Chapter 9

Ravensclaw

The ride to Hull, ( Kingston on Hull was affectionately know to its citizens as plain Hull) was several hours, and halfway through the journey, Victoria had fallen asleep on the huge seat opposite V and Evey. Evey had never been outside London, so she marveled at the landscape and waterways they passed.

" My god, its beautiful..." she sighed, her eyes locked to the window.

" Hull is relatively smaller than London. " V told Evey as he watched her excitement grow. " I hope you will feel comfortable here." He paused, watching her face. " You and Victoria are home now--with me."

Evey tore her eyes away from the glass, a look of bewilderment crossed her face. " What about my job? What about the gallery?"

V chuckled softly. " I will supply you with the same communication system that the gallery has. It may take me a few days, but I will have it up and running before you need to call into the museum." He paused, " As for the gallery, the alarm is in place, and I will be notified immediately if someone tries to break in. I assure you all the safe guards are activated--the gallery is quite secure."

A smile appeared on her lips. " You've had this planned for sometime haven't you?"

" Yes." he answered her in a whisper, taking her face in his hands. " I promised you no more lies, Evey-- I've had it planned since I arrived in London. I had made a promise to myself--I was not leaving this time until I saw you."

Her brown eyes locked with his. " You came to get me, didn't you?"

" And bring you home anyway I had to, my darling." He kissed her gently, taking Evey's breath away. Even ten years later, he still affected her this way.

" I'll have to travel to London at least once a week, you know." She smiled up at him.

" The limo will be at your disposal whenever you need it." He answered as they turned onto a paved road stopping at a large iron-wrought gate that barred their entrance. William rolled the window down, keyed in a series of numbers, and waited for the green light to appear, opening the barrier to Ravensclaw.

Evey looked over at V. " What about you?"

" If you mean, V. Chief Inspector Finch will keep me informed of the cell activity, if V is needed, I will return to London."

" Oh. " she replied as he took her hand.

" This will be a new life for you, my love. You will be lady of the manor, and have a large staff to look after. " V said.

" How large?" Evey swallowed hard.

" All together, about twenty." He answered, watching her eyes widen.

" Twenty?" she replied, feeling intimidated by the number. Evey became very shaky. " V..." she began, " I ... I don't know if I can do this."

V studied her for a moment before speaking. " The Evey Hammond I knew, would never back down from a challenge."

Evey's eyes shifted back to the tinted window. " I'm not the same woman you left behind, V" she replied, " You saw to that after you left me standing on that platform, alone." She added the last sentence, softly, hoping he would not hear.

The silence strained between them, finally, V spoke. " If that is the case, then perhaps I returned for the wrong reason."

Evey felt a cold chill embrace her when V turned away. No, he hadn't come back for the wrong reason--he loved her, and she him--her emotions had her in such a frenzy, she could hardly keep a thought straight in her mind! And now, she was about to loose it all! " I don't know if I'm cut out to be the mistress of such a home. " Her hand rested on his arm, her eyes searching his for understanding.

" Do not worry, Eve, they will love you as much as I do." He reassured her, " If you feel that it is becoming to much, just go to Mrs. Lucas, she'll help you."

" Mrs. Lucas?" Evey repeated.

V laughed softly, " A sweet Irish lass who is my housekeeper, confident, and sometimes mother. Her husband, Colin is my butler."

Victoria stirred, sitting up, seeing the expression on her mother's face, became concerned about what had happened while she slept. " Mum, is everything alright?"

" Your mother is feeling intimidated by her role as mistress of the house." V answered taking her hand.

" Mum, you have always done things your way, and this will be no different." She smiled at Evey, " Take a deep breath, and be strong."

Evey smiled lovingly at her daughter. " You never give up on me..."

" Oh, Mum..." Victoria muttered as she turned back to the window, and suddenly grew very quiet, her mouth opening in awe. " Mum, look!"

A huge house loomed in front of them as the limo pulled in through another set of gates.

V grinned. " Welcome home, my darlings. Welcome to Ravensclaw."

--

The house stood in all its grandeur. Built in 1787, Ravensclaw had been the gem of aristocracy, its three towering stories covered with climbing ivy--it had been the ancestral home of the Rookwoods, having fallen into ruins after the St Mary's scandal. It came into V's hands somewhat of a coincidence when his solicitor had called him with the availability of the house. Now, several years later, and millions of pounds in restoration, Ravensclaw once again shone as a brilliant jewel against the sky. The front grounds were set off by a large fountain center of the driveway, while trees, flowering shrubs and huge flowered gardens surrounded the manor.

William opened the limo door for V ( now known as Lord Samuel) as he helped Evey and Victoria step from the car.

" Lord Samuel!" a voice greeted as a large, rotund woman hurried down the stairs toward them. The Irish brogue that came from smiling lips made Evey giggle as she hugged V tightly. " It's wunderful to have ye home ag'in." She turned to Evey and Victoria. " And this beautiful colleen must be mistress Evey." She smiled broadly, taking Evey into her arms, hugging her gently, then turned to Victoria. " And this must'a be yer wee lass, Victoria." She took the child's hand in hers, as a small tear rolled down her plump cheeks. " Ye remind me of me gran'aughter in Dublin." Wiping her eyes on the apron around her waist, she smiled at them both. " Welcom' to Ravensclaw. I'm Mrs. Lucas, but you can me Granny." Her red-gray hair, pulled up tightly in a bun, jiggled with happiness as her rounded body shook with soft laughter.

" Samuel!" a voice exclaimed from the doorway.

" Gordon!" V called back as a man hurried down the steps toward him.

Evey had been so involved in the conversation she was having with Granny Lucas, she didn't hear the approaching footsteps, and it wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder, that she looked up and into the face of--a dead man!

--

" Hello, Evey." Gordon Dietrich smiled at her as her face went a deathly shade of pale and Evey grabbed for V's arm to steady herself.

" Oh...my...god...oh...my...god..." she kept repeating as her hand went to her mouth and V's arm snaked around her waist to keep her from falling. " Gordon?" she asked as tears filled her eyes-- she was in his arms in a matter of seconds, holding him tightly. Pulling back, she looked at him, wiping her eyes with her hand. " I was told you were executed..." She looked at V. " You told me he was...he was dead."

V crossed his hands in front of him, and smiled at her. " I'll explain everything my love. Let's go inside out of the cold."

" Yes...yes, " Evey looked at V. " You have a lot of explaining to do."

" And this must be Victoria. " Gordon grinned at the young girl standing between V and Evey. " It is my pleasure to meet you."

" Thank you. " she replied as William came to stand by V.

" I'll have Will take yer cases up to yer rooms." Granny nodded to William, " Beth will show you where to take the young miss', Will."

He nodded, taking the suitcases and headed up the steps.

V walked to the bottom step. " There have been many changes since I have been gone. " V addressed the staff. " I have brought back a mistress for Ravensclaw." V took Evey's hand and pulled her next to him on the steps. " This is Evey, and she is soon to be my wife. You will treat her with the same respect and courtesy you have shown me for the last ten years." He turned to where Victoria stood. " And this..." he paused, his heart bursting with pride, " is my daughter Victoria."

Evey was startled by all the voices that welcomed her and Victoria to their new home.

" Well, it's about time, " Gordon whispered to Evey, " he should have made a honest woman out of you years ago."

Evey's eyebrow rose, looking at Gordon, she spoke softly, " He didn't have time--remember, he had a vendetta to keep."

" Touche." Gordon squeezed her hand, smiling into bright brown eyes.

" Ready to see your new home?" V asked Evey and Victoria.

" Yes!" Victoria exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Evey's hand as V took hers, then walked up the steps.

--

The entrance way of Ravensclaw was through a huge set of double oaken doors, one of which a member of the staff was holding open for them to enter through. Evey stopped almost immediately upon entering the foyer, and stood staring at a huge fir tree that took up most of the room, decorations in every color and style dressed it the holiday spirit. She and Victoria had had an evergreen every year in the main room of the Shadow Gallery, but nothing as grand as this. Evey wiped her eyes as more tears began cascading down her face. " Samuel, it's beautiful." She wrapped her arms around V's neck. " Thank you so much.." She cried softly into his coat as his arms encircled her tightly.

" They do not love that do not show their love" (1) V answered as he ran his hand through the wondrous curls that cascaded over Evey's shoulders.

" Miss Victoria...I believe Ruth and Colleen have popcorn strings to go on the tree yet. Would you like to help them?" Gordon asked, smiling at her.

" Oh yes, very much so." She replied looking at her parents. " May I, please?"

V laughed, " Off with you then!" Victoria happily followed Gordon down the steps and disappeared around back of the huge tree. " I do hope Eve, that you and Victoria will learn to love Ravensclaw as much as I do." He smiled down at Evey.

" I would live anywhere--as long as you were with me."

" Would either of you care for a cup of tea? " Gordon interrupted. " I have to admit, these wintry moments leave my poor old bones aching." He returned to V's side.

" That would be wonderful, Gordon." Evey replied for both of them.

" Granny!" Gordon called.

" Yes, Mr. Gordon?" She appeared from around the tree.

" Three cups of tea--in the study, if you please."

" 'ight 'way, Mr. Gordon." She called back disappearing down a corridor to the right of where they were standing.

Evey sighed softly as her breathing began returning to normal. She looked around at the massive tapestries hanging on the walls, to various pieces of art , to paintings that lined the curving stairwells that led to the upper floors. " Ministry of Objectionable Materials?" Evey asked smiling.

" You know me all to well." He answered, blue eyes sparkling in the light.

" Yes, " she paused, " that I do." V took her hand in his and led her into the foyer, " V, your home is beautiful..." Evey caught herself. " Oops...I mean Samuel." A soft blush covered her cheeks.

V grinned at her. " Gordon even lets it slip sometimes."

" It's hard to call someone by a regular name, when all you've know them by is a letter." Gordon replied, crossing his arms and looking at his friend.

V laughed, then turned back to Evey. " It's alright Evey, everyone here knows about my past. They are loyal to me, so I assure you, there is nothing to worry about." He tilted his head toward her as he had done so many times in the past with the mask on.

Evey took V's offered arm and they followed Gordon into the study. A large fire was going in the fireplace, and decorations hung throughout the room and an ivory nativity set graced the fireplace mantle. All at once, Evey began to feel like a child again--it had been so long ago that she really had anything to celebrate Christmas for.

" Granny will be in momentarily with the tea and biscuits." Gordon said as they took seats around the roaring fire.

Evey crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at them both." Now, you want to explain to me how you got away from Creedy's black bags?" She looked at V.

Gordon laughed. " I believe that's your que, old man."

V took a deep breath, and began." The day they raided Gordon's home, I was already there--dressed as a fingerman, waiting in the shadows until I could infiltrate their ranks. I had originally come for you, Evey. You see, " He paused, " I had tracked you to Gordon's home some days earlier, and had learned about the Finger's plan to arrest Gordon for the show he aired through audio and video surveillance. As I told you before..." he moved to his feet, hands behind his back, and began pacing. " I figured Creedy would arrest him, but when he found the Koran, he decided to have him executed for harboring undesirable materials." V looked to his friend, and continued, " unfortunately, Creedy's men got to him before I could, so I got you, knocked you out with ether, black bagged you, and threw you into the truck with Gordon. After taking care of the fingermen assigned to the truck, I brought Gordon to the second gallery so he could recover and you to..." his voice drifted away, and his eyes dropped to the floor. After a moment, he continued. " Then, with a disguise I created for him, along with new credentials, I introduced Gordon to my solicitor, Mr. Briney, as my business partner." He looked up at Evey. " He has been at Ravensclaw ever since."

Evey looked at Gordon, confusion on her face. " How do you travel to conduct business?"

" My disguise, courtesy of V. Like him, " Gordon paused, looking at her, " everyone also knows my past. As long as I am at Ravensclaw, I am me."

" Oh..." Evey looked deep in thought.

" Is there something else, Evey?" V asked tilting his head toward her.

" Why did you save Gordon that day? You didn't even know him."

V turned to Gordon this time.

" Like you Evey, " Gordon began, " V also saved my life many years ago in an alleyway..."

Evey's eyes widen at this news.

" but I wasn't stopped by Fingermen, I was trying to by some things through an underground seller..."

" Oh, Gordon, no..."

" I had no idea that my contacts were undercover fingermen until it was to late."

Evey watched Gordon, " Everything you showed me--V helped you get?"

Gordon nodded just as Granny brought in a steaming pot of tea , along with an assortment of biscuits and sat them on the table. " 'ill there be anythin' else, Lord Samuel?"

" No Granny, this will be fine." V smiled at her as she turned to go. He poured the tea, and handed a cup to Gordon and Evey just as Victoria came rushing in.

" Mum! Dad!" she exclaimed, " Come quickly! Hurry!"

Evey looked at V, quickly setting her cup back on the serving tray, then followed Victoria as she ran out the room.

" Hurry!" Victoria exclaimed waving her hand running up the foyer steps and disappearing outside.

V and Gordon followed behind Evey as they reached the front door Will was standing beside, and gazed into the softly falling white particles.

" My god, " V turned to Evey and Gordon, " It's snowing!" He stood in shock. He could not remember it ever snowing this hard in the last thirty years--oh, there was the typical dusting of the ground, but it never lasted for too long--but this, this was different, coinciding with the dip in the temperature, now being felt by all . Evey burrowed into V's covered arms ( thank goodness he had grabbed a sweater ) trying to stop the shivers that were appearing across her body. He smiled down at her as he pulled her tight. " Merry Christmas, Evey." He whispered to her, before his lips caught hers in a soft kiss.

" Still don't believe in coincidences?" she asked breathlessly.

" I may have to rethink that." He laughed softly as they watched Victoria twirling in the falling snow.

--

It was Christmas Day morning, and Evey awoke early, V snuggled to her back, his arm around her waist, while her arm covered his. Last night, they had sang carols, roasted chestnuts, made popcorn balls and had helped the staff decorate the rest of the halls. V, Evey, Victoria and Gordon, along with Granny Lucas' house staff helped make and stuff holiday baskets for the underprivileged families that lived in Hull. Food of every sort, along with presents and an envelope with a undisclosed amount of pounds in it were in each basket. Large families would receive a basket for each member , where families consisting of two or less would receive one large basket. As for the elderly, V had made arrangements for any type of medical and dental work or visits to be covered for the entire year by Ravensclaw. Over the years, Ravensclaw had made a profit of over 800 million pounds from the horses V bred and sold--and since V was not the kind to keep large amounts of money, he always made sure that everyone had all the necessities that were needed for a comfortable life in these trying times. Evey had never been moved so much in her life--especially when Gordon had told her that V had been doing this for the last ten years--always increasing the basket size every year. Now, the funniest thing to Evey though, was when Gordon told her that to deliver the baskets this year, V had hired the same exact delivery company he had employed ten years ago to deliver the tools for a revolution--300.000 hats, masks and capes. Evey thought it ironic that the same company that had helped him dispose of the old government, was now helping the people under the new government to get back on their feet in the small town he had adopted as his new home. The trucks had all been loaded before the night was over for their early morning deliveries.

" You're awake early, love." V's deep, silky voice husked in her ear , as he nuzzled her neck, spreading soft kisses over tender flesh.

She turned in his arms to face him, a soft grin smiled back at her. " You forget that we have a ten year old, my love, who, at any time will come flying through that door wanting to know if we are awake yet." Evey laughed quietly as she placed a quick kiss on his lips, and jumped from the bed before he could catch her in his arms--just as a knock sounded from their door.

" Mum? Dad? Are you up yet? It's Christmas Day!" Victoria's voice called through the door.

" Just a minute, Victoria..." V called as he got out of bed, pulling his pajama bottom on, and Evey pulled on the matching top.

" I told you." Evey giggled as V slipped into his robe and slippers. He grinned, shaking his head.

" Come in." Evey called to her daughter as the door flew open, and an excited Victoria ran into the room, grabbing V around his waist, hugging him tightly, then doing the same to her mother. Backing away then, a serious expression crossed her face.

" Would you both sit on the bed, please. I have something I would like to say." She watched as they sat , hand in hand. " I have something I want to tell you both, " Victoria paused, taking a deep breath, " This is the best Christmas I could ever hope for. " She looked at her mother, then at V. " The only present I have ever truly wanted was for my father to be alive--that it had been some horrible mistake that he had been killed giving our country the freedom it deserved. This year, " she stopped again, as tears began to run down her young face, " I received that gift..." She broke down when she looked at V again, and he quickly gathered her into the safety of his arms.

" I love you, my precious daughter. Your mother gave me the most wondrous gift she could ever have given me." He stopped as he raised Victoria's chin, so he could look into the dark blue eyes that were so like his own." I will be here for you from now own. Once your mother and I are legally married, you also, will carry the last name of King." He held her tightly as a single tear crept down his cheek, following the pattern of one of the last scars still present. " Dry your eyes, young mistress..." He allowed her to use his robe sleeve to wipe away the wetness." For under the evergreen downstairs, lies many gifts for all of Ravensclaw's family."

Evey smiled as she wrapped her arms around herself, and watched V and Victoria rise from the bed, hand in hand heading for the bedroom door.

" Are you coming, my love?" He asked over his shoulder.

" I'll be down as soon as I throw some clothes on." She answered, watching as they disappeared out the door. Turning, she looked at the small tree in the corner she and V had decorated the first night they had arrived home--' Home?' Evey smiled. She was use to the Shadow Gallery being home--. The tree shimmered, its red and gold ornaments reflecting softly off the fireplace light. Underneath it, lay several gifts addressed to her in V's flowing script. She looked at the gifts, and felt sad. She had only one gift to give him, and it wasn't one to be wrapped and placed under a tree--it would be given to him with her heart and all the love she had --and although, butterflies fluttered in her stomach, she would give V the memory of his very first Christmas with a true family.

(1) William Shakespeare