Captivation

Chapter Four

By kmf

Heero felt physically ill as he read the article in the newspaper that Millardo had given him:

"A few days ago this paper reported that a certain Gentleman of East Sussex and Miss P, a young lady of very considerable Fortune, on their way to Scotland to be married were overtaken by the step-brother of the young lady. A duel ensued in which the Gentleman of East Sussex died and the lady was returned to her family without consummating matters.

It has now been discovered that Miss P keeps the company of Lord Y, currently also of East Sussex, and that she spent some considerable time unchaperoned in his house whilst he was present. It can only be assumed that the now deceased Gentleman of East Sussex was duped by the heiresses' appearance of innocence and that if he had lived to marry her would have been sorely disappointed."

The article did not name Relena directly and could not be constituted to be slanderous. But it was obvious to Heero whom it referred to and Dr Jaye had also worked it out. Heero screwed the paper, then tendons showing on the back of his clenched fists.

"It is unacceptable." Heero murmured under his breath, his eyes flat with anger. "How can they write about her ­ us ­ in such a way."

Dr Jaye watched him carefully. He had all but raised Heero after his parents died in an outbreak of typhoid fever. He was familiar with the quiet rage that Heero displayed. When angry he would never rant, but would assess every option then act on the best one to solve the situation. Usually successfully. That was why he made, in the doctor's opinion, such a good leader. Heero did not spout rhetoric hot and loudly as some other peers were want to do, heckling and calling to each other trying to drown each other out. Heero would stand and wait until the noise subsided, then would speak on his point, his fierce glare usually enough to quieten anyone who was foolish enough to try and interrupt him.

However, Dr Jaye also felt that Heero underestimated his importance to the Lords. He knew that Heero sometimes wondered if he would ever succeed in altering the labour laws. But Dr Jaye knew better. He had done his own analysis of opinions and found that Heero was close to successfully completing his mission. Very close. If only a couple more prominent peers changed their opinion then the rest would falter and follow their lead.

"What do you intend to do my boy?" Dr Jaye asked, regarding him thoughtfully.

Heero's eyes were clouded in anger. "Do?" he asked "I shall return to Maresfield at once. It is intolerable that Miss Peacecraft should be slandered in such a way."

"Your identity is hinted at too." Dr Jaye observed. "Do you not think that associating with this woman will damage your career? It seems already to have interfered with your objective."

Heero blinked. His objective. His mission. His purpose for campaigning so long and hard in the House of Lords for better work conditions for the poor. The mission that up to now had been paramount in his mind ­ until that day he had been so distracted by the object of a bet: Miss Relena Peacecraft.

"Think about your reason for doing what you do." Dr Jaye urged quietly.

Heero walked slowing along the corridor, Dr Jaye at his side, reflecting on exactly that.

Heero felt torn between his desire to return to East Sussex and protect the woman that he believed he loved and his overwhelming need to change the laws. On more than one occasion he had been asked why he stayed when there was no possibility of turning the vote. Heero always responded to these queries with the same answer: "Because I must."

Those who asked the question would always nod and accept the answer and not question further. The response was an honest one, the reason behind the response no one knew except for Dr Jaye. Heero wondered at what Relena's reaction would be if she learnt the reason why he tried to so hard to help the poor.

Because of that little girl, so long ago.

Whenever Heero doubted his position or the reasoning behind his stand, he would always force himself to relive the painful memories. To remember the little girl and how he was responsible for her death, even though it was not intentional.

Heero had had a pampered upbringing. Although he suffered the misfortune of loosing both his parents to the dreaded typhoid disease he had been cared for and loved by both his older sister Helena and his guardian Dr Jaye.

Dr Jaye had tried to instil a sense of responsibility and honour in the young Heero, but had also shielded him from the realities of life. Heero was allowed to run free after his studies had been completed and had not had to want for anything. He had been isolated from the hardships that the lower class members of society had to endure. It had therefore been a shock one day to come across and band of gypsies encamped on his estate.

Heero had run from his lessons bored with calculus and Latin; the bright sunshine of the day had called to him. He had evaded his tutor and fled across fields laughing at having escaped from his allocated tasks. Heero remembered it had been a wonderfully sunny hot day, early summer, the grass full of wild flowers and delicious scents in the air. He had run until he was breathless and then rolled in the long grass laughing with the joy that early summer used to give to him.

A shadow cast across his face had alerted him to the presence of another and he had opened his eyes to see a little ragged girl peering down at him. She was thin, her face dirty, her clothes worn and poor. She hugged a woebegone puppy to her chest. Heero did not know it at the time but she was a gypsy girl, one of the multitudes of poor that up until then Heero had no knowledge of. She held out a flower, a sprig of heather, that Heero took from her and then she silently held out a grubby hand.

"You have to pay me." She said quietly, her eyes impossibly large in her thin face.

"I have no money." Heero answered truthfully. He did not carry money around with him, he had never had the need to. The little girl's eyes teared up and she sniffed. The puppy struggled in her small thin arms and escaped her hold, scampering away.

"Mary!" the girl cried and ran after the dog.

Heero had watched her go, then returned thoughtfully to his house. Dr Jaye had been away on one of his many trips visiting colleagues who were also scientifically inclined. Helena was going through a stage of not wanting to associate with someone whom she perceived to be a pest of a brother. Heero presented himself instead to the next best person: the land agent employed by Dr Jaye to handle Heero's business affairs until Heero was old enough to do so for himself.

Years later Heero still felt a pang of guilt at his obvious stupidity. It had been a foolish thing to do, but Heero naive in the ways of the world, had not known better.

The land agent had listened to Heero describe the girl and had muttered "Gypsy" under his breath. He had then asked where Heero had seen the girl. Heero had described the spot and had requested money. The agent had been brusque in his negative response and had sent Heero on his way penniless warning Heero to stay away from the Gypsies least they carry him off.

Even at such a young age Heero had a clear sense of determination and wilfulness. He was not to be put off by the denial of the land agent. Immediately he had made his way upstairs to search for any coins he could find. He located a small leather purse in his guardian's room and he had taken out two golden sovereigns (having no idea of the value of the said coins). He had swiftly returned to the field intending to give the girl money. Led by the smell of smoke it had not taken him long to find the gypsy camp.

Heero winced at the memory. The land agent had got there before him with farm hands armed to drive the gypsies off Heero's land. They had set fire to a couple of the band's covered carts. Heero would never forget the wailing of a woman who was kneeling in front of the smouldering wreck of her home crying for her lost child: the little girl had been asleep within and had perished in the flames.

Heero would always feel guilty for the girl's death ­ he was the one who had alerted the land agent to the gypsies presence.

The land agent had never been prosecuted, the victims were gypsies and had no standing in law. Heero did report the incident to Dr Jaye when the doctor returned and soon after the agent was replaced by a kinder more charitable man.

Heero blinked in the bright sunshine and realised that he had exited the Houses of Parliament and had been walking along the banks of the Thames deaf to the cries of hawkers and boatmen. His nose wrinkled in distaste at the smell of human excrement that polluted the river. He turned to see that Dr Jaye was still walking beside him, comfortable with Heero's silence, undemanding of explanations of his mood. Dr Jaye knew Heero better than Heero knew himself. Would Relena be as understanding and accepting when she learned of his painful past?

Regardless, it was good to remember that little lost nameless girl. She was the reason that he fought so hard against inequality and injustice. She was the reason why he would continue to do so until his dying day. He would never loose the guilty feelings he had for being the indirect cause of her death, but if he improved social conditions for the poor he could ease his conscience a little.

"Very well, I shall not return immediately." Heero said reluctantly "But I shall send a note to Miss Peacecraft with Millardo stating my support and my intention to return after this debate is complete and ask Miss Peacecraft to be my wife."

"Is that wise Heero?" Dr Jaye asked again "I know how important this crusade of yours is to you. I can only see that marriage to Miss Peacecraft would damage-"

"No!" Heero said firmly. "She is quite innocent of any of the charges laid against her. She was ill ­ delirious. I brought her to my house where she was chaperoned."

"You may know that, but the press obviously thinks otherwise." Dr Jaye continued to argue "And what the press writes, the people believe. If you marry this woman the world will believe that you do so because you must, because the scandal is true. You could loose the support you have fought so hard to gain."

"I do not care." Heero said firmly "Please understand Dr Jaye, that nothing you say will dissuade me from my purpose. Even if it means loosing support. She is the most important woman in the world to me." Heero glared at Dr Jaye "We have been friends for a long time. Please do not make me choose between you."

Again, Dr Jaye nodded

"Of course. I promise that I shall not raise it again." Dr Jaye said, and watched Heero stalk off back towards Whitehall. "Not to you. However, for the sake of your career I might just have to speak to Miss Peacecraft."

TBC

(Apologies for the delay in updating. I have moved to a new big house which needs a lot of work done on it and the garden, so I have limited time for writing. Please let me know if you want me to continue with this story, and thank you for reading!)