Gypsy Designs Ch 13

Lucinda sipped her drink, listening to the men discuss some merger, waiting for them to finish their impromptu meeting. She'd decided to go along for the ride, since she'd been preoccupied with Megan earlier and hadn't taken the time to feed.

Large restaurants full of business men, gave her a perfect opportunity to do just that. Swirling the olive around her martini glass absently, she felt Caydn stiffen suddenly.

Glancing up she saw Lucien and Christian had felt it also.

Worming her way into her brother's mind, she could hear the struggling gasps she knew had to have been Gypsy, due to Caydn's reaction. Seeing him start to stand, she moved quickly.

"I'm not any help here, so you gentlemen finish your meeting. I'll get a quick lift home," she said seeing Caydn understand her meaning, when she gripped his arm firmly.

Lucien stood beside his twin, "I can also go if you think it's warranted," he said firmly, frowning, when Caydn growled. Flashing his friend a quick glance he saw the possession burning in his eyes, Gypsy's scent radiating from him.

The short balding gentleman sitting at the table, stared at the three overly tall people questioningly, not sure what to make of the sudden turn of events.

"We European's can be an odd sort," Christian laughed, breaking the tension and getting Caydn's attention. "I'm sure Lucinda can make it home unaided. We'll be along the instant this business is taken care of," he said firmly, nodding when Caydn and Lucien both took their seats.

Giving his arm one last squeeze of reassurance, Lucinda walked rapidly toward the exit, heading into the shadows of the large parking lot.

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

Moving in her normal quick long legged stride as she appeared suddenly near the garage at the estate, she thanked the powers above for giving her this unusual talent to move from one place to another within a reasonable range in an instant.

Making a quick scan of the area she knew Victor, Vince and Sophie were still out to dinner. The additional staff was in place as they should be so she wasn't sure what had happened to distress Gypsy, enough to cause that type of effect on Caydn.

Walking toward the guest house, converted into Gypsy's private design studio, she hoped she'd find her happily buried among lengths of fabric, and that Caydn's nerves had just gotten the best of him. This was the first time Gypsy had been totally alone. Megan she knew was with the designer Christian had hired to redo some of the rooms at their home.

Reaching for the door, she felt the hum of the protection spells Lucien had placed around the property. She knew immediately nothing had happened to disturb the spell. Opening the door she felt waves of pain and fear pouring from the room over her.

For the past week she'd been watching both Caydn and Gypsy, wondering when or if either of them were going to mention how and when they'd stepped further with their relationship, bonded as vampires did as opposed to formal wedding ceremonies humans seemed to thrive on.

A quick look around told her nothing was out of place, but she also didn't see Gypsy immediately, stepping further into the room she saw her lying on the chaise asleep.

Her breath caught, her mother's face getting closer to her own. She could almost feel her breath against her face, knowing any minute the sound of her voice would fill her ears, making them hurt as her brain already did from the anger and resentment flooding through her mother's mind.

She shook her head, not wanting to have to stare into Evelyn's eyes as she once again berated her for something she was sure she hadn't done. The moan of frustration and fear slipped between her lips, before she even knew it was happening. Cringing she knew her mother's reaction would be to slap her.

"I didn't do anything," she kept thinking over and over, the words never escaping her lips since she knew they'd result in a sharp ear ringing slap each time. When Evelyn was convinced Gypsy had done something, it was written in stone as far as she was concerned.

She felt her mother's hands grab her wrists tightly, a move she hadn't seen coming. Pulling back, it didn't register that the grip was far stronger and firmer than her mother could've ever managed.

"Gypsy, wake up," Lucinda said as gently as possible, suddenly having to tighten her hold of the thrashing arms. Kneeling beside the chair, she almost growled. When feeling and hearing the over the top fear pouring out of the young sleeping woman.

"You've got to wake up Gypsy. It's me Luc, come on wake up," she said louder, shaking her, ignoring the nails sinking into her own wrists.

"But I didn't do it!" Gypsy screamed one last time, her body freezing when she heard the sound echoing off the walls of the shop loudly. Opening her eyes, she jerked, seeing Lucinda next to her holding her arms tightly.

"With a reaction like that, I'd say nope, you didn't do what ever it was," the tall woman laughed, trying to break the awkwardness Gypsy was suddenly feeling. "I do know you have some of the most vivid dreams I've ever seen, floating around someone's mind," she said slowly releasing Gypsy's arms.

Pushing her self up to sit on the edge of the chaise, she looked around. She'd leaned back earlier, doing some final alterations on some slacks. Gypsy shook her head. Glancing at Luc when she sat on the floor beside her, she forced a smile.

"I thought you'd gone with the men to their meeting," she said trying to keep the trembling she felt in her body from affecting her voice. "Are they back already?" she asked, looking toward the large front windows at the estate house.

Lucinda leaned back, stretching her legs out comfortably before answering. "No they're not back yet. I don't think it'll be much longer, but time enough for you to get a grip on yourself," she said watching her closely.

Gypsy shrugged her shoulders, making Luc wonder if she'd meant 'thanks' or 'there isn't ever going to be enough time for that'. "I think we need to talk," Lucinda said seriously.

She held her hand up when she felt Gypsy stiffen, her expression becoming a mask. "I know I don't seem to be the best candidate, but obviously you haven't spoken to Megan, or she would've been doing something to help you," she said firmly.

"It was just a nightmare," Gypsy said casually, brushing it off as she stood, laying the small part of slacks she'd been working on across one of the many tables in the large work room.

"Okay if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But why don't we try and figure out what caused it," she said with a gentle smile. "Don't try and tell me it's over work," she laughed, looking around the room. "You thrive on this chaos more than anyone I've met in all my centuries," she chuckled, seeing Gypsy shaking her head.

Brushing her hair out her face, back into a some what neat bun, Gypsy laughed. "Some times I forget all of you are so much older. Not that I'm saying that's a bad thing," she rolled her eyes at her self. She'd just called the breath taking woman in front of her old.

Standing at the table she ran her hands along the length of the navy woolen slacks she was making. Taking a deep breath she turned away from the table, a frown on her face.

"I think this was because of the young girl that came in with her mother this afternoon," she said softly. Looking at Lucinda she saw her nod, waiting for her to continue talking.

"She's about fifteen maybe a year younger or older, I didn't ask for details," she forced a smile. "The mother was being over bearing, about what she wanted made for her daughter," she explained. "This young woman wasn't the least bit interested, and even acted as if she was totally withdrawn from the situation. I finally found a happy medium with some fast talking, by the time they left the girl actually smiled at me," she said with glowing smile of her own.

Lucinda could see that having made this young woman happy had been important to Gypsy. "Now why don't you tell me what it was you didn't do, obviously someone said you had," she asked, watching her closely.

The sound that escaped her was a mix between a laugh and a sob. Closing her eyes she exhaled. "Well it depends on what time you're talking about. I don't think I can remember many times in my life when there wasn't something I did my mother and grandfather felt wasn't right," she sighed, walking over to flop down on the chaise again.

"Just tell me one thing Gypsy, when either one of them accused you of something, did they ever hurt you, to make you agree they were right?" she asked carefully, already knowing the answer before the crushed young woman nodded.

Holding her hand up, Lucinda stopped her. "You don't have to say anything else, but I do want to ask. "If I introduced you to someone who could talk to you privately and help, would you be willing to give it a try?"

Gypsy felt her pulse beating loudly in her temples, just at the thought of being put under someone else's microscope. Mentally poked and prodded to find out what was wrong with her. Shaking her head no she fought to contain the tears that threatened to fall.

"Not a problem, it was just a thought," Lucinda said with a smile, in her mind she knew she was going to have to be devious when putting her plan into action.

Looking toward the house, Gypsy took a deep breath. "Caydn will be here any minute," she said quickly. "Can we keep this to ourselves? I hate to add something else for him to worry about. He's walking on egg shells wondering when Barton might show up again." At Lucinda's nod, they headed toward the house.

They found the men in the study. Victor, Vince and Sophie arrived a few minutes later. Sophie begged off the after dinner drink for some rest, Vince accompanied her to their apartment.

Caydn held his hand out to her when she and Lucinda walked into the room. He wrapped his arm around her tightly when she stepped up and leaned into him.

"When do you think he arrived in town?" Lucien growled, not liking that none of them had sensed it.

Gypsy looked at each of them, before looking down at Caydn. "Who arrived where?" she asked with a smile.

"When we were coming into town, we stopped at a red light. As traffic was moving through the intersection Lucien spotted Barton Currington," he said feeling her stiffen against his side.

"Why would he just be in town and not showing up here?" she asked looking around the room trying to read expressions, since everyone's mind seemed to be closed. "Also wouldn't it seem odd for him to let other people see him 'floating around'?"

Christian tossed his drink back, "He wasn't floating, and I'm pretty sure this was physically present since I've never seen a hologram driving a car," he said with a frown.

She couldn't stop her hands from shaking before Caydn noticed it. Taking a deep breathe she shook her head. "What does this mean, that he's come here himself instead of the ghosting thing he and Damon did before?" she asked trying to maintain control over both her voice and body.

Victor leaned forward, setting the cup of coffee he'd been drinking on the table. "We don't know yet, I want you to make sure that at no time do you leave this estate with anyone other than one of us, preferably Caydn," he told her firmly, leaving no room for objection.

Lucinda glanced around the room, standing she nodded to everyone. "I'm going to make a few calls, and then I think I'll relax before getting some sleep," she said leaving no room for question, when she turned and walked from the room.

"Christian I think you should go home and discuss your security plans with Justin. Include Megan in the discussion to make sure she'll be careful," Caydn said, standing wrapping his arms around Gypsy, who buried her face against his chest.

"I think Gypsy needs some rest after all this," he said gently, moving her toward the door. "I might be back once she's settled. If not I'll see each of you tomorrow night," he explained, walking toward his room, taking Gypsy's hand allowing for no refusal.

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

Caydn looked over at Gypsy, her head leaned back, eyes closed as he drove back to the estate. She'd needed some last minute supplies, and being told not to leave alone she waited until Caydn had rose, asking him if he'd take her.

She took a deep breath, smiling gently feeling his fingers stroking along the back of her hand. Her hand, the only thing not covered by the thick wool jacket she was wearing against the bitter wind that evening.

"You're getting more and more Eskimo like," he chuckled, having heard her train of thought. "I think we might have quite a snow fall before Christmas," he sighed, imagining what it was going to be like to try and maintain the social schedule he'd planned before Barton had decided to arrive in town.

She looked around when the sports car slowed unexpectedly. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking around, seeing nothing or no one. Suddenly she realized she wasn't sensing anything or anyone as they approached the drive to the estate.

"Where's everyone at?" she asked, looking at him, feeling the hair on her neck crawling as her tension built.

Caydn squeezed her hand reassuringly when he slowly pulled in the drive, stopping at the gate, while it opened. "There's only one person I know, that's strong enough to do this," he chuckled. "Cameron must be here, and the only reason he'd create such a large engulfing aura, Claire must be with him," he explained.

"More guests?" she asked, looking closely at the house, as they circled around toward the garage. "Who're Cameron and Claire, I think you said her name was?"

Caydn stopped the car under the archway, instead of pulling it into the garage in case someone wanted to use it later. "I think these are two people you're going to find very interesting, to say the least," he laughed, getting out of the car, as the kitchen door opened.

Lucien threw the door open stepping outside, shaking his head as he did. "Did you have any idea who Victor's mentor was?" he growled. "All this time, and I never noticed the similarities, and my dear twin never told me."

Gypsy stared at the large muscular man like he'd lost his mind, standing in the bitter cold with out a coat, talking to him self. "I'm not even going to ask," she muttered, walking past him, wanting to get inside and get warm.

She looked around the room; thankfully everyone was too busy talking, to notice she'd walked in. Hanging her coat up, she wondered if she could make it across the room without being noticed.

Caydn opened the door, laughing when Lucien followed him, still muttering under his breath. Seeing Gypsy looking around uncertain, he reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Caydn when were you going to tell everyone that you've finally taken the big step and," the extremely tall large man who was sitting on a stool at the counter, started to say, only to be cut off when Lucinda stood up.

"Did you get everything you needed?" she asked Gypsy, glancing at Megan.

Caydn snapped his head around to stare at Luc, wondering what she knew. It was obvious her father recognized it immediately. "I hope she did, since we went to three different stores before she seemed satisfied," he laughed when Gypsy rolled her eyes. Megan came over to dig through the large bags she held.

Cameron looked from his daughter to Caydn. Seeing the silent exchange, he quickly caught on to what wasn't being said. "Well the least you can do Caydn is introduce the young woman to those of us, who haven't had the pleasure," he said his voice booming, in the crowded kitchen.

Gypsy laughed when Lucinda cringed. "And people wonder why I was forever running away from home," she muttered under her breath, smiling at Gypsy before Caydn took her hand pulling her forward.

"Cameron, Claire this is Gabriella Chordane, or Gypsy, Victor's granddaughter and Vince and Sophie's niece."

The tiny woman sitting on one of the stools, reached out, grabbing the large man's arm. "Cam, don't be over bearing, behave yourself," she laughed, smiling at Gypsy.

Caydn laughed loudly, "Claire it's great to see you still have this over grown oaf in hand," he winked at the older woman, the slight blush on her cheek making her appear much younger suddenly.

"Gypsy this overly loud, excessively bossy man is Cameron. He's responsible for Lucien and Lucinda since he's their father," he said with a forced groan, laughing when Cameron frowned at him. "But this beautiful woman, sitting in his shadow is the real jewel of the family. This is Claire, the only one who seems to be able to control any of her family with nothing more than a look."

Cameron lifted his arm, placing it around Claire as he leaned back against the counter, pulling her tightly to his side, brushing a kiss over her short dark gold curls. "Are the twins and I, that hard to handle and tolerate?" he asked with a chuckle, seeing the sparkle in her eyes when she looked up at him, he laughed, the sound echoing through the crowded kitchen.

"I think I can speak for most of us Cam, you're quite a bit to tolerate," Victor said toasting his best friend and mentor with a large mug of coffee, laughing.

"It's nice to meet both of you," Gypsy said, stepping forward to shake hands with the couple. She gasped when Cameron suddenly grabbed her and gave her a bone crushing bear hug.

"Cameron!" The sharp command, allowed Gypsy to breathe much easier, when his hold loosened. Claire glared at the man as if he were no more than an unruly child. "The women have been telling me you design Gypsy," she said with a gentle smile. "I for one would be thankful if I had a reason to escape the testosterone club here, if you'd be kind enough to invite me to see your work."

The women settled in around the large work room of the studio. Lucinda draped herself casually across the chaise, reading a fashion magazine, while Sophie and Megan sorted through bits and pieces of work needing to be finished.

"I sew as a past time," Claire said running her hand along the long elegant lines of a gown, worn by a dress maker form. "I've always thought I was rather good until I see the detail and love that goes into your work," she laughed seeing Gypsy blush.

"Don't let her fool you Gypsy," Lucinda said glancing up, "Momma's always been able to make even a sack look like designer wear," she shrugged her shoulders when Claire protested.

Sitting on the platform looking around the room at the series of piles and the assortment of work still needing to be finished she sighed. "Any time you feel like you need a distraction and want to lend a hand just let me know," she chuckled. "I never knew so many women felt they had to have a different gown every time they're seen in public," she laughed.

"I've got to take Vince in for his final check up tomorrow, so if you'd like to help Gypsy then Claire, I'd greatly appreciate it," she said, gathering the bodice of a gown she was detailing in her lap.

Gypsy looked at Claire for a second before turning to Sophie. "I thought his appointment was right before noon?" she asked, wondering if Sophie had forgotten Claire wouldn't be up until late in the evening.

Claire laughed, clapping her hands. "I should be up well before noon, even with jet lag. I can't stand to waste the day light when there are things to be done. Show me what you're working on Sophie, I'll see if it's something I can handle," she said moving to kneel beside Sophie, her hand tracing the delicate lace panels.

Megan chuckled, seeing Lucinda flip over on her back in the chaise, her long legs thrown over the top, her head hanging off as she observed the room upside down. "How come when ever parents are around, we act like we're four again," she ducked when Luc tossed the magazine at her.

Claire had noticed the concerned expression on Gypsy's face; glancing at her daughter she shook her head. "Luci would you please act like you have some sense about you," she told the woman firmly. "In case your wondering Gypsy, I'm as human as you are, so I'll be here all day if you need me and can tolerate me," she explained, laughing, when she saw the stunned shock on her face.