vincent wants his opinion on what master Man said, and he gives him a summary of what they talked about.

'Amazing, what Melissa can see,' George comments, 'of course Lukas told me, but master Man's interpretation makes it so much more profound. An accident, caused by the unpredictability of lightning. It sounds totally plausible. I'll think on it, try to disprove it, but I think master Man has found the truth of it. And have Jakob look at that figurine, he may dare to destroy it, that would be the safest solution.

You say master Man didn't even know magic existed a month or so ago? To understand so well despite that, of course he has been practising for scores of years. But your colour, Vincent, why didn't we think of that? I've studied magic theory for years! And nerves, Hermes suffered excruciating pain after performing an impossible feat of magic. His nerves were damaged, and taking in power unknowingly nearly killed him, besides causing him agony. How you must have suffered, a lightning-strike and power rushing in. It could have killed you, you know.'

Hearing this, Adison looks at Vincent with disquiet, she never realized he had been in such pain for so long.

George admonishes Vincent, 'Stay vigilant, you're the target now, your former master is not as incompetent as those witches were, and I'm guessing rather desperate. But know we will all support you, and we have a lot of fire-power.'

Somehow, that does help a little, Vincent was hoping to live a quiet life for a while, but now it seems something's up again. Still, if he hides the statue well, and doesn't roam the Master's quarter at night, he must be relatively safe.

'As to your walking power-plant theory,' George adds as an afterthought, 'it's pretty easy to test. You find each other's mind and link it, that's very intimate, only Lukas can transfer energy without becoming very personal, but since you're obviously very much in love that shouldn't be a problem. Then when the link is there, you picture your energy flowing to the other, and it will. Practise at home, the intimacy will distract you at first, let it become habit, and as long as you're together Adison will never lack power of suffer reaction-sickness again. Try now.'

And he moves over so they can sit next to each other. Using sight, they manage very easily to link minds, it is indeed very intimate, the overwhelming sense of love from the other mingling with their own feelings very distracting. But Adison soon sees the similarity to what Lukas did and she shows Vincent what to do. Very quickly she is brimming with power, and they hear George say from far off, 'Indulge, I'm not going to be outraged by a little public display of affection.'

So they do, kissing with passion, and the feeling is like nothing they have ever felt before. Besides his own love, Vincent can feel Adison's, and their mutual rising heat at this sensuous process. This is not the time to explore it, though, they will do that at home, in bed actually, to be able to indulge in their heat straight away. They reluctantly break off the kiss, stunned at the implications of Adison having unlimited power at her disposal this way, and of feeling the other's love as if it is their own.

George is watching them with mild benevolence, it's always good to see people in love, though too much affection can make a third feel excluded, but Adison and Vincent are used to living with others and keep their efforts small.

Having just one more thing on his mind for now, George asks, 'There is one thing, wholly unconnected to magic or anything, that I don't understand. I should, for I have more experience with it than the two of you, but I don't, and I don't want to ask Frances for advice, she would say I was imagining things, though she is usually very observant, she's denying this.

It's Lucy. She's been with us for almost a year now, but she's still very reticent towards me. I feel like her father, I think I treat her the same as Bertha, but I'm reasonably sure she doesn't trust me. She hugs me, and kisses me goodnight, but I can feel her tension as she does it. I cannot understand why, she knows I would never harm her, I'm not even interested in women that way, why does she thaw towards Vincent on his first visit, and not to me? Am I doing something wrong?'

Vincent thinks he knows.

'Put bluntly, George, she trusts me because I'm ugly. She was very afraid of Victor, and he's so cute I want to eat him. Catherine had to demonstrate he was shy and sweet, and still she felt afraid of him. Victor is very handsome, you're very handsome, I suspect she distrusts handsome men.'

Of course Adison doesn't like Vincent calling himself ugly, but she gets the point. Most people would find him frightening, but to Lucy it is almost reversed.

She adds, 'Catherine did tell Lucy a lot about her dad, she must have had a feeling she already knew Vincent. But Vincent certainly has a point, his scary face didn't scare her at all, and that truly is a bit frightening.'

'Thanks!' Vincent brightens at her admission, she always denies his criticism on his own looks so aggressively, having her admit he can look frightening is a big triumph.

'I can't very well make myself ugly,' George says, he's vain, that much is clear from his tone, he'd absolutely hate that.

Adison observes, 'This is not something you can force, George, she knows you can be trusted, she loves you, she feels safe with you, the rest takes time.'

'She did say she hugs you, and Jonathan, Jonathan is very handsome too,' Vincent offers.

'Jonathan is above a father figure for her, she wouldn't dream of fearing him, I'll tell you their history some time, but for now believe me he saved her life and that of eight other children, under circumstances you wouldn't believe, so atrocious. She loves him more than anything, but he is trying to build a new life and she respects that, treating him like an older brother and nothing more. Which is why I had hoped she'd come to see me as her father.'

'The problem with being like a father to her, George, may also be the fact that you're from another class. Could it be what you told us about those witch-girls, about you and Frances not being suited to get them back in society, because you're too upper-class? Suppose that in her view you couldn't be her father because you are too much above her? She doesn't even consider owning a horse, that's way too expensive for her kind.'

Adison is nodding, she believes he has struck at least one of the reasons.

'You may be right, Vincent, you work for a living, you live in a normal house, you have a rugged look, you talk softly and gently, but not like a noble.'

And George also understands, judging from his next remark.

'She lived with the staff at first, was too afraid to move to the house, until temperatures dropped and she had to come in. I think trying to raise her the same as Bertha may be the wrong way to go, Lucy liked the stables better. Bertha, too, if I'm honest.

We'll find a place in the middle where she'll fit in, she cannot live anywhere else but here because of Percy. I'll talk to Frances about a room for her where she can bring him inside, and with Lucy about what she wants, learn to be a lady, or learn to work for her living, still getting lessons of course, but only those she would need to find a job and develop her mind. Do you think she would appreciate having ponies of her own?'

Vincent smiles, thinking of Balthasar.

'I think she would prefer a large horse, she told me she if she ever were to have a horse she'd want a big one. Maybe even one who has problems, who really needs her. But that's just my idea, not something she said.

And did you discuss martial arts yet? For Lucy, with Lukas as trainer, if he has time, or me, if she dares?'

'We did,' George says, 'and I think it is a great idea. I'll ask Lucy first, and one of you later. I guess you're both busy, but Lukas is here every day anyway, and Catherine would love visiting regularly, so I guess we'd come to some agreement whichever way.

Come, I've taken up enough of your time, let's find your little girl, and maybe Lucy will want to show you around the stables by daylight, and without handsome Mr Frankenstein. For he is certainly very handsome, I've noticed that.'

And that is exactly what they do, visit Percy by daylight, which doesn't make him any less frightening to Vincent, though Adison is rather fond of the brute, stroking the large body and rough necks, allowed to touch his face. Of course she has a way with fearsome creatures, look at how she handled him, she never showed any fear of him either.

A little hand takes his, and Lucy states, 'You love her very much, don't you?'

'Love whom, Lucy?' he replies, still a bit bemused with memories and seeing his beloved hugging a true monster.

'Catherine's mum. Though Catherine told me she is not her real mum. She might as well be, they even look alike somehow.'

'Yes, I love her more than anything. Always have.'

That is not really something to say to a girl, but most girls aren't that serious either. Besides, Vincent is not used to being around older children.

'Maybe you should give Catherine a little sister or brother then, or she might feel lonely with you and your lady wife so close. I'd like a dad, but Catherine would like a sister or brother.'

Vincent cannot help earnestly replying, 'We're thinking of getting one for her, but it's not easy, you know she was in danger all the time?'

The girl nods.

'And she says one time before you knew she could talk her mum said you could probably not have any children anymore. Because you have no beard. Is that true?'

'I certainly have no beard, but I don't know if that means I cannot have children. What did Catherine think we should do in that case?'

Vincent is very curious what his daughter thinks is the solution to that.

'She thinks Victor might be the father, he's sweet and handsome and she says her mum loves him quite well.'

'Well, I'm glad Catherine and I agree on that, now we'll just have to convince the others.

But isn't George like a dad to you, then? And why do you want just a dad, not a mum?'

Lucy answers easily enough.

'Frances is a very good mum, I never miss my own mum when I'm with her. My mum wasn't very good at being one, she left me alone a lot, and in the end I was taken away. Frances is the best mum ever, she'd never let her child be taken away.

I never really knew my dad, he died when I was still young. I have some memories of him, and I always imagined still having my dad, and George just doesn't look or sound like him. George is like a boy, hanging out with Lukas, going to dances. I know he has children but still he's not the dad I had imagined. He's rich and handsome and noble, and my dad as I imagined him was very big, like you, and a bit scary, so I'd feel safe, and he worked hard. Maybe it's a bit childish to stick to my fantasy, for you work but not on the docks, and my dad did have a beard, and he talked like everybody on the streets, not in poetry like George and you.

Maybe I should grow up a little more, I know George wants us to be much closer, and Jonathan says George can fry anyone with magic if he wants to. And he does smell nicer than a dad from the docks, I guess. And he works, even though he doesn't really have to.