The River Maid Page 28
“What happened to your face?” Marie asked.
“We were attacked.”
“How did this happen? General Ducasse wrote to me and told me that Christian had been injured, but that was months ago. How did he get shot?”
“It’s a long story. You might not believe it all.” He could scarcely believe it himself.
“The girl in the cart. Who is she?”
“Her name is Adrianna. She used to live in the town.”
“You found the girl that disappeared? The one that Christian thought he saw in the river that night.”
“Yes, we found her. She was in Paris”
Marie turned to face him, a frown creasing her brow. “What was she doing in Paris?”
“She was taken there by the French. Have you heard about the mermaid at the French court.”
Marie finally stopped pacing and sat down. “I heard about it, everyone has, but I wasn’t foolish enough to believe it.”
“Adrianna is the mermaid,” Gaspard said, his voice grave. “She had her legs stolen by Lorelei.”
Marie opened her mouth, speechless. “You cannot expect me to believe that.”
Too tired to try and convince her with words, he struggled painfully up from the chair. “Come with me.” He limped up the stairs. Taking out the key, he unlocked the door. He had locked Adrianna inside, afraid who might see her. Not wanting to frighten her, he opened the door slowly. She lay in the bath, asleep, one hand tucked under her chin. The candle was still alight. Marie stepped into the room. Her eyes widened when she saw Adrianna. She went up to the bath and looked down. She stared for a long time at the tail, half sticking out of the water and the fins draped over the side of the bath. Adrianna slept, too exhausted to stir.
Marie followed him out, a stunned expression on her face. He locked the door behind them. She said nothing as they went back down to the drawing room. Gaspard poured brandy into a glass and pressed it into her trembling hand.
“How is it possible?” she asked.
Gaspard lowered himself into a chair. “Lorelei was a mermaid. She lived in the river below the town and fell in love with Christian. She stole Adrianna’s legs so that she could be with Christian and left Adrianna as a mermaid.”
Marie shook her head slowly in disbelief. “The townspeople talk about Lorelei. Some of the fishermen claim they’ve heard her singing. They think her spirit is haunting the river.”
“They might be right. We believe that Lorelei is still alive. She’s a mermaid again, although Adrianna doesn’t have her legs back.”
“I forgot to tell you. Soldiers came here looking for Christian. A French captain called Fournier led them. He said he would be back.”
“You don’t have to worry about Fournier. He can no longer hurt anyone and Napoleon is too busy fighting the Prussians at the moment to come after us. We will be safe for a short time.”
“But only a short time.”
Gaspard nodded gravely. “The French will come after Adrianna. We must leave as soon as Christian is able to travel.”
The French wouldn’t just come looking for Adrianna; they would be looking for their missing ship as well. He couldn’t believe Lorelei had destroyed an entire ship and killed dozens of men. The mermaid’s power was immense and far beyond what they had imagined. Now, they had an enemy on land to contend with and one in the river.
There was a knock on the door and a maid came in, the doctor behind her. Marie immediately rose. “How is he? Will he live?”
“I’ve removed the ball from his shoulder and closed the wound,” the doctor replied. “He has a slight fever, but he’s young and strong. There’s no reason why he will not pull through.”
“Thank you,” Marie said as the maid showed him out.
Marie pulled out a handkerchief. She turned her back to him so he wouldn’t see her cry. He didn’t have the patience anymore to worry about propriety. After the events of the previous three weeks, he was far beyond caring about that. He went to her and drew her into his arms. She didn’t resist. She rested her head on his shoulder. It felt wonderful to finally hold her like this, despite the pain every time he breathed in.
“I still can’t believe any of this,” she said, her voice thick with tears.
“Christian is home and safe. That’s all that matters,” he said softly.
“What will you do about the girl?”
“I don’t know. She cannot go back to the river. Lorelei will kill her if she does. Nowhere is safe for her now. Christian will want to help her. They’ve become close.” He hesitated, unsure of how much to say. “I believe that he cares for her.”
Marie pulled back. She looked scandalised. “But she’s not human.”
“Underneath, she’s just a girl who has been through a great deal. She saved Christian’s life that night when he jumped into the river after Lorelei, and again when he was shot.”
She cupped his battered face with her hand. “Thank you for bringing my son home.”
“I just wish I had brought him back safely.”
“You should go to bed,” Marie said. “You’re exhausted.”
He didn’t object. He would worry about the French and what to do about Adrianna tomorrow.
~~~~~
Adrianna rested her arms on the edge of the bathtub. From the light outside the window, she guessed it was midday, but no one had come to see her. She wondered if she had been forgotten about. With nothing to do, she worried about Christian. If he was dead…
She heard the key turn in the lock and Gaspard entered, his battered face warped and swollen. It pained her to see Gaspard’s wounds, knowing he had received them because of her.
“I’m sorry, mademoiselle,” he said, closing the door behind him. “I overslept.”
“Is Christian alive?” she asked. She held her breath as she waited for him to answer.
A smile split his bruised face. “He’s alive. He has a slight fever, but he will be fine in a few days.”
“I’m glad.” She smiled in relief.
“I’ve brought someone to see you.”
She frowned, wondering who he could mean. He disappeared and came back with her mother. Adrianna let out a sob at seeing her. Her mother seemed to have aged since she had last seen her. The grey extended all the way down her braid and the lines around her eyes were more pronounced, cutting deep grooves into her face.
Her mother looked at her tail in amazement. “Adrianna?” she asked, as if unsure whether it was truly her.
Unable to speak, Adrianna nodded through her tears and reached out to her mother. Her mother sank to her knees beside the bath and threw her arms around her, hugging her tight. Water sloshed over the floor, but neither of them cared.
“I thought you were dead,” her mother said. She was crying as well. Gaspard left them, shutting the door softly behind him.
“I’m sorry,” Adrianna said as she cried.
Her mother pulled back, but kept one of her hands. “Gaspard came to me this morning. He said that you were alive. He told me what happened. I knew Lorelei had done something to you. I tried to tell them, but no one believed me.” She looked at her tail again. “Oh, Adrianna.” She shook her head in disbelief and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Gaspard told me, but I didn’t think it could be true. Is there no way to get your legs back?”
Adrianna shook her head and wiped her own tears away. “Lorelei is the only one who knows how and she won’t help me.”
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re alive and that I have you back.” She squeezed Adrianna’s hand.
She didn’t have her back and she never would as long as Adrianna remained a mermaid. But she couldn’t tell her mother that; it would be too cruel.
“What will happen to you now?” her mother asked.
“I don’t know. I can’t stay here. It’s not safe. The French will come looking for me, but I can’t go back to the river.” She gripped her mother’s hand. “No one can know what I am.”
“I would like that.”
She hugged her tightly. The front of her dress was wet, but she didn’t seem to care. “Monsieur Gaspard said that they took you to Paris. You saw the Emperor.”
“Yes.” It was a world away now. A lifetime ago. She had seen so many things.
Later, after her mother had left, Gaspard came to see her. He hesitated by the door. “I didn’t know if I had done the right thing by bringing your mother to see you.”
She smiled at him sadly. “I’m glad you did.”
“Is something wrong, mademoiselle?”
“No.” She couldn’t meet his eyes. He came over to stand beside her. She lifted her tail out of the water and draped it over the edge of the bath. “I was out of the water too long.”
Out of the water, it was clear just how bad it was. Her fins were ragged and dull. Scales floated in the water and her tail smelt of rotting fish. At his touch more scales flaked off.
He drew in his breath. “We will make it better.”
“You can’t. It’s not healing. It’s getting worse.”
“I should have stopped.”
“If you had stopped Christian would be dead.” She took a steadying breath. “It’s all right, Gaspard. This was my choice. And besides, I couldn’t have stayed in the river anymore with Lorelei there.” She sounded braver than she felt. Inside, her stomach was knotted in fear. “Please don’t tell Christian. He would only blame himself.”
“We will find a way to get your legs back,” Gaspard vowed.
He sounded so sure, but she didn’t think there was a way.
Chapter Thirty Six
Christian woke to light streaming across his face. He thought he was asleep on the bank in the sun, but the ground felt too soft. He tried to sit up and cried out in pain.
“I wouldn’t sit up, my friend,” Gaspard said.
He opened his eyes. The figure by his bed had Gaspard’s voice, but his face was so swollen and distorted, he barely recognised his former tutor. “You look awful,” Christian said. “Where is Adrianna?”
“This isn’t the first time you have asked me. You’ve asked me again and again in your fever. As I’ve told you a dozen times before, she’s safe. She’s here at the castle.”
“I want to see her.”
“You need to rest.”
Pain coursed through his shoulder as he sat up, but he gritted his teeth and waited for it to pass. He swung his legs over the side of the bed.
Gaspard sighed. “It seems that you’re determined to see her, but I think you should at least dress first.” Gaspard went over to his wardrobe and began pulling out clothes. “Do you remember what happened?”
Christian put his hand to his shoulder. A thick bandage was wrapped around his arm and his chest. “I remember carrying Adrianna onto the ship and then Fournier shooting me. After that…I don’t know. I think we were in the water and then I remember Adrianna talking to me and telling me not to leave her.”
His memory was blurry. He remembered being in the water and then Adrianna lying against his chest and talking softly to him, her fingers threading through his hair and gently smoothing his brow and he remembered kissing her; not that he was going to share those details with Gaspard.
“The ship was destroyed by Lorelei,” Gaspard said grimly. “No one survived.”
“All those men…” Stunned, Christian shook his head. “They didn’t deserve to die. They were just following orders.”
Gaspard held out a shirt and Christian eased his injured arm into the sleeve. He tried to hide his frustration at having to let Gaspard dress him. He had become used to dressing himself and not having to rely on someone else to do it for him. “Why did Lorelei help us?” he asked as Gaspard did up the buttons down the front.
“I’m not sure. Who knows how her mind works. I fear the French will come looking for that ship. An entire ship doesn’t just disappear in a river with no trace.”
“We have to leave,” Christian said. He stood up to pull up his breeches. “We have to go today, before they come.” He slipped his arms into the jacket that Gaspard held out.
“You’re in no condition to travel just yet. And Adrianna…”
“She’s not hurt is she?”
“No.” Gaspard seemed to be avoiding looking at him. “But she needs to get her strength back. I think we all need to rest.” He eased shoes onto Christian’s feet. “There, I think you will do.” Gaspard helped him up. He clutched Gaspard’s shoulder as dizziness washed over him and made the room spin. “You shouldn’t be out of bed, my friend,” Gaspard said. “Your mother will be furious when she finds out I helped you.”
Gaspard supported him out of the room. They had to take the stairs slowly, one at a time. Gaspard took out a key from his breast pocket and unlocked the door.
“I can manage from here,” Christian said.
Adrianna was in a metal bath tub with a sloped back, her long hair loose over one shoulder. He smiled, but she didn’t return it. She had looked up as he entered and her eyes moved over him and he was sure he saw relief in them and something more, but then her gaze lowered. He pulled a chair over with his good arm and sank down before he collapsed. She moved back against the other side of the bath, away from him.
“How is your arm?” she asked in a neutral voice.
“It’s healing.”
He had rushed to see her, but now that he was here she seemed distant. She wouldn’t meet his eyes and he didn’t know why. He reached out to touch her, but she moved away.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing is wrong. I’m glad you’re all right.”
“I remember what you said in the river. That you were afraid of becoming like Lorelei. That you…” He couldn’t quite say loved. “That you cared for me.”
“I thought you were dying.”
“So, you didn’t mean it?”
“No,” she whispered, still not looking at him.
“I want to be with you.”
“There’s no future for us.”
“We’ll find a way to be together. I know it’s only been three weeks and I know that’s not enough time, but I feel like I know you in a way I’ve never known anyone.”
“I can’t be with you. Not as I am.”
“I don’t care that you’re a mermaid. It doesn’t matter to me.”
“It matters to me. I will spend the rest of my life being hunted, Christian. They will never leave me alone. I can’t stay here. I need to go to the sea.”
“I’ll come with you. I’ll get a ship. I always wanted to be a sailor. We can travel the world and see all the places you wanted to see. It wouldn’t matter so long as we were together.”
“No.”
Her voice sounded final, her mind made up. He realised he was trying to make her do something she didn’t want to. Whatever he felt for her, she didn’t feel it. He was just like Lorelei, loving someone who didn’t love him back.
“I thought…I don’t know what I thought. I must have been mistaken.” He waited for her to correct him, but she wouldn’t even look at him. She stared down at the water. “Do you want me to stay?” he asked.
“No.”
“I’ll go then.” He paused at the door, hoping she might call him back, but she didn’t stop him as he left.
Gaspard was waiting for him outside. “You weren’t with her long,” he said as he relocked the door.
“She doesn’t want to see me.”
“She’s still tired. Give her some time to recover.”
Gaspard helped him back to his room. Once there, in pain from more than just his wound, Christian sank onto the bed and lay back. Adrianna didn’t want to see him. She didn’t care for him as he cared for her. He sighed heavily. What a fool he had been. He knew how Lorelei felt now when he didn’t love her back.
~~~~~
Adrianna
drew her hand through the bathwater. The scales that floated on the surface clung to her fingers. She crushed them in her hand, grinding them into dust. The once clear water was murky, but Christian hadn’t noticed. He had barely looked at her tail. He had been too intent on looking at her.
There was a soft knock on the door and Gaspard came in. Adrianna rested her chin on the side of the tub and looked up at him.
Still in pain, he eased himself gingerly down onto the chair Christian had sat on. “It’s getting worse?” he asked. She nodded and then started to cry. Gaspard took out a handkerchief and pressed it into her hand. “Why didn’t you tell Christian?”
She sniffed and wiped away the tears. “I didn’t want him to see me like this. I’m losing my tail, Gaspard. I don’t want him to be tied to me. I want you to tell him not to come and see me again.”
“Shall I fetch your mother?”
“No. I don’t want her to think she might lose me again.”
“She won’t lose you. You’re not going anywhere. I won’t allow it.” She smiled at him through her tears. “We managed to get you here, all the way from Paris. No one would have thought it possible, but we did it. We’re going to find a way to get your legs back. Don’t give up now.”
She nodded and he patted her hand, but as soon as he left, her smile faded. Telling Christian that she didn’t want to be with him had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. Seeing the hurt and confusion on his face, she had almost called him back. They had no future together; there had never been a future for them together. The last three weeks had been a dream and now they had to face reality. He was a prince and she was a mermaid. It could never be.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Christian stood with his hands braced on the stone balustrade, looking out at the river. He was finally well enough to get up on his own. He had tried again to see Adrianna, but she wouldn’t even look at him. It was ironic that he should love her, but she didn’t love him back. Perhaps it was what he deserved. He winced as he moved his shoulder, pain stabbing through him. He remembered lying on the bank with her in the sun and the sound of her laughter. He missed those hours spent with her. He felt alone again.