4th of May 1802
Geneva, Switzerland
4thof May 1802
The Beaumont’s mansion was in turmoil. The house’s staff was in frenzy preparing the twins’ birthday. Léopoldine Marie Beaumont, the mistress of the household, was closely supervising. She was walking around the house, arranging the decoration. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. She turned and jumped when her eyes met Mingmei’s.
“Where are the girls?” she asked, on an authoritative tone.
Mingmei was standing, the hands behind her back. Her black slit eyes and her white skin were shining. She had her long straight black in a formal bun and a long modest brown dress on. She answered: “Miss Adelaïde is in the parlour, reading. Miss Catherine is still in her room.”
Léopoldine frowned. She was dressed in a sumptuous light blue dress that resonated well with her blue eyes. Her black hair was beautifully braided down her back. She retorted: “What is she still doing in her room?”
“I have no idea, Madame.”
Léopoldine sighed. “Well, I better fetch her, then. Go and do your job.” Mingmei nodded and went into the parlour. Léopoldine climbed the marble stairs. She knocked on Catherine’s bedroom door. No one answered. She sighed once again and opened the door.
“Catherine!” shouted Léopoldine, seeing her daughter, still sleeping in her bed.
Catherine started to move. When she opened her eyes, she met her mother’s cold eyes. “Mother? Is everything all right?”
“Get out of bed!” She pushed the cover off Catherine. “The guests will be here in an hour.”
Catherine sighed. “Mère, please! It is my birthday. I think I have the right to sleep in.” She tried to take back the cover from the ground, but Léopoldine put her foot on it.
“No, you have not, daughter. Get out of bed!”
Catherine groaned, but obeyed her mother. “Isabella will get you ready. I want you downstairs in thirty minutes.” Catherine’s maid, Isabella, entered the room while Léopoldine was going back downstairs. The old maid was holding the young woman’s dress. After a bath, Catherine was dressed in a scarlet red dress. The maid disciplined Catherine’s curly brown hair. Catherine’s golden skin was shining with silver jewels.
The eighteen-year-old girl then got downstairs. The mansion was lavishly decorated, for the 18thbirthday of the Beaumont’s heiresses. She went into the parlour. Her twin sister, Adelaïde, was sitting on a velvet chair, readingLe Cid. Her brown curly hair was braided and she was wearing a black and white dress. She turned and looked at her twin sister. “You’re finally awake, Cathy.”
“Bon anniversaire à toi aussi, Addie!”She sat next to Adelaïde. Looking around the room, Catherine noticed Mingmei, knitting in a corner of the room.
Adelaïde said to her sister: “Mère told me your fiancé was coming.” She was smiling, mocking Catherine.
“Apparently,” Catherine sighed. She really did not want to talk about her fiancé, Duke Nicholas James of Livingston. “And you? Are you ready to devote your entire eternal life to Goldmay?”
Adelaïde’s smile disappeared. “I am very happy to give my life to the wizard’s society.”
Catherine rolled her eyes. She looked at the time. She had fifteen minutes before the guests were meant to arrive. “Anyway, have fun with that! I think I’ll go for a quick walk.”
As Catherine was about to exit the room, Mingmei got up. “Miss Catherine, it is very dangerous for a lady to go out on the streets alone.”
“Thank you for the concern, Mingmei. But I don’t have a Defensor, which means that I can go out alone and wherever I want.”
“It doesn’t mean that, Cathy,” retorted Adelaïde.
“I don’t care! I still don’t have a vampire following me around. So, see you later!”
Catherine got out of the parlour. She slung the entrance door open. Suddenly, she froze. Her body almost bumped into a man standing on the porch. Catherine stared at him. He was tall, wearing an all-black coat. His jet-black hair was wavy stopping at his shoulders. His ocean blue eyes were also gazing at her. He smirked. Catherine was stunned about how attractive he was. He finally spoke, with a small — almost indiscernible – Italian accent: “Catherine Anne Beaumont?”
She was about to answer but a voice sounded behind her: “Mister Moretti, I presume?” Catherine turned and saw her mother going up to the man. “I am Mrs Beaumont, Catherine’s mother. Please, come in.”
The man entered. Catherine was still perplexed. The mistress of the house invited the mysterious man to follow her into the Living Room. Catherine followed them, detailing the man’s physique. Once in the Living Room – away from the staff’s ears— Léopoldine finally told her daughter who the man was. “Catherine, I want you to meet Lorenzo Rafaelle Moretti. He is your Defensor.”
Catherine frowned and looked at Lorenzo. “My Defensor? I thought I…”
Moretti interrupted her: “It is nice to finally meet you, Catherine.” He was looking at her. Her eyes were also glancing at him. They stayed silent, fixing the other, for a few seconds.
Léopoldine interrupting the silent exchange, coughing politely. “Well, I still have plenty to do. I’ll leave you two to get acquainted. And I want you back in the hallway in ten minutes, Catherine?” The daughter nodded and the mother disappeared out the Living Room.
Catherine turned back to Lorenzo. She tried to use her powers to read his mind but she could not discern anything. “You know you can’t read a Vampire’s mind, right?” he said.
“How do you know I’m a Telepath?”
“Well, I am your Defensor.”
“I never met you before nor have you met me. Why are we just meeting each other when I’m already eighteen?”
“Actually, I have known about you long before you were born. But before your birth, I had some complications. I could not be around you. But Mingmei looked after you and your sister.”
She crossed her arms on her chest. “Isn’t a Defensor supposed to be by his wizard’s side every day of its wizard’s life?”
“I am here, now.” He put his arms behind his back. “Do you want to know anything about me?”
Being a Telepath, Catherine was really skilled at reading anyone’s mind. But she could not access Mingmei’s thoughts – and Lorenzo’s too. She had forgotten Vampires’ thoughts could not be read by a Telepath – even the most skilled at it. She needed to get some information about him. But this time she had to use the mortal way. “Where are you from?”
“Venice. I was born in 1582.” She was calculating in her head his age. “And you are Catherine Beaumont, born of the of the fourth of May 1784. You have a twin sister, Adelaïde Beaumont. Both of you are Telepaths. See, I know everything about you, even if I wasn’t by your side. However, one thing I do not understand is why you speak English.”
“I speak French and German too.” She sighed. “But my mother forces me to speak in English, so that I’ll be more at ease with my fiancé.”
He frowned. “Fiancé?”
“It looks like you don’t know everything about me, Lorenzo. I am engaged to the Duke of Livingston.”
“You don’t seem very much in love,” he retorted, noticing her smile disappearing.
“That’s because I am not. But the Duke is wealthy, from a good family with royal descent. He is one of the strongest Masters of the Elements. According to my parents, he is the most eligible bachelor I could have.”
“Will he be here, today?”
“He is the guest of honour.” She sighed once again. “How does this work? I know you are supposed to follow me around all the time, keep me away from any potential threats. But how are you linked to me?”
“I feel when you are hurting or when you’re feeling sad. Any negative feelings, actually. I also know where you are at all times.”
All of a sudden, someone entered the Living Room. Catherine looked over Lorenzo’s shoulder. She saw Adelaïde with Mingmei. “Cathy?” asked Adelaïde. “Qui est-ce?”
“Mon Defensor, Lorenzo.”
Lorenzo turned to Mingmei. “It’s nice to see you again, Mingmei.” Adelaïde’s Defensor quickly smiled and nodded as a response.
“Mother is waiting for you. The Duke’s carriage has arrived,” continued Adelaïde.
Catherine went into the hallway, Lorenzo at her tails. Duke Nicholas was at the entrance, conversing with Philippe and Léopoldine Beaumont. Lorenzo leaned over and whispered to Catherine’s ear: “Is this the most eligible bachelor you can get?” Nicholas was as tall as Lorenzo – maybe a tiny bit smaller. His blond curls and his grey eyes made him stand out. His expensive clothes and his English formal manners made him shine in the room. He turned in the direction of Catherine.
Nicholas smiled and walked over to her. “My lovely Catherine, you look ravishing.” He looked at Lorenzo. “Can you introduce me to your friend?”
“This is my Defensor, Lorenzo Moretti.”
“Defensor? I thought you did not have one.”
“I met him today.”
Lorenzo and Nicholas stared at each other, silently evaluating the other. Catherine looked at the both of them, frowning.What is the meaning of this?Léopoldine came to see the young people: “Dinner is going to be served.”
Nicholas offered Catherine his arm. “Shall we, Catherine?”
She politely smiled and put her arm around his. He then led his fiancé into the Dining Room. Lorenzo remained in the corner of the room with the other Defensors. The wizard’s aristocracy was present at the gathering. Defensors and wizards of the three species – Telepaths, Masters of Time and Masters of the Elements – were filling up the immense room. Catherine was sitting next to her sister, who kept on being very social with the guests. Catherine was facing her fiancé, but she remained silent, avoiding anyone’s conversation. She looked over at Lorenzo. He was talking with Nicholas’s Defensor, Oisin. The vampire was red-headed with green eyes and a pale skin. Catherine believed he was younger than Lorenzo. She could not believe she had a Defensor. Her mother and her father told her that her Defensor was gone. When she asked more about it, they were quick to close the subject.
The dinner was long – it felt as if it were an eternity for Catherine. Her mother and Adelaïde were speaking to everyone about Goldmay and its new school. Adelaïde has been appointed as a teacher in Telepathic’s Spells there. Catherine could see his sister was doing her best to seem enthusiastic to go. Léopoldine chose the girls’ future, before they were even born. Catherine would marry rich, while Adelaïde would devote her life to the wizard’s society. In a way, both of them were giving up on their life. Catherine will be living for an eternity chained to the Duke’s shadow, while her sister would be imprisoned in Goldmay for the eternity to come. All wizards – just as all Defensors – were immortals. Catherine thought her immortality would help her explore the entire world and experience many things. But her parents chose otherwise.
After the dessert, Catherine was asked into her father’s office. Philippe Beaumont was in there with his Defensor, Ferdinand, and Nicholas with Oisin.
“What is the matter, père?”
“Catherine, you are now eighteen. I have spoken with Duke Nicholas. We both think it is wise you get married.”
Her smile disappeared. “Married? When?”
“In a few days,” answered Nicholas. “I have prepared the celebration. It will take place in London.”
“Am I leaving?”
“Tomorrow, you are going to England.” He got closer to his fiancé. “I know it is quite sudden but I cannot stay apart from you any longer, my beloved.”
She forced herself to smile. “Yes, you are right. It is a wise idea.”
His smile expanded. “Perfect! We shall be on our way, tomorrow morning.” And he exited the office. Catherine also left the office of her father.
Outside, Lorenzo asked her: “Are you all right?”
She sighed and turned to him. “Yes. But I need some air. Let’s go on a walk!”
“At this hour? Are you sure your parents are agreeing with this?”
“Who cares? They are sending me to England. I don’t think a walk will really bother them.”
She took a coat and went out by the backdoor. The streets of Geneva were still filled with people. “Where are we going?” he asked.
“To the park.”
They entered the nearest park. She sat on a bench and looked at the water flowing from the fountain, facing them. He questioned her: “Why did you accept to go to England?”
“It’s not like I have much of a choice. My parents have planned Addie’s future and mine’s since we were born. I need to marry someone that will ensure my place in society and Addie needs to go to work in Goldmay.”
“Goldmay?”
“It’s a colony of wizards. They need someone to teach students. So, our mother trained her, her whole life for that. So, yes… We shall both have a good life.”
“Have you ever wanted to do something else?”
“No. I have this and I’ll live as my parents planned it.” She sighed. “Anyway, I guess you’ll be following me to England.”
“Yes. I have actually lived in Liverpool for seventy years.”
“How was it?”
“Fine. But I hope your future husband you’ll entertain you. I doubt you’ll be able to get out of the Duke’s castle much.”
She turned to Lorenzo. Their eyes met. “He is actually a perfect gentleman. I doubt I’ll be bored with him.”
“For how long have you known him?”
“We got engaged when I was 12. I met him for the first time when I was 17. We had great conversations.”
“But you don’t love him?”
“I don’t need to love him to marry him.”
“Maybe you’ll be happier if you marry someone you actually love.”
She looked at him. “How do you know that? Maybe you were away from me because you got married?”
He smirked. “You’re right. You don’t need to love to marry. I hope you’ll be happy, Catherine.”
