The Past And Future Collide

Angelina Belletine du Vairmer
Age 18

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Angelina Belletine du Vairmer gave a gasp as once again her needle pricked her finger.

"Mon Dieu!" A delicate finger was lifted to a pretty pink mouth as she sucked the drop of blood caused by the prick of her tapestry needle.

"Again?," asked her mother, Countess Lilianna du Vairmer as she looked over the estate books. "How do you manage to do it on a tapestry needle, I'll never understand. You realize that in less than 6 months, you shall be married. You should have been married several years ago, if not for this war. When will men learn. By the time I was your age, I had already been wed four years and had already had several children, and lost one of them. I pray to the gods that it is not too late for you."

It was a speech that Angelina had heard before, and had already turned her mind to other interests of the day. She stared out the window, watching the sun cast shadows along the garden wall. Yellow flutterbys gathered along a row of flowers offering their best nectar. The gentle afternoon breeze lifted the heavy air, stirring it to provide some relief to the heat of the day. Her blonde hair brushed against her face and she longed to set everything aside and walk in the garden.

"I can tell that your mind is not on your work." Her mother smiled at her, remembering the feelings that she had at that age. "Oh, do go outside and take advantage of the day. We could use some roses for the evening table. Perhaps some of the 'Evening Kiss' or 'Pricilla' Delight' would look good."

"Very well, Mother." She gratefully put away the tapestry work and went in search of the flower basket and pruning shears.

Angelina wandered out to where the roses were blooming along the back wall. When she was a child, it was not unusual to climb this wall and explore the forest back there. There was a little stream, and though the forest was thick, it was not impenetrable. She would imagine bears and tigers, and though they were lacking in those woods, there was plenty of rabbit and fox and deer.

She heard rustling on the other side of the wall. It could be a dog. Or maybe a deer. It was too much noise for a rabbit.

Curious, she wandered over to the gate, taking care to not make much noise. Maybe it was a deer caught in brambles. With stealth, she headed to where she had heard the disturbance.

Whatever it was, it was making enough noise to scare away any wild game.

Suddenly, she heard a voice, a male voice. She stopped, wary as to who it might be. They were isolated just enough that occasionally they would find the odd gentleman or soldier attempting to avoid the town, skirting around just outside its borders.

From the noise the gentleman was making, it was apparent that he was fighting a losing battle with the brambles.

Trying to sound more sure of herself than she felt, she stood her ground, calling out in a clear voice, "Whoever you are, come out. You trespass upon private grounds." She saw something resembling a shoe though it was like nothing she had ever seen before.

"Oh, very well," she said. "Remain still whilst I free you."

She drew closer and with her pruning shears began to cut away the brambles, revealing more and more of the young man within.
Finally she could see him, strange as he were. His manner of dress was unusual. He looked like a homeless fellow.

But a quite comely young man. He appeared strong, with a clear brow and lovely eyes. She smiled at him, attempting to offer him ease.

But she noted that he was also bleeding in several places, some of them quite deep and probably quite painful.

"Pray, stay still and I shall have you free anon. "

Angelina blushed at the stranger's words. But what caught her attention more so was his manner of dress. Never before has she seen such clothes, and his shoes were almost nonexistent. He must be a very poor man, or perhaps a visitor from another country. There had been talk of fearful natives from uncivilized countries.

But this man spoke in a civilized tongue, to a certain extent. Still, she had been taught to show charity to those less fortunate than herself.

"Can you walk? If so, follow me and I will attend to your wounds. Those thorns can be quite painful."

She walked ahead of him, leading him to a bench outside. "Sit you here, and I shall soon return." She left to fetch a bowl of water and bandages.

Leaving the young man outside, she hurried to the pantry and grabbed a basin and some old sheets. In a drawer in the kitchen she picked up a jar of ointment and filled the basin with water, pumping using the hand pump.

She returned outside and set the basin down before tearing a piece of the sheet off, dipping it in water and cleaning away the blood from the young man's palm. She moved her long skirts, attempting to avoid any of his blood staining her gold and white dress.

"I have some salve that we may use to avoid any infection. What were you doing in yond brambles?"

She looked at the young man. Perhaps he had hurt his head and had lost his memory. She worried. He seemed confused and was not making much sense.

She looked down at his arm and saw a strange marking.

"What is this?" She asked. "Does it mean something?"

Angelina patched the young man up as best as she could. He seemed still very confused and she wondered if she would need to contact a physician.

"My name is Angelina. What is yours? Where are you from?"

She looked at the stranger in confusion.

"Orléans is not a new city. It has been here in France for many years. I have not heard of the other places that you mentioned."

"Perhaps I should send for a physician for you."

The young man was not making much sense - west, boats, emerald - she thought that maybe the man was deranged. Perhaps he had escaped from an asylum.

Anyway, it was best not to disturb him. Keep him calm.

"But of course. I will show you to a room where a bath will be drawn for you. Please follow me."

She entered the house with the young man following her. Their chateau was small for a Contessa but they actually preferred it to something grander.

Mary, their maid appeared and Angelina informed her that she was escorting the gentleman to the Green Room and that a bath should be drawn for him. Mary curtsied before running off to find some servants to bring up the wooden tub and buckets of hot water.

Angelina lead him up the stairs and pushed open the Green Room, so aptly named as it was decorated in shades of green. It was one of their guests rooms, containing a bed, a small table and chairs and a armoire. The window looked out over the back of the house, showing the gardens, the back wall and the forests beyond.

"The servants will bring you a bath and I will send up new clothes to replace your torn ones. This may be your room as long as you are here. I will inform Mama of your arrival and a place will be set for you at the evening meal."

She nodded to him and left to take care of the arrangements.

Angelina headed downstairs to where her mother poured over the record still. Once they had decided upon what their course of action would be, she went in search of the cook to plan what would be served at the evening meal.

Finally, she headed back out to the garden to finish gathering the roses she had originally set out for. Once that was accomplished, she headed back indoors to arrange them for the evening meal before returning upstairs to change for the meal.

She found Mary on the stairs bring down Alexander's damp towels. She thanked her and told her the evening meal would be served in fifteen minutes. Mary curtsied and headed for the kitchen so she could prepare the dining room.

She traveled onward until she reached the green room door. She knocked, and thought she heard something like "Enter" so she opened the door.