Author Note: This chapter signifies the beginning of the journey of Odette...Here we go...
The beginning of this journey
Eloise lay there staring at the ceiling, her guilty conscience looming about. Why had she not done anything sooner? Perhaps it was fear that caused her not to free Odette when she had the chance, god shall surely hate me and cast me to hell she thought to her self.
It had only been about an hour since Odette had been taken. There is still time Eloise thought to her self, sitting up she pulled on her maid uniform as quickly as she could, and headed out of her room tiptoeing past the master bedroom, then making a full run for the back of the house.
Entering the kitchen she managed to trip over a stray pot that had been left on the floor under the cutting counter, causing it to make quite a loud noise.
"Damn," she cursed to her self.
Making an effort not to make anymore loud noises, she quietly opened the back door and headed down the steps. Descending down the final two steps Eloise made her way quietly out of the house, and ran as fast as she could to the neighboring house of Nadir.
The only thoughts that plagued her mind were, to tell Nadir of what happened to Odette, and how sorry she was for not telling him sooner of the situation.
Running as fast as her legs would carry her up the cobblestone drive way. After finally reaching the top, she began up the front steps, and knocked on the front door rather loudly. Surely they would have to be awake it wasn't that late.
After several minutes of persistent knocking the door finally swung open to the face of a confused and slightly angry Nadir.
"What in Gods name are you doing woman!" Nadir spoke abruptly, Nadir usually had a calm manner about him, and in fact he always had a calm manner about him, unless angered really.
"Monsieur, PLEASE Mistress Veronique! She has sold Odette to gypsies!" Eloise spoke breathlessly; she seemed to be getting her breathing to a some what normal rhythm.
But she highly doubted that would last for very long, seen as her thoughts recollected on what could be happening to Odette at this very moment. This whole mess is my entire fault she thought to her self. I shouldn't have been so selfish as to worry about my self first, I've lived my life, I'm 26, the poor child is only what? 13? She has so much ahead of her.
"WHAT!" his voice was sharp.
"She's sold her, to the gypsies; I should have come to you right away! God shall cast me to hell for being so selfish! I promised Baron that I would watch over her while he was gone, and now what has happened, all because of my stupidity and fear of that wretched beast woman!" Eloise wallowed.
She really was being quite hard on her self, but who could blame her for being in fear of Mademoiselle Veronique whom in Nadirs eyes was a person not worthy of Erik, or his kindness.
"Come in Mademoiselle" Nadir moved back so Eloise could come in. Shutting the door he turned to face her.
"Now did you happen to see what these so-called-gypsies looked like?" Nadir wasn't entirely certain of the girl's story, but it had to be some what true, what else could have made her come here at such a late hour to tell him of something such as this?
"SO-CALLED!" she out burst "Monsieur please forgive me for yelling, but they are gypsies and they have Mademoiselle Odette!" Eloise hoped her point had gotten across.
"I presume they took the back trail from behind the house?" Nadir asked, heading over to the front hall closet to retrieve his coat.
"Yes. I believe they are heading east of here," Eloise informed him.
"Okay, Mademoiselle, go back to the house. Do not speak one word to Mademoiselle Veronique unless it is of something about the house, you speak nothing of Odette to her, or anyone for that matter! Do not even write it in a journal, for the sake of Mademoiselle Veronique finding it" Nadir explained.
"Do you understand?" he asked buttoning his coat.
"Yes, Monsieur" Eloise replied quietly.
All possible scenarios were now playing in Eloise's head, how did these Gypsies treat there prisoners or persons they purchased? Surely they wouldn't be nice to her, since when were people that had been purchased treated with any decency?
Nadir went back into the front hall closet and got a small lantern; he set it down on a small table, and lit the wick. Opening the door, Nadir gestured for Eloise to follow him outside, then shutting the door behind him.
"I'm going to find the Monsieur Labelle , remember Mademoiselle, speak of this to no one. Hurry back before Mademoiselle Veronique finds you missing, and we have another problem on our hands" His tone was firm, but not harsh.
Eloise obeyed and hurried back to the house, in the same fashion she had upon getting to Nadirs home.
Nadir headed to the small stables, and tacked his horse. Then mounting he held the lantern in one hand, and headed down the hill in hopes he could catch up to the Gypsies. But one thing he cursed him self for not asking was how long ago had it happened. He remembered hearing, Eloise saying something of how she should have told him sooner.
As he rode, he began to think of how the first day he had seen Odette, and how he knew right then and there that she was Erik's child. He knew the moment he told Erik, despite Erik's look of out rage. He could see in the Erik's eyes that he had been over come with a sense of joy.
Even when Erik had brought Odette back with him, Nadir sensed a change in Erik's moods. They had become happier, and less like his usual mood that he favored. Dark. In the short time Odette had been there, Nadir could tell just how happy Erik was that he had a daughter.
Along his search he spotted an old man sitting upon the side of the dirt rode, he asked him if he had seen some gypsies come through with in the last several hours. The old man confirmed it saying that he had seen them and their carriage was pulling a cage (trailer that is a cage) with a frightened being in it. Nadir thanked him for the information and kept on riding.
After an hour or so riding around searching for the Gypsies, Nadir figured it was about time to get Erik.
Erik had been away for several days on business, he had to over see the beginning works of his building being built in the town of Reims. It wasn't too far from where Nadir was, and he should get there before first sunlight.
More thoughts ran through Nadirs mind, only have known Madam Veronique for the past four years, why hadn't I seen something like this coming, Nadir thought to him self. He was a very wise man, very smart as well, but why? Why had he not seen this coming?
He knew Mademoiselle Veronique was a wicked woman, constantly throwing tantrums when Erik wasn't around, and the staff hadn't doted on her every want and need.
Erik in fact had instructed them not to. He didn't believe that it was necessary that Veronique needed to have everything handed to her on a silver platter, because he didn't want to further build the problem of her excessive whining already.
Nadir couldn't even begin to fathom reasons why as to how come Erik kept her around. Couldn't Erik clearly see she wanted nothing but money, and only money! But there was actually one reason, but he believed it to be a personal matter of Erik's, and didn't wish to further ensue on what it exactly it was.
When Nadir arrived at the Inn Erik was staying at, he thanked the gods that there was some one actually awake at this hour.
He entered into the front lobby of the inn looking around for any signs of the inn keeper. A moment later a man appeared from a door way behind the counter.
"Can I help you Monsieur?" the man asked.
"I'm sorry to arrive here at such a late hour, but I need the room number of Monsieur Erik Labelle, I have to see him immediately it regards his daughter" Nadir said quickly hoping the Inn keeper would help him.
"This way... Your name please" the Inn keeper said heading around the counter and up the stairs.
"Nadir"
Nadir followed him down the hallway to the door at the very end. The Inn keeper knocked several times before the door swung open.
"Monsieur Labelle this man Nadir, says he needs to speak with you urgently, it regards your daughter" the Inn keeper explained.
"Yes let him by, thank you" Erik said. Nadir moved past the Inn keeper who was heading back down the hall way, and turned to face Erik.
"Get your things, you need to come home now, we have a problem." Nadir said hurriedly.
"What is going on? What about Odette?" Erik asked.
"There is no time to explain now; you must come at once I will explain on the way!" Nadir said urging him back into his room; he waited at few minutes out side the room before Erik reappeared with his small bag, and a white envelope.
When they got to the lobby, Erik walked over to the Inn keeper and gave him the envelope and asked to have a messenger deliver it to an office.
They had set out for the Inn's barn where Erik had kept his horse, Cesar, he set his bag down on a hay bail and retrieved Cesar from his stall and began to tack him.
"Nadir would you kindly tell me now what is going on?" Erik asked in a rather bitter tone.
"Mademoiselle Veronique, Has sold your daughter to a band of traveling gypsies, the maid Eloise, informed me of it late last evening," Erik shot him an incredulous look.
"And no she is not lying Erik, I have never seen the girl so distraught, and she has no reason to lie, besides a witness confirmed seeing the Gypsies come through the town on the back roads" Nadir explained.
Nadirs word to him had always been true, and the very moment Nadir said that some one had confirmed seeing the Gypsies, his entire body went ridged, and his blood began to boil. For Erik knew that no doubt Veronique had done it, and she was going to pay...
Odette's POV
I hadn't stopped crying since I lost sight of the house, and that was well over two hours ago. I began to wonder what was to become of me...and why was I in a cage? I figured if I wanted to stop my continuous crying then I should just go to sleep for the time being, and hopefully when I wake it will have all been a dream.
I laid down on my side, whispered to my self softly a prayer:
Give me strength
Give me courage
For I believe I have
Now just entered an
Eternal War...
Uh oh...lol Veronique's in trouble...BIG TIME!
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