Emerald glared at The Count but now in her heart she felt fear. What if Ammon had somehow been able to track her and find her. Maybe this man was some sort of associate of Ammon. Her mind went into a whirl but she did not wish to show how really frightened she was. All of her new life could vanish if Ammon had discovered where she had escaped to and was now living. Her mind flashed to Asa who was now her dearest friend. What if this Count overpowered her and dragged her off into the night. Now she felt real terror as her mind invisioned all sorts of dire consequences.

The Count finally seem to regain his composure and staring at Emerald said, "There were only two gems like this, in the world. I possess one of them. I purchased them on a trip to Alexandria Egypt many years ago. It was my intention to have them made into a piece of jewelry, one for my wife and one for myself. My wife so loved these gems that she insisted on carrying one of them and so I kept one and she took the other." Emerald now stared more intensely at the Count. His voice was full of emotion and pathos.  The Count had paused in his story as if remembering now a faraway place and time.

He now continued his story. "While I was in Alexandria my wife wished to see the countryside so it was arranged for her to travel outside the city with a guide and so she left in a carriage one bright Spring day. She never returned and although many people and myself tried to find her trail she vanished forever from my life." With this statement the Count choked back tears and struggled hard to continue. Emerald now found herself listening even more eagarly to this incredible tale. "Finally when all hope was gone, I returned to France without my beloved wife." he said. Emerald now replied, "But what has this got to do with me?" He looked at Emerald and huge tears now rolled down his face. "Because" said the Count, "she was not alone, that day. For with her was our very young daugther. She was only three years old but she was the most beautiful child anyone ever saw with golden curls and large blue eyes and a bright mind. So my loss was twofold. Not only did I lose my wife but I lost my daugther."

Suddenly, Emerald's mind saw the same flashes of something she always saw in her dreams but now she was awake. Now she saw vivid pictures in her mind. She clutched the arm of the Count to steady herself so real were her memories. With a shaking voice she told him of her dreams of glimpses of something  she could never capture. But now she told him, she was remembering something and started to describe her memories. Her voice shook as she spoke. "I remember a woman with shining blonde hair and a long dress that made noise as she held me on her lap. I remember now a beautiful fragrance she always wore, I smell it even now! I see many men and they are all around where I stand with this woman. We are by a little oasis where we had stopped for a drink of water as I was thirsty. The lady held me close to her and I knew there that she was afraid. The men took us away and many days later we arrived in a large encampment. The lady had held me close to her and cried and one day during our journey she took this gem from her clothing and gave it to me, saying, "Do not be afraid and keep this gem with you always if possible. Hide it  away from all people and remember it comes from me."

With those words, the Count cried out to Emerald, "You are my lost daugther for you indeed look now exactly as your dear Mother did when last I saw her!" Emerald could not believe her ears. The Count now brought forth from a small pocket in his brocaded jacket a very small bag with a drawstring. He opened the bag and reached inside and drew forth his hand. Emerald starred in total fascination at his enclosed hand. Opening his hand...she saw the same identical gem as she possessed, glittering in the moonlight in his palm! Her heart started to beat so fast she thought she would faint. Gazing up now at the Count she too started to cry. At that moment her shaking legs buckled from underneath her and as she fell the Count gathered her up in his arms  carrying her quickly to his waiting coach, which was in the  street by the entrance to the salon. He placed her gently inside of it and ordered his coachman to drive as fast as possible to his estate, the Villa de la Cygnus (Villa of the Swans.)

When Emerald regained consciousness, she cried out, "Oh no, I must go home for Asa will be so terribly worried when I do not return." The Count assured her he would send a servant to her friend so she would not worry. But Emerald knew in her heart that Asa would indeed worry especially when she discovered that Emerald was now in the hands of the mysterious Count. She could not bear to think of Asa, alone and afraid as to her fate. The coach sped on through the night as the horses raced at breakneck speed. Emerald turned over all the happenings of this night in her mind. How could this thing be true!? The Count assured her all would be well and to trust him for he would prove to her that she was indeed his missing daugther. Emerald had wanted a new life but this was nothing that her furtile mind could have imagined. She had wanted adventure and excitement. She now how more than she could dream. The coach slowed and finally stopped in front of the grandiest structure she had ever seen. Servants rushed forward to assist the Count and his passenger. As Emerald stepped forth from the coach an older woman came through the massive front doors. As Emerald lifted up her head, her blonde hair falling around her beautiful face, the older woman screamed, fainted and fell to the driveway. Servants rushed forth to assist her. The Count took Emerald's arm and led her forth through the doors as the servants gathered up the limp woman and carried her into the chateau. The huge door now swung shut and were bolted. Emerald was now inside, alone, with the Count and an unconscious woman.

Nothing, on earth could have prepared her, for the adventure that now lay ahead!

SkyAngel ©