Elysium [Army of Lucifer #1]

Prologue

© Stephanie Anne and Dee Atkins

                  Prologue

 

       Eleanor Ramsey clutched her mother’s arm for dear life as they rode in the small carriage, her small body lifting quite easily at each bump in the gravel road. The sounds of the horses guiding them sent a shiver of fear down her spine, and the young girl had the instant feeling that she were being led away by Death, and that she would not return.

       Her small fingers dug into the older woman's arm tighter and tighter at each bend and when it finally started to hurt Eleanor's mother glared at her young daughter, prying her fingers away. "Be still, Eleanor," the older woman's harsh voice whispered before she looked out the window once more. Eleanor felt her heart sink just as the carriage thumped over a bump in the road, making the child lose her grip on the seat and tumble to the floor, making her mother glare at her once more for being so foolish.

       Cheeks flaming and dress crumpled; Eleanor slowly found her way from the carriage floor, sitting quickly by her mother, only to stare at the curtained window, unaware of the final destination of their trip.

       When the carriage finally drew to a stop Eleanor let out a relieved breath, and in doing so was glared at, yet again, by her mother. "Now, Eleanor, I want you to be on your best behaviour for I am meeting with the Duke to discuss some business. I want no funny business from you, do you understand?"

       Eleanor nodded, though she had no idea what kind of 'business’ her mother might be conducting with a duke. From an early age, Eleanor had learnt not to question her mother and to do as she was told. After all, her mother had been widowed, her father dying of an unknown sickness when Eleanor was barely even a child! That event had turned her mother cold, and whatever Henrietta Ramsey was doing, it was not going to be beneficial to little Eleanor.

       Lady Ramsey was escorted from the carriage by the driver and she smiled at him as she climbed down, waiting to the side for her young daughter to emerge the same way, which she did. Eleanor bit her lip and held her hands behind her back where she took her place beside her mother just as she saw five men on horses coming towards them. The men made Eleanor feel uneasy yet again, but her mother seemed to smile brighter at the sight of them, however this just increased Eleanor's anxiety.

       Two of the men on horseback withdrew from the group, dismounting from their horses and walking the rest of the way to Lady Ramsey's little party, their large leather boots crunching in the brown grass, easy smiles playing at their lips. The men were not young, yet they were not old - they were, though, definitely younger than Eleanor's mother, who was only thirty-three.

       One man stepped forward, sweeping a bow as he took Eleanor's mother's hand and kissed the back of it before rising. "Lady Ramsey, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you," he smiled, showing bright white teeth. Eleanor found the smile somewhat creepy, and the young girl knew if her mother knew what she was thinking she'd be scolded. "My brother, the Duke of England, is eager to see you again, my Lady, and I am certain you are rather tired from your long journey. It would be my greatest pleasure to escort you the rest of the way so you can rest." He paused to look at Eleanor and he smiled. "Ah, and this must be your beautiful daughter!" The young girl froze in place, gulping under his intense stare.

       Eleanor had had plenty of lessons on how to act around those who were in a higher social class than herself, but in that one single moment, those lessons seemed to fly out of her head. She could feel her fingers begin to tremble, her knees shake slightly, and she had the distant, fleeting thought of falling, but nothing happened. She still stood beside her graceful mother, her hands still clothed in the white kid-gloves, she herself still in the same body she had been this morning when Miss Georgia, their Maid, had awoken her. She was still a small, ten year old girl wishing for her mother’s guidance in the events about to arise from taking this strange man’s hand and allowing him to kiss it lightly. She almost felt sick.