Disclaimer: I don't own anything that pertains to the labyrinth or its characters.

Chapter 1

Williams' House, Aboveground, 1901

"Come to me, my love! You are a jewel among women, fairer, and more beautiful than all the women here, come to me!"

That deep hypnotic voice, that commanding voice, its timbre the rough-smoothness of raw silk—oh, how that voice drew her! She dearly wanted to answer its summons, but dare not.

"My lord, I cannot" she implored the voice. "I dare not…. Please don't ask it of me!"

Ann stirred restlessly, mumbling in fitful sleep as the dream took over once again: the same deliciously disturbing dream she has had so many times since she could remember. He long lashes fluttered against her cheek. She flung out one pale, slender arm and sighed deeply, thrusting the crisp bed sheet and a forgotten book aside as the now familiar images unraveled through her mind.

Pale sands—a gleaming ocean frozen into endless waves—billowed beyond and about an oasis in the silvery moonlight. Atop a nearby hill was a magnificent steed. The ebony stallion seemed sculpted from the night itself, while his rider cut an equally commanding figure, cloaked in silhouette-black against an indigo sky spangled with blazing stars.

"My lord!" she whispered, and her heartbeat quickened.

The rider was as still and silent as the night around him. Only the long dark cloth that wiped in the wind around his shoulders and back made a sound. His face was shadowed except for the mismatched eyes that seemed to gleam in the moonlight. The same breeze blowing his cape, made his long unruly hair blow about his hidden face. The night making his hair look dark—but Ann knew—Oh, how well she knew!—that his hair was fair and bright as the sun, the silky, glossy texture of those long strands of hair beneath her fingertips; the smoldering ardor of mismatched eyes aflame with desire as he came slowly riding across the shifting sands towards her….

Somewhere within the house, a door slammed. She jerked awake, and her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes flew open. She stared upwards, neither a breeze nor a blazing star shining down from an indigo sky, but at the whiteness of her bedroom ceiling in the moonlight that streamed through the window.

The sound had been as loud and angry as a gunshot in the quiet house, and its violence and her subconscious straining for it all night long, even in the depths of sleep, had wakened her, she realized drowsily. Toby had a bad habit of slamming doors that she'd been unable to break him of.

She drew a shaky breath and tried to calm the frantic galloping of her heart, taking deep, calming breaths, the throbbing grew more even and controlled. The remnants of the dream receded as reality intruded. She let it go without fighting to recall each vivid detail. The dream would return, as it always did, if not this night, then the next. It had done so since childhood! But the door—well, that was another matter! She'd heard it slam! That could only mean one thing, at this ungodly hour: Toby had come home at last, and she could finally confront him with the terrible accusations William Merchant had made against him.

She threw aside the tangled sheets and padded across the room in search of her dressing gown, outwardly composed, inwardly seething with mixed emotions. Hurriedly, tying the sash about her waist, she smoothed her waist-length, sleep tousled dark-almost midnight hair with a hint of red away from her shoulder and started downstairs, moving blindly through the dark house with ease.

A single gas lamp lit the study against her younger brother's return. Pausing by the opened door, Ann saw him standing there, rocking a little on his heels. In one hand he held a glass and in the other a decanter filled with whiskey, which he was sloshing into it. His fair hair was unruly. His collar and tie was untidy and loosened. He tossed down a gulp or two before he noticed Ann standing in the doorway and turned unsteadily to face her. Judging by his appearance, he'd been drinking heavily long before arriving at home, she realized with a deep since of foreboding. Not again, please God not again! She prayed silently, and wished that she were less cowardly, more like the heroines of the novels she devoured. They'd never yearn to escape the realities and responsibilities of life. They'd meet them head-on, and fierceness she could only dream of…

"Well, well, sister dear! Having trouble sleeping were you?" he jeered, his handsome face twisted into an unpleasant sneer as he saw her standing there.

"Never mind that! Where were you Toby?" Ann stated, taking a hesitant step or two into the room. "You have been gone for a couple of day now. I was afraid you'd—

"What? Done mischief to myself?" he retorted, his upper lip curling in contempt. "Don't make me laugh! The only thing you're afraid of is the chance of my being in trouble, and tarnishing the fine old Williams name. Isn't that right, Ann?"

In the amber light, which spilled from the glassy lamp, Toby saw the color drain from his sister's coral mouth. Simultaneously, two spots of crimson rose in her cheeks. Ha! Good for her, that beautiful, harping bitch. If she hadn't been riled before, she was thoroughly so now, he experienced a glow of satisfaction at seeing the Ice Queen so shaken from her customary cool and calm demeanor. Who did she think she was anyway?

"I suppose you're right, to some extent," Ann admitted very softly, and he knew by the, slight tremor in her voice the enormous self-control it took to refrain from screaming at him. She had a temper which she controls with varying degrees of success on such occasions. "I was worried that you might be in trouble. And with good reason, don't you think? After all, I'm still your legal guardian until next year, and it wouldn't be the first time you disgraced us, would it?"

She paused to make her point sink home, but Toby's expression remained unchanged.

"Oh, get on with it!" he urged, irritated. "Let's have your sermon and be done with it! I don't have all night to listen to your nonsense!

"Very well, William Merchant was here yesterday! He made some very serious accusations against you, Toby. In fact, he sworn out a warrant for your arrest!

"Good God! On what charge?"

"That you attached his wife!" she whispered. "I—I was so afraid the police had already apprehended you when you didn't come home…"

With her shocking announcement, the evil grin Toby wore disappeared, as if the grin were chalk wiped from a slate by a damp rag. Oh, Christ, here it was again, he could tell! She'd bring it all up again, all that messy business with the little slut of a parlor maid. In her mind, Ann obviously believed Merchant's accusations because of Toby's lurid past exploits, and had him tried, found guilty, and hanged, he could tell it by her expression. That blasted old fool Merchant and his trumped-up charges—!

Nausea filled him despite his scorn. With her shocking disclosure, his bloody skull had started to ache abominably again, and he felt the beginning of another of his migraines that had pained him since he was a child. The headaches were becoming more frequent now, and even the bloody liquor couldn't dull the pain anymore. Neither could opiates, through God knows, he'd tried them all. Unfortunately, he's grown immune to the effects of laudanum long since.

The pain increased, as if hammers were in his skull pounding away. Bright lights flashed behind his eyes and cold sweat beaded his brow. Oh Christ, he'd had enough, more than enough! Just because Ann controlled the Williams money didn't mean she could run his life forever, damn her….

"And so you believed him, of course, hook line and sinker?" he responded at length. "Damn you, Ann! Must I go on paying for my mistake for the rest of my life?" he gritted through clenched teeth. "Having you doubt me at every turn, listening to you accuse me, hearing you take others words against mine, because of that one mistake? Haven't you ever heard of forgive and forget, oh sister, of mine?"

"Forgive, perhaps, but forget--?" A sigh escaped Ann. "I only wish I could! I've tried, but I can't forget it, Toby! When one's own brother does something so—so despicable as what you did to that poor girl two years ago, it can never be completely forgotten like just a little 'mistake,' as you call it! Now, what about Merchant's wife—and please, don't try to ignore the issue this time," she warned him, trying to sound in control and calmer than she felt. "He told me he caught you red-handed with his wife. That you hurt her, and—and—that you—!" She couldn't bring herself to say it. It was to distasteful a word for her to say aloud.

Toby scowled moodily at her like a truculent schoolboy. "Raped her? What? Can't you say it, my dear? Oh, damn Merchant to hell! If the old goat can't please his young bride, then that's his problem. Whatever he told you, it certainly wasn't rape!" he growled. "So forget all about his pathetic, empty little threats and go back to bed. And Ann—when I want your interference in my affairs in the future, I'll ask for it."

He turned back to his drink and poured himself another one. As he did so the lamplight illumined his face. Two vivid scratches scored his cheek from eye to jaw, she saw, and there were tiny beads of dried blood clinging to the scratches. An angry red ring encircled his throat where his necklace laid that she had given him for his sixteenth birthday, some years ago. It looked as though someone wound their hand in the chain and squeezed tightly desperately. A sick feeling stirred in the pit of her belly. A throbbing began in her temple.

"Your face!" she blurted out, feeling suddenly short of breath, for it was like a nightmare relieved to see those marks upon him again. "If Merchant's lying, then what—what on earth happened to you?"

On reflex, Toby reached up to finger the scratches. "These?" He laughed. "Ah, yes, I'd almost forgotten!" Well, let's see. How can I word it for your delicate ears, sister dear?" He paused. "Shall we say that I tangled with a moody cat? A amoral little she-cat named Maria Merchant! She started off purring in my arms, and then tired to scratch me to pieces when her husband walked in on us!" He cocked a rakish eyebrow at Ann's shocked expression. "Oh, my! Does such plain talk offend your prim sensibilities, my dear? Do forgive me. But in all honesty—that is exactly what happened. Dear old William surprised me royally 'while incognito' with his lovely little wife in his own bed, and the impotent old bastard—"

"Stop it!" she cried, covering her ears with her hands. "I won't be put off by your—your coarseness, not this time Toby. I insist you tell me what happened to your face! The truth."

"I told you the truth. If you don't like it, then mind your own damn business, Ann! My head is aching and I am tired so I am going up to bed. You can stand there all night long for all I care. Goodnight, sister."

"I am warning you, Toby," Ann threatened unsteadily as he drew level with her, though she was half-afraid of the evil glitter in her brother's blue eyes. "You won't be able to wiggle you way out of this scrape. Merchant is very serious and the police are out there now looking for you! When they find you, you'll be arrested, jailed and forced to stand trial. I got you out of the last episode, but I will not be able to get you out of this one. Merchant is a wealthy man, and he is out for blood. He could have you hanged!

Her dramatic outburst crackled on what seemed and endless silence before either of them spoke again.

"My God, you're serious aren't you?" he said softly, meeting her frightened golden brown eyes with his own blue ones.

"Very, I'm afraid." She gave a soft sigh of despair.

"Good God!" Toby exclaimed with mixed feelings. "The man's a bloody fool! He can't truly believe I raped his wife, for crying out loud?"

"On the contrary, it seems he does."

"But—it's a bloody lie! Maria and I well, we've been having an affair for awhile now. She invited me to a dinner party at their home last night. All the other guest were playing billiards or gossiping after dinner, and she was bored to death. She's much younger than her husband and his friends' wives, you see?" Stiffly, Ann nodded. Maria invited me up and one thing lead to another and her husband came into the room and caught us together in their bed.

"I'm sorry, but that pat little explanation won't do, Toby, not this time! Merchant said that his wife had—bruises and that her clothing was torn! Does that sound like two people enjoying a passionate, romantic tryst?"

"Oh, I don't doubt for a minute that she had a bruise or two," he said levelly and with no apparent surprise. "The lovely Maria is a beautiful—man-eating tigress! Oh Lord, don't look at me that way, Ann! The real world is more sordid than some romantic fairytale that you read in those novels of yours. Some women enjoy pain while having pleasure at the same time. How can you be so much more innocent when you are a good 8 years older than I am."

"Toby, I—really want to believe you, I truly do but I—." Her voice broke off lamely. Her eyes slid away from his.

"But you can't?" he snarled, finishing her sentence.

"Merchant was very convincing, Toby, very!" she cried, half-pleading, half-defiant. "And besides, that other time with Sue—those scratches on your cheek then! Toby, I'm only human! What am I suppose to believe.

"That other time,' 'that other time'—that's all I've heard since it happened! I was little more than a by myself then, and that chit was a cheap little trollop who was more than eager—despite what her coarse lout of a father might have said to the contrary—to squeeze more money out of you! Christ! I'm a wanted man! I could spend years in prison for something I didn't do! I swear to you on our mother's grave, I'm innocent! Tell me you believe me, at least. Tell me you don't believe me guilty of raping another man's wife—of forcing myself on a woman.

He eyes can to rest on the vivid welt encircling his neck, then were drawn back to the deep, bloody scratches uncomfortably away. She swallowed, trembling all over, her mouth working soundlessly like a gasping fish. She wanted to reassure him—to say something—but couldn't bring herself to speak at all.

Toby gave a short, harsh laugh. "Well, I suppose your silence says it all, doesn't it. Thanks for the vote of confidence, sister of mine! That's all I needed to know." He started through the door.

"Toby, wait! If what you say is true then, we have to talk, decide what to do. You can't walk out like this!" she cried after him, suddenly finding her tongue. "You can't run!" she whispered again. "It'll only make matters worse."

No. He couldn't turn his back on what happened and pretend that it didn't happen; couldn't duck his responsibilities as he had before. They needed to talk about this. And besides, before she'd died their mama had asked her to take care of poor, troubled Toby, her incorrigible, violent-tempered younger brother. She loved him, though he was often a difficult person to love, and harder still to like. It was her duty as his guardian to try to sort this mess out and stand beside him, to the bitter end, if need be, whatever scandal or shame it brought upon their family name.

At the foot of the stairs in the paneled entryway, he turned and looked back at her over this shoulder, his fingers already closing over the front doorknob. His expression was pained.

"Can't I?" he asked mockingly, rubbing his temples. "Just watch me! And if the police come and ask about me, do me one last favor: tell them I've left Williams House for good and that you don't know where I have gone. And don't worry about lying to them, my dear sister! Once I walk out of here, it'll be the truth.

The anger that had been building inside her burst free at last.

"Go then, confound you Toby! Go, if you're too bloody cowardly to stay and face the consequences of your actions like a man! Perhaps it'll be for the best. I'm tired of making excuses for your wild behavior, for your dinking and gambling, and having to bail you out of one scrape after another! Go! If you must—and don't come back.

He slammed the door for a second time that night as he stormed out, leaving her with tears of frustration and anguish at her outburst shining in her golden eyes.

When, after fitful exhausted sleep, she awakened the next morning to a perfect spring day, she found his bed had not been slept in. As he threatened—and she'd screamed at him to do—Toby was gone.

Over a year and a half would pass without word form him. Almost two years would come and go before she learned the terrible error in judgment she'd made that night. Everything Toby had told her was the truth….


Enchantress of Dreams: Just to let you know. This story is a stand alone story it doesn't follow the storyline of the movie. Sorry if that disappoints but i just like this idea. Again Thanx to my readers.