A Little Mad

Chapter 34

Mercedes wanted to find Jerome, but she knew that if she ran from Jeremiah, those men might find her again. Or someone else could. She knew he was taking her back to his house. She didn't want to make him angry. He did just save her life. When they were safely inside Jeremiah told his men to go home. Ecco stared at Mercedes with an unpleasant look. Jeremiah yelled at her to go start dinner. He turned to Mercedes concerned. 

"Now. Would you like to explain to me why you were out there alone?"

Mercedes sighed and slightly rubbed her eyes to keep tears from falling. 

"I was... looking for Jerome...." 

Jeremiah tilted his head. 

"He left two days ago... didn't say a word... just left in the middle of the night.."

Jeremiah nodded and laughed a little.

"Ah. My dumb brother went on when of his disappearing trips. Yeah, he does that a lot." 

Jeremiah turned to focus on Mercedes, who he didn't know was softly and slowly crying. He gently reached his hand up and wiped away her tears. 

"Why are you crying? He should come back. That leach cannot die for anything."

Mercedes looked away. 

"He... told me to go away... I mean we weren't technically even calling each other anything, but... he ended it..." 

Mercedes couldn't fight the tears that fell like waterfalls down her cheeks. Jeremiah felt his heart ache at the sight of the young woman crying. Mercedes wiped her tears as more formed. She covered her mouth before opening it to speak.

"And.. now.. I'm afraid I'll never see him again... I don't know where he is or if he's okay.. or hurt... of worse.. dead..." 

A slight piece of rage boiled inside Jeremiah. He gently lifted her chin and wiped her tears again. 

"My brother... is a fool for abandoning you. No one should hurt such a beautiful woman."

Mercedes stared at Jeremiah through watery eyes. She could feel that he was speaking from deep within himself. She believed he felt exactly what he had spoken. She wiped her face one finally time. Her eyes fell behind Jeremiah and a small bit of excitement fell onto her face.

"Jeremiah. Is that an old record player? How come I didn't notice this last time I was here?"

She walked towards it, stopping just in front of it. She turned back to face him. 

"It's beautiful... I have always wanted to hear something played on one of these." 

Jeremiah smiled. He walked towards her. He held his hand out. 

"If you like the record player, let me show you something else." 

Mercedes smiled slightly and placed her hand in his. He led her down the halls until they came to a room that took her breath away. They designed the room to look like a seventeenth century ball room. Mercedes let out a gasp and stared in amazement.

"Jeremiah... this... this room is absolutely beautiful... it looks like it was built by King Louis the fourteenth's architects..."

Jeremiah smiled and walked in front of her.

"Oh, so you're a history lover?" 

Mercedes beamed one of the most beautiful smiles Jeremiah had ever seen. He felt his heart jump. 

"My favorite time period is the seventeenth century. I can't even explain how much I love the fashion, the architecture, and the music... oh how I just love classical music.."