THE ELIZABETH SERIES
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
SYMMETRY
By JoLayne
EnyaJo@aol.com
RATING: ADULT
CHARACTERS: M, D, A, Amy, Elizabeth, Claire, Guy, Martin and
Gladys Windsor
SUMMARY: Methos and Elizabeth start their new married life together.
~~~~~
BELLAGIO
FEBRUARY 18, 2005
MIDNIGHT
Methos opened the door to their room and took the sleeping Claire from
Elizabeth's arms. He told her, "Wait here," and went inside with their
daughter.
"In the hallway?" she asked, but he was already gone. He must have
remembered how she had to talk him into carrying her over the threshold
in Sintra after their first wedding and was thinking of everything to ensure
that this one was the wedding to end all weddings for her; which it had
been. There was a little wine stain on her Vera Wang dress, but a dry
cleaner could take that out. She wondered how she could pack the dress
correctly so that Claire would be able to wear it, if she wanted to, when
she got married. The dress was a simple sleeveless white silk dress, so it
would more than likely still be in style when Claire decided to marry.
A couple were going to their room down the hall and saw her standing
there in a wedding dress, her long veil folded over her arm. "Oh, you must
be the Gordon bride," the woman said, smiling. There sign outside the
locked ballroom door indicated a private reception and dance for the
Gordon wedding.
Methos came back, solely focused on Elizabeth, and wrapped his arm
around her waist and was gently kissing her neck. "And this is the Gordon
groom," Elizabeth said, making Methos look at her in confusion.
"Congratulations," the woman called out.
Methos said, "Thanks!" He leaned down and hooked his arm under
Elizabeth's knees and swung her around in his arms, then headed into their
room as she giggled. The door shut behind them, then seconds later, the
door opened and the "Do Not Disturb" sign was hooked on the door knob.
All the champagne she had drunk during all the toasts to their future was
starting to make Elizabeth light headed, or maybe it was just her husband.
In the softly lit bedroom, after shutting and locking the door, Methos held
her, lightly kissing her earlobe. "Well," she said, almost ready to faint.
"We did it." She looked at her wedding ring on her finger as she lightly
rubbed Methos' shoulder. "What should we do now? You don't want to
spar again, do you?" Remembering how he had been so concerned about
her fighting ability after his dream, she wondered if he was still
preoccupied about her ability to protect her head, and his, and Claire's.
"I have other plans," his low, accented voice whispered in her ear. She
could feel the zipper slowly open down her back.
Methos said, "This is a much more sensible dress than that last one."
"The matron of honor dress I wore for Amy?"
"It had too many buttons."
"Well, as soon as this dress leaves my body, it belongs to Claire, so don't
rip it."
He continued to slide the zipper open saying, "I think that the zipper was a
extremely intelligent invention." A flick of his wrists on her shoulders, and
the silk dress slipped down her body and landed in a pile on the floor
circling her feet. All she was wearing were pantyhose, and Methos
frowned. "What is that I see?"
"A garter belt showed through the fabric. Too bumpy." She said,
scratching her legs, "I hate pantyhose. I think I'm chafing."
"Then let's get them off, now."
She giggled as he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his butt and
said, "You're a little overdressed, buster."
"This is your night, and I have plans for you," he said, laying her down on
the bed. Only his tie was gone and his shirt was loosened. The feel of his
tuxedo against her skin was smooth, soft. He hiked himself up and reached
into the night stand drawer.
"What kind of plans?" she asked, very much looking forward to anything
he had dreamed up.
Methos pulled out a long, narrow, white silk scarf and wrapped each end
around his hands. "Do you trust me?"
He looked like every bad guy in every movie who was about to strangle
the heroine, but she said, without hesitation, "Yes."
"Shut your eyes," he said, kissing her.
She did, and savored the power of his kiss as his tongue played against her
teeth. She could feel him shift his weight on the bed, but didn't open her
eyes to see what he was doing. Then, she felt the scarf move across her
face and come to rest over her eyes. He lifted her head and tied the scarf,
then laid her head back down on the pillow. She could feel the bedspread
under her shift and she lifted up as Methos slid it down.
Then, she felt nothing. She couldn't see a thing. She reached out for him,
but she didn't find him. She moved her legs, only to move the bed linen.
"Well?" She heard a drawer open again on the other side of the room. She
sat up, just about to take the blindfold off when he took her hand.
She felt him gently lay her back down and whisper, "Trust me."
"What is this? Blind Man's Bluff?"
"No," he purred as he spread both of her arms out and peppered light
kisses on her neck. "More like a fete of sensations."
"Hm. I can get into this," she said, lightly giggling. With the loss of sight,
all her other senses were working overtime. His musky smell, mingled
with the champagne he had drunk. His skin was smooth. His voice
reverberated through her body like electricity, the chill in the air, and
expectation of what was ahead of her, made goose bumps appear on her
skin. Soft piano music played on the stereo, accented by the creaks of the
bed caused by every movement.
His hand cupped her face and she could feel the metal of his wedding ring.
"Just lie back and relax," she heard him say as his hand moved down to
her neck, one finger tracing her scar. He had at first been unsure about the
scar he had given her in the heat of the moment so long ago, but recently
had seemed to consider it his brand on her. That was how she had
interpreted it, she belonged to no one but him, for the rest of her life. She
touched his hand as it traced that scar, but he moved her hand back and
stretched her arm out, laying it on the bed. She laid like a cross as his hand
once again slowly moved down her arm and forged a trail between her
breasts. It moved so slowly that her every cell was awaken by his touch.
Then his hands left her again, and she shivered with anticipation. The bed
shifted again, and she moved her legs to see where he was. His hands
settled on each side of her waist, somewhat surprising and thrilling her,
and she arched her back in reaction. His hands moved across her stomach,
and then fingers went inside her pantyhose, and slowly the hose moved
down her body. As soon as they were off, she felt him massage one foot.
The other one felt lonesome, so she rubbed it up and down his arm. She
felt him place both feet back on the bed, then irritatingly, he disappeared
again.
Elizabeth was just about to complain, he had created a need for him within
her , when she felt his hand slip over her stomach. Really slip. She smelled
a fragrance she couldn't place and realized that Methos had some sort of
oil on his hands. He was repeatedly making a movement over her stomach,
and she concentrated to figure out what it was. Then it came to her, a
pyramid, who's top point was just between her breasts and who's base was
just below her belly button. She asked, "Is this what they did in Egypt or
something?"
"Don't think. Just react," was his soft reply.
His oiled finger went from the midpoint on one side of the pyramid to just
under her left breast, then started to circle it, orbiting up to her nipple. But
he never touched her nipple, which she could feel getting harder and
harder with each circle his finger traced. Then his hand left her body again,
making her miss him. Then, he did the same to her right side. She tried to
open her eyes, but the scarf was too tight. She moved her hand, needing to
feel him, and touched his bare back, she assumed that he was sitting cross-
legged alongside her on the bed. But, he placed her hand back on the
pillow, straight out from her body.
She felt cold once again when he stopped touching her, and she now knew
the rules. Don't think, don't want, just experience. So, she waited, taking
deep breaths, and waited. Then, he did what she wanted him to do. His
slick finger traced a line from the center of the pyramid down, stopping to
manipulate her belly button, making her insides tingle, then down lower.
His hand brushed lightly over her pubic hair and she spread her legs a little
more. When her leg rubbed against his, he was suddenly gone. The
movement of the bed indicated that he had left it. She placed her legs back
together and giggled. "Okay. I'm sorry. Come back."
She heard his light laugh, and then felt her pubic hair stand on end. She
could sense that his hand was only touching the very tips, calling all her
hair to attention. One leg was moved a bit to the side; she let him put it
where he wanted it. Then the other. She could feel the bed move again; he
had to be leaning in from the end of it. Her crotch was starting to overheat
as her body steadily warmed. Waiting was the hardest part... all she could
feel was her entire being crying out for his touch. One area in particular.
Then he played with her, much to her delight. She just turned her head to
the side and became alert to everything that he did.
His finger started at the top of her opening, and lightly pressing, he ground
his finger against her clit. Rolling waves of excitement stirred through her
body, making her moan. His fingers rolled down her vagina, then back up
to her spot. With two fingers, one on each side, she felt a shot of cool air
as he parted her apart. Then she felt warm moistness as he licked her. His
hands moved her feet up a bit, bending her knees. His tongue grazed
against her clit, and then she felt his shoulders against her ankles, locking
her legs in place. She felt fingers enter her anus, and also her vagina, and
she guessed that it was his thumbs that massaged both sides of her clit. All
at the same time! He moved them up and down, in and out, opening them
then bringing them together in a poetry of movement, which only served to
make her wail with excitement. She reflectively tried to spread out her
legs, as she was metaphorically spread open herself. He moved faster and
faster, and she was basking in the exhilarating ride. Her stomach muscles
tightened, her body pressed deeply against the bed, her arms hiked around
her head. Her legs got free as she wanted to stretch out, the actions of her
crotch dictating her movement. Then, when she was sopping wet down
there, he left her again. She was suddenly cold, totally upset. "Don't stop."
"All in good time," she heard him say.
"What was that?" she could hardly asked her breathing was so heavy.
"A little something. Did you like it?"
"No. Not at all." She almost hiccuped from giggling so hard as she said,
"Don't even think of ever trying that again."
He laid on top of her. She could feel his breath on her face as he said,
"You're so easy. You're going to climax too soon. Can't have that. I still
want to have fun with you."
"It's all your fault," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, resting
her cheek against his. "What else do you have planned?"
"Just lie there, you'll feel it."
What she could feel was his penis grow against her inner thigh. Then, he
broke away from her again. She knew that this was just the beginning.
Methos brought her to the brink of climax so many times, so many ways,
in so many positions, that she lost count, each time backing off before she
could succumb. Her body maintained its euphoria to the point where,
when they finally came together as one, she felt as if she would simply
melt away. Her entire body throbbed and shivered, convulsing so hard, she
thought she was either going to throw up or die. Certainly, it was a
wedding night to remember.
Hours later, Elizabeth was back in Arizona. Claire was swimming laps in
the pool, even though she was still only two. Elizabeth was holding a
book, stretched out in a bikini on the lounge chair, Robin was sitting at the
edge of the pool, her legs flapping in the water, as she urged Claire on.
Claire had reached the deep end, and did the perfect underwater flip and
started swimming back towards them and the shallow end. When Claire
reached that end and jumped out of the water, and hovered in mid air, she
yelled, "Look, mama!"
Robin took Claire's hand and pulled her into her lap at the edge of the
pool. "When is your dad coming home?"
"Papa come soon."
"No," Robin said. "He's never coming back. He would have been here by
now if he was."
"No!" Claire slapped Robin and jumped into the pool. When she didn't
come back to the surface, Elizabeth jumped up from the lounge chair and
dove in after her. She couldn't find Claire! Then, she felt a hand on her
arm and clutched it, bringing the hand to the surface. When she shook the
water off her face, she was face to face with Joshua Logan. Elizabeth
kicked away from him and felt someone behind her. She turned to see
Cole Roberts, who ripped off her bikini top. She swim back from him,
screaming. She heard Robin yell in sing-song, "He's not coming ba-ack!"
Elizabeth turned to see the immortal Jim swim by and say, "Having a pre-
immortal kid is a huge responsibility."
Elizabeth ducked under the water and saw Duncan's face. He pulled her to
the surface and all the others had gone away. She grabbed Duncan, holding
him tightly. "Thank God! I need Methos."
Duncan broke the hug and held her face so she would listen. "Methos was
taken."
"Taken where?"
"He's gone, Liz."
Robin's voice rang out, "He's not coming ba-ack!"
Claire was crying on the lounge chair. "He is!"
Elizabeth's head throbbed as a gong would, when being hit by a mallet.
Duncan flat out told her, "He isn't."
"I can't take it!" Elizabeth screamed, kicking out her legs.
Methos growled, "Ow!"
Suddenly she was lying beside someone and assumed it was Roberts.
Punching and hitting him, she struggled off the bed. Her hand! She
couldn't get her hand freed!
"Stop it!" Methos yelled at her, then took a punch to the face.
She felt herself shoved down on the bed and she could hear Tony Willis'
cries in the distance. She was in Colorado! A weight was on top of her!
Roberts! She waited for the cold blade to scrape against her skin,
trembling. But she wouldn't let it happen, she had to protect Claire! She
fought back with everything she had, unable to open her eyes.
She was slapped on the face. "Wake up!"
His voice surged through her, it could only belong to one person. She
frightfully opened her eyes and saw Methos' face. "No," she said, certain
she was seeing things.
"Look at me. Wake up. It was just a dream."
Elizabeth cried as she looked into Methos' eyes, her body drooped from
exhaustion and the relaxing of her muscles. The dream had been so
intense, so real, but he was there. With her. She couldn't stop crying, but
held him tightly. Then she moaned, "Claire."
"She's sleeping, unless you woke her up."
Elizabeth darted from the bed and had trouble unlocking their door. Only
when she was in Claire's room, touching her little girl's chest to make sure
she was breathing, did Elizabeth feel secure. She leaned against the rail of
the crib and wiped off her tears. Methos came in with a blanket and
wrapped it around the both of them, and held her from behind. He
whispered, "It was just a dream."
"No, it wasn't," Elizabeth said heavily. "It was real. It was what I went
through. I've had that dream many times."
"Tell me about it," he said, holding her, as they slid to the floor. She sat
between his legs, holding onto the rail of Claire's crib. Methos took her
hand and placed the blanket around their legs and shoulders and wrapped
his arms around her.
"No," she said. Closing her eyes, feeling Methos' energy seep into her,
starting to calm her insides down.
He said, "Stop shaking. You're fine."
"It's too perfect," she said. "All I've ever wanted is in this room."
"We deserve a little happiness, Liz. We're going to have more days like
this. I'm not marrying you anymore, but we'll find joy in many things from
now on."
"My happiness depends on you and Claire. When Duncan told me that you
were dead... if it hadn't been for Claire, I might have done something--,"
she said.
"Sh. I'm sorry you found out like that. I honestly didn't think it would
happen so fast. That's why it's best not to rely on other people." He kissed
her cheek. "Only on each other from now on. Now, stop shaking."
"I can't. It's too good to be true."
"No. It's only going to get better. I promise you that." Then he chuckled.
"I guess I forgot to tell you something."
"What?"
"Happy birthday."
She laughed and said, "You gave me the best birthday present I ever had."
"The wedding?"
"No. You." Elizabeth leaned her head back on Methos' shoulder and
closed her eyes. As his hands softly rubbed her arms, she could feel his
wedding ring sliding up and down. She turned her head and nestled in
against Methos, and fell into a peaceful sleep.
~~~~~
CAESAR'S PALACE
6 AM
Amy slipped out of the bathroom dressed in the jean shorts and t-shirt that
she had packed in her bag before leaving the hotel for Elizabeth and
Methos' wedding. Guy was still sleeping, and she didn't want to wake
him, but she probably wouldn't see him again before she and Joey went
back to New York. She knew that Elizabeth and Methos were, for the
foreseeable future, going to be searching for a place to settle down, and it
could be months before Guy would have free time to come to her again.
She laid down on the bed and brushed his hair off his forehead. As he
woke up, she said, "I have to go. Kiss me goodbye."
Suddenly his arms were around her and they had flipped over on the bed,
she was under him, tied up in the sheet. She slapped his bare arm. "I
thought you were asleep!"
"I never sleep." He planted a kiss on her that made her want to forget
everything, including her name. But she thought of Joey, probably just
getting up and watching cartoons, after first waking up Joe and Caroline
She said, "I have to go," sitting up.
He laid on his side, his head on his hand, elbow planted on the bed, his
other hand brushing his chest, a big smile on his face. She smiled. He
knew the power he welded. She said, "Will you call me?"
"Every damn night."
"Good. I have a big day ahead of me, and you do, too."
"Care to share your schedule with me?"
She took his hand and kissed it. "Not really. But, I'm going back to New
York this afternoon; I hope you enjoy sitting in a car for hours on end."
"Liz is off on an adventure again? Brett told me about how he followed
her the last time. Fifteen states in 32 days. Renting a different car every
day so you're not spotted, sometimes twice, three times a day. Brett only
stopped to pee when she did." He laughed.
"Ah, the life of a watcher."
"I haven't been assigned to a traveler before. Where are they going to end
up?"
"You know you shouldn't ask me that. But, all I know is that Liz and Dan
are going to go find their nitch in the world and figure out where to raise
Claire."
"Is she really happy with this guy? She doesn't miss Methos?"
"She'll always miss Methos, but as she's said, immortals have to move on
or they'll go insane."
"Insane?"
"That's what she told me. She can't think about losing him, and she needs
to provide a happy home for Claire." Then Amy smiled. "You pulled too
much out of me. I better go." Amy stood up, grabbed her bag, and hoped
that what she had told Guy was enough to really solidify the fact that
Elizabeth had actually married someone other than Methos. She headed for
the door before she could get another look at him; forget all her
responsibilities and camp out with him.
"I'll be seeing you," Guy said, getting up from the bed.
"That's what you do best."
"I can do a lot of things best."
She laughed, having experienced some of his 'best', and suggested, "Why
don't you get one of those bead things that cabbies sit on? It might help
you to prevent hemorrhoids."
She opened the door, but in a flash, Guy was holding her. "You're not
leaving with that as the last thing said between us."
~~~~~
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2005
CALIFORNIA
Elizabeth handed Claire the rest of her banana as they ate on a picnic table
at a rest stop. The chill in the air drove others away from it, so they had the
place all to themselves. The wind made the leaves of the tall trees riffle
and she felt at peace. She put the hood of Claire's lightweight jacket up
and tie it under her chin and pulled her own coat closer around her. The
fresh air was lovely after being in the car for the last three hours.
Methos was cleaning out the back seat of the Saturn and brought out a bag
of things from the trunk that they had bought at a Walmart at the last stop.
He opened the packages of toys for Claire, to keep her occupied during
another leg of their journey that had no itinerary, and placed them so that
she could easily reach them from her car seat. "She's still a good little
traveler," Methos commented as he walked back and sat at the picnic
table. "Aren't you?" he asked Claire.
She popped the end of the banana in his mouth and he smiled. "Thank
you."
"Did you travel a lot with her when you had her alone?"
"All over Europe."
"Where did you bring her?"
"France, Italy."
"Hm. I'd like to go back to Rome."
"Should we move there?"
"No. I want to stay in America. You're adaptable, you can be anywhere."
Elizabeth told Claire, "Go expend some energy so you'll be ready for a
nap."
Claire climbed down from the table and picked up her inflated ball.
Methos said, "We should pick a city soon, so we can get settled. I want to
start our new life as soon as possible."
"I like the small town life. I've been in cities long enough. Everyone's just
a face or a number."
"That's what I like."
"I did too, but not as a kid."
Elizabeth got up and started to play ball with Claire. "I grew up in a place
where everyone knew your name and cared about you and helped you
whenever you needed them. A community. I want those kind of roots for
Claire. It's not too late, is it?"
Methos said, joining in the game of catch, or in Claire's case, miss the
catch and run to get the ball. "She's only two."
"I did a lot of reading after leaving New York with her, and one book
stated that the first five years of a child's life determined how they turned
out. It's their development years. She'll have wanderlust, that's for sure."
"We all do, ingrained, and by circumstance."
"Can she have a normal life?"
"As soon as we're settled, she will. But I don't know about a small town.
Too many busybodies."
"But too few immortals."
"Got to take the good with the bad, I suppose."
"What are you now? You haven't told me yet." His look of confusion
made her say, "Daniel Gordon. Who is he?"
Methos squinted as he remembered, "Raised in Gloucester, went to
university, was a carpenter, immigrated to America in 1995, and met the
love of his life a little over a month ago."
She blushed, milking it, and then asked, "A carpenter?"
"Sure."
"Are you really a carpenter? I've never seen you work with your hands on
anything except writing."
"You are looking at a man who built his own homes, killed his own food."
"Good thing there's take out now, right?"
"Yes. You can't cook."
"I beg your pardon. Martha Stewart and Betty Crocker have been teaching
me well. We'll have to move to a place with the Food Network. I got
hooked on that channel in Arizona. Food can be so pretty, and it really
looks fun to cook. It was a chore for my mother, and I never enjoyed it, but
maybe I was just making the wrong things."
"This, I have to see."
"About like you and a table saw. Tell me something, when immortals slice
off thumbs, do they grow back again?"
"Just for that remark, Claire and I are leaving you here."
"What sort of thing should we do? I mean, open a business, should I go
back to teaching, would you build things? I've still got a few bucks but,
did you give all your money away? Do we need jobs?"
"We're comfortable. We can do whatever we want."
"I'd like to be a mother."
"You are."
"No, a stay at home mother. I've really enjoyed being with Claire all the
time. It would have been better if you were there too, but it was nice. She's
a great kid."
"Be a stay at home mother then. I've been thinking of doing something I
haven't done in a couple of centuries. Actually work for a living, like other
people do. Work with my hands. It would have nothing to do with reading
or sitting in libraries or museums. Fresh air, back-breaking work."
Elizabeth laughed. "Yeah, right. How long will that last?"
He laughed, shrugging, "If I get tired of it, I'll quit. I can give it a try."
~~~~~
Elizabeth was getting sleepy and couldn't find a decent radio station. She
asked, "Will you drive soon?"
Methos, in the middle of a novel, mumbled, "Let me finish this chapter."
The car suddenly came to a stop, waking Claire and making Methos grab
the dashboard. "Okay, okay. I'll drive now." He looked behind them to see
if any cars, especially their watcher, Guy's, were about to ram into them.
Not a good way to meet your watcher, not that Methos ever intended to
anyway.
Elizabeth put the car in reverse and inched back and stared off to her left.
"Look at that!"
The county road they had been traveling on was covered on both sides by
forest, but a break in the trees revealed a clearing, with a grand house atop
a slight hill. Green grass surrounded it; due to the mild winter, with a lot of
rain. Methos was as surprised as Elizabeth was by the sight. She said, "It
looks almost like Casa Segura."
It was a single story, large home, with a lot of windows. It's paint was the
same as Casa Segura; red brick and it had a large porch that ran the length
of the house. The half walls of the porch were made of the same stone as
their Sintra house. "It has to be fate," Elizabeth said as she looked up the
road to a driveway opening in the trees and saw a sign that read, 'For Sale
By Owners'.
"Where are we?" Methos asked.
"Good question. I was trying to hook up with I-5 so we can take the
interstate to Seacouver." They had planned to eventually make their way to
visit Duncan and Amanda, but had taken their own sweet time.
"Are we still in California?"
Elizabeth grabbed the map alongside of her and pointed, "We're
somewhere in here," she said.
"Redding? I've never been to Redding. Have you?"
"No. Why?"
"What's it like?"
"What does it matter? They're selling that house. Let's go look at it."
Claire cried out, having been awaken from her nap and Methos reached
over to unhook her and lift her into the front seat. Elizabeth pointed at the
house and said, "Look. Do you like that house?"
Claire wasn't interested and curled up in Methos' lap.
"I'm going to look it over," Elizabeth said as she put the car in gear and
drove into the driveway. Another sign read, 'Canterbury Stables'.
"We could be considered pilgrims," Methos said with a smile. "There's
privacy here," as he looked at the thick trees lining the driveway on both
sides. Past the trees, he saw a large white building at the end of a large
corral. "They board horses? Breed horses? What kind of horses? Race
horses would be a lot of work and regulations. I wonder if it's all for sale,
or just the house," he said, almost starting to sound excited. "I know
horses, we could have fresh air, I can work with my hands." He hiked a
shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "This might be good."
The owners, were an older couple, Martin and Gladys Windsor. They were
out back sitting at
a wrought iron round table in the stone laid courtyard; there were eight
chairs scattered around the courtyard. They were enjoying the late
afternoon sun, drinking beer, wearing overalls and large straw hats when
Elizabeth and Methos knocked on the front door. Gladys came around the
house and invited them to join them in the back where they answered all
the questions that were asked. When Methos asked exactly what was for
sale, Martin said, "Everything you see, son, and some you don't." His
large calloused hands reached to indicate the fields, stables, corral, house
and most of the trees of the forest that surrounded their land.
Methos asked, "How many horses are boarded now?"
"Three, but there's ten stalls. I've been telling people we're retiring for a
while now, and wasn't sure if we'd be able to find a buyer before we
leave. Mother's asthma isn't very good, and her doctor said that the desert
air would be better for her."
Elizabeth glanced at Gladys, who's wild, long gray hair was braided under
her wide brimmed straw hat that looked like it had been on her head since
the day she was born. "You're moving to Arizona?"
She nodded, with a touch of sadness. "My sister has a trailer in Mesa, but
I'm not living in a trailer. Father found a nice condo in Sun City."
"Oh, that's nice. I lived in Fountain Hills not too long ago."
Methos continued talking with Martin and asked, "So, you don't have any
horses of your own?"
"Nope, sold them last month. We're downsizing son, but we want our
money out of this place. We've had some takers, but they want to dicker
on the price. I worked this land for 45 years, I think I deserve the appraised
value. This is God's green earth."
Gladys then said, "It's our home. It's where my babies grew up. It's hard
to let it go."
"I can imagine," Elizabeth softly said. She looked at Methos, who actually
looked excited, knowing that money wouldn't be an object. "I'd like to see
the house."
Gladys erupted. "Oh, my! Of course! Come on inside." She held out her
hand for Claire, who was standing between Elizabeth's legs as she sat at
the table and said, "I wonder if my girl's room would be interesting to you.
Do you like pink?"
Claire smiled. "Favrite color."
"Let me show you a very nice pink room." Claire took her hand as Gladys
told Elizabeth, "I haven't changed Melissa's room since the day she left
for college. I just didn't have the heart. They grow up so fast." She
scrutinized Claire and asked, "How old are you, honey?"
Claire held up three fingers. Elizabeth said, "She'll be three in a couple of
months."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, young lady. Pretty soon, you'll be my age,
and you'll really start lying about your age, only the other way."
"Let me show you the stables, Dan," Martin said, thumping him on the
back.
Elizabeth was taken aback by the charm of the architecture of the interior.
They entered from the courtyard's double glass doors and she saw that
they opened into a great room that ran the length of the house through the
center. The ceilings were so high, Claire almost fell backward when she
looked up at them. Fans slowly turned at the top of the ceilings. In
Elizabeth's estimation the slanted wood ceiling just cried out for dramatic
lighting,. The entire length of the house from the back had large windows;
Elizabeth saw that off to the right was a dining room with bench seats
underneath the line of windows that had extended into that room also.
Elizabeth commented on the large rectangle wood table with captain's
chairs at each end, and four upholstered armless chairs on each side.
"Martin made it. He has a workshop in the garage. He's quite the
carpenter," Gladys proudly said. The room was separated from the
stonework of the great room's floor by a lattice work wood wall. To the
left was a TV room with a massive entertainment center, and again, bench
seats under the wall of windows. Forward into the house on the side of the
TV room were what Gladys said was a master bedroom and bath. When
she reached it and turned on the light, Elizabeth gasped, seeing the
windows on the far wall with more bench seats, a king sized four poster
bed, a stone fireplace centered between two doors. One went to the master
bathroom with a tub and separate shower, two sinks, and lot of cupboards,
that also emptied out to the great room. The other door lead to a massive
walk-in closet. It was all wonderful, and Elizabeth could see in her mind's
eye what it would look like with blue carpeting and accents instead of the
beige and brown. With Renoir or Monet paintings instead of the country
theme that Gladys had decorated it with.
The walked out of the bedroom to see to their left, the double wooden
front doors with about one foot square stained glass. The other side of the
great room, across from the TV room was Gladys' kitchen. It was a
massive kitchen, with an island in the center that held the stove top, a
marble surface where Gladys said she rolled out her dough, and a
chopping block to do her chopping. Copper and cast iron pots and pans
hung from hooks above it. It seemed a little dark, with all the wood
paneling, but it felt homey. Gladys flicked some switches and lighting
from under the cabinets and on the walls, as well as the ceiling brightened
it up considerably.
They walked down the hallway with a floor that continued with the stone
from the great room on the dining room/kitchen side and Gladys flipped
the light switch of the room just past the kitchen. Claire clapped happily
when she saw the canopy bed, pink walls, white wood, and a load of teddy
bears in netting hooked to the corner of the room. Elizabeth thought that
the white whicker furniture was quite lovely and wondered if they would
sell that along with the house. When she asked Gladys, she said, "We're
moving into a condo, Elizabeth. We're hoping to sell most of the furniture.
That's one of the sticking points with prospective new owners. They have
their own stuff, and we don't know what to do with all of it."
Since she and Methos didn't have any furniture, none whatsoever,
Elizabeth wondered if someone wasn't looking down on them to make
sure that this was the place for them. The four of them were gifts to each
other, the Windsor's needed to sell; Elizabeth and Methos needed to start
out fresh.
Across the hall from what could be Claire's room was another smaller,
yellow, bathroom with a shower. Next to the bathroom was a stairway to
the basement, and at the end of the hall was another bedroom. It was
another good sized one, in a gray and wine motif, with twin beds, and a
sewing machine set up in one corner. "This was the only one of my kids'
rooms that I changed. I used to have my sewing room downstairs, but my
knees gave out a couple of years ago. Martin's been doing the laundry. I'll
show you the downstairs."
At the bottom of the stairs was a large recreation room with another
entertainment center on one end, and a library with bookshelves and
comfortable chairs on the other. The rust colored shag carpeting would
definitely have to go, along with the flowered furniture, but the
bookshelves looked sturdy and were a nice dark oak. But, the main theme
of the house, horses, was also downstairs. There were paintings of horses
in almost every room, except the master bedroom.
"Are all the horse paintings of your own horses?"
"Yes. Mostly my kids'. All of them are in the big corral in the sky now,
except Eleanor Rigby, my oldest son's. He brought her out to Montana
with him."
They walked down a hallway that first had another bathroom with tub and
shower. Then there were three bedrooms in a row, one with green
carpeting that was definitely the room of a football fan, the next was blue
which was home to a swimmer and golfer as there were trophies lining one
shelf, and the last was yellow and was most definitely a girl's room. There
were posters of bands ranging from the Beatles to N'SYNC.
At the end of the hall was a large, but unfinished, concrete floored laundry
room with a furnace, washer/dryer, wash tub, folding table and metal racks
to hang clothes on. One end of it was piled up with boxes and Christmas
decorations. "Don't look at that mess. We'll either be throwing it out,
taking it with us, or giving it away, depending on what it is. The kids will
probably want things from their rooms, but basically, we would like to sell
a lot of the things with the house. Including a set of china. Don't tell
Martin, but it was his mother's. She didn't have good taste and neither of
my daughters want it. She was a bearcat."
Elizabeth almost laughed, but bit her tongue. "It's a beautiful house," she
said, trying to remember all the things that Methos asked the owners of
Casa Segura, but she couldn't think of
a thing except, "Does it have a solid foundation?"
"Oh yeah, we've never had a problem with seeping or anything. That's a
brand new sump pump," she said while pointing in the corner at a hole in
the ground. Elizabeth didn't know what that was, but she said, "Oh.
Good."
"We put all new PVC pipes in the whole house about ten years ago, and
there's new carpeting in the dining room. Everything's in pretty good
shape. The furnace is about eight years old. The only thing that might give
you trouble is the dryer; you have to kick once in a while. I don't know
why, but it makes it work. I wouldn't be surprised if it breaks one day."
"Oh, that's fine," Elizabeth said. She held onto Claire and looked at her
girl. "Does this look like a nice house? Maybe we should have papa look
at it all."
Elizabeth asked, as they walked back upstairs, "So, you have six
children?"
Gladys sighed as she followed Elizabeth up the stairs. "I gave birth to six,
but my youngest, Paul, died of leukemia when he was seven."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Yeah, he deserved better. He was a good kid."
Martin and Methos were standing in the kitchen, after just opening another
beer, when the women came back. Methos said, "Well?"
"I like it. How about the stables?"
Methos nodded, "Martin has a nice set up here, and I've never seen a
stable so clean."
"As I said before, Dallas Wisko is my main man. I hope that if you do buy
this place that you consider hiring him."
Methos said, "We'll meet Dallas and see how it goes. We, um, were on
our way to meet with friends when we drove by and saw the place. Let us
think it over, and we'll get back to you with any other questions."
"My price is my price, son," Martin said. "But anything else you need to
know, you know where I am."
Methos shook his hand and said, "I've got your number. You'll be hearing
from us one way or another in a couple of days."
~~~~~
THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2005
SEACOUVER
LOFT
Methos excitedly told Duncan all about the property in California that he
and Elizabeth couldn't talk themselves out of buying. "I really think it will
be a nice, quiet place where we can settle down and live."
"You're going to board horses?"
"Sure. I know horses. I know how to take care of them. Remember, before
the car, horses were the only thing between you and walking long
distances. They were treated like kings. That's what Liz and I will do.
When she slammed on the brakes as soon as she saw the house, I thought
Guy Barstow was going to plow into us. He'd been tracking us since we
left Vegas. We lost him at one point and waited at a gas station until he
could catch up. It's just instinct to lose them, I guess."
Methos chuckled, but he could see the doubt in the Highlander's eyes and
demanded, "What?"
Duncan sipped his wine and smiled. He shrugged and said, "I just don't
see you as a horse boarder."
"Because I was a horseman?"
"What does Elizabeth say about it?"
"She hasn't said, 'Methos, I think this is a bad idea because I'm going to
be reminded of Death every time I see you on a horse'." Methos kicked
back on the couch they were sitting on and loudly put his feet up on the
coffee table, knowing that it would irk the Highlander. "She's looking
forward to it, and she isn't an idiot. She's the one who went through all
that... crap. She hasn't had any doubts. Why? Has she mentioned
something to you?"
"No."
"Then get over it!"
"You seem to be the touchy one, I'm just asking a question," Duncan
lightly said. "It sounds like hard work, and from what I know of you,
which after all these years, isn't much, you abhor hard work. If you have a
business, you can't just take off like you're apt to do."
"You're right. You don't know much about me. I've had many
businesses." Methos slowly drank his beer, annoyed.
Duncan said, "Sure, as a silent partner. Are you going to have someone
else run it?"
"I want a change, MacLeod. If it's too much work we can sell it or walk
away. We're not hurting for money. We'll close the stables and keep it as a
vacation home. I tell you, Mac, it's like looking at Casa Segura, the one
home where we were really happy together."
"Well, I'm glad," Duncan said, getting up. He pointed to Methos' beer
bottle and asked, "You need another one?"
Methos looked at his watch. "When are they getting back? I'm hungry."
Duncan glanced at the clock on the wall of the kitchen and said, "They
probably ran into some sales." Then he darkened, while his back was
turned from Methos, but Methos could tell that something was very
wrong.
"Is Amanda using your credit card or something?"
Duncan chuckled and poured himself another glass of wine. Methos could
tell by the tightness
of his shoulders that it was probably best if they left. He stood up and told
Duncan, "I think I'll go looking for my family."
"Why?"
"I am apt to take off, as you just pointed out."
"You just got here."
"Then tell me what's going on."
"Nothing. I'm just getting hungry, too. Where were we going again?"
"Come on!" Methos groaned. "Who is it? Who's in town? What's
happening?" He joined Duncan at the counter and laid his hands upon it.
Duncan sighed and put his glass on the counter and stared Methos down.
"I don't want a lecture, I don't want to talk about it with you. I'm just
worried that they're not back yet."
"I'm feeling more and more comfortable all the time. It was a wonderful
idea to visit you."
"She's probably left town."
"She?" Methos groaned again and shook his head. "MacLeod! When are
you going to learn? How many Kristins and Ingrids do you have in your
life anyway?"
"About as many as you have!"
"No, I don't think so. All of mine are now sans head. I know how to take
care of a problem, I don't nurture it!"
"Like Pyrius?!"
Methos bitterly laughed and slammed the bottle down on the counter. He
grabbed his coat and walked toward the elevator. Duncan said, "Methos!
I'm sorry."
"We were talking about your problems, not my past!"
"Then don't be a bastard! Or belittle how I deal with things, or put your
filthy boots on my coffee table!"
They glared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and then they
both burst out laughing. They both felt immortal buzzes and stopped
making noise and listened. The dojo doors opened and there was the
clicking of high heels on the wood floor. Then, the elevator started, the
cage descending. Methos looked at Duncan, who said, "Amanda's got the
key, it's not Calliope."
"Calliope? You mentioned her before. Who is she?"
"History."
"In a good way, or history, meaning she's just not here right now but she'll
be back and she'll be tricking you into not taking her head once again?"
"Methos," Duncan tiredly said. "Drop it."
Amanda and Elizabeth, holding Claire, arrived and Methos pulled open
the gate and announced to Elizabeth, "Don't move. We're going."
Elizabeth laughed and picked up a couple of the shopping bags that laid on
the floor of the elevator. "Let me get these inside first. Where are we going
for dinner?"
"I'll pick up something on our way back to California," Methos said,
taking Claire and picking up some bags.
He walked into the elevator as Amanda said, "That's my bag. What's the
deal?" Then she knew and turned to Duncan and asked, "You told him
about Calliope?"
"He pulled it out of me," Duncan said, smiling.
"Who's Calliope?" Elizabeth asked.
Amanda said, "Oh, Liz, you know her. The one who tried to poison me at
Amy's wedding. She's got the hots for my man here."
Amanda walked to Duncan and kissed him hello. Elizabeth was surprised
at her lack of jealousy. If a woman from Methos' past came back, she
would be challenging.
"She tried to kill Amanda once and you just let her walk away, Mac
Leod," Methos asked, his voice rising in pitch. "What did she do this
time?"
"I let her walk away." Amanda stood proud.
"Huh?"
Amanda said, "She tried to kill me once, so it was my fight. I challenged
her, but she's a pip squeak. I could have taken her in my sleep. I didn't
want to break a nail, so I walked away."
Methos stared at Amanda and Duncan and slowly said, "You... are both...
insane."
"She wouldn't dare show her face around here again. I had her bleeding
and broken."
"So, why not take her head?"
"I didn't want it, Methos. I don't need every head that challenges me."
Amanda looked toward Elizabeth, who stood flabbergast. "I didn't want
any of her karma, either. She could carry a grudge. I didn't know what was
in her quickening. It takes more courage to let a challenger live than to end
their life, Methos. Let's go eat. I'm starving."
Methos breathed heavily. He felt completely uncomfortable there, with
them, at that time. And, he had a property to buy. He told Elizabeth, "Let's
head back to Redding. I want to start our life, with no problems."
"Have dinner first," Amanda said, pulling Duncan into the elevator with
them all. "My treat."
"Yes," Elizabeth said. "And if Amanda's buying, I want lobster."
"You got it, ma'am," Amanda happily said. "I love those shoes you found,
they'll be perfect with my lilac dress."
As the women relived their shopping excursion, Methos and Duncan
stared each other down.
Continued...
(
geocities.com/enyajo)