Alexandra

7

Lucien Saudoul

I attended Emlyn's funeral a few days later. It was a very grand affair, several dominating figures were present, including Emlyn's mother, the Dowager Countess of Palaria, the Marisart family and the Prince of Fein. I felt like a very small person in a crowd of giants here. They were all so powerful and foreboding. I wasn't.

We took our seats in the family chapel. It wasn't very busy, but the strength of the crowd was in the members, not the number. I was in one of the back corners next to a young man with a constant need to stare at me and then pretend he wasn't. I felt so uneasy, but then the funeral began. As the funeral bearers carried Emlyn's coffin down the aisle, his mother sat in the front row crying softly, dabbing her face with a handkerchief.

The priest stood at the altar, gave his sermons and led the hymns. It finished shortly after Emlyn was placed and sealed into the family vault. I went to Emlyn's mother, Louisa, to comfort her and give her my condolences.

"Dear Louisa, I am so sorry. I am so sorry for the loss of your son, he was a lovely man, sweet and sincere." I said, squeezing the elderly lady's hand.

"I am fine," she sniffled. "He was an angel, wasn't he?"

I talked to her for a little longer and then prepared to leave. It was getting late, and the journey home took two hours. But then someone tapped my shoulder just as I was getting into the carriage.

"Miss," said a gruff voice behind me. "May I talk to you?"

"Yes, of course, but please make it quick."

I turned around and jumped. It was that leery man from earlier. My heartbeat quickened.

"My name is Lucien Saudoul, I noticed that you looked very uncomfortable next to me earlier, I apologise for any discomfort." He said.

'Please, don't worry." I replied.

He kept trying to move his hand towards my face. My face was somewhat hidden the black veil covering my face.

"What is your name, Miss?"

I ignored his question. He reached up and moved my veil. I was taken aback, aghast. No respectable man would make such a move with a young woman.

"My, my, aren't you a beauty." He sneered.

I was flattered but felt even more uneasy. He was staring like a creep, being overly friendly. I wanted to leave now. Why was he doing this?

"Sir, are you alright?" I asked, unnerved by his behaviour.

"Please, call me Lucien. No, I have seen you somewhere. A ball perhaps, however, I can't remember." He said, flashing his very white teeth in a huge grin.

"Maybe we had, now I must be getting home. Goodbye, sir."

I got in the carriage, and we left so quickly. Thomas was already sitting there; he had been accompanying me recently because of safety concerns with the Camdens. However, we were lucky.

"Thomas, can I ask you a question?" I said, he nodded slowly in response.

"Do you know anything about the Saudoul family?" I said. "Specifically the individual, Mr Lucien?"

Thomas shook his head. "No, I haven't. Why?"

"Don't worry."

I shrugged the event aside and the ride home was silent. We arrived back at the palace after dark. I rushed in to change for dinner. As I walked across the portrait room, I spotted the painting of his father with my cousin. He was smiling at him, almost like they were in conversation without words.

"Wilhelm?"

"How was it?"

"It was very quiet."

The next morning...

After breakfast, I was in the drawing room talking to Wilhelm about my father's racehorses. He told me how he thought of training to be a jockey when he was younger. Originally, he wasn't going to succeed his father, but his older brother died aged ten in a boating accident.

Rose then entered and told me that there was someone there to see me.

"I must go, I'll be back soon," I said to him.

I closed the door behind me and there was a tall shadow dancing in the flames in front of me. It turned around and smiled. As soon as the sparkle of teeth glistened, I knew. It was Lucien.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" I said, fumbling my fingers behind my back.

"Well, I thought that I'd pay you a visit," he replied.

"But I never told you where I was from," I said. "Nor did I tell you who I was."

'Your Majesty, I might have followed your carriage home." He said. "Also, don't you think it was quite clear who you were? Only one of the most powerful people in that church."

'Rose, please could you see Mr Saudoul out?" I said, angrily. "Mr Saudoul, thank you for coming but please never return."

I stormed off, back to the drawing room and flopped down into my chair.

"Men?" said Wilhelm, smirking. I nodded.

"A Mr Lucien Saudoul. I met him at the funeral yesterday. He was a bit of an odd character." I said, reaching for a piece of shortbread.

"Saudoul, Saudoul, why do I know that name?" he pondered. "Yes, he was a friend of Emlyn's. he came to teach me sometimes. Also, strange is an understatement."

I finished chewing the biscuit and stood looking out of the window. It was a beautiful day and I felt like riding.

'Do you want to go for a ride?" I asked, smiling at Wilhelm. He nodded.

"Let me change and I'll meet you on the back steps."

I went to my room and changed into my riding habit. I tied my hunting stock and stabbed the pin into it, pricking my finger on the end. Walking down the hall and buttoning my jacket, I thought I saw something move in the shadows. I dismissed it and placed my top hat on my head.

I met Wilhelm on the porch, he had changed into beige breeches and a grey hunting coat. We walked down the short gravel path to the stables, the red brick stables arranged in a U-shape around an old apple tree. I said hello to Jakob in his office and helped him tack up two horses. I took Wilhelm around the side to the pens, Nightmarish Being was standing there, dozing in the autumn sun. He snuffled his arm and went back to sleep.

"Ma'am, we're ready," said Jakob.

He legged me up into the side saddle and held Terza's reins as I rearranged my apron. He passed me my hunting whip and then helped Wilhelm up.

Wilhelm got up and slumped to one side. He had forgotten about his small predicament. I leaned over to knot the reins and he picked them up in his one hand.

We rode off into the woods behind the stables. It was bathed in the warm late morning sun, the light dappling through the trees. We walked for a few miles then Terza suddenly reared. He came down swiftly and turned to run, but I managed to stop him from bolting. Something was coming towards us, and it was coming fast, really fast. It was Lucien.

"Wilhelm, go?" I ordered. "Back to the stables, now, go."

We galloped back to the stables; I turned my head and saw Lucien gaining on us. We jumped off the horses and rushed to hide in the hayloft. From there, we could overhear a dispute growing in the yard.

"Where are Alexandra and that man of hers?"

"Who's Alexandra?" replied another voice. "I don't know who she is."

"Don't play the fool with me, man," bellowed Lucien. "I know that you know damn well who Alexandra is."

I could hear Lucien mount his horse and ride away. I turned to Wilhelm, his face was an unreadable mess. We walked back into the yard to walk the horses down. Then I saw Jakob, ducked down inside his office. Clearly, Lucien had scared him.

"What was that about he asked?" he asked.

"That's an acquaintance of ours," I said, through gritted teeth.