Chapter 29: The Ill Proceeds Of An Omen
The Acquired Lands, Vermont, The New World (1762).....
Alain Remington awoke to the sound of construction as his father and a few others set to work on the vast undertaking that had been Sir Alfred's most ambitious project. He rolled out of the bed, which was as hard as stone and reminded him all too much of the bed he was assigned when onboard The Laurel. He shook off the grogginess of sleep and stretched before leaving behind his lodgings and venturing out into the bright new world. The warm glow of the sun beaming down on the various aspects of vegetation was a welcome change of pace from the shimmering rays being reflected from the deep waters of the seemingly endless sea. Their hosts had made breakfast yet none had the foresight to build a table where one could enjoy it. Instead, they were each treated to a bowl of hot porridge via a hasty campfire, a strong cast iron pot, and a wooden ladle. While Alain had better cuisine on the ship no less, his rumbling stomach offered little to no objections as he dutifully took his portion and ventured toward a downed tree stump to enjoy it in peace.
He watched the men work and his father give them specific instructions as he ate careful not to burn his mouth despite the urgency of his stomach wishing to receive as much of his poorly put-together breakfast as it could to quell the rumbling need within it. Alain wasn't in the least put off by the half-thick thick half runny sludge that had been his breakfast as he had developed the uncanny ability to ingest almost anything that had a revolting appearance as if he'd been somehow used to meals with a distinctive lack of flavor and consistency. It had been the same on the ship, many of the crew expected him to take issue with the dried and salted meat or the bread being given to crusting, but he simply ate it all without complaint and finished it off with a mug of the finest rum.
At the moment, Alain was finishing off his porridge and continued to watch the slaves labor and the so-called bosses instruct them sometimes harshly if they missed a mark or a step. He loathed the idea of forcing a man to labor almost as much as his mother had and came to the conclusion that she'd been right in her assessment of the practice being barbaric and an excuse for lesser wealthy people to hold onto their mediocre fortunes by getting employment via cruelty for the sake of not having to pay a decent wage.
Indentured servants were paid, he'd seen that for years as his mother always employed them and paid them for their efforts. It was one of the reasons she'd been so popular with everyone no matter the country. She was quite a fair employer and knew a good deal more about the art of making a deal than most men in her circles. Casimir had taken after her in that regard, so much so that he was gifted in the ways of coercion that was so profound he often got what he wanted without so much as a threat of raising his sword.
Alain had not been a master of words per se, but he too found that via his mother's instruction, he'd been capable of quite a bit of charm and for the most part he'd had outstanding charisma. Unlike Casimir however, he would rather use his intellect to obtain what he desired as opposed to honeyed words. Of course, Alain had quite the biting tongue as well given to a harsh brand of sarcasm and vileness that not even the silver-tongued Casimir dared to be on the receiving end of it.
Once he'd been finished with his meal, Alain got to his feet and passed the empty bowl to a pleasantly plump woman who seemed to be in charge of seeing to the dishes being cleaned. He then made his way toward his father who seemed to be quite preoccupied with his plans for the establishment and the laying of the foundation that would see a great many works accomplished in the coming days.
Alfred turned his attention to his son treating him to a hurried smile before turning his attention back to his plans. Alain had little to nothing to contribute or do it seemed and he more or less wandered about near the edge of the woods and back to the lodging of his hosts before a group of lads convinced him to join them on their carriage ride back to the city of New Orleans. It seemed to be about the only place with the activity that everyone had been well aware of and he tagged along after clearing it with his father who had ensured he had quite a bit of coin before he departed.
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Port Of New Orlay, New Orleans, Louisiana, The New World (1762).....
The carriage ride had been a rather interesting one with the young lads of the household laughing and jeering about their upcoming plans and the women they planned to meet once they reached the infamous city. Alain more or less kept to himself as the ride came to an end and the glistening jewel that had been a sinner's paradise had come into full view. Alain had not been too fond of such a place, but the alternative had left him without a good deal of options as to what to do while his father and the men busied themselves with his ambitious project. The lads who had accompanied him, were younger and rowdy, to say the least as if this was the first time they'd ever been allowed out into the world on their own and they knew not how to act.
Alain got out of the carriage when it came to a full stop and began to take up his former habit of sightseeing once more. He had neglected to ask for directions or find someone who had been well affiliated with the area as he took to his walk far more interested in exploring due to curiosity than precaution, a tragic side effect of having been confined to a ship for nearly two months.
He had taken a wrong turn it seemed as the elegant French structure gave way to dilapidated buildings with Spanish architecture as he continued his walk. The cobblestone gave way to dirt roads as he realized he had not been among the familiar and lost in the confines of a rather seedy and unappealing place. No one else seemed to walk these streets and before he knew it, it was nearly dusk as he concluded that retracing his steps would be the best course of action but even that seemed to only lead him back to this seedy place that appeared to be so far from anything he had even been remotely familiar with.
It struck him as odd that not one pedestrian, nor even a homeless person could be seen in this place as he attempted to navigate the strangeness of it all. He'd circled the same path multiple times before and was quite sure of it given the landmarks he'd taken to using to identify it. The sheer frustration at having gotten himself lost in this strange place was starting to get to him as his brow furled and his mind began to wish he'd been back with his father watching the men work despite the lackluster entertainment it provided.
Just when he'd been on the verge of despair, a woman appeared. She'd been a lovely-looking woman with enticing blue eyes and a pleasing golden-brown coloration of her skin. Alain found himself unable to take his eyes off her as she approached him a smile filed across her face as pleasant as he'd ever seen one with a flicker of something akin to mischief behind her dark blue eyes that sparkled like the stars that were barely visible as she stood before him.
He recognized her almost immediately as the same woman he'd run into before when he'd been venturing about the city of New Orleans. He recalled her being of Creole descent, a curious combination of French ancestry and possibly the bloodlines of other noble classes. He knew she spoke French as she begged his pardon as she passed him on the street looking back at him with a seductive expression before disappearing into the strange manor on the corner.
The lovely woman wore a dazzling dark blue dress that matched her seemingly enchanting eyes with silver trim this time and white gloves amid numerous jewels. The familiar pearls around her neck and wrist were like that of the day before and she had taken to wearing her lovely dark-colored hair down to her shoulders as it curled at the end and remained straight at the root.
All frustration about his situation had melted away and Alain's focus had been intense as he stared at the woman before him. She extended her hand in silence and he found himself unable to resist the compulsion to take it as she led him between two dilapidated buildings her pace slow and her curved hips swaying as she moved.
Alain felt an almost indescribable heat fill him as his blood seemed to boil in his veins but not to the likes that caused great rage. He had concluded that there was a good deal of desire building within him more so than what he felt when he'd been in Noreen McCray's company back in England. He continued to follow her, his body tense and his heart pounding in his chest as he took note of his prominent arousal in the wake of this woman arriving. He couldn't understand why he'd been following her, his mind briefly compared the absurdity of the situation of being like a moth to a flame and he'd been the moth.
She led him into an old manor far removed from the streets where he'd been lost, it had been largely elegant with French architecture and it was apparent she had come from a world of comforts as she led him into the lower door that seemed to be on par with the street, possibly where she'd initially come from when she first arrived.
The moment they passed through the darkness of the door, Alain was hit in the face with thin white smoke that seemed to invade his nostrils as he inadvertently inhaled it and found that his mind had ceased all efforts to make sense of what was happening to him. He could smell the scent of various incense burning in the distance and the sweetness of her perfume as she continued to lead him into the darkness.
Everything had been something of a blur as he followed enthralled as it were by the prospect of being with this oddly beautiful woman.
He had no idea where this strange woman was taking him, but he followed in step with no resistance on his part and the sudden unruly desire to bed her taking precedence over good sense.