Guilt
Lady MR
A woman came out and started to talk. Roxton had no
idea what she said, but it was obvious that Marguerite understood every word.
"Put your gun down, Roxton." Marguerite said without
turning to face him. Then she walked towards the woman and led her in the
direction of the tree house.
Roxton was stunned, but recovered momentarily and
followed the two women. The stranger
was wearing a loincloth similar to Veronica's except the stranger's was longer
(it reached to her knees). On her upper
left thigh was a bead bracelet, and there was another bracelet –different
design and no beads, instead there were a few small feathers- on her right
ankle. The top was not reveling,
although it emphasized her breasts. The
top covered her stomach leaving a thin strip of skin to show her belly
button. The top's straps crossed over
her upper chest and joined at the nape of her neck. This left her shoulder blades, and shoulders exposed. Her whole outfit was reddish-brownish; as
was the bundle of clothes she carried.
The bundle started to move and whine and Roxton realized that the bundle
was a baby. The woman rocked the baby
slightly and started to whisper softly to Marguerite, who whispered just as
softly back.
The group took the elevator to the top. At the top,
no one was around in the immediate vicinity.
So Marguerite said (with sarcasm dripping with every word):
"John, would you be so kind as to find Challenger."
"Why?"
"Now!"
"I'm going, I'm going"
"Good"
John took the stairs to the lab. "Marguerite needs
you"
Challenger sighed, "I'm coming." And left the lab,
as Roxton showed him where Marguerite was.
Challenger hesitated when he saw the woman, but
snapped out of it and asked, "What's wrong Marguerite, and who is that?"
"The baby is burning up and sick. This is Luanda, and the baby's name is
Tobin.
The moment Challenger hear that the baby was sick,
all tensions and suspicions melted from his face and he knelt by the baby.
"I know just what will help." Challenger exclaimed
and left the room. Seconds later, he
came back with some things that would help
"Tell…what did you say her name was…umh, Luna,
Luanda…that's it, tell Luanda that her baby will be just fine. " Challenger
said and Marguerite translated.
"She says thank you." Marguerite replied.
At that moment Veronica and Ned entered. "Who is
that?" Veronica asked.
"I'll tell you who she is and what she told me
later, right now she is exhausted, she needs to sleep!" Answered a very
frustrated Marguerite.
"Where?" asked Ned.
"Well, she'll need a bed, a bed big enough for her
and her baby, so Luanda and her baby can sleep in my room. Or they can sleep in yours
Marguerite, the bed is big enough for two." Answered Roxton.
" You would know that wouldn't you. So pray tell, where would I sleep if I gave
away the comforts of my bed to Luanda?"
"Why in my room.
A gentleman must always give his room to a lady in distress. But it is up to the lady, weather or not, she
would like the gentleman to occupy the bed with her or for the gentleman to
sleep right here."
"Well, the lady does not wish the gentleman in her
bed. Is the gentleman displeased and
hurt?" Marguerite said the last part with great sarcasm.
"No, on the contrary, he is indifferent. Although he would prefer the lady beside him
on his bed, he shall not complain. Why?
Because after 12 hours or more on the same bed, the lady's distinctive smell,
which the gentleman does find intriguing, shall stay for quite a while before
it goes away, if it ever does." Answered Roxton. By now he and Marguerite were oblivious to the people in the
room. Too tied up in who will make the
last cunning remark.
"Will the lady like the smell of the gentleman?"
//seeing Roxton's confused face, Marguerite quickly added//"Since you said it
only takes about 12 hours or more for the lady to leave a faint smell,
the gentleman's smell would be quite strong, would it not?" Said Marguerite,
her eyes daring him to deny the accusation.
"It would be strong and the lady would like it."
"How would you...err…the gentleman would know if the
lady likes it."
"Because the lady has been exposed to it for long
amounts of time, and she didn't say or look like she was uncomfortable at
all. She looked like she enjoyed it."
" The lady could have been just pretending to enjoy
it."
"Then at least the smell shall keep her calm and it
shall also keep her safe from nightmares."
"What if the lady does have a nightmare?"
"Then the gentleman shall be the first to wake her
from her nightmare, since he would be the closest."
"That's good to know. Are you a gentleman, Roxton?"
"I am as much a gentleman as you are a lady. But if you are not a lady, and I not a
gentleman, then we shall both pretend to be.
I am a gentleman or I pretend to be one. You are a lady or you will pretend to be one."
"That's good to know." Marguerite repeated.
"Oh yes, it is."
"So, I'll take our visitor to her new room, and then
I'll make myself comfortable in yours."
"Oh yes, please do."
"Don't worry I will."
"I'm sure…"But Marguerite cut him off.
"I'm positive."
So Marguerite told the Luanda (in Luanda's language)
to follow her. Luanda did and
Marguerite returned a few minutes later to announce that Luanda was asleep, as
was the baby.
"So will you tell us why you invited her without our
consent?" asked Veronica.
"I did promise didn't I? pause
Luanda told me that her village was going to sacrifice the baby because it's
fever was incurable by the village shaman.
In her culture, when the disease stays with a person for more than a
month, then that means that the gods want that person to come to them. If the person is not sacrificed after a
month and the sickness is still there, the gods will not be pleased. Especially if the person dies instead of
being sacrificed, then it's soul will roam the earth eternally, dammed. Tobin, the baby, is Luanda's first
born. She had many miscarriages and
this is the first time that she succeeded in actually giving birth. The baby has been sick for almost a month
when Luanda left the village. She
didn't want them sacrificing her only child so she took the boy and ran, not
telling anybody but her husband. The
theory is that if the baby gets better, she will return to her village. The problem is that, she barely made it
here; she had great luck. She is asking
us, or rather me, to help her get back to the village. Luanda will not make it by herself. She wants to go as soon as possible because,
although her husband told her he loved her, she is afraid that he will think
that she is dead and marry another. So
Challenger, will the baby be all right and when?"
"The baby will be fine tomorrow." Challenger
replied.
"Good, then I'll leave tomorrow with our guest. Anybody coming with me?" Asked Marguerite.
"I'm game." Roxton said.
"Count me in." Ned said.
"Well, I'll go too." Veronica said after some
hesitation.
"I'm afraid I must decline, the erythrism in my
shoulders are is making me very uncomfortable, and I seem to be close to
finding a pain killer in a certain plant that will help with my pain. I really would like to finish it. And besides, the pain will only be slowing
you all down. I'll miss you, but you
are a brave bunch." Challenger replied.
"Are you sure Professor?" Asked Veronica.
"Positive my dear."
"Okay" Veronica replied with exasperation.
"Why, it's almost dinner time. I do believe it's your turn to cook dinner
Roxton. Make sure you don't burn the
raptor meat." Marguerite said, changing the subject.
"Don't worry, Marguerite, I won't. Besides, don't you need to get ready for
sleep? Remember, you get to sleep in my
room tonight."
"Oh, don't worry Roxton, I haven't forgot." Marguerite said and turned around and went
to her room.
Roxton smiled and went into the kitchen. The rest went to there rooms to pack. Challenger went to his laboratory.
_________________________Two Hours
Later_________________________
Roxton went into each room and told each person that
dinner was ready. His cooking was
actually not that bad, but Marguerite being Marguerite (and not quite yet
forgotten the feeling the nightmare awoke) complained nonstop. She ate it anyway. Even their guest woke up and ate the dinner. The baby remained asleep.
After dinner, with Luanda's help, they figured out a
route to Luanda's village.
Veronica soon drifted into her room, Malone into his
and Challenger into the lab. John
cleaned up the dishes and Marguerite tried to make Roxton's room a bit more to
her liking. Everyone settled into
their beds and drifted off to sleep.
Everyone but Marguerite, that is.
Roxton's intriguing smell was all around her. She felt trapped! The worst part is that she liked it, really liked it. The smell reminded her of times when she was
close enough to smell it. It made her
feel warm, comfortable, and secure. She
felt a longing for his arms. Stop it, she scolded herself. But his smell was becoming
intoxicating. He will just love you
and leave you; just like all the others her mind told her. But her heart told her: No, he is different, he is special, he is… with
that Marguerite feel asleep. And
drifted into a sea of Lord John Roxton.
She smiled, as his scent enfolded it's self around her. Warding off nightmares and bad dreams, and
giving her pleasant dreams, the scent gave her comfort and security.
Author's note: Thank you all for reviewing, it made
me finish this even faster with your support.
Please express all your opinions and suggestions. I have a feeling where this might go, but
you never know when you get writers block.
Chapter 3 is in production and hopefully I'll finish it soon. I have a feeling this will have a lot of
chapters!! :)
Thanks again and please review!!!!!!!!!!!!
