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The plot

It was two weeks since the tragic Salvar Day and the villages were back to normal. Wellington gave money to those who lost their houses and family members. He also gave the families of the soldiers and servants that died some money. These were some of the things he did which was not done out of benevolence or gregariousness but to earn respect and praises.

Life was back to normal and Isabella was now so obsessed with Tom. He was a source of joy and fun and she would use the slightest opportunity to be with him. Since she found out that he had no memory of the past, and had nowhere else to go, she made him a permanent feature in her life. To make their closeness less suspicious, he employed him as her assistant and secretary. She owned a cotton farm, wool factory and produced woolen materials. She had initially employed him just to get closer to him, and have excuses to be together but soon realized that he was far more intelligent than she had thought.

They had a love nest in the farm where they spent time together. The guard will guide them while they claimed to be planning, documenting and strategizing. Yes, they used to work but the love affair was more.

On that day, Tom had sent for Gaius while in his cabin.

“Gaius.” Tom had said to him. “Please come inside and join me.”

“Thank you ,sire.”

Tom was enjoying specially cooked turkey soup and red wine. While they ate, Gaius said, “each time I eat rich meals like this, I can’t help but think of my people who are starving and I suddenly lose the taste in the food.”

Tom has smiled.

“You will enjoy this meal because I have good news.”

Gaius raised his face expectantly.

“You will go and bring your family. Your uncle and his family like you said and bring two more families. I have studied this farm and their services will be needed. I will provide one horses and carts, provisions and money to fund the journey. Madam has approved it and she gave me the approval to do that.”

Gaius was so happy he jumped up and tears of joy glistened his eyes. He also wondered at the back of his mind how Tom did that with ease. There was no doubt he had a great influence of Madam. Well, that was not his business, rather it was a good thing to have a kind hearted bloke like Tom having such influence on her.

“She will also increase your wages by half of what you receive now. A lot of work has been going on in the farm. I mean they are building five cabins for them. You will start the journey by tomorrow with horse men.”

Gaius left the next day blissfully.

Three days later, news filtered that Fell had killed the dragon in the forest of Venica. He said he burnt it to death and went back with its head. There was jubilation and a lot of people began to propose that Fell Day should be celebrated.

Also, it was announced that Salvar Day was cancelled as the speech of Fell spread around Europe. This was the fall of Salvar but not everyone felt that way.

Tom once asked Gaius, “you said Salvar was from Yorkshire and Sir Fell confirmed that. Did Salvar ever acknowledge his origin?”

Gaius had looked uncomfortably at him and said, “I am afraid he did but it was kept a secret.”

“How?”

“He used to send farm produce to the village and never collected tax from us. The king of Syrusis is the most influential around here and only the King of England is seen as his equal. He also made us the beneficiaries of the cotton seed scheme which boosted our economy.”

“Why did he make it a secret?”

“The people of Syrusis, I mean some elites were envious of him. Please don’t tell madam this but

Sir Fell was one of them. He hated Salvar and was jealous of him. They felt he was a stranger who came to marry the pretty princess and became a Baron. He was intimidating and we feel all he said was a lie. Salvar would not do such a thing. He wanted to be celebrated and all these years he celebrated Salvar Day, it was done with pretence and was plotting to tarnish Salvar’s image. I don’t know the details but I know there is something wrong.”

This revelation sparked up something in Tom’s memory. His father may be right. There was a missing or misconceived part of history even though Professor Harry made a great discovery. That was his main mission here and he was glad he was realizing that. But he could not remember was how he got here and he would leave. Was he going to get stuck here? What if he found the truth but had no way to leave? Why had he come without that?

Would his father send him here without such a provision? He remembered telling his father that he would be the one to come but this was not the plan. His coming now was an accident.

Isabella had come into the farm house naked while he lay in bed. He could not deny that she was so voluptuous he really enjoyed being with her. He wondered why Wellington had such a wife and decided to be having another woman. Wellington was in his fifties and she was just twenty eight and had two children.

Tom was also the enjoying the respect and command he had here. Due to his position as Madam’s favorite cousin and assistant, he was treated with high respect. In his world, he was the son of a millionaire but he did not command the kind of respect he got here. Wellington lived like a king with guards and servants. It was a period of kingdoms and kings unlike the present world where a only a few countries still had monarchy as the supreme power and the respect for monarchies in the present world was not like it was in the past.

They had been enjoying wine, fruits, and now it was raining and the weather was cold so she asked the guards to make fire while coal heat the room to keep the temperature favorable.

She had never felt anything like this with Wellington. She came and joined him on the bed and they covered their bodies with a thick woolen blanket.

After a session of a******y, she held on to him tightly as if protecting him from being taken away ny the wind.

“Honey-Tim.” She called him softly.

“Yes, my love.”

“Ohhh, please say that again,”

“My love.”

She felt like melting, kissed him and put a leg over his.

“Do you love me?”

“Love? I thought you are just having vengeance?”

“Do not break my heart please by saying that. I told you before, that was the initial plan but I never tried that before until I met you. It’s more than vengeance or lust. It is about your soul. I have never felt this way in my entire life. You are like a nut that stops me from falling off. You are that fire that burns me and I feel no pain. You are my warmth, and the honey that gives my existence that sweet taste. I am at your mercy my king. You have the key to the door of my bliss and if you wish, you can lock or unlock it. Can’t you see that you are the air that I breathe and the blood that flows in me? I am yours and Wellington is just a caretaker. This body of mine is your temple and your playground. Thrill me, drill me, feel me, spill your juice into me, mold me into the shape you want, stir me towards the direction you want, I am yours and please know that I love you more than Isabella.”

Tom felt touched by her words and the sincerity in her eyes as she said them. She looked vulnerable, submissive, and loving.

“What are you? Who are you to make me cross the line? I do not see you as his but mine. Your love is sweet but your soul is sweeter and I will definitely post this on twitter. You eyes glitter, and make liquid gold flow in gutter. It’s not just about our togetherness this weekend but an affair that knows no end. Take my hand for free and not a lend. You make my days straight and no bend. For me you fend and to you, my love I send.”

“You are the sweetest.” She said and tears accumulated in her eyes. “I am afraid this may not last.”

“Why?”

“I am married and for how long would we do this in secrecy? And the way I love you, I want to love you in the open and let everyone know that we belong together. I don’t want anyone to share me with you. I just want to be yours alone and I want you to be powerful and rich.”

“But you know that is not possible. Wellington will roast me alive.”

“Yes, he will do worse because he is savage. Do you want me?”

“Stupid question. You know I do.”

She turned, lay on her back and stared up.

“We can get married and you will own everything Wellington owns.”

Tom laughed shortly.

“You know that is not possible.”

“It is possible. Wellington is not who or what you think he is. My love, Wellington can be made to shift for you. Just a change in position. You become my husband and the boss of his empire.”

“How?”

She turned back to him.

“He will have to die.”

********

Tom had just inspected the cabins built. They were high enough for comfort, with each cabin having big a living room, four bedrooms and three toilets. They were also furnished and the store had enough food. They were built not so far from a stream that passed through the farm to the river. The tall trees and plants made the place look so beautiful. There was also a playground for the kids.

He was being followed by three armed guards while he moved with a swagger. He was feeling like a prince and this felt so funny to him.

The idea of killing Wellington had being resonating with him. Isabella justified it by establishing that Wellington was a killer. She found a document which he signed an agreement with a former Baron of England who got missing mysteriously. The baron owned seventy percent of Wellington’s wealth. She also knew that many people who opposed him got missing mysteriously or met a sudden accident or were reported to commit suicides. She knew that he had skeletons piled up in his cupboard.

She felt he would not hesitate to kill Tom if he found out that he was her lover. She knew he cheated on her but he was obsessed with her. She was the only one who had a level of influence on him and she had threatened to leave so many times, he would fall sick and plead on his knees for her to stay. He gave her anything she wanted and she knew she was his weakness. What would he do if knew Tom was having her like he never did? He would go barmy and never hesitate to kill him.

But Tom had never committed murder and did not want to do that now. What was he going to do? He was confused. Only if he had somewhere else to go. Damn! He was having another man’s wife! That was very wrong and savage. He had never tried anything of such in his world. Did he even have a girlfriend there? He knew he was not a virgin but there was no memory of any girl in his head.

It was at that moment he heard movements and raised his head. There were horse drawn carts coming through the dusty road.

Gaius was back.

The carts pulled up and Tom saw happy families who felt they were coming to a haven. Yes, the environment was serene and beautiful and they would all have jobs and food to eat.

Gaius smiled, alighted and came to greet Tom with respect.

The people numbered more than twenty and Tom knew the so-called three families were fused families.

There were kids, teenagers and `adults.

Gaius introduced a smiley faced elderly man as his uncle, Stephen Jacob, Martha his wife and he had two sons. The first child was about twenty one years old and was called Abel. The younger brother was thirteen and was called Marcus then a girl who held a bag and stood beside Martha.

Tom heard faintly Gaius say , “that is Rose, my cousin.”

Tom was frozen and felt something making his heart beat faster.

What was this?

Was she for real?

The first thing Tom noticed was her braided vermillion-red hair which was adorned with flowers and held together by a pink ribbon and stopped by her waist. Some strands of the hair gummed her forehead and parted to go opposite directions. Her eyes were blue as Calm Ocean with delicate curves and endless lashes that were perfectly arranged. The eyes alone emoted, sparkled, intimidated, captivated and somewhat hypnotizing by sheer beauty and sexiness. Her nose was straight-edged, with 106 degree nasal tip rotation and perfectly placed over blossom soft sherbet sweet lips that were firm and tight all set in an apple shaped face.

Her body was imp-thin with round hips that looked like a geometrically placed round figure at the middle of her body, separating the upper part from the lower part with flat tummy which was like a plane figure. Her chest was graced with youthful bosom that was an epitome of prime and turgidity.

She was tall and straight, and the breeze that blew on her soft clothes exposed her straight long legs which made Tom froze.

Tom knew he wanted this eighteen year old like he never wanted any woman but the image of Isabella appeared suddenly, glaring at him.

“Welcome to Dransvalle.” He said and could barely recognize his own voice.

Rose!