Lady of Greystoke (Sequel to "At all costs")

A break in

It was around 1 in the morning when Alice heard uncharacteristic rustling outside. She had never been a light sleeper, but Mr. Coldon's recent behavior had made her much more attentive to sounds and movement. She said up in her bed, listening carefully to any out of place sounds. She was quite sure she heard the kitchen door, a few meters below her own window open and close. She gathered her courage, got out of bed and quickly dressed herself. She lighted a candle and carefully and quietly walked down the stairs towards the kitchen. She took the dark servant stairs in the hope that whoever was in the house would not see her. The problem was that the stairs were very old and creaked with every step. So even if the person wouldn't see her, there was a high chance they would hear her. As she reached the bottom floor she took a deep breath before opening the door at the end of the stairs, which opened into the kitchen. She opened the door just a crack, and saw that it was empty. A breath she did not know she was holding escaped, and she slowly stepped into the kitchen. Closing the door behind her back as quietly as she could. She walked through the kitchen, hoping to find any clue as to who was in the house, but found none. Quickly Alice walked out of the kitchen and saw a dark figure standing in the large hallway of the house. She quietly walked towards the figure, hiding behind a pillar. The figure was obviously male, and tall. His silhouette gave Alice the impression that he was far too fancily dressed to be a burglar.

Carefully Alice stepped away from behind the pillar and onto the moonlight lit marble floor of the hallway.

'Get away from there Alice!'

She heard Coldon yell behind her. She turned her head and saw him standing halfway up the steps, a loaded gun in her hand. He wore his dressing gown and a look of surprise, which was directed at the stranger in the hallway. 'Clayton?!' he yelled just as Alice had turned her head again and her gaze had fallen on the face of her father. The rest of the world disappeared around her, and her eyes were filled with pure joy. He had finally come to rescue her. 'Father!' she yelled, and looked at the warmth emitting from his eyes. But she didn't pay enough attention to her surroundings, and so she didn't notice Coldon coming for her, until her Father's turned angry again, and she felt a strong grip on her arms.

'What the hell are you doing here, Clayton?! And what do you mean when you call him "father"?!' Coldon glared at Alice, digging the end of his gun into her side.

'She means that I am her father!' John yelled, the hallway echoing his roaring voice. 'And she was taken from me and my wife against her will, and then locked up in this house by you. And I am here to take her home.'

Coldon laughed menacingly. 'And you truly think that I will just let her go. Oh no, I like her too much for that.' He pressed his face against Alice's cheek, causing her to whimper underneath his touch. 'If you want her back, you will have to pry her away from my dead hands.' He laughed again. 'Which I am sure a man like you, who gets lost horse riding, will never be able to do.'

A dark grin appeared on John's face. 'That was all an act, Mr. Coldon. I am much more than you think I am Much more than you know. But I am willing to explain... Have you heard of the story of Tarzan, lord of the apes?'

Coldon scoffed. 'Of course I have, but you don't actually expect me to believe that...'

John cut him off before Coldon could finish his sentence. 'Yes, I do expect you to believe. Because if you know the story, you will also know that the man who was called Tarzan, turned out to be John Clayton III the earl of Greystoke.' John grinned again. 'I am the man who is called Tarzan, and I am here to retrieve my daughter. And I will not have any difficulty doing this even if you object. But you will have difficulty breathing afterwards. So I'm giving you a choice Mr. Coldon; Give me and my daughter a free pass to leave, or I will take her from your poisonous grip with every force necessary. So what will it be, lose a servant, or lose life and limb? The choice is yours.'

John stared at Coldon, a cold, hard gaze with no room for mercy or compassion. Alice could feel Coldon squirm under her Father's gaze even if he refused to show it.

'Over my dead body.' Coldon finally stated.

John sighed, accepting the man's choice. 'So be it.'

And then John charged forward.

Soo, you guys are probably wondering why it is taking so long for to write the moment where Tarzan really saves his daughter... truth is, I want to do it right, and for a long time I just couldn't really see it yet. And although I am not yet sure on the details, I am happy with how I can start that chapter now. So there will be Tarzan action in the next chapter, and we're probably nearing the end of the story, but I don't know exactly how many more chapter there will be.

So I hop you guys enjoy this one, and thanks for reading.