IEHBD – GLADIATORS
CHAPTER 2
"Grrr, go to hell, Roxton!" - Marguerite said furiously.
"You too!" - John answered in the same tone.
"What's happening here!" - Veronica arrived considering that whole strange agitation.
"Nothing, Veronica, we're singing!" - the heiress debauched.
"Marguerite..." - Veronica held herself to prevent answering the heiress in the same way, since this wasn't why she was there.
"I can explain..." - Roxton went ahead.
"So?" - The blond crossed her arms waiting for his explanation.
"Whatever he says, don't believe him, it is a slander!" - the heiress interrupted, receiving reprehension glances from the two friends.
"May I continue?" - The question was for Marguerite, however John continued facing Veronica. The brown-haired woman shrugged and crossed her arms. The hunter continued.
"Marguerite is jealous of..."
"Jealous? Me? This word doesn't exist in my vocabulary!" - She was even more irritated.
"Maybe I need you to explain me better." - Veronica answered, but seeing John taking advantage of it, she replied to him - "Continue, I don't have too much time for you two!"
"Thank you, Veronica... I hope not being interrupted again..." - Marguerite giggled - "As I said, Marguerite is jealous of my relationship with..." - He hesitated to delight himself with the afflict expression in Marguerite's face. He turned for her and he spoke very slowly articulating the word - "... Tommy..." - He smiled shamelessly, while she almost hung him.
"Roxton, who gave you the right to take conclusions about what I think or feel?"
"Then you admit!"
"IF it was true..."
Veronica's calm voice intervened in the conversation, catching the attention of the other two.
"Was it all? All that shouting, that exchange of 'praises ', was only for that? I wasted my time here, thinking that it was a serious thing, however... I don't believe it!"
"Well, it was just to make her to understand that I am not a 'Krux's property'" - Roxton ignored the blonde's comment.
"Oh, for God's sake..." - Marguerite shook her head.
"So what is it?" - Roxton quickly answered, without giving space for her to continue.
"It is nothing. I just lament that the little brat have to expend with you a time that would be extremely profitable otherwise. Roxton, you have to understand that it's not his fault that you didn't have time to have your own childhood!"
"Time? childhood? Do you think I am playing with him because I want?"
"Yes, and some games are absolutely no funny, by the way..."
"Games? Traps are not games!" - The hunter was exalted.
"Ohhhhhh yes, they are games for the little boy!"
"At least he learns something with me!"
At this time Veronica had already sat down calmly by the kitchen's table, and she ate an apple while observed entertained the discussion.
"What do you mean?"
"Me? Nothing..." - Roxton shrugged.
"John Roxton" - She sounded extremely serious - "You are insinuating that… that little brat doesn't learn anything when he is with me? Is that what you mean?"
"You see, I didn't say anything, Veronica is here as a witness..."
"Don't put me in that confusion." - the girl laughed.
"Ok. Let's make a deal. In one week, whoever teaches him more things will be free from any obligation in the Treehouse during a month, and the one who loses will have to cope with the other one's tasks" – Marguerite's eyes almost popped in rage when facing the Lord's calm.
"It sounds like a bet."
"Face it as you wish" - Veronica observed everything arms-crossed, while Marguerite spoke - "I think you have to prepare yourself."
"Done! I enjoy challenges, 'Marguerite Krux'."
"You would enjoy them even more if you could win, 'Lord John Roxton '" - she left in a hurry being observed by two curious friends.
"What are you laughing of, Veronica?"
"Well, besides the fact that I will have a nanny for one week?"
Even before the dispute had begun, the Treehouse residents' were under the impression that the two were already in combat.
Veronica had explained to the others what had happened, but they couldn't believe. However, knowing about the "intransigent dispute", she allowed the situation to take bigger proportions.
"Nobody interferes in the dispute." - Veronica was very clear to them all. - "Let's see where this will take us."
In the girl's head everything would be very simple. She would leave the two troublemakers in charge of Tommy, and she would be monitoring them all in case of any eventual problem.
At night, when they went to bed, Malone intervened.
"I have an idea"- He smiled.
"Have you? And are you going to share it with me?"
"Marguerite and Roxton have a bet, right?"
"Right."
"What about if we take advantage of it?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"One week." - He hugged the girl - "Humm! We could leave for one week... Just you and me." - He approached her even more. Veronica laughed skeptically.
"You must be kidding." - She looked at Malone who smiled even more -"No. You are not kidding."
"I know that it sounds like a crazy idea..."
"It IS a crazy idea."
"They would never allow something bad to happen to Tommy, and he adores them too. And we already took care of him before when you got sick, remember?"
"But you were all together. And you were also around."
"He's already accustomed with everybody in the house. He will miss you, but you will be far just for a short period of time."
"I would die missing him." - She whined.
Ned hugged her stronger, consoling her.
"Tell me only one thing: since we are together how many days we had only for us?"
Veronica didn't think before answering.
"Not even one day."
"Then imagine. Just you and me, together, exploring the plateau."
It was her turn to nestle herself against him with a smile.
"Hum. I am imagining."
"You know that I love that little boy, but..."
"One week is too much time, Ned." - Malone noticed that she was giving in.
"Less time, then. Five days. What do you think?"
Veronica wrinkled an afflicted face, but after a pause she said hesitant.
"Three days. And they will commit to send signs with the mirrors in the morning and in the afternoon."
"Alright." - Ned continued to approach -"I will love not to have to divide my lady with the small gentleman at least for a few days."
"Come here." – Smiling, Veronica pulled Malone to herself.
Veronica determined the rules of the dispute. At the dinner table she reunited the "gladiators" Roxton and Marguerite, having as witnesses Summerlee, Challenger and Malone, and the "disciple" Tommy.
"The day after tomorrow, starting at seven o'clock AM Tommy will be completely under your responsibility."
"You can trust me"- Roxton interrupted, turning sarcastically for Marguerite who looked back at him with disdain.
"Quiet" - Veronica continued - "And to guarantee that none of us will interfere, I and Ned will be leaving to north for three days."
The hunter and the heiress exchanged terrifying glances. They were encouraged with the dispute, but to be with the boy without Veronica or Malone around was a completely different story.
"Wait a minute..." - Roxton began hesitant.
"Any problem, Lord Roxton?" - Marguerite provoked him, as terrified as he was, but without showing it to him.
Roxton replied.
"Of course not, Miss Krux. I am only thinking that Veronica will miss the kid."
"And I and Challenger are going to west to pick some samples"- Summerlee interrupted.
"Are we?" - Challenger looked surprise at the botanist.
"Don't you want to be here when this all begin, do you?" - as always Arthur's logic was unbeatable.
"I prefer to run of the raptors." - George joked.
With Tommy seating by the table in front of him observing the movement, Ned laughed non-stop.
"Then, we agree."- Veronica continued pretending tranquility, containing the laughter. - "The rules are as follows: 1) Tommy has a routine and you will follow it precisely; 2) none of you two will take him inside the forest without the other." - Veronica looked at Roxton remembering the episode of the trap.
The hunter lowered his head as a naughty boy while Marguerite gave a resonant laugh. Veronica continued.
"3) At dawn and in the afternoon you will send messages using the mirrors and you will wait for our answers. 4) You will divide the schedules for being with him. I don't want Tommy to be pulled for there and for here. If you will teach something to him, then do it right. 5) The one who manage to make him learn the most relevant thing will be the winner. And don't force him. Do you agree?"
"It is perfect"- the hunter and the heiress answered at the same time, observing each other in a provoking way. They were already getting up when Veronica interrupted them with a very firm voice.
"And the most important thing." - The blond leaned in the table facing the two with a very austere looking. Even Marguerite, accustomed to conflicts, felt a chill run through her spine – "If anything happens to him, I will kill you both. And it won't be fast. Did you understand?"- she said calmly, and the pair agreed quickly nodding their head.
At the end of the meeting Veronica, Ned and Tommy said good night to their friends and left heading their room.
"What was the joke, Malone?" - Roxton was intrigued when noticing his friend smiling from ear to ear.
"Nothing, I was only commenting with Veronica that will be more than a test, it will be a training for you two..." - Veronica could not contain the laughter that Ned was already freeing for a long time.
"Very funny" - Marguerite turned red, and Roxton didn't know what to say.
"Good night, and rest. Believe, you will need it." - The couple and the boy left Marguerite and Roxton facing each other.
"See you later, Marguerite... ah, and good luck..." - He smiled.
"You're the one who will need luck, John... ah..." - She imitated - "Good dreams."
"I will... I will dream about how you would be amusing hunting dinner for a whole month."
"Better would be if you could see the great hunter, with sewing thread and needle in his hands, trying to do something" – She said ironically.
"Well, any way, dream about me" - John took off her clothes with a glance, while she burned inside with rage.
"... usually this kind of dream becomes a nightmare."
"It wasn't funny, Marguerite" - He was serious.
She got closer to him with a provocative expression and a certain shine in her glance. When she was very close to him, she smiled and she murmured. - "It was."
John sighed when she left the room. That woman poked his nerves. - "I hope I can have a good night of sleep, because the day after tomorrow I'll wake up very early and I'll begin Tommy's classes."
Already in her room, Marguerite thought. - "The day after tomorrow I'll get up earlier than Veronica, and I'll take the little brat with me. Just wait and see, Roxton."
TO BE CONTINUED...
