Chapter eight:

Caroline entered the corridor, following the lamp light just ahead of her. She noticed her heart had increased it's pace but she could not determine if it was fear or excitement that induced it to such an act. The brother of the man she loved was leading her down various cold, dark corridors and she at once felt a sense of completeness. She could not describe it and the idea was so abstract. How did she feel she was strolling along vast fields with the summer's sun beaming down on her when she was here, in this icy place with a man who was bordering on insanity?

He turned abruptly to face her, halting in the centre of the corridor. Before him lay a thick oak door, slightly ajar. His expression was fierce but oddly inviting, as though he were the devil that she feared, but remained peculiarly enticed by.

"You will enter this room and discover- with dismay-the truth." He snarled.

Caroline was so hypnotised by him, she almost responded "Yes master." But stopped herself.

"How am I to know if you speak any truth?" She queered.

"Look upon the room."

With a gentle stroke of his pale, delicate hand the oak door opened as if it were a mere feather. Caroline could hardly believe her eyes. The whole room was draped with silk and in the centre were a sea of half naked women swimming over each other, as though the silk were water. Her heart stopped. The women looked like a sea of serpents. In hesitation, Caroline looked to Rafael for reassurance.

"I am afraid this is my brother's entertainment. He amuses himself here often."

"Well I am disgusted by such a sight. I think I ought to go home at once."

In that instant, Rafael took Caroline by the forearm and led her back to her room in what seemed to be a mere second. She could barely recall the journey. She was sat back in bed, cover over her legs and tucked in bed, before she even knew she had left the awful sights she had just previously seen. Rafael stood, lantern in hand glaring down at her. There eyes were on one and other and her heart raced.

"Do not think him a sinner or a bad man. He is a good man but he has his sins…don't we all?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"Well, Caroline goodnight."

Rafael tipped his head politely and smiled a unique smile, causing a chill to crawl slowly through Caroline's body.

"I am certain that he is a good man but I have always felt more comfortable in my own house and would appreciate it if I was allowed to go home in the morning."

Rafael had already approached the door, and stood as a dark shadow glaring back at Caroline. The light of the lamp, beside her.

"Yes but for now it is time you let sleep come to you…"

Caroline could not recall how but fell instantly into a deep sleep. It was as though she had be drugged because her body submitted to it immediately. This was unusual for her, normally it took a while to feel tired and she would often fall slowly into it's power but there was no sense of exhaustion in this instant, just a complete an utter desire to sleep.

Rafael remained in the threshold of the door as Francis pushed him aside. There was little effort in it and Rafael fell to the floor. The sound of his heavy body hitting the stone floor and echoed for a moment around the room.

"Brother, you have no right to come to her chamber." Said Francis fiercely. His eyes were a golden yellow and pierced through the darkness.

"I meant only to let her to see the truth! If you wish to be an honest man, you must be honest!" Rafael said, groaning in pain as he left the hard stone floor.

"You are a fool! She must not know that part of my life. She is my love and therefore our relationship must be pure, not tainted with sin."

"You are a snake! To love you, she must know the truth!"

Rafael stood a few feet in height above Francis and looked down on him now, glaring coldly.

"I do not think you should interfere!" Francis said, deepening his voice as an attempt to gain some dominance.

"She is a modern lady… today, women are not as concerned with purity. She will not approve of your relation with those women, in that room, but she will accept it better then a woman from a Victorian society."

"Are you implying there are no morals in the world today?"

"No but there are less and she will forgive you!"

In an instant the image of Caroline attempting to touch him came to Francis and his disgust, like a cold draft, hit Rafael.

"Brother, she is not a pure woman and I feel I must abandon my feelings for her!" Francis said, disheartened.

"You cannot fall out of love with a young lady just simply because she is not what you dreamed her to be. You have waited centuries for love and you would be a fool to abandon it today!"

"Nonsense! I want a virgin bride! I want the rare flower, otherwise she is no better then those whores I have been left to feed on!" Francis said furiously.

"Perhaps you consider yourself to be right to behave like that but I think you ought to marry for love not based on simplicity or expectation. Otherwise, you are dreaming!"

"Brother, you must remember, your bride! An animal! You picked her from the streets and married her! A whore!"

Rafael's heart stopped and his skin felt as though it had turned to fire. Anger was not the word to describe his current mood, nor fury. He grabbed Francis by the throat and held him firmly against the wall.

"Do not speak of her! She was an innocent creature, I saved her!"

Rafael threw his brother like a stone he had tossed across the water. Francis hit the oak door and cried aloud. Caroline did not stir.

"You are wrong. She was a broken woman…"

"Led into prostitution because of poverty. My wealth saved her and I would do it again, I am better then you morally, marrying for purity!" Rafael hissed.

In this instant, Rafael stormed out of the room, stepping over his brother as he went. He was beyond furious now and he walked down the corridor with his fists clenched.

"Brother, I want you to take Caroline away from here tomorrow!" Francis cried down the corridor after him.

The day following, Rafael stood in Caroline's threshold at dawn and waited for her to wake. He watched her sleep and she looked more innocent then he could ever imagine any woman looking. She was so beautiful he thought. Her long strands of hair lying about her as she lay in her long, red, silk dress. He hesitated at first but then approached the bed. He ran his large hands through her hair and sat on the edge. Her eyes slowly opened. And at first she moved in fear but became comfortable with his touch and smiled.

"Morning has come, and it would seem that it is time for me to take you home."

"Oh, thank you. Will you give me a minute, well actually I can't change."

"It is not necessary to do that, you need not be ashamed of who you are."

"No I'm not, I meant my clothes."

Rafael stopped stroking Caroline's hair and scanned her upper body with his eyes, causing desire to rush through her. Her heart beat increased and she knew for sure she was attracted to this strange man.

"Ah, yes you ought to change when you get home there is nothing here appropriate for you."

"I will don't worry!"

Rafael stood abruptly, crossing his arms and glared down at Caroline, observing her.

"How did you meet my brother?"

"I was at a this posh party with a friend and he started talking to me. Then we became friends and about five months later we got together as a sort of a, well couple."

"I don't think it is wise of you to assume that." He responded, coldly.

"What do you mean?" Caroline responded, hurt.

"Well he is not the type of man for relationships."

"Ah well we established that last night-"

"-Oh no, you mustn't assume that! I only meant, it is either marriage or the opposite. Call it sin and purity."

"Oh why is that?"

"It is just who we are…"

"Oh, you too, hey?"

"No, I am not the same man as my brother. I don't seduce the women that feed me!"

Caroline climbed out of bed, and stood close to Rafael.

"Oh, they have there place in the kitchen then." She said sarcastically.

"I have no idea what you mean, I am sure."

"Where are my shoes?"

"I believe my brother left them beside your bed. He took them off of you last night because you fell asleep."

Caroline looked helpless around the bed, conducting a thorough search around the bed. Rafael bent down and picked them up and holds them out to her.

"They are here." He said.

"So they are! Did he give you direct instructions?"

Rafael blushed and as an attempt to hide it he turned abruptly to the door.

"Come. We ought to be leaving before my brother wakes."

"Why for that specific reason?"

"He would be unhappy to find that you were still here."

"Well so much for the welcome! So much for the relationship…"

Caroline's voice cracked as she began to cry. Within an instant Rafael is beside her.

"My brother was cruel to be rid of you after letting you believe, what it is that you believe." He said, softly.

Caroline abruptly looked up. Her expression stern. Rafael knew she was angry.

"And what is that?"

"That you and he were together in some form of relationship. You were not engaged, it was merely courting… but that no longer exists…"

"I don't understand…"

"There is no reason you should. Now, let us part."

Rafael gently touched Caroline's shoulder, causing a chill to creep through her. She moved abruptly out of his way and they stood looking at each other with caution.

"My apologies." Rafael said.

"No, it's fine." She said, smiling gently.

"We should go."

Rafael led Caroline out of the room, as she followed submissively. She could not recall how but she had got home and all that she knew from that afternoon was that there was a man named Rafael whom she had met in a mansion. He lived alone and had no siblings. But none of it mattered. Caroline was home and sat in her own bed with a cup of tea. Whatever had happened with this strange man was all behind her.