Scarlet Rose

Chapter 70

Saturday 18th of July 1925

Every difficult decision taken during one's lifetime, carries

- every time - 

a particular taste in the mouth. 

Close your eyes. Recall such a decision, taken at some point in life. Do you agree?

Bitter and sweet. 

 Bitter like bitter almonds. That's what breaking up with the past tastes like. Hopes, dreams, memories, all archived and closed neatly within corners of one's heart. Moments of reminiscing weigh heavy, and the body tenses and aches even, till a deep breath taken can bring the mind to the surface of the present.

Christian had become restless, anxious for everything to finish. And the bitter taste that stayed in his mouth, he hadn't liked it. Reminded him of what he was leaving behind. He missed Rose. He missed everything about her. When he was by her side and everything felt possible. Last he had seen her, she was entering that train with Terry following behind her. It was only Saturday but it could well have been a whole life time away now. Wednesday evening really felt so far away. He hadn't regretted it though. He had managed to send her as far away as possible, together with a man who would have given his life for her. He was certain of that. And she loved that man. The realisation was not an easy pill for Christian to swallow but when he admitted the truth which was evident even before Terry had appeared, he knew by letting her go, he had done the right thing.

Dawn had found him with his eyes open. When he could feel the warmth of the new day on his arms where the sunlight hit him, he got up. Washed from the waist up by the barrel of water kept outside the cabin. It was chilled enough to wake up every cell in his body. He craved some alone time, to let his mind rest, put his wits at ease. He got dressed and glanced inside the bedroom, long enough to make sure that Alice was sleeping, left a brief message on the kitchen table to let her know he hadn't disappeared and took off with his satchel passed over his shoulder. He carried it everywhere. He was never too far away from his drawing materials. 

He walked for a little and stopped once he found a good enough spot close to the river bank, but not too close to make himself known that he was there. Not that he was expecting anyone, but under the circumstances he felt compelled to look over his shoulder at all times. 

He hadn't decided yet, of the day the Raven would break in the Grandchester mansion. He had in front of him a little less than two weeks. Just about a week he had even, if he took into account the visit to the Duke's home he planned for Monday, under the pretence of looking into potential places for painting the lady of the house.

To do that, he'd have to check up with MacDonald. He had asked him also to find him a man to pose as the clerk from a jewellery shop, coming to clean the Grandchester jewels. He hoped he had come up with someone to fill the part. Truth be told, Christian was also curious to view those precious jewels too. Having already known a fair deal of them, the treasures the Duke had kept hidden had piqued his interest a long while ago.

With Rose in his life, he had decided to leave the Raven behind but... the Grandchester mansion, he would have been a liar if he denied he hadn't thought or wanted even to break in that place.

Richard Grandchester may have acted as a compassionate, understanding man when he visited him that afternoon, not long ago that was. In fact, the Duke didn't lack of acting skills - while Christian thought of Terry -his estranged son who didn't even carry his surname-

so many common things, same details in both their lives, his and Terry's...

And that emblem which time proved little; Christian had run out of time, he had none left to even contemplate what that handkerchief meant, the crowned swan. In the deep of the night however, the question had turned real and even more probable the answer seemed to be. For he had felt a bond between him and Terry,