Chapter 14



The Cottage:



"Rhiannon, I'm amazed at your progress," Barnabas said with pride. "This is our last lesson I think." "You mean I'm ready for Quentin now?" She asked hopefully. "What do you know about that?" He asked. "I know that when I went to him the other day he was disgusted with me, my speech, my mannerisms. I know that it's for him that we've done these lessons, why I don't know, but I do know its because he wants me. I know I wasn't very enthusiastic before, but when he rejected me at his doorstep the other day I made up my mind that I'd be willing to learn and that I'd do my best to become what he wants. I want him too." "Well," Barnabas said clearing his throat awkwardly, "You're ready now , and I wish you the best of luck." With that Rhiannon hugged him shyly and walked back down the path to the old house.





Meanwhile at Collinwood:



David came into the foyer and started to dash up the stairs when he heard Quentin call to him. "David! Come here, join me for a drink." "I'd like to Quentin but I have some work to do and I- "I said join me!" Quentin interrupted. David wondered which was worse, an angry Quentin, or Quentin angry when he was drunk. He'd seen both and neither were very good. So he walked into the drawing room and saw Quentin on the couch with a glass of sherry in one hand and Nancy's discarded book in the other. "David," he asked, his voice soft and musing, "Do you think I'm a cruel man?" "I-" "Yes, Quentin cut him off again, "you do, I know you do. Do you know how frustrating it is when a man can't rule his household as he likes?" "But you do run it as you like, you have been for 20 years." "Things are changing David, I can feel something changing, in this house, within me. I won't stand for it, I tell you!" Quentin flung his half empty glass against the mantle. "I-I've got a lot of work to do Quentin..." David said as he backed out of the room. "Stay!" Quentin commanded as he jumped up from the sofa and stood, his face inches from David's. "Do you fear me David? Do you?" "Yes," David whimpered. A grown man of thirty and he was afraid.

"Good." Quentin breathed into his face, the smell of liquor heavy on his breath. He slapped the young man across his face and laughed. "Yes David, fear me, fear me as you never have before."



Meanwhile upstairs, Nancy dropped her suitcase out her bedroom window, and closed her door quietly. She heard the voices from downstairs and hoped no one would notice her escape. She planned to go to the old house and get Rhiannon, and together they would go to New York. Even if Nancy's mother didn't want her, as Quentin said, she would be away from him, away from this house, the memories.



She crept quietly through the hall, across the landing and down the stairs. She had just made it to the front door when she heard Quentin demand "where do you think you're going?" He was drunk, she could tell. Maybe if she lied and said she was just going for a walk, he'd forget about her later and wouldn't come looking. "I was just going to the old house, to see Rhiannon. We thought we'd see a movie in town tonight." she lied smoothly.



"Rhiannon eh?" he asked a leering grin on his face, "remember, only good things Nancy, only good things. Won't be long now." "Yes Quentin, only good things." She walked calmly out the door. "Free, I'm free!" She thought joyousley as she went beneath her window and picked up her suitcase. She whistled a happy song as she walked to the old house.