The Bloodline

First Goodbye

East Dean, 1996

Isobel stood behind the front door of Birling Manor and put her hand on the copper door handle.

"Izzy, are you sure you want to do this?", said Christopher softly.
"No,", she turned around and heaved a deep sigh. "I want to tuck her in every night, wake her up in the morning, make dinners for her, raise her, watch her grow, I want her to be with me. But we agreed to do this, it's what's best for her."

She kissed the top of the baby's head in her arms and a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She then gave the baby to her fiancé, it was his turn to say goodbye.

"Bye, my little princess, may life be good to you,", Christopher whispered to the sleeping baby. He felt a lump in his throat. Suddenly, the sound of a car engine roared and came to a halt in front of the Manor. "It’s time, Iz."

A woman dressed in a heavy black coat stepped out of the car and held up an umbrella while she scurried to the open front door where Isobel was waiting for her. 
She was crying when the woman reached her, her cries sounded weak in the cold rainy night. They greeted each other with a silent nod, both refused to be the first one to say something.  There was nothing left to say to each other anyway, everything had been said when the arrangements was made a few nights ago.

Isobel handed the baby over to Christopher, who was already wearing his raincoat, and pushed him out of the house. 
"Quickly, you know we don't have much time left,", she said to him with a tremble in her voice.

"Take a good care of her,", she then said to the woman.
"You know I will,", the woman answered, feeling slightly offended that Isobel would even dare to think that she would not take care of the baby as if it was hers.

"Bye now, I love you,", she caressed her baby’s head and kissed her soft cheek for the last time before she was left alone in the open door of Birling Manor.

She was still standing in the opening of the door when she saw another, bigger car driving through the gates. A man in a black suit got out and opened an umbrella, not for himself but for the old man that was getting out after him.

Isobel quickly dried her cheeks and straightened her posture, she knew that he would come, that is why she chose to stay behind.

“Grand Master,”, she bowed her head for a couple of seconds before eyeing him with cold eyes.
“Where is your Guardian?”, the old man spoke, without greeting her.
“Christopher is gone, you just missed him,”, she harshly answered. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want. I’ll be back tomorrow and then you’ll give it to me.”, he sternly said in a deep voice. 
“No, I won’t, I will never!”, she replied .

Her face then softened and her voice became weak. “Please, dad, why can’t you just accept it?”, she pleaded with teary eyes.
He looked at her silently before turning back and walking away. Isobel watched as the car drove off, when it had reached the corner, she turned around and closed the door.

She called for the housekeeper and told him to fetch the suitcases. 
“The largest ones, please. The Master and I are going to find the Lost Relics.”, she said to him. 
“The world tour-suitcases it is then. When are you leaving, if I may ask?”, James was already making a mental list of things his Masters would need.

“Tomorrow, so it seems,”, replied Isobel.