Chapter 2.

Sophie pulled up in front of the Williams' house and honked the horn. Sarah shouted out her bedroom window she'd be right down. Karen looked out the front door and as Sarah came down the stairs asked, "Who is that?"

"Sophie Curtis, she's new." Sarah said heading for the kitchen for her juice. "She offered to drive me to and from school so I don't have to take the bus. We've got a few classes together…and I really like her. She's…different."

Robert looked up, "Did you say Sophie Curtis?" He looked at Karen. "We represent her mother…I'm working on her trust fund." He motioned Sarah. "Invite her in."

Sarah smiled, "Sure." She ran to the front door. "Hey Sophie, come on in."

The blond shut off her engine and came to the door. "What's up?"

"My folks want to meet you." Sarah warned.

"Ok, best behavior." Sophie, who was less outlandishly dressed than the day before, sauntered behind Sarah.

"Dad, Karen, this is Sophie Curtis, Sophie, my father Robert Williams, and my stepmother Karen." A cry was heard above and Sarah smiled. "That's my little brother Toby."

Karen excused herself quickly to see to the boy. "Nice to meet you." She shot a look at Robert.

Robert motioned the girl to be seated. "I met with your mother last week young lady. I'm the man in charge of seeing to it that your trust fund is adequate."

"You're my lawyer? Cool beans!" Sophie cracked. She extended her hand to Sarah's father. "I'm glad to meet you, I've a few ideas I'd like to discuss with you about my future."

Robert cracked a wide grin. "Oh really?" He looked at her closely. "I should be interested in hearing what you have to say."

"Fantastic!" Sophie beamed a grin. "See, Daddy and Mom doesn't really listen. Oh I know they care, and they want to make sure things are secure for me… but hey, it's my life…I'd like an equal say in what happens to me!" She nodded when Sarah offered her juice. "See I want something different from what they think I should want."

"What do you want, Sophie?" Robert asked, finding her honesty refreshing.

"I want to be an artist!" She pulled out of her oversized purse a sketch book and handed it over to Robert. "I take every class I can! Sketching, painting, clay work…you name it I'm learning it."

Robert looked at the drawings, at first to be polite then because he was interested. "These are good…no some are better than good. Have you applied to any art academies?"

"Not yet." Sophie answered. "So Mr. Lawyer… you're my last hope. Think you can convince them?"

He passed the book back to her. "I think I can make some suggestions to both you and your mom… and your father who refuses to answer our calls."

"Oh Daddy's not refusing to answer calls…" she laughed. "He's on the road. Tour won't end for another six weeks."

"Your mother should have told me that." Robert sighed. "I feel like a fool leaving message after message."

Sophie looked at the clock, "We gotta hit the road ourselves. Nice to meet you, Mr. Williams."

Karen with Toby in her arms had been listening to the conversation. "Sophie, anytime you want to come by, you're welcome."

"Thanks." She looked pleased, and winked at the little boy in Sarah's stepmother's arms.

Sarah followed her out to the car, "That was amazing."

"Your folks are kinda cool." Sophie said, than added. "For old folks."

Sarah gave the conversation some thought, "You know Daddy is likely going to suggest a design school, garment or interior."

"Falls right into my plans then. Schools today and galleries tomorrow!" Sophie said as she pulled away from the curb. "Long as I can do what I want, I'll be happy."

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Sarah sat in class daydreaming of wandering though a maze of hedges. She barely heard the English teacher when he called on her.

"Miss Williams… Miss Williams…Sarah!" She looked at him and he repeated. "Read the next portion of the poem, if you please."

Sarah looked down at her book; Sophie whispered "Third part." Sarah found the right lines and began to read the lovely old sonnets. The teacher moved on to the next person. When they left class Sophie teased her friend. "Where the hell were you, and how do I get there?"

Sarah blushed. "You know if I didn't know better I'd say I had spring fever." She excused her silly mood lightly. "I can't seem to keep my mind on schoolwork."

The punky blond was not letting her off that lightly. "So come on, what had you all dreamy eyed? Or was it a who?"

"I don't have a boy friend if that's what you're asking." Sarah sighed. "I was dreaming about a maze."

"A maze, you get dreamy eyed over a maze?" Sophie shook her head. "And they call me crazy."

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Jareth looked at the house, with its winding stairs and its large rooms. "This will do nicely." He said to the agent. "I like the looks of it."

The man looked at him and nodded. "It's a bargain, and it comes furnished."

Jareth nodded again. "I'll take it. It's perfect for my needs. I do have one or two modifications and alterations to make once I move in. Some improvements to the grounds, new gardens and all." He smiled at the agent. "Will the owner take cash? And does he understand I wish to move in immediately."

The agent, thinking of his fat commission nodded. "Anything you like, and I'm sure you'll find it's the perfect home for a large family."

Jareth thought of all the people he was going to bring into the home, "Pity I don't have a large family…however I do entertain a good many people on a constant basis." He pushed back his coat to put his hand in his pocket. "And you say there's a Roman bath styled pool?"

Nodding like a chichi dog in the window of a car, the agent was eager to please this client. "Oh yes sir, the house has a decadent past, something of a legend here about. The original owner was said to hold orgies here, and that he belonged to some kind of sexual secret society. His descendants denied it for years, but they also refused to live within this house. The house is riddled with secret passages, and hidden rooms and a labyrinth of tunnels beneath it."

Jareth raised a brow, "A decadent secret society?"

"In the twenties…" The agent said giddily. "I'm sure you've heard of Jason Wilde, the artist. This was his home away from home…his wife and children were never here. He entertained a lot of artists out here. Actors and other… decadent individuals."

Jareth looked at the house; it looked as if it were well cared for. "So who's been keeping the maintenance of the house and grounds up?"

"The owners have hired staffs of people over the years. Though no one has lived here, the house has been kept immaculate." The agent looked over his records. "We've the name of the service here." He handed it to the prospective buyer.

Jareth tapped his chin, "I'm intrigued," he said to the agent. "You mean to tell me the family don't want any of the fine art or furnishings?"

"No." The agent looked at the rather overtly sexual statues in the grand hall. "They want the estate sold as a lot. What you do with the art as you call it after you buy it is your problem. You see, Mr. Wilde's family don't approve of this collection. In fact I doubt it was ever cataloged. Most of the work is not by known artists, he preferred the works of unknowns."

"I'll take it." Jareth said quietly. "I find it exactly to my liking." He looked toward the road. "Tell me if I through a wild party, how far do I have to worry about the sound carrying?"

"Your nearest neighbor is over a half a mile on either side of the estate, sir." The agent was getting the contracts out. "We can provide you with the name of a private security force. Many of our clients of the fine old estates prefer private guards to trusting the local police force for protection."

"I have my own security people." Jareth said off handedly. "They've been with me forever and I trust them completely." He pointed to the road. "How far is it to the town?"

"Three miles to the edge of town, four or five to the heart of the downtown with our lovely park at the center." The agent handed the contract to the man. "You may want to have your lawyer look this over."

Jareth read the contract over. "I'm an expert on law; I can read this over myself, thank you." He nodded. "This will do very nicely." He snapped his fingers and the agent handed him a pen. "My people will be arriving this afternoon, to begin the take over."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Faeking, if there is anything else my office can do for you, don't hesitate to call on us." The agent was pleased at unloading the white elephant that this estate had become on the unsuspecting client.

Jareth's lips thinned. "Soon these grounds will be teaming with activity. I'm a supporter of the artistic world myself. Your Mr. Wilde and I have that in common. There will be poets and painters, sculptors and artists of all kinds roaming freely." He laughed lightly, "A kingdom all my own….Not unlike your Vanderbilt's…"

The agent felt a goose walk over his grave and shivered. "If you say so…sir." More than anything he wanted to take the signed contract and the cash and leave. He didn't want to think about what the community would do when a new Artists community popped up on the olde Wilde estate.

Jareth looked about the house. "Paradisia, indeed." He breathed low.

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Sophie lit up a cigarette as soon as they were off school grounds, seeing the disapproval on Sarah's face she held it out and said. "I only smoke tobacco, and my mom knows. So does my Dad." She then added for good measure. "I don't do drugs, Sarah. I've seen first hand how messed up doing that shit can get you. Nothing like seeing your father's drummer die of an OD to put that straight in your head, believe me!"

"You saw someone die?"

Sophie nodded looking only at the road now. "It's a mean world out there, Sarah…With lots of mean little truths. And I've seen more than most kids our age."

Sarah looked out the window, "I guess."

Sophie changed the subject. "I have to go over to Henderson to pick up some art supplies I can't get in our one horse town. Come with me."

"Ok." Sarah smiled back at her friend as they passed the turn off that would have taken them to Sarah's house. "Hey, look…someone's moving into the old Wilde house."

"I saw that place when we came to town, looks like a town all its own." Sophie laughed. "So what is that place anyway?"

Sarah looked over at the girl in total amazement. "You never heard of Jason Wilde?"

Sophie applied the breaks and pulled off the road. "You're telling me that's the house Jason Wilde built? That's Paradisia?" She turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. "I thought it was more or less a fable…or legend…" She looked toward the house beyond the hedge and wall they were parked near. "Wow, look at the size of that place! There must be a dozen buildings."

Sarah came to stand beside her. "I've only seen the green houses and the stables." She explained. "Daddy was the lawyer for the family when I was little. My mother and I came here once to go riding."

"You lucky bitch!" Sophie looked at her friend. "I studied Wilde's style of nudes when I was in Paris a couple of years ago with my Dad on tour. I spent days in the museums and art galleries. His details were phenomenal!"

"Well here, he was something akin to the devil!" Sarah explained. "He was said to keep hordes of young girls for his pleasure. He threw wild parties and drunken orgies. God only knows what went on in there, but when he died, his wife and children refused to step foot in there. They preferred to live out on Long Island, away from his decadence."

"So how did you get on the grounds?" The blond asked with wide blue eyes.

Sarah backed away, and moved back to the car. "It was a movie…they were filming here and my mother and I were…local extras….My mother was big with the local actor's guild…and they called on her to do a bit part because she was an expert rider…it was there she met…Jeremy... the man she left my dad for."

"The man or the career?" Sophie asked coming back to the car.

"Both I guess." Sarah looked back at Paradisia. "I have no idea of who could afford to buy this place. I didn't even know it was back up on the market."

"Well best of luck to him or her, they've got mighty big shoes to fill. Jason Wilde was a mega man!" Sophie boasted pulling the car back onto the road.

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Jareth looked toward the road; saw the little car with the two female occupants looking over the hedge at the house. He took a deep breath. "Sarah." He said, his voice caressing the name as he always did.

"You can tell from this distance?" The old man asked.

"From across the world." Jareth stated. He turned away from his window when the pair pulled away. "Is everything in order?"

"Yes, sire." The old one bowed. His hat looked down at him with disgust.

"Good." Jareth lounged on a settee. "And our friends in the art world are they complying with my …requests?"

"Your orders have been sent out." The bird said in a snippety tone.

"Good." The Fae King repeated. "In a few short days the legends and wicked tales will again come to life." He dismissed the old man and then said aloud. "And Sarah Williams will pay dearly for having rejecting what is inevitable."