Thank you all for tuning in! In this chapter Alcina and Beatrice are reunited once more.
Alcina with Helena in her arms climbed into the back of Fredric's Cadillac. They were to be driven by a young man named, Aresian, whom her husband had hired a month ago. Fredric standing out on the porch and waving them goodbye, Alcina smiled down at Helena with a heart overflowing with happiness.
'Beatrice. I am finally going to see my Beatrice…'
She could not wait. The drive to the abbey seeming to take a hundred years, but then finally she spied the familiar drive. The abbey walls rising up before her.
Outside Alcina spied the Countess standing out and waiting for her. She did not look like she had aged a day, though she now walked with a cane, she never allowed herself to look the part of an old biddy.
Aresian opened the door for his mistress.
"Thank you," Alcina said.
"Daughter."
Alcina turned her attention to Countess Bogdan.
"Countess," Alcina walked up to her with steady steps so as not to slip. Once she got within arm's reach of her did the Countess place two loving kisses to her cheek.
"I am so very happy you came," she whispered.
"Thank you for inviting me," Alcina said, placing a kiss to her cheek before stepping back to show her Helena.
Tears flooded her blue eyes at the sight of the child. She reached out a gloved hand and rested it gently upon the babe's thick mane. Her touch awakening Helena from her slumber and bringing out a bright smile.
The Countess had to do a double take at the child's face…
"My god, Alcina, she looks like…"
"I know," Alcina said, their gazes meeting in understanding. "She is still here with us."
The Countess steeled herself of her emotions, though Alcina noted her chin quiver a little at her words.
"Come inside. Beatrice is awaiting you."
Alcina walked in beside the Countess, the inside just the same as it had been when she was a little girl.
"I will take your items, my lady," a butler said, bowing his head to her.
Alcina navigating Helena as the man removed her coat, hat and gloves, she took a few more steps into the Main Hall. How long it felt since she had stood within the great walls. Even the familiar scent of food cooking still wafted through the air. It was so warm. It was home.
"Now where has that girl gotten to?" the Countess muttered to herself. "I told her you would be arriving shortly." She walked to the staircase and yelled. "Beatrice! Beatrice come down at once!"
Alcina walked up beside her and stared for a minute in anticipation, but Beatrice did not heed her mother's call.
"That is damn typical."
"May I go up?" Alcina inquired.
"You need not ask," she said. "This is your home, too."
Alcina ascended the staircase with Helena starting to fuss in her arms.
"I know, my love, I know you want to be set down, but not yet. Not just yet…" she walked down the familiar hall and straight to Beatrice's old room. She suspected she would be within powdering her nose.
She stopped in front of the door and knocked.
No answer.
Alcina frowned, knocking once more before she heard a door open further down the hall. She turned and could not tear her eyes off /her/. Beatrice clearly bustling to get downstairs as fast as possible, nearly tripped as she adjusted the bottom of her dress before straightening her posture.
She froze.
Her eyes widening as the two stared one another down.
"Al-Alcina."
"Hello, my darling."
The two closing the distance as they took long strides to embrace. Fresh tears glistening on their cheeks. Sweet kisses bestowed between them.
"I am sorry. I am so sorry for not being there for you during your mother's passing," Beatrice whispered.
"Do not apologize. I hold no grudge," Alcina said, wanting to just hold her in her arms. To continue kissing her face.
Beatrice brushed away the tears, averting her gaze down on Helena.
"Look at those eyes. She is magnificent."
"I would like for you to hold her," Alcina said.
"Let us go to my room," Beatrice said, leading Alcina along and opening her door for her.
Once the two were seated together on her bed did Alcina place Helena in her arms.
"Hello, Helena," Beatrice said, giggling as the child smiled at her. "I cannot get over how expressive she is. She reminds me of my girl."
"How is she?"
"Well. I decided the trip would be too long for her, which my mother is positively beside herself that I could not bring her granddaughter."
"The trip here from America is indeed long," Alcina said. "I do not think I would last an expedition that far either."
"When she is older I will, but for now she will stay with her father," Beatrice said, placing a little kiss to Helena's forehead. "What you sweet girl?" she smiled as Helena was now reaching out and touching her face. "How has she been for you?"
"So far she has been an angel. She has the patience of a saint with Fredric and I being so naïve on this new adventure."
"I am sure he adores his daughter."
"He does indeed," Alcina said, staring directly at Beatrice. She was aging so beautifully. Her blonde hair so bright like her eyes. Her face youthful, though she could see how tired her love was. No doubt she must have looked the same, but still. Motherhood certainly agreed with her.
"How long will you stay?"
"A couple of days', but I think your mother wishes for me to stay forever."
Beatrice started to laugh at that.
"She would love that…" she drifted off abruptly.
"How is your mother?" Alcina asked.
Beatrice looked straight at Alcina.
"She is getting older, Alcina," she said. "I did not notice it before, but now that I am here, I see how much she has aged. What do you think?"
Alcina gripped Beatrice's wrist and squeezed it gently.
"I think your mother looks well. Truly."
Beatrice attempted at a smile.
"I am thankful to have you near just in case if something were to happen… she sees you as a daughter."
"I know," Alcina said. "And I love her like she were my own mother."
Beatrice slowly leaned forward and rested her head against Alcina's. The two sitting quietly for a few minutes with their eyes down on Helena.
"Do you think we should permit her to explore?"
"Yes," Alcina said. "She is growing wigglier and wigglier."
"Dorothy is the same way. The child would persist until she could walk and that is when I was in serious trouble."
"I fear that the most," Alcina said, watching Helena crawl about the spotless floor.
Plop!
She sat right down on her bottom and looked straight at her mother.
"What is that look for?" Alcina said.
"Oh I know that look," Beatrice nudged her. "That is the signature Alcina pout."
"I do not pout!" Alcina said, puckering out her lips.
"Certainly not," Beatrice said, waving her hand and laughing.
Alcina merely rolled her eyes, once again finding herself unable to look away from Beatrice for too long. Her laugh so light and gay. Her eyes sparkling like the stars on a dark night.
"There she goes again," Beatrice said, rising off the bed and taking a seat on the floor. "Where are you going off to now?"
Helena was babbling to herself before she turned back around to Beatrice.
"There is little Helena," Beatrice said, enveloping Helena in a hug as she crawled straight into her lap. "A little adventurer."
Alcina smiled, allowing her body to relax and her mind to be in the present with only Beatrice and Helena.
"I thought we can spend the day here and then tomorrow we could go into town," Beatrice said.
"I think that is a marvelous idea," Alcina said.
"Good."
A knock sounded at the door and there appeared Countess Bogdan.
"There you are," she said, looking down at Helena who was staring straight at her. "I wanted to let you know your room has been prepared Alcina. I had two gentlemen bring down Beatrice's old crib to be in the room with you."
"Thank you," Alcina said.
"Lunch will be ready soon," the Countess said. "I expect all three of you down in an hour."
Beatrice rolled her eyes at her mother.
Alcina just smiled as the Countess threw her a wink.
{…}
The rest of the day went on with the Countess, Alcina and Beatrice together. Alcina putting Helena down upstairs in her crib to take a nap, the three remained in the study on the second floor; Alcina did not want to be too far away from her daughter.
They were looking over different photo albums. Many containing pictures of Beatrice when she was a baby. By the time they had gotten to the end of the book, Alcina's face was red from laughter.
Beatrice's face was red from embarrassment, though the corners of her lips were pulled up to reveal a little smile.
The Countess smiled at Alcina. It had been a long time since she heard her laugh like that. It brought her back to when Alcina was just a carefree child who would come over and spend a week with them. She was always so happy. Of course she was happy now with her daughter, but there was an obvious absence. A change within her that comes with both motherhood and loss.
'As much as I see Daciana in Helena, I can see her clearly in Alcina, too. She has become more and more like her mother in every way.'
"I remember this," Alcina said. "Beatrice. Beatrice look!" she grabbed hold of her wrist to remove her hands off her face.
"This better not be another baby picture of me in a ridiculous outfit!"
"They were not ridiculous!" the Countess interjected, indignantly. "You were so beautiful in them."
Beatrice finally removed her hands off her face and looked down at the photograph Alcina wanted to show her.
"Your first day at the academy. Look how little you were."
"You were little, too," Alcina said. "I mean a little taller than me, but I think we have evened out."
"Yes when you are in your heels perhaps," Beatrice jabbed playfully.
"You two," the Countess shook her head. "Still my little girls at heart…"
A knock sounded at the door then to reveal a maid.
"Apologies, Lady Beatrice, but you have a phone call."
"I will be right there," Beatrice said, rising off the bed and walking out of the room. "I will be right back."
She exited the room leaving the two sitting quietly. Alcina continuing to flip through the pages when she paused.
"What did you find?" the Countess asked, watching her closely.
Alcina ran her fingers over the picture.
"My mother," she whispered, staring at her mother who had her arm protectively wrapped about her shoulders, smiling. "All of us together in the gazebo… I remember that day clearly." A tear splashed down upon her mother's face followed by a second and a third.
"You are your mother's little girl. You will always be."
"No, Countess," Alcina swallowed thickly, averting her gaze to her. "I am no one's little girl anymore."
Her words stung her. Stung her so badly she reached out and took hold of Alcina's chin roughly.
"Do not ever say those words! Do you hear me? Never ever say that again, because you know damn well that is not true!"
Alcina was too stunned to speak.
"You are a Dimitrescu. Your mother lives on through you. Do not dare disrespect her memory with such words."
More tears spilled down her cheeks, Countess Bogdan carefully brushing them away as they fell.
"You are loved. You are loved by me, Beatrice, Helena, Fredic and your mother. Never forget that…"
"I—" Alcina choked, barely regaining herself as she went on: "I just want her back… I want to know why she fell ill. Why she did not recover."
"There comes a time in our life when we are not meant to get better, Alcina. We all will eventually arrive at that point in our life," the Countess said. "Your mother gave you all she had before her end, and now you must give all you have to Helena and any other child you may have. Time will heal your heart, I promise."
"Thank you, Countess."
{…}
Alcina placed a kiss to Helena's forehead. Humming her a soft tune to lull her to sleep before she placed her in her crib. Luckily she was a very heavy sleeper like Fredric and would be out for the rest of the night.
Alcina took a seat on her bed and relaxed into the fluffy pillows. She could not stop thinking about the day she and Beatrice would have tomorrow. It would be indoors mostly. The winter months having limited availability to do anything too fun, Beatrice had mentioned over lunch she was dying to go to the new museum. Of course the Countess was looking forward to spending the entire day alone with Helena. Alcina had no qualms about leaving Helena with her unlike Dame Stanislav, who Alcina would never leave Helena alone with.
She scooted further into the bed. The bed was so very comfortable, making her consider buying a new mattress for her own bed. Sleep overcame her quickly as soon as she closed her eyes.
Alcina did not know how long she had been asleep when she had been awoken by tapping. Her gaze drifted lazily over to the window. She was still in a bit of a sleep fog and was ready to fall back to sleep when the tapping became faster.
She muttered curses in Romanian as she threw the blankets off and walked over to the window. She pushed the curtain aside and was astonished to see it was a big, black bird. It stopped tapping as soon as Alcina appeared, cocking its head back and forth like it were examining her.
"Shoo!" Alcina hissed, tapping against the glass. "Get out of here!" The bird cawed at her before it flew away. Satisfied she turned back and walked over to the crib. "Hel—" Panic seized her heart. "Helena?!" her daughter was not in the crib. "Helena?!" she cried out desperately. "Where are you?!"
A female laughter filled the room. Cold. Cruel. Menacing.
Alcina backed away from the crib, watching as a shadow loomed across the wall, the floor and then down upon her.
"Alcina," the woman whispered. "Alcinaaa…" she tittered with glee.
"Who are you? Where is Helena?"
"Safe, you need not worry anymore."
The shadow vanished. Darkness enveloping her.
Alcina was startled awake by the sound of Helena crying. She jumped out of the bed and dashed straight to her side.
"Oh Helena. My darling." She placed kisses upon her face.
A dream. That was all it was. A horrible dream. Alcina settled down in a chair by the crib with Helena in her arms, her body trembling from the nightmare.
"I know you are hungry…" Alcina said, pulling her nightgown down to allow Helena to suckle. She stared down at her child and continued to think about the nightmare. It felt so real. Almost like a memory. The woman's laugh somehow familiar, but from where?
The light from the morning sun had started to ascend from behind the mountains. She wished to go back to bed and get a few more hours of sleep, but she knew that would not happen. That being said, once Helena had stopped suckling, did she start to fall back to sleep in her arms.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, smiling. "If only I could fall back to sleep like you and your father, but sadly once I am awake, I stay awake." Carefully she rose up and set her back down in the crib, remaining right by her side. Watching over her. Protecting her.