Beauty and the Beast (44 page)

Pascal said, “Boy, William would love to see your food garden and orchard!” Everyone chuckled.

Tanimus then spoke to all of them as the Tandins who had been watching arose and approached them. “It has been a very long and stressful trip, and I know that all of you are fatigued. You need hot meals, soaking baths, and a good night’s sleep in real beds. These are members of our extended family. They are here to take you to their homes. They will also be the ones helping us with Vincent and Catherine tomorrow. You need to be well rested and relaxed in order to have the mental and emotional strength required to help Vincent with Catherine. Our family will establish telepathic connections with each of you, as Elisia did, in order to strengthen the mental support we will be giving Vincent tomorrow.”

Everyone nodded and smiled, and then they watched Vincent as his expression became one of pure joy, and he strode quickly to the only non-Tandin in the approaching group. The human woman he walked to had the ethereal beauty of a fairy-queen. She was small and fair-skinned with crystal blue eyes. Her most striking feature, though, was her waist-length snow-white hair. Although Vincent knew she was nearly fifty-seven years old, she hardly looked forty except for her soft white hair. Her smiling face was the face of his mother, and he engulfed her in his arms.

Tears rolled down Vincent’s cheeks as he whispered, “Aunt Letha!”

Letha was crying softly too as she said, “I was afraid that none of us would ever see you again. I am so happy to see how well you are, Vincent!” She pulled back and looked up into his face as she smiled through her tears of joy. He clutched an handful of her lovely thick white hair. It felt like silk in his hand, like the way he remembered his mother’s hair feeling. Letha smiled sadly and said, “When I woke up the morning after Loren and Gaylin were killed, and you were lost, my hair had turned completely white, and it stayed that way.”

Vincent smiled down at her. “Well, I think it is absolutely beautiful!”

Letha giggled, “That is what your uncle is always telling me. I want to see your sweet family!” Vincent kept his arm around his little aunt as he took her over to his group.

He delivered her into the arms of Tanimus, who kissed his beloved wife passionately. Then he whispered into her

ear. “I have missed you so terribly, Letha!”

Letha laid her head on Tanimus’ chest, closed her eyes in relief that they were safely back, and said, “I’ve missed you too, Tanimus. I was really happy when the sentries arrived yesterday with Adrian and his men safely in custody. I was so frightened when you left here.”

Tanimus kept his arm around Letha as he took her to Catherine’s gurney. Tears were running down Letha’s cheeks again as she picked up Catherine’s hand. “Poor little Sweetheart, she has been through so much! Vincent, she is lovely. I’m glad that you brought her here, so we can participate in helping her. I can’t wait to meet her when she wakes up! Elisia has told us about all of her selfless acts of kindness and love that have kept you safe.” While Letha was talking, Vincent had taken Little Jacob out of his stroller, and he brought the baby to his great-aunt. Letha was ecstatic as she took him in her arms and gazed into his alert little face. “Oh, Vincent, he is such an handsome little guy! He looks just like Catherine—except for his eyes. He definitely has your eyes.” Everyone was chuckling, and Letha looked at them questioningly. “Did I say something funny?”

Vincent chuckled, “I think that everyone who has ever held Little Jacob has made the same comment about how all he got from me were my eyes. That actually is just fine with me!” Letha giggled at him.

Rolley, who was always fairly silent and thoughtful, hadn’t said much during the entire trip to the Tandin

world. Now he had been so happily distracted watching Vincent’s reunion with Letha that he had failed to notice the pretty twelve-year-old Tandin girl, with the light-brown mane of hair and blue-grey eyes, who had slipped her hand into his. She was quite tall for her age, so Rolley didn’t have to look down too far into her joyful face, and he smiled. She was quite excited as she spoke to Rolley. “You love playing the piano too!”

Rolley realized instantly that she was a kindred spirit, and he replied enthusiastically, “Yes, I do! You play also?” She nodded vigorously.

Tanimus noticed the two and broke into their little private conversation by saying, “Rolley, she is my grand-niece, Chrystal. She was very excited when we told her about you, and she has really been looking forward to having you come here. She is a savant pianist just like you, and no one in our world has the equivalent skill to be able to play duets with her on her level. She has been hoping that you will enjoy playing the piano with her.” Rolley was all smiles as he nodded his head, and Tanimus went on. “Chrystal has played the piano by ear from the time she could pull herself up to the keyboard, even before she could walk. Our musicians taught her to read music just as soon as she could comprehend it. Before she was six-years-old, she was playing music they couldn’t even attempt to learn.”

Rolley smiled at Tanimus as he said, “Chrystal is very lucky that someone noticed her ability so young. If an

Helper hadn’t brought me to Father’s world when I was ten, I would never have been taught how to read music by Ms. Kendrick. She was right when she said that before I learned to read music, I was just a music box with an empty gift. I couldn’t understand or really feel the music I was playing, even though it was technically perfect. It will be my great pleasure to play the piano with Chrystal!”

The little girl giggled happily.

Dresden had taken Jamie’s backpack, crossbow, and quiver off her. Now, he watched her wander off to a bed of tulips as he put her things along with his backpack on the nearest bench. He enjoyed observing her look of little-girl pleasure as she fingered the pretty flowers.

Elisia walked over to Joe, who had his arm wrapped firmly around Diana. Elisia reached up and put her hand over Joe’s forehead, and he closed his eyes. “Uncle Tanimus, we need to help Joe with his excruciatingly painful headache before we divide everyone up and send them home.”

Diana looked up at Joe in alarm. “Joe, have you been in pain?”

Father spoke up, “Joe, why didn’t you tell us you were in pain? We could have given you an analgesic for that!”

Joe replied, “I just didn’t want to slow us down any more and delay getting Catherine here.”

Tanimus looked at Diana. “Diana, bring him over to the bench here, and sit down with him. You stay in physical contact with him, and we will be able to stop his pain.”

When Joe was seated with Diana beside him, she put her hand on his leg, and he put his hand over hers. The Tandins gathered in a circle around the bench. Then Elisia said, “Both of you just close your eyes and relax.

Try to empty your minds.”

Diana and Joe closed their eyes and relaxed while the Tandins quietly gazed at the two of them. The couple found themselves walking hand-in-hand along an ocean beach with the sun setting on the horizon. There was a gentle warm breeze, and the colors in the sky were a lovely combination of pinks, reds, and oranges. They could hear the waves crashing against the shore, and hear the cries of the sea gulls as they flew overhead. Joe felt warmth at the top of his head, which spread downward throughout his body, ending at the souls of his feet. Joe looked down into Diana’s pretty green eyes as they were walking, and he realized that his head no longer hurt. Then, they were back on the bench in the Tandin garden.

Joe looked around at the smiling Tandins in gratitude. “The pain is completely gone! Wow! That was some preview of what we get to do for Catherine tomorrow. I can’t believe the relief I feel! Thank you.”

Tanimus then introduced Father’s people to the Tandins who would be taking them to their Tandin homes. An elderly Tandin couple with silver manes of hair stepped

forward as Tanimus introduced them. “These are my parents, Vernal and Kaitlin. They are ready to take Father, Mary, Peter, and Susan to their home.”

Before those six left together, Vernal and Kaitlin went to Catherine’s gurney and kissed their granddaughter-in-law, then kissed Little Jacob, who was still in Letha’s arms, and then got big bear-hugs from their grandson, Vincent. Vincent was overcome with joy to know that his paternal grandparents were still alive. He asked Letha, “Are your parents also still alive?”

Letha nodded, “Yes, and they are anxious to see you. They are a little frailer than Tanimus’ parents are, so they don’t leave their chambers much any more. The stress of Gaylin’s and Loren’s deaths and your loss hit them much harder, and they had a difficult time recovering from it. It aged them just as it turned my hair white. We will go visit them after we wake Catherine up. It will make them very happy to be able to meet your entire family.” Vincent smiled and nodded.

Next, Tanimus introduced a blue-eyed Tandin man with a brown mane about Devin’s age. “This is my son-in-law, Nolan. He is married to our youngest child, our daughter, Nina. Their baby boy, Donner, is just a little older than Little Jacob. Nina and Donner are going to stay with us tonight, so Nina can try to establish an empathic connection with Little Jacob. Then, she can be his wet-nurse tomorrow while we go with Vincent and Catherine to the healing chamber. Nolan is ready to take Joe, Diana,

Laura, Jerry, and Rebecca with him to his home.” He addressed Nolan. “Nolan, before you take them home, please take them to the hospital clinic, so Joe’s head wound and Diana’s cuts can be treated and redressed.”

Nolan nodded and said, “Dr. Bentley is on duty today. They will really like her.” Nolan began signing for Laura as he was talking to his group of Father’s people on their way out.

Tanimus then introduced a Tandin man with a golden mane, like Vincent’s, but who had dark grey eyes. He was about Vincent’s age. “This is my nephew, Tucker. He is Chrystal’s father, and he is prepared to take Isaac, Rolley, Sarah, and Brooke to his home.”

Isaac chuckled, “I am so glad that you put me in Rolley’s group. I have come to look forward to Rolley’s nightly piano recitals. I can’t even imagine how wonderful it will be to listen to Rolley and Chrystal playing duets together!” Everyone was chuckling as that group left.

An arrestingly beautiful tall Tandin woman with a dark-brown mane of hair and violet eyes approached them next. She was eight years younger than Tanimus, but the resemblance was unmistakable. She was accompanied by a tall Tandin man, who was older than Tanimus, with a light-brown mane of hair streaked with grey and dark blue eyes. “This is my baby sister, Marina, and her husband, Michael. Michael and Marina are Tucker’s parents, and Chrystal is their granddaughter. Marina and Michael will take Pascal, Jamie, and Mouse to their home.”

Dresden quickly spoke up. “I’m going to go help them get settled in at Aunt Marina’s and Uncle Michael’s chambers. Ill be home later, Mom and Dad.”

Tanimus looked at Dresden. “Before you come home, be sure to go visit Dr. Bentley and have her treat and redress your arm, Dresden.”

Dresden nodded at his father. “I will, Dad.”

Dresden looked toward the tulip bed, but Jamie was no longer there. When he looked around for her, he discovered that she had fallen asleep on the bench with her head on the bedroll attached to her backpack. Mouse had seen her too, and he was now standing beside the bench looking down at Jamie. He looked up when Dresden walked over. Dresden smiled at Mouse and said, “Don’t worry Mouse. Ill carry her, so we don’t have to wake her up.” Dresden noticed that Jamie had a yellow tulip clutched in her hand. He chuckled as he gently extracted it from her hand and put it into her quiver.

Then he gathered the sleeping girl up.

Mouse picked up Jamie’s backpack and shouldered her weapon. He started to grab Dresden’s backpack too, but Dresden stopped him. “Just leave that here, Mouse. Ill pick it up later when I go home.” Mouse smiled and nodded. Dresden had been aching for a chance to get Jamie back into his arms, and he was very happy for this excuse to carry her. He looked at Mouse and asked, “Mouse, when is Jamie’s birthday?”

Mouse smiled and replied, “Jamie turns twenty on St.

Patrick’s Day, March 17
^th
.” Then his expression turned serious and he told Dresden, “Hurt Jamie, 111 come after you!”

Dresden was equally serious when he answered. “Mouse, if I hurt Jamie, you won’t have to come after me, because I will be jumping off the nearest cliff!” Mouse chuckled and nodded. Then Dresden added, “Please don’t tell her that I asked about her birthday.” Dresden and Mouse began following their group through the garden together.

Mouse smiled knowingly, “Secret?” Dresden nodded.

Dresden sighed happily as he gazed down at the pretty little woman-child in his arms. He whispered, “Well, little Princess, if this is what it takes to get you into my arms without a fuss, I’m just going to have to keep wearing you out!”

Tanimus looked at the remaining group consisting of Vincent, Catherine, Little Jacob, Devin, Charles, Tony, and Narcissa. “The rest of you get to be our guests! Come with us, and we will get you settled and taken care of.” Tony took charge of the empty stroller.

Charles had been watching as Dresden picked Jamie up to take her to Marina’s home. Now, he went to the bench and picked up Dresden’s backpack. He looked at Elisia and asked, “Elisia, can you contact Dresden and let him know that I’m taking his backpack home for him?”

Elisia smiled and nodded. “That is very thoughtful of you, Charles. Ill tell him right now.” Then she went to

Devin and snuggled against him as he wrapped his arm around her. Devin was ecstatic as they began walking through the garden toward Elisia’s home.

As Vincent was rolling Catherine’s gurney through the garden, he paused by a pink rosebush with bloomless honeysuckle vines growing up through it, and the memory of his dream came to him. Elisia and Devin stopped beside him, and she said, “We have always made sure we had a pink rosebush with honeysuckle in the garden. We hoped that someday you would get to enjoy them again. The honeysuckle won’t bloom again until summer, but the roses are pretty and fragrant.”