In the Lion's Den

Escape

Caldwell smoked another cigarette, obviously pleased with the effect his revelation had on Simon.

Then he went out again, without giving any indication at what he was about to do.

Simon was left to his own thoughts again.

He tried to remember anything that would prove his guilt or innocence, but it was futile.

The memory that did come back to him was of the night he had fled Sinclair Manor for the first time.

Ever since coming back from Yorkshire where Simon had met Baby Marianne and signed the contract, his grandfather had been different.

He was friendly towards Simon, asking him about his studies, his interest, even praising his dedication and efforts from time to time.

He had even asked about Simon's favourite foods and desserts, and there had been something Simon liked at each meal.

Simon found it all very suspicious.

So one night, when his grandfather was out for a dinner party and the staff had mostly been given a night off, he asked Poppy to stand watch for him while he looked for the contract in his grandfather's study.

He wasn't allowed to enter the study, ever.

So now his heart was drumming loudly, while he sifted through stacks of paper on the impressive mahogany desk, always alert for the call of a dove, the sign Poppy had come up with.

It didn't take him too long to find it.

And after having read the whole thing in its entirety for the first time, he saw red.

He felt a rage towards his grandfather that was beyond anything he had ever experienced.

Every humiliation, every ... it all came together in a fit of cold rage he could not control.

He threw the papers on the floor, stormed out of the study, and ran up to his bedroom, searching his pocket knife.

He heard his name being called quietly, but he ignored it.

"I'm going to kill him," he said under his breath, again and again.

Someone followed him into his room, he didn't care to look who it was, but went straight for the drawers of his armoire, rummaging through them to find that knife.

Then someone grabbed his hand and yanked him back.

He turned to see Poppy staring at him, surprised of having had enough force to actually stop him.

She had followed him without care for rules or propriety.

"Stop it, Simon", she hissed, and he finally gained some sense of what he was doing again.

"Stop and listen to me!"

He nodded.

"If I must."

"Yes, you must, for once. It will do you no good to kill him, you will hang, for god's sake, and I won't allow that."

"I have to do something, you don't know what he has done."

"Oh, I surely know enough of what he's done to want to kill him myself, but I want to live, and I know you do too, so control yourself and get over it."

"I can't. I can't live on here as if nothing had happened."

"Then go away. You've been planning to for long enough, haven't you?"