The African trinkets

Marianne Tate (Part 2)

The day had seemed ceaselessly long to Nolia. She was sure that Lance would have visited her by now. Nolia eagerly twisted her head and craned her neck to see if Lance had finally arrived.

She knew that he could do nothing to save her. Nolia was doomed and the sooner she accepted her fate the better.

"He's not coming for you." Marcus' usually light filled voice was dark and hoarse. Nolia had nearly forgotten that other inmates occupied this prison.

Nolia looked at him without really seeing him. Marcus looked like he had gone feral, "Who isn't coming?"

"Lance." He said curtly.

"What makes you so certain of his absence?" Nolia was cocky of Lance's attachment to her. Marcus was challenging her power over him.

"My friend is busy with matters that are far more important than a simple love interest who has stumbled and fallen on the wrong side of the law."

"Love interest? If you are referring to me as a mere 'love interest' then you are dancing on the verge of offense." Nolia barked back at him.

"Oh, you vex me so!" Marcus exploded.

"How so?" Both Nolia and Marcus were pressed against the bars of their cells. Marcus wanted to shake the superficial nonsense out of Nolia.

"There are duties in this world that require more attention than you and your silly little fling."

"Duties like what, Marcus? Why must you speak in circles? If anything you vex me!" Nolia's ego was battered.

"The death of a sibling will drastically change one's priorities." Marcus gripped the cell bars and the rust cut the flesh of his hands.

"Death of a sibling?" Nolia was stunned. She didn't expect the death of Victoria to be the reason for Lance's absence, "Victoria is dead?"

Marcus' labored and ragged breath confirmed her question. Nolia did not know what to make of Victoria's passing. She was not a particular of fan of Victoria's. Nolia tried her best to stay out of her way because for whatever reason Victoria was especially horrid to her. Victoria was a spoilt girl who exaggerated the unpleasantness of interacting with her black servants.

Nolia remembered Wanda and Penn having a good laugh about Victoria's ridiculously offensive notion of milk soaked gloves. She had remembered throwing in her two cents worth and being reprimanded by Wanda. Nolia had noticed that the protection of Victoria by most was a trend over the years. Lance had always been protective of his younger sister. He often hurt, emotional jabs here and there, but I understood why he did it. Lance wanted to make Victoria'a skin thick so that she wouldn't be easily wounded by the razor sharp comments of society.

Nolia had the gut feeling that Lance's strategy was more detrimental than helpful. Victoria had harbored an eating disorder and was at the disposal as men but who was Nolia to judge?

"Is that why you're rotting here?" Nolia was finally starting to wonder why Marcus was in a high security prison for murderers, "You killed Victoria. Marcus the sweetheart, Marcus the compassionate gentleman killed Victoria Tate."

Marcus shook his head gravely at Nolia and decided against answering her. He wanted to deny her claim, protest against the falsehood but he could not convert his breath into words. Marcus rubbed his face in frustration because he realized the hopeless trajectory of his case.

The loved socialite, Victoria Tate, found dead and naked in the company of a man. His harsh reality was severed any fleeting hope he had. Marcus would be reduced to a monster of a man, a monster that violated a defenseless woman and took her life.