My New Life

22. Unfair

 I had gotten Elizabeth's room back in order following Donovan's attack. When I finished I went to clean myself up, anxious the whole time that Alex would fail to find Bartholomew. Luckily Iris called my room and said Alex returned with him and was taking care of him in his room now. I decided I better go explain what had happened to Elizabeth, she was returning tonight. When I got up to her room her luggage was there, but she wasn't. I sat down and pulled out a cigarette. It wasn't too long before she came in. She wore a green turban and a green dress that draped off of one shoulder. She looked upset, so I worried that she already knew. She seemed surprised to see me.

"Diana, what are you doing in here?" She asked, walking to the pile of luggage.

"I need to tell you about something. Something that happened while you were gone." I was glad her back was to me, because I didn't want her piercing eyes on me.

She turned very slowly and began to walk towards me. "What happened?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Well, it's all fine now." I started. "But this woman came, I think her name was Ramona. She told me she was her to get revenge on you. She said she was going to kill the children, and Bartholomew. I told her I wouldn't let her. So she knocked me out and locked me in your closet. When I came to and got out, I found the children were fine, but Bartholomew has gotten out. Luckily the governess knew where to find him, and she is with him now. But I wanted to tell you myself." I said, shrinking under her unforgiving gaze.

She said nothing, but her angry face slowly melted into hurt. "Bartholomew? Is he alright?" She sat next to me on the couch, grabbing my hand.

"Yes. Alex is taking care of him. But he is home now and he is safe." I said. When it came to her children, especially Bartholomew, Elizabeth's very genuine motherly side came out. In this moment I felt sorry for her.

Elizabeth stood up. "I need to go see him." She looked down at me. "Thank you for telling me, and keeping an eye on things here."

"I'm sorry I didn't handle Ramona better." I said, standing.

"Well, now we know, so we can fight back." She started to walk towards her bedroom. "I will being seeing you soon, Diana." She said, not looking back at me.

I turned and left the room. I wasn't totally at ease with her reaction, but it would do for now. I decided to go to Liz's room and see her. She would put my mind at ease, she would be able to make sense of Elizabeth's actions. I went to her floor, but I was alarmed when the doors opened. I smelled blood and I heard sobs. I hoped it wasn't her. I ran down the hall to her room. The door was ajar. I pushed it opened and gasped at the scene before me, my hand flew up to cover my mouth.

There before me Tristan laid on the floor in a pool of blood, his throat slit. Liz was laying on top of him, her hands covered in blood. She lifted her head up and turned to look at me when she heard me. She just erupted into more cries. "The countess she..." Liz cried. I knelt down and embraced her. She cried into me. I stroked her back and held back my own tears. Liz had finally been happy, finally had love, she just chose the wrong person. I loved Liz like she was my own mother, and it killed me to see her like this. Eventually the crying stopped and Liz pulled away.

"I'm sorry." She said, wiping her eyes.

"Shh, it's okay Liz." She looked at her hands, lost. "Let's get you cleaned up, alright?" I stood and helped her up. I walked her to the bathroom and got a wash cloth and ran some warm water. She let me wipe her hands, and eposes skin where she was bloody. Her clothes had some blood on them but that could wait until later. Once we were done we went back to Tristan's body. I wanted to ask her what she wanted to do with the body, but I couldn't find the words.

"You know what she said?" Liz said quietly. "He's yours. Bury him."

I rubbed her back supportively. "I'll help you. We can get him cleaned up, dab a little perfume on him, and wrap him in a nice white sheet."

A smile broke through Liz's tear. "Thank you Diana."

With that we began to clean the blood off of him. We got a white sheet from the linen closet and together we moved him on to it. Before we wrapped him up in it Liz dabbed some perfume on him. It felt very similar to the old stories in biblical times about family members carefully preparing the body for burial. Though it was difficult, I hoped it was giving Liz closure. We agreed to just dump him where all the others go, since leaving his body anywhere outside the hotel and having it found would raise a lot of questions and bring a lot of attention to the Cortez. Attention was the last thing we wanted here. We got a maids cart from the hallway and wheeled him to the chute. Before we dropped him down, Liz spoke.

"I'm sorry it didn't last longer between us. We were a bit doomed from the start. We should have run and not looked back. But we didn't." She had to pause and collect herself. "I want to thank you, Tristan. You loved me in a way no one else every has. You made me feel more alive than I have in a long time. There was so much I wish I could have given you. But no one can take away what you gave me, and how you stood up for me, for us." She kissed his head through the white sheet it was wrapped it. "I love you."

With that I helped her gently slide him down the chute. I walked her back to her room. We hugged and I left her on her own. In a daze I made my way to my own room and sat on the bed. Then I cried. I cried about how unfair Elizabeth was killing Tristan and hurting Liz. I cried about being attacked. I cried for the innocent children who were forever trapped to be Elizabeth's pawns. I cried for myself, and what a mess I was in. Why couldn't I just be happy and free to live my own life for once? Suddenly a voice broke the silence.

"I feel as though we have been here before." James said, standing by the bathroom door. As he had when we first met.

"I just keep getting myself into messes." I sniffled pathetically. James came to my side and offered me a handkerchief. I took it.

"I will have Ms. Evers come by to clean up Liz's room. Truly a shame what happened to that boy. He had rage, good potential." James mused.

"Has he come back? As a...spirit I mean. Have you seen him?" I looked at James eagerly, but his eyes offered no glimpse of hope as he shook his head.

"If it were going to happen my dear, it would have happened by now." He wrapped his arm around me and I leaned into him and tensed up with a dreadful thought, which he felt. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"If he didn't..." I started. "James, what if, well, what if when I die I don't come back either?" The possibility that I could stay here forever with James if the worst should happen to me was one of my few comforts. If Tristan, a carrier of the virus like me, hadn't come back, why would I?

"Shh. I promise I will not let any harm come to you here. No one would dare cross James Patrick March. You are safe, and I will not be parted from you."

"But if Elizabeth wanted to keep us apart..."

"If it comes to that, I will take care of Elizabeth. She has more enemies here than you do. I have my ways. I will take care of you." He kissed the top of my head. "What would make you happy right now?"

I stood from the bed and did the chain on the door, to make sure it couldn't be opened. I walk to the drapes to see that they were drawn. Then I slid off my shoes and sat on the bed. "Hold me." I said.

James wrapped his arms around me and we laid together on the bed, and I drifted off into a much needed sleep.