pretense!» Francesca whispered, with despair, but so quiet that it was almost impossible to hear it, but I heard and unexpectedly felt irritation.
«And what did you expected, that even the devil will like your sophisticated manners, right, but false speech and the talent of the ingenious tracker?» The question was malicious and painfully cut a hearing. «No, Francesca. In fact, everything is much more prosaic. I came here to pick up my property. That is, almost mine,» I immediately corrected. «Anyway, a picture, according to a pure chance, that fell into your collection is written by one of the masters of my world, and therefore should return in the empire. The sooner, the better,» and if you can immediately, I added to myself, remembering that I was too late. You can never postpone tomorrow, otherwise you will never fulfill the conceived. I just wanted to play a day or two in a cat and a mouse with titled lady, and this couple of days dragged on more than a week.
«The painter!» Finally, exclaimed Francesca, as if this word was the key to all existing secrets. «He was the same as you.»
«Well, not quite like that,» I noticed with the knowledge of the case. «There are even in our world lords and servants. Camille was a conventional servant, even worse, almost a slave of his insidious Mr.»
«Yes, he accidentally mentioned that freedom was now very valuable for him,» Francesca nodded thoughtfully.
«Camille does nothing by chance, and he gave the picture exactly you, for sure, with a special intent.»
«He managed to run away from you. Well, I am glad for him,» Francesca has found strength to smile. «Now it’s clear to me why he wanted to destroy the picture.» Why do you need to keep an image of the owner, who probably very brutally addressed him. But he loved you very much, it feels in every stroke laid on canvas. Otherwise he could not draw with such inspiration.»
«This is a pretty ill manifestation of love – to create an eternal reminder about experienced sufferings,» I said and thought that this was really the most sophisticated torture – to capture the moment when several months have separated me from the carefree past, and the long road to the future was dark and thorny. How did Camille attracted the prince on the verge of dishonor? Why was it possible to transfer all mysticism with such an impression of reality, as on this, undoubtedly the best of his canvases? Cleanliness and innocence, the memories of which are still preserved in the picture, was already unattainable, and the dark satellite behind my back was just revealed his black wings.
«How did I not immediately guess who he was,» Francesca laughed at her naivety. «It was suspicious from the very beginning, well, he looked like a boy, and painted as a recognized talent. Then someone noticed his sharp ears, which sometimes peeking out from under the beret, the fiery shine in the eyes, the ability to move the items without touching them. And then these six ladies came, and Camille realized that it was time to run.
«Also and the spinners,» I said, thinking that for the count’s castle, the most worthy company was treated. Francesca, which naturally did not understand about the spinners, stared at me in amazement.
«All this does not have any relationship to you personally. They will no longer appear,» I comforted Francesca, although I myself was not sure about it. If the spinners will want to force their way somewhere in secret, then nobody will stop them. If one of them wants to kill this frightened amateur adventure, it is unlikely that the guards of the fortress can save her.
«Go away from here and do not appear here more!» Francesca shouted in the rage. «Take your picture and fly back to hell, where you came from. Surely, all these ballroom halls and statues were just an illusion. And in fact there is no castle, there is only a hell and there is the place for you, the fallen angel.»
I calmly waited when Francesca will keep silence. When the rage of the countess became dangerous, I slightly removed her, but she swayed with this light touch and almost fell.
«I’ll pick a portrait so that you could no longer touch it and thus call me out of my… hell,» before the last word, an expressive pause was made only because I didn’t dare to call my delicious castle as a hell. Then I boldly moved to the tower where the picture was kept, throwing on the move. «Perhaps I will return to pay.»
Absolutely innocent offer Francesca interpreted in her own way. On the same night, she began to collect her things and told to prepare the crew, but I never bothered to check where she was going to go.
Reaching my own castle, I did not decide to destroy the picture, but I didn’t want it to hang on the wall. Only after reliably hid it in the basement, and locked the door with the key, I unwittingly thought about Francesca. Was it worth to let her go. She knew now a strange unforgettable secret? And how long will her silence last?
Hypocritical Francesca
Hearing the noise in the estate, I decided that Selvin had a discussion with a lazy master. The first assumption did not justify itself. Near the ladder to the attic stood a viscount and a mant dressed in black. They argued about something. I managed to find out the excited voice of Vincent. He retained the hardly catchy emphasis – a reminder of that speech I heard on the streets of the native capital. No one, besides me, could not understand that clear dictations and some outdated words are just a tribute to the past.
«I tell you, Edwin is my friend. He himself invited me to spend the night here, «Vincent urged, while his eyes were furious. A little more and he would clutch the interlocutor in the face.
I watched him and barely kept laughter. Vincent always knew how to lie shamelessly, but this time he surpassed himself.
«Ask him if you don’t believe, and I’ll wait here. Would I climb into the house against the will of my best friend? Did he not have the right to invite his friends?» shouted Vincent.
And I was able to manage a fragile thoughtful contact with Vincent and uttered only one praise «Bravo!».
He heard it and was amazed. He turned to me. Only I noticed that his hands nervously trembled.
«All right, Selvin,» I said, after a long pause, for which I well managed to enjoy the confusion of Vincent. «It is indeed my old and very educated friend. We even learned the same science. I did not warn you about his presence because I was hoping that he was about to leave, but the visit suddenly pulled out, obviously, because of the fact that my „best friend“ again remained homeless.»
«Oh, everything is clear,» Selvin extended disappointed, although in fact he did not understand anything. Vincent tried proudly straighten the shoulders, but immediately stuck under my gaze.
«By the way, it is necessary to somehow justify what the homeless friend will live here,» as if by the way I put in and turned to Selvin, hoping that he would not consider me very cruel. «You could not help me find an inexpensive lackey livery for him so that he does not continue to confuse guests with his humble robe.»
Vincent cheeks became almost purple. Selvin was clearly stunned, and I, cheerfully grinning, announced:
«Sorry, Vincent, it was just a joke. I did not know that you do not like when I make fun on your own manner.»
«You would follow him,» Selvin whispered when we stayed alone. «I found him when he slept on a couch in front of the attic window and muttered something in a dream, and there were some unclear silhouettes around him, but as soon as I lit a lantern,
