Okay guys! New chapter! Hope I get some feedback on it... oh and by the way, I just wanted to let you guys know that I couldn't find Young Masbaths name so I'm naming him Daniel. Also, I'm putting in a WHOLE bunch of stuff that wasn't in the movie.
Cheers!
Lex
Disclaimer: I don't own anything yet, I'm currently trying to steal Ichabod from Tim but it isn't working... I'll let you know...
White Magic
Chapter Two- The better looking half of the male population
Please not Theodore… Please not Theodore… Okay, Clara. Just pick someone, it's not that difficult. One, two, three…
Her hands cupped somebody's face.
The rain had stopped and left behind a thin mist, but the sky was still overcast. It was evening, and Constable Ichabod Crane was arriving at Baltus Van Tassle's house. The Constable expected something upon entering the house, but never did he expect a party. Children were running about playing and adults were speaking in hushed tones, musicians were playing their instruments and, in the back of the room, Ichabod saw a woman inside a circle of men, blindfolded. Now, the young Constable had no desire to squeeze by all the enamored men looking for the man of the house, so he figured asking was the best bet.
He saw a young woman talking. "Pardon my intrusion, miss. I seek Baltus Van Tassel, but-"
"In the parlor, sir. Further on."
The young man nodded his thanks and began his trek through the jungles of people. Imagine his surprise when his faced was suddenly cupped by gentle hands.
The texture was smooth and Clara bit her lip in thought. She gently caressed the skin with one thumb to get a better idea of who it could be, but no name came up, she drew a blank. Taking a huge risk, Clara let her thumb wander to the corner of his mouth and gently felt his lips; nothing. She could feel the tenseness of the man before her and came to a sudden realization, she didn't even know the sex of the person in front of her. Her heart pounded in her ears at the thought. But it can't be a woman, no one else has skin like this… at least, not that I know of.
"Is it Theodore?" Clara asked hesitantly, hoping that the people around her could not hear the pain in her voice.
"I beg pardon, miss. I am only a stranger." Came the sound of a soothing male.
At this, Clara furrowed her brow. "A stranger?" She asked softly. "Then have a kiss on account."
With that, the brunette placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Curious about her savior, Clara took off the blindfold and looked at him, her breath caught in her throat and she inhaled sharply. Needless to say, what she saw did not disappoint. He was of average height and had wavy dark brown hair, his cheekbones were high, yet his features were relatively soft. Her eyes met his in a shy stare and both people took a small step back. His eyes were beautiful, they were a deep dark brown and had an unexplainable depth to them. Clara smiled at him.
"I… um, I am looking for Baltus Van Tassel." He stuttered.
Clara's smile turned into a playful grin, she turned her head to look at Katrina. "I'm afraid that I am no Van Tassel, sir… my name is Clara Masbath, pleasure to make your acquaintance." Unexpectedly, Theodore draped an arm around the woman's small form protectively.
Katrina stepped up beside her friend and smiled at her sympathetically.
"I am the daughter of the house; Katrina Van Tassel." She curtsied.
Brom couldn't take it anymore. Clara had seen his jealous glances, and rolled her dark eyes as he stepped forward. "And who are you, friend? We've not heard your name yet."
The stranger looked curiously at Brom, then let his gaze wander to Theodore. "… I have not yet said it." He looked at Clara, "Excuse me."
The young woman saw Katrina raise her brows out of the corner of her eye and she smiled; the man had guts. Slinking out of Theodore's grasp, the brunette stood by her friend and smirked. Just by looking at the stranger, Clara could tell that he was an intelligent man, he was most definitely kind… but had a stubborn air to him as well.
During her lifetime, Miss Masbath had developed a special talent; she had incredible accuracy when reading people. Yet, when it came to the stranger, she couldn't piece everything together. His aura was strong, that much was certain, but Clara only seemed to have half of the pieces. This worried the young woman, for she had never been stumped before.
Brom's raised voice quickly snapped Clara out of her thoughts: "You need to learn some manners!"
He had turned the young stranger around and held his fist very close to the stranger's face.
Clara panicked. "Brom!"
The entire room was silent.
"Clara-" Theodore soothed, but the fiery woman would have none of it. "Leave him be!" She exclaimed.
"Come, come. We want no raised voices… It is only to raise the spirits during this dark time that I and my good wife are giving this little party…"
Baltus Van Tassel had emerged from his sitting room, and he had directed this comment at Clara. She looked down as if to apologize and the older man smiled, he then turned to the handsome stranger.
"Young sir, you are welcome even if you are selling something…"
At that, Clara saw the man relax, take out an envelope and give it to Baltus. "Thank you, sir. I am Constable Ichabod Crane, sent to you from New York with authority to investigate the murder in Sleepy Hollow."
Upon hearing the latter, Clara saw uneasy glances exchanged between Notary Hardenbrook, Magistrate Philpse, Reverend Steenwyck and Doctor Lancaster. Her own brows shot up in disbelief. A Constable? A Constable sent from New York?
There was a sudden tension in the room, and though it was barely noticeable, Clara felt it. Something was distressing the leaders of her small town, and that was never good.
"Then Sleepy Hollow is grateful to you, Constable Crane. I hope you will do us the honor of staying in this house." Lady Van Tassel said sweetly. Clara felt shivers skate up and down her spine, for some odd reason, the brunette had a bad feeling about the Lady of the house.
"Well spoke, dear." Baltus cooed to his wife, his attention then turned to the young Ichabod Crane. "Come, sir. We'll get you settled… play on!"
Clara saw the Constable nod in approval and she smiled as her eyes met his for what was supposed to be the last time that night. He returned her smile kindly and was on his way.
Someone nudged her. "Very handsome, isn't he?" Katrina whispered.
"Very handsome, Katrina. And he seems like a good person with true intentions… very nice to look at, wouldn't you agree?" The brunette said softly.
"Oh I would never disagree with you on this subject, Clara." Katrina muttered playfully. Both girls looked at each other and burst out into small fits of giggles.
Brom walked up behind the two friends. Clara immediately stopped her giggling and glared. "Don't you ever touch him like that again." She said warningly while brushing past him.
The young man's brows shot up in disbelief. "May I remind you, Miss Masbath, that you are betrothed."
Clara stopped on her tracks and turned slowly, she placed her hands on her slender hips. "You may not." She growled lowly. "Mr. Bones, you've no right to touch anyone like that… especially the better looking half of the male population."
Brom's eyes widened slightly and Clara smirked.
Ichabod was led to his room and began to unpack all his things when the door opened and a young woman brought in a pitcher of water.
"Thank you. Please tell Mr. Van Tassel I will be down in a moment." He said while studying one of his instruments.
"I will, sir."
The woman said and she started to leave. But as she was almost out of the room, she stopped. " Thank God you're here."
With that, she was gone.
Putting the last of his things away, Ichabod Crane made his way downstairs to the sitting room.
Clara was pulled onto the dance floor and smiled as she twirled around with Katrina. They separated and their feet each moved in time with the other. Both girls laughed and twirled, while Theodore and Brom stood nearby; watching.
Ichabod came down the stairs and his eyes were immediately drawn to the brown-haired beauty dancing with her friend. Her hair bounced up and down, some of the strands of hair coming loose from their confines as she did so. Her eyes danced with mischief but there was something else there too, sadness or anger. Whichever, the young man could not tell, all he could see where her feet moving in time to the music and her hands lifting up her skirts ever so slightly to show her amazing footwork.
He shook his head. I cannot have such thoughts about her… she is too pure of a being for me to pollute my mind with unpure thoughts of her.
Clara saw him looking and smiled as she met his eyes, she saw him smile back and stopped dancing, she began to weave through the crowed when her waist was snagged. Theodore was taking her to the corner of the room. She looked up at him and saw him delivering a warning glare in the Constable's direction, to which the young woman delivered a sharp elbow to his stomach. He let go of her.
"All the way from New York!" Hardenbrook exclaimed.
"A waste of time!" Doctor Lancaster added.
Reverend Steenwyck turned to Baltus. "What can he do?!"
"Gentleman, gentleman…" The old man said calmly.
The servant girl, Sarah, left the room silently. But not before the Doctor secretly brushed his hand against the servant's buttocks, and in the end, his actions weren't so secret; Lady Van Tassel saw them.
As Sarah left, Ichabod knocked on the door and entered. "Excellent! Come in!" Baltus exclaimed, he turned to his wife. "Leave us, my dear."
The young constable walked around the room looking quite intimidating. "So." He began. Three persons murdered. First, Peter Van Garrett and his son Dirk Van Garrett. Both of them strong capable men, found together… decapitated. A week later, the Widow Winship, also decapitated… I will need to ask you many questions, but first let me ask; is anyone suspected?"
Baltus shook his head. "I don't understand you."
"I say, is anyone one person suspect in these acts?" Ichabod repeated.
All the men looked uneasily at the young, clearly lost, Constable. "Constable… how much have your superiors explained to you?"
"Only that the three were slain in open ground, their heads found severed from their bodies…"
The Reverend shook his head. "The heads were not found severed… The heads were not found at all."
Ichabod gave a look of disbelief. "The heads are… g-gone?"
The notary leaned forward. "Taken. Taken from the Headless horseman… taken back to hell."
The Constable looked around confused. "Pardon me, I… ?"
"Perhaps you had better sit down." Baltus said.
Clara once again was dragged to the dance floor, but this time, she was in the arms of Theodore. After one tedious dance, she was being led to the sitting room by her best friend.
The girls pressed their ears up to the door and listened:
"Are you… saying… ? Is that what you believe?" They heard Ichabod ask.
"Seeing is believing!" Hardenbrook said confidently.
"No one knows why the Hessian has chosen this time to return from the grave." Lancaster stated.
"Satan has called forth one of his own." The Reverend muttered. "They tell me you have brought books and trappings of scientific investigation." The girls could hear him drop a book on a table. "This is the only book I recommend you study."
Clara could only imagine that the said book was the Bible.
"Reverend Steenwyck, gentlemen… murder needs no ghost come from the grave… We have murder in New York without benefit of ghouls and goblins."
"You are a long way from New York, sir." Baltus told him seriously.
"A century at least." Ichabod agreed. "Tha assassin is a man of flesh and blood and I will discover him."
By now, both girls could tell that all the men were getting exasperated at the young man's antics. "How do you propose to do so?" Steenwyck asked skeptically.
"By discovering his reason. It is what we call "the motive." This mystery will not resist investigation by a Rational Man."
Then there was a crash.
Both women stepped away from the door giggling at the Constable's clumsiness and walked back to the party arm in arm, Ichabod Crane was certainly an interesting man, and the more Clara thought about him, the more she wanted to get to know him.
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