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She was surprised the next afternoon when the flowers arrived and the invitation. She placed the peach colored roses in a vase and read the card.
Natalie,
I did not want to give you false hopes in that
Nicholas would be joining you this evening. Under
current circumstances, he asked that I entertain you.
He left explicit instructions on what is to be done. It
appears he remembered your birthday after all.
Lucien
Instructions on where to meet him for the evening followed. Natalie remembered briefly back to their first 'date' on that Valentine's Day. It seemed like so long ago...
The invitation was too good to pass up.
Besides, what were her options? As much as she'd like to turn her heart
off to Nick and everything associated with him, she wasn't quite ready
to do that.
She followed the directions ending up at the harbor,
the dock. She checked the address again. Yes, this was it. She looked up
to find a large sailboat decked out in little white twinkling lights.
The name on the hull read, Natalie.
Nick had a boat and had named it after her.
He had never mentioned it.
She hesitated briefly before coming on board.
Music wafted up from below. So did the smell of something wonderful...
LaCroix appeared from below. The dress
he had sent, accompanying the flowers and invitation, fit her perfectly.
"Miss Lambert, you are a vision." And
Nicholas is a fool, he thought. He kissed her hand.
LaCroix was dressed to the teeth as well.
He wore a navy tuxedo, almost black. She was surprised to feel her heart
beat faster at his closeness. The color really brought out his eyes. Remembering
the link, she blushed. He probably knew everything.
"Well, would you like to see the evening's itinerary or shall we just sail where the wind takes us?" LaCroix asked.
"What do you recommend?"
"Dinner. Come below, it is ready."
It had been delicious. While she dined and
LaCroix drank, he had amused her with tales of his travels, people and
places from the past.
The boat, then began it's short cruise. Courtesy
of the captain he'd hired. Dancing had followed. LaCroix was an excellent
dancer, Natalie realized. Very graceful. She told him as much.
"Thank you, Doctor."
"Will you please call me, Natalie? At
least for tonight? I don't like feeling as though I'm being entertained
by one of my patients."
LaCroix raised his eyebrows and Natalie laughed.
"Okay, maybe not by one of *my* patients, but you know what I mean."
"Very well, Natalie."
"So, Nick actually gave you instructions to
dance with me?"
"That may have been my suggestion."
"I see."
"Natalie, did you know your birthday falls
on one of the biggest meteor showers all
year?"
"No."
"Yes, look."
They watched the shooting stars in silence.
A little gasp of delight coming from Natalie now and then. LaCroix
watched her sidelong as she studied the sky. He was very glad the
link was one sided. He could not have concealed this feeling from her if
he tried.
Fireworks suddenly illuminated the sky.
"Nick really went all out," she joked.
"Yes, well, are you ready for presents, then?"
"I get presents, too? I thought
this evening was the present. It's been nearly perfect."
"Even without my son being here?" LaCroix
asked.
A little frown creased her forehead.
But not for the reason he thought. It was because the answer was yes. Even
without Nick here. LaCroix could be very charming.
"Here." LaCroix handed her the
gift. She sat down on the deck chair to open it. He relaxed against the
guard rail, observing. It was a music box, in the shape of a castle.
The gate opened to reveal a knight and his lady, dancing, twirling to the
music.
"Oh, it's beautiful," she said sincerely.
LaCroix was not totally convinced. There had been
an accompanying sadness as she looked at the present. Why he wasn't sure.
He was reluctant to speculate.
He handed her the next box. Inside was
a paper and an envelope. She read the note in the envelope first and then
looked at the map.
"So, what is it?" LaCroix feigned curiosity.
"He bought me a star. I mean he had
one named after me."
"How amusing that someone felt like they actually
had the right of choosing names for them."
"Everything needs a name."
"The gift is appropriate, Natalie. The
world changes continuously. The only things that remain constant, are these,"
he pointed heavenward.
"I've heard them referred to as the sentinels. The gift is, in
part selfish, I have no doubt. The idea of you looking in on Nicholas from
time to time from your lofty perch in the sky, undoubtedly appeals to the
hopeless romantic. Mortals are gone in the blink of
an eye, Natalie. This is one way to hold you forever. You will be gone
before he can wake up, and my son will find he and I
alone once more."
"Maybe he has already awoke. This
evening is certainly more than I would have expected from him."
"Well, he did have a little help, my dear."
"Yes," Natalie realized. Maybe too much
help.
"LaCroix, thank you for doing this for me
and for him. It has been a wonderful evening. Looking at all Nick did,
in planning and the boat and everything, I feel like maybe I owe him a
second chance."
LaCroix frowned. He had done his job too well,
been too convincing. The pieces were picked up, but they were once again
about to be glued together by Nicholas.
"Then, it was a happy birthday, after all?"
"My happiest." Natalie said surprised that
the words rang true. Her happiest birthday was spent with Lucien LaCroix.
As Dawn threatened, he spoke, "It appears I need
to be going."
"Oh."
"You will be okay here, alone?"
Natalie looked unsure. "Yeah, I guess
so."
"Would you prefer to go on a little flight?
I have a vacant bedroom at the back of the Raven, you may rest there, undisturbed."
"Actually, yes. I would like that,"
she said.
It seemed like only moments and they
were at the Raven. And only moments after that, she was settled in and
sleeping, still dressed in the evening gown.
Voices, arguing, loudly awoke Natalie.
She observed the altercation from the shadows..
"You will keep your voice down, Nicholas.
Dr. Lambert still sleeps."
"She's here? You brought
her here? Wasn't that overdoing it a little? Did you seduce
her too, in my absence? Did you sleep with her or-?"
"I did not. And this conversation has gone
on long enough. I am tired of cleaning up after you break another heart.
I've been doing as much for the past eight hundred years in an effort to
keep you under control. I'll not do it again, Nicholas. Tell her the truth.
Tell Doctor Lambert that you don't think of her often enough to merit the
few tokens she desires so strongly. You couldn't even remember her birthday."
"No, but from what I see, it seems like I
threw a hell of a party," Nick glanced in amusement at LaCroix's tuxedo.
"Actually, you *missed* a hell of a party,"
LaCroix smiled slowly.
Without thinking, Nick's hand flew up. LaCroix
caught his wrist before it made contact. He held it tightly, slowly crushing.
"She deserves to be dealt with honestly."
"Since when do you care how I deal with my
mortal friends, LaCroix?"
"Since Natalie has become one of mine."
"And she still remains mortal? That's
a first..."
"La Croix, the fact is I do care for Natalie,
but I could hardly ignore Janette. What would you have me do?"
"How about coming to some sort of a decision?
Choose between the two."
Natalie stood listening in the doorway, LaCroix
realized even before turning around. Funny that his son had not felt
her. He shared the link as well.
"Nick doesn't have the choice to
make any longer. He obviously has already made it," she spoke.
"Nat...."
"There's nothing left to say. Listen
to your father, you could learn a thing or two from him."
She stormed out of the Raven, determined
to never set foot in there ever, ever again.
"It looks as though you don't have to make a decision after all, Nicholas. It's been made."
The end of (02/07)
Back to Part One! / Onto Part
Three!
