The Masquerade Of Black Death (UNDER RE-WRITING AND HEAVY EDITING)

Chapter Eleven

After Ophelia had pushed him over, she realised how much bad health her fiancé was in. Yet she didn't regret the day she spent with Aurelian. She lay in bed with Claude-Laurence. "You have a fever." She smacked her lips together.
"I'm fine. It's a fever." He rolled his eyes. He pulled the blanket further up him, he was shivering, but sweating at the same time.
"This isn't just a fever, this is how Oskar went." Ophelia huffed.
"Well then we should get married tomorrow. Let's do it tomorrow. It'll keep your mind of me, when I do what I usually do when I get sick." Claude-Laurence rubbed his hands down her arm.
"I guess we're doing this. By tomorrow night, I'll be Mrs Taylor." Ophelia leant over Claude-Laurence and opened her window. "Did you hear that?" She shouted.
"I try not to hear whatever happens in that room." A voice shouted from below. Claude-Laurence saw a white haired woman climbing the tree like a spider.
"We aren't that bad." Ophelia giggled.
"I don't know... the bed was banging a lot last night."
"You heard that?" Claude-Laurence blushed, he didn't want to tell a young woman about his private life.
"Everyone did." She nodded. "So I guess we'll start the preparations for the wedding?" Del'Luna nodded a few times, she began to mumble things to herself. It was her way of reminding herself what tasks she has to do.
"Wait, why are you in the tree?" Claude-Laurence sat up.
"I always loved climbing trees as a kid, plus I can see anyone before they get here. You may think this is a sweet innocent family, but there's been people with weapons here more than I can count." Del'Luna looked back down. "What?" She spat. "Piss off!"
"Del'Luna!" Ophelia almost scolded her. She was dumbfounded at her poor language.
"What man? If he's marrying you, he's got to get off his high horse. We swear." Del'Luna rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to gather everyone?"
"Please. Back garden?" Ophelia got out of bed.
"Okay. Five minutes." Del'Luna disappeared down the tree, her shouts
Filling the bedroom. Ophelia dressed herself then she popped her head out of the door.
"Léon, can you stay with Mr Taylor?" Ophelia smiled.
"I'm no invalid. I'll go sit downstairs with you, better than this room." He shakily got up, Léon tumbled in.
"I can't carry him. I can barely walk myself." Léon had a blank expression. Ophelia bit her lip and sighed. She shook her head for a moment while she thought.
"I'll get him." Ophelia hoisted him up and walked him downstairs awkwardly like a three legged monster. She plonked him down at the kitchen table, "you are?" Ophelia looked at the mysterious man standing with his back to her.
He was tall, dark skinned with long dreads pulled into a big bun. He was wearing a navy suit and had a baby in one arm, while he made a bottle for the baby. He put his free hand on his chest.
"Yes." Ophelia nodded. Aurélie came running in.
"This is my boyfriend. Our child." Aurélie panted.
"You're fifteen!" Claude-Laurence exclaimed, he burst into coughing, the tall man had to bend to fit himself at the table with a glass of water for Claude-Laurence.
"Mrs Taylor wanted a granddaughter. I luckily had a son." Aurélie stroked the baby's chubby cheeks.
"Aurelian will slaughter her." Ophelia shivered.
"I'd pay him to." Claude-Laurence rolled his eyes.
"Claude! She's your mother." Ophelia slapped his arm. She shook her head. "How old is he? He looks older than me and Claude put together."
"Sixteen. She tried to chose a man but I bite." The man smiled as Aurélie spoke. He obviously didn't understand what she was saying, he had the air about him. He wasn't really in the conversation.
"How do you know him?" Ophelia asked rapid questions.
"Slaves." Aurélie shrugged. "Don't tell Aurelian. I haven't told him I was pregnant. I just said to him after I gave birth Mrs Taylor kept me busy."
"What's his name? Do we like him? I'll beat him up." Ophelia made a fist with her hand. Aurélie smiled and wafted away the worries about the extremely tall man standing beside her with a baby in his grasp.
"His name is Devon."
Devon glanced at her. He thrust his chin at Ophelia and Aurélie
Explained. He nodded every so often then gave her their son. He fell to his knees shouting thanks in French.
"Bébé ça va. Elle est bien." Aurélie rubbed his back.
He said something back. Later when Ophelia inquired about it, Aurélie told her that he said something along the lines of 'She might be nice, but I have to show my gratitude for saving you. Most people would have me beat up.'
Ophelia sat awkwardly.
"We're getting married tomorrow, does he want to come?" Claude-Laurence raised his shoulders.
"I can't ask that it's your wedding." Aurélie shook her hands while holding her son.
"It's no trouble, more the merrier. He's family." Ophelia grinned. Claude-Laurence now knew the true meaning off family. Aurélie asked Devon and he made her repeat it a few times. He had a quizzical look on his face. When he said 'Pourquoi' Ophelia stood up.
She knew the word for why, and for family.
"Famille." He smiled.
"I." He paused he looked at Aurélie who nudged him on. "Florist." He put his hand on his chest. Ophelia's eyes light up. "Free." He smiled too.
"I'll pay you off course. Um." Ophelia held up two fingers and dashed into the room beside the kitchen before the living room and came out with a binder. Devon stepped up to her and hunched to see. His hands clasped behind his back.
"This?" He pointed at a flower glued into the book.
"Maybe." Ophelia kept looking until she found these flowers that were almost on a branch, in certain light they looked white, in other light they looked yellow. "How about these?" She showed them to Claude-Laurence.
"Lia, as long as I can marry you I don't care. I'll let you do all this and I'll watch happily." He saw her lips pout. "Yes, fine whatever."
She showed it to Devon, his gaze went far then he gave a thumbs up. He loved dogwood flowers, he always had them in, even if they were hard to get a hold off.
Devon was sold as a slave, but his owner died with no children or wife, so the inheritance went to him. That's how he opened his own shop in memory of the man.
Ophelia jumped up grabbing his neck. He chuckled and hunched down
So she'd not hurt herself if she let go too abruptly. People are tall, but this man is a giant.
"Since I'll be elsewhere tonight, can I ask my friend over? Clive?" Claude-Laurence looked at Ophelia. Her blank expression made him chuckle. "The scary one from when we met."
"Clive what a sad name for such a big man. Will he kill me?" Ophelia's emotions were all over her face, she didn't want to say yes, she didn't want him knowing where she lived.
"He won't, we've been friends for decades. He'll sleep a little with me, then he'll get up and look out the window or go for a smoke. I've never slept alone for years."
"Fine, as long as he makes himself look less scary and doesn't traumatise the children." Ophelia sighed. "He'll traumatise them."
"They always run crying." Claude-Laurence laughed which turned into a cough. "Wheres Aurelian?" Aurélie was still stood in the kitchen. She looked outside.
"He's been asleep for the past hour. Stood up. I tried to talk to him earlier, I'm used to him being quiet. It was quite embarrassing." She shook her head. Her baby began to cry. "Can you take him? I have work" she gave the baby to Claude-Laurence. "He's quite placid, he'll cry for a moment then he'll calm down. His name is Raphaël."
Aurélie dashed out. As told Raphaël did calm down after a moment. He returned to looking around.
"I can't wait for us to have a baby." Claude-Laurence stroked the babies cheek. Ophelia excused herself to check on everyone, they were coming down the alleyway. Within a minute the long kitchen was crowded with people.
"As you know I'm engaged to Mr Taylor." Ophelia placed her hand under his chin. She knew she didn't have to say Mr Taylor, but she was brought up with manners. "We decided to get married tomorrow. I need someone to help make a small cake, get a Mr Clive here, help set up for tomorrow, I have a dress and shoes... music anyone do music?"
"I do." Del'Luna raised her hand. "I sing, Wayne plays the violin, well did. I can gather people."
"Okay! Food we have, music, dress, hair, I need clothes for Mr Taylor. What else what else? Oh make sure all of you come. You're our family."
"Is Mrs Esmerelda Taylor coming?" One person asked.
Ophelia glanced at Claude-Laurence. He took a few minutes to decide but he said yes, if she gets out of balance, there's Aurelian. Who was still asleep outside. No one dared to wake him.