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BEYOND THE SHADOWS

CHAPTER 4

"Christine…" the voice was calling from the deepest recesses of her mind.

"Christine…" it was a little more urgent this time.

"Christine!" Meg chuckled irritably as Christine finally propped one eye open and peered at her through long lashes.

"What?" She asked, knowing it would drive Meg crazy.

Meg rolled her eyes, and then pointed at the side of her mouth, "You might want to wipe away that long line of drool making a crevice in your cheek." She whispered.

Christine turned three shades of red and immediately wiped away the offending mass; but there was nothing there and Meg was laughing hysterically.

"Do you ever tire of tormenting me?" Christine asked, with a mortified look on her face.

Meg didn't say anything aloud, but her mouth moved to the word, "Never."

Rachel waited until the plane came to a complete stop, and then she got up out of her seat and came toward them. She was smiling and talking to someone on the other end of her cell phone.

"Yes, the flight was good and everyone has arrived in one piece." She said. "Okay."

She closed her cell phone and retrieved her luggage. They walked down the short aisle and got off the plane. The sun was in full shine and the day was cool, but Christine and Meg were still on New York time. Thankfully, they had gotten some sleep on the plane.

A huge, ornate Victorian style house sat on the hill in the background and Christine just stood dumbfounded for a few minutes.

"Where are we?" She finally asked.

Meg shrugged her shoulder, equally as speechless and Rachel came up beside them as a shiny, new, silver 2006 Land Rover pulled up.

"Welcome to Wee Cumbrae Island, Scotland." Rachel said, "Up until several months ago, this Island was for sale…Erik bought it."

Christine looked at Meg and they both had that, I-don't-believe-this, look on their face.

Christine turned to Rachel, "He BOUGHT the Island?"

"Yes." Was all Rachel said.

Christine now knew that she would have never found Mr. St. Clair on her own; it had been a stroke of luck running into Jess that day and being pointed in the direction of the orphanage.

She looked around her and saw the fairytale attributes that surrounded them. The rolling hills, the lush flora and fauna, the bluest sky she had ever seen and the pounding of the waves in the Firth of Clyde.

This was heaven, and she was going to enjoy it. The air was crisp and fresh, with a slight breeze blowing in from the east. Christine breathed in the natural scent of the atmosphere and smiled; she could get used to this.

She turned and looked at Meg and saw the same peaceful expression on her face. They exchanged glances and then piled their luggage into the Land Rover and were driven toward the large Victorian style house. The terrain was rocky and rough, but the vehicle managed it with ease. The house was stunning in its gothic beauty and the gardens surrounding it were breathtaking.

"Erik surrounds himself with beautiful things…he loves the gardens and the ocean – here on the island, he gets both." Rachel informed them.

Christine asked the question she had been dying to ask in New York; now, seeing everything that was displayed in front of her, Christine could not resist.

"With your brother being a millionaire, and having this island to live on, and so much room to spare, why do you choose to live at an orphanage in New York City?"

Rachel smiled up at her; her countenance carried an inner glow that one only gets from complete contentment and joy, "I choose to work with children who are in desperate need of someone to love them." Her voice cracked with the emotions she was feeling, "My brother loved me and my sister enough to come and save us…even though he didn't know us."

As they approached the house, Rachel once again explained her actions, "If I can help just one child have a better life because of my love…then it is all worth it." She finally smiled brightly, "And, just for clarification, my brother isn't a millionaire…" She chuckled as Christine's eyes lit up, "…he's actually a billionaire.

"Through a series of brilliant investments, his genius as an architect, and a composer, he has turned his initial, diminutive investment into a vast fortune." Rachel expounded, "He is far more prosperous than Ms. Barnhouse knows."

Christine shook her head in agreement. She was impressed with the house, the land, the sister, the jet, the Land Rover…everything so far…would she be as equally impressed by the man himself?

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The house was exquisitely decorated; each room having its own theme and color scheme. The house had twelve bedrooms, five reception halls; one having been turned in a movie theater and another was a stage theater and music hall. It had three bathrooms, a large restaurant style kitchen, an elegantly decorated dining hall, an art gallery and library – and several other rooms that were being renovated.

Christine and Meg walked through the house in complete awe at the beauty and intricacies that were evident.

"I have never seen anything like it…this is a very old home and he has renovated and redesigned it - it's beautiful." Christine stated.

"Actually, it is very old, dating back to the 13th century. Erik wanted to keep the Scottish historical value and give it some modernization." Rachel stated, "He is redecorating all of the houses on the island, rebuilding the stables and boathouse, and redoing the lighthouse."

Christine looked around her, as far as her eyes could see, "Speaking of Mr. St. Clair…when do we get the honor of meeting him?"

From out of nowhere, there was a voice…a masculine, sensually charged, voice surrounding them. Christine discovered a speaker sitting on top of the fireplace mantel; it was the source of the voice.

"I am not thoroughly convinced that it would be an honor to meet me, Ms. Daae." The voice stated, with a smile hidden in its melodious tone. "Therefore, I shall remain concealed…for now." He paused, "And the honor is all mines, Ms. Daae, welcome to my home." There was a slight pause, "I am Erik St. Clair."

Christine felt a shiver run over her spine from the beauty of the voice and the sorrow and loneliness she heard behind the beauty.

"I must state my disappointment, Mr. St. Clair…I came here to talk to you." Christine emphasized, making sure he understood that talking to him was what she expected.

A masculine chuckle was heard, reverberating into her inner being, "And talk we shall, Ms. Daae." He paused, as if thinking about his next words, "Until such a time that I deem, or until my ever intruding family talks me out of hiding…there are intercom speakers placed strategically around the house. Should you need to ask me something directly…something that Rachel, Rebekah, or a member of my staff cannot answer, then press the button on one of the speakers and I will be at your service."

There was silence until a dark skinned man moved into the room, smiling and bowing. He approached Christine, took her hand in his, and bought it to his forehead in greeting; he repeated the action with Meg.

He was of average height, with medium length, straight black hair and he was wearing Indian garb. He was no older than 30 or 35, with dancing black eyes and a friendly smile; he was handsome…in an exotic way.

"Good day, ladies." He said in accented English. "I am Nadeesh Janaki, Erik's long-time friend, assistant, and brother-in-law. I will be here, ready to assist you, should you require anything during your stay."

Behind him, came a stunning, dark haired woman. The resemblance to Rachel was uncanny, "Hello, I am Rebekah Janaki, formally Rebekah St. Clair…" She smiled radiantly as her husband put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him for an intimate hug. "…I am Erik's other sister."

They all stood smiling at each other, until Rebekah stated the obvious, "You must be tired after your long flight; please, take some time to rest and relax."

Nadeesh clapped his hands and a young boy came forward to lead them to their rooms. He was a miniature version of the man standing in front of them, except he had blue eyes.

"This is our son, Sachin; he will take you to your rooms so that you may rest before dinner - it is served at 7 pm." Nadeesh stated.

They followed the young boy up the flowing staircase to the second floor. He took them to side-by-side rooms, over looking the gardens. The view was spectacular.

"Oh Meg…have you ever seen anything so lovely?" Christine breathed, as Meg walked into her room.

"I know…they sure don't have views like this in New York." Meg observed.

They both stood with awestruck faces for a few minutes; slowly, Christine turned to Meg with a concerned look on her face.

"What do you think of our illustrious host?" She asked. "That voice was amazing."

Meg shrugged and gave a slight chuckle, "I don't know whether to think he is shy, eccentric, or just introverted…or maybe a mix of the three."

Christine lifted her brow and sighed, she didn't know what to think either. "I've never been exposed to someone who has as much money as this man is rumored to have." She stated with a swell of nervousness overtaking her.

"His sisters are nice and so are Nadeesh and Sachin." Meg commented. "And that voice we heard over the intercom was so…captivating."

Christine had to agree with that, the voice of Mr. St. Clair was rather esoteric in its quality and tone; she had felt herself drawn in by its mesmerizing capabilities.

"There is so much to this man and his family…so much more than is seen on the surface." Christine analyzed, "I don't know what it is…my intuition tells me that I am about to discover something that will rock my world."

Meg frowned briefly, but then her eyes and face lit up, "Well, whatever it is, I hope we don't have to leave this island paradise."

Christine smiled but there was still apprehension in her features, "I don't know what it is, but everything seems to stem on who Mr. St. Clair is and what he has to tell me."

TBC