Captivation

by kmf

Chapter 6

Standard Disclaimer applies...

Relena was unable to persuade Dr Jaye from his intention of immediately quitting Sanq Hall. At Lucrezia's words she had run from the room ignoring the look of irritation on her brother's face. She caught up with Jaye on the white marble steps leading from the hall's entrance to the sweeping drive. There he had paused to retrieve his hat, gloves and stick from a flustered Peygan; never had the butler experienced a guest leaving quite so suddenly and for once he had not been at the ready with the guests articles of dress.

Jaye's carriage still stood in front of the house, the stable boy that had been sent to guide the driver to the stables had only just arrived and stood to one side hopping from foot to foot. The spectacle of watching his mistress run after a guest was one too good to miss; he would be the centre of attention when he took this gossip back to the stables.

Dr Jaye observed Relena's approach through the corner of his eye with a look of irritation, restless with the urgency to leave the property at once.

"There is no need to say anything, young lady, your actions speak for themselves. The contempt you must hold Heero in is staggering." he commented refusing even to look directly at her.

Relena stopped her approach, rare rage enlivening her eyes.

"Contempt!" she repeated "Sir I assure you that I hold Lord Yuy in no such thing! Indeed, I hold him in the highest possible regard."

Dr Jaye snorted and nodded towards the house "If you had any regard for my ward you would not harbour that woman under your roof. How your brother can allow you to behave in such a way-"

Relena interrupted, her ire momentarily overriding her normal politeness. "This has nothing to do with Millardo. Kindly do not bring him into the conversation. I am a woman of independent means and as such I take full responsibility for my actions."

Again, Dr Jaye snorted "Then take responsibility for them! Cease your badgering of me!" he said as he climbed up into the carriage "I know what Heero's reaction will be to this act of treachery. He will never have anything to do with someone who helped the murderer of his sister!" Dr Jaye turned his head to look directly at Relena for the first time. "Indeed, for this I must thank you. It was my task today to persuade you to leave Heero alone. I believe now there is no need, Heero will certainly never talk let alone see you again. Good day!"

Dr Jaye slammed the carriage door and tapped the roof of it with his stick signalling the driver that he was ready to go. The driver flicked the reins urging the pair of horses into action and the carriage moved off down the gravel drive swiftly. Relena stood on the steps watching it depart before bowing her head.

Peygan observed the stable boy still watching and waved at him signalling him to be gone. Glancing up the steps he saw that several of the house staff, including Mrs Noventa, were watching from the front door. At a frown from the butler they scattered into the house, with the exception of Sylvia who moved slowly savouring with obvious delight her mistress's discomfort. Peygan turned back to Relena who stood quiet and still.

"...Miss?" Peygan wanted to put a comforting arm around the girl who he had come to regard as a grand daughter. She was a kind and gentle creature who showed himself and the staff every courtesy; it upset him to see her treated this way. He was very surprised when she turned with a thin but confident smile.

"Lord Yuy will understand." she said in a low voice "After all both he and I want the same thing for the unfortunate of this world. He is a man of great compassion Peygan. I have every confidence that he will understand."

Peygan was not so sure.

* * *

Upon re-entering the drawing room at Sanq Hall Relena found that her brother and sister in law had left the company of Lady Une and had withdrawn to their own suite of rooms. Relena did not blame them. Lady Une was a difficult person to be around for any length of time; the depressing air that hung around her made people want to escape her presence.

Except Relena. Relena knew from recent experience how distressing depression could be and how difficult it was to lift oneself from its dark clutches. She would not abandon the broken woman to thoughts of what had been, but furrowed her brow thinking of how she could get Une to think of what could be.

As Relena stood in the doorway thinking, she noted that Catherine was now sitting in a corner of the room sewing with a calm expression on her face. Her hands belied her; she was unpicking the silk threads and taking little care of the material underneath them. Une's company might have affected her; Catherine made no secret of the fact that she did not trust Une and would not forgive her for the harm that she had done to Relena despite Relena's own forgiveness of the act.

However, Relena thought it more likely that it was the imminent departure of Quatre and his bodyguards that was causing Catherine to be careless. Relena smiled gently as she watched her maid attempt the complicated stitch again. This was another problem that Relena felt duty bound to try and solve; Catherine's unspoken love of Rashid.

Relena, herself a woman in love, was more than able to detect signs of that condition in others. Catherine was in love with Rashid, though she would deny it if asked. Catherine did own to greatly admiring the man; he was fearless and brave, strong and kind ­ what was there not to admire? Relena had to agree that Rashid possessed all these traits along with a great deal of loyalty to his master Quatre.

Rashid would never abandon Quatre even if it were for the love of his life. Relena knew this by just observing the man and this was one of the traits that drew Catherine to him. Relena also knew from observing the servant that he reciprocated the unvoiced feelings of Catherine. Often she had seen him casting looks towards her maid when he thought he was unobserved, especially after Catherine had suffered a head injury in defence of Relena. But Relena also believed that Rashid would not voice those feelings. Although he was brave beyond any doubt, he was also shy around women.

Catherine bit her lip to stop herself cursing as the silken threads became tangled once again. Reaching down to her reticule she produced a fine pair of tiny silver scissors and started hacking at the material. Relena stopped herself from shaking her head. Catherine was too stubborn to say anything, and Relena's intuition told her that Rashid was too shy. It was up to Relena to talk to Quatre before his departure and ask what could be done to encourage the two potential lovers to speak. Difficult though it would be to loose Catherine, she wanted only the best for her maid and her friend.

Relena was just beginning to ponder what Trowa would do if his sister married and left when Catherine looked up and observed her mistress staring at her. Catherine flushed at being caught unpicking the material in such a savage way and immediately put the work away in the sewing basket beside her.

"The Marquise asked that I sit with Lady Une until your return." She explained, looking coldly towards the lady in question. Une ignored her, still twisting a handkerchief in her hand. "Is all well with you?" Catherine went on to ask noting her mistresses paler than normal cheeks.

Relena nodded but did not answer aloud. She had no wish to talk of her further troubles in front of Une. Une already had a heavy load of guilt to carry and Relena did not wish to add to it. She walked over to Une and sat beside her watching the woman closely. Apparently sensing Relena's good intent Une became a little less agitated at her approach. The handkerchief still held tightly was no longer twisted between Une's two white hands.

"My visitor has gone, Lady Une." Relena said gently laying a hand on Une's shoulder. "Would you like to take some air in the garden? It was recommended by your doctor that you exercise to get your strength back."

Une looked towards Relena, her eyes clear, bright and determined. Relena felt a little start of fear at Une being so focused on her, but pushed the feeling aside sitting still to listen to what Une had to say.

"I wish to visit the mill. I wish to visit the childrenMariemaia." Une said in almost a whisper, her voice croaky.

Relena nodded slowly and ignored Catherine's humph of displeasure. Indeed it was good that Une wanted to visit the mill. She owned the mill and was in a position to make instant changes if she so wished. It was a focus that animated Une, something Relena had not seen since her retrieval from the asylum. Maybe this visit would bring her out of her depression and back to normality (although Relena hoped that normal would be a kinder Une and not the Une she had experienced during Trieze's lifetime).

Relena bit her own lip as she considered a third reason as to why a visit to the mill would be a good idea. She tried not to think of it as she considered it a selfish reason:

Heero.

If Heero had some tangible proof that Une was now doing good then perhaps Heero would forgive her actions. It was a selfish reason, the children ought to come first and Relena's own happiness second. But still she thought it.

* * *

The first visit to the mill was the afternoon of Jayes visit. Dr Barry interrupted her packing to travel with them so she could assess each child and make recommendations as to their health.

The mill was as Relena recalled; noisy, steamy and full of unpleasant smells. The children looked a little rounder due to the gifts of food that Heero had made to the poorhouse, but they were still undernourished, ragged and working in terrible conditions.

The overseer approached them as soon as the three entered. He glanced at Relena obviously recalling the last time she had visited and then glanced over to the loom where Mariemaia was working. He grinned as Relena followed his gaze and saw the young girl studiously trying to ignore the visitors, her cropped hair patchy, her face dirty.

"What do you want?" the overseer spat on the floor beside Relena's foot. She stood her ground ignoring the streaked spit that had come so close to hitting her suede slipper.

Une had also followed the look and stood transfixed staring at the child. Even in such a wretched state the parentage of Mariemaia was obvious. She shared the distinctive eyebrows of her father and his cousin, her eyes were the eyes of Trieze. Mariemaia glanced once quickly in their direction, noted that the overseer was not looking at her and grinned broadly. Une straightened. She turned to the overseer and glared at the man.

"I am Lady Anne Une." She said firmly. Both the overseer and Relena, who had been staring coldly at each other, looked at her in some surprise, this was the first time Une had been proactive since her return to Sanq Hall.

The overseer obviously recognised her name as he quickly doffed his hat to reveal his greasy hair. "M'lady." He said "I weren't expecting a visit from you-"

"You are dismissed." Une said, turning away from him and looking back towards Mariemaia.

"Dismissed?" the overseer repeated, confused.

"Your services are no longer required." Une said in a bored tone "You may leave the building now. I shall arrange for your wages to be paid in due course."

"Dismiss?" the man gaped "You cant dismiss me! You need me to run this mill!"

"Really." Une said "In that case" she pitched her voice so that all near could hear her, even over the noise of the looms. "Everyone stop working. Stop the looms. Cease to stoke the engines. Let them die!" Une turned back to the overseer "With the mill no longer working I really have no need for your services. I repeat ­ you are dismissed."

The overseer glared from Une, to Relena, then back to Une, twisting his hat in his hands in an unconscious mimic of Lady Une only a couple of hours earlier. Growling in anger he pulled his cap on "You aint heard the last of this, Lady." He said sarcastically to Une, then turned to Relena "Nor you! Standing there acting so high and mighty when all know you to be a sl-"

"Enough!" Dr Barry grabbed the man by the lapel of his coat. Even though the overseer stood taller than the doctor and outweighed her by a good 50 pounds, he had the good grace to look startled as she shook her fist in his face. "I will not tolerate such slander from a brigand such as you. This lady's reputation is spotless and if I ever hear you say the words you just attempted to utter again, I will call you out! And if you do not defend her reputation when any of your low companions slander her, rest assured I will hear of it and I will call you out. Do you understand?" She gave the man a shake and released him.

The overseer, obviously startled at nearly being involved in a duel and having little skill in any weapon and even less nerve, ran as fast as his heels would carry him to the exit, not looking back once. Dr Barry smiled in satisfaction, rubbing her hands against the fabric of her britches in an attempt to rid them of the dirt and feel of the grubby jacket. Relena smiled her thanks, most impressed with Dr Barry's display of chivalry. It was at times like this that Relena forgot completely that Dr Barry was, in fact, a woman.

Some children gaped at the site of their hated boss running for his life. Some were quietly telling those who could not hear what Une and Dr Barry had said. One by one the looms were shut down, the long belts connecting them to the steam engine pulled away from the drive shaft. The mill steadily grew quieter, until the last of the machines gradually slowed and stopped.

The quietness was eerie. Relena looked around her at the many young faces looking expectantly back. She cleared her voice and turned to Une "What do you propose to do now Lady Une?" she asked, her heart fluttering with the excitement of a dream almost achieved.

Une stood still. She looked around herself taking in the surroundings and slowly began to smile, the first true smile Relena thought she had ever seen on the face of the Lady. Une addressed herself to the children. "I believe that we should follow Miss Peacecraft's excellent idea and turn this establishment into a school." she said firmly.

The cheer of the children almost matched the noise of the now silent looms in volume.

Relena smiled in great satisfaction. It was a moment that she had often imagined. Apart from one thing. The one person above all others in this world that she dreamed of sharing this achievement with was not here.

Heero.

TBC