Shadow Warrior: Destiny of a Mutant (26 page)

Ravenglass Village

The next few weeks brought Will great happiness as he spent as much time with his family as possible. Will helped out with the chores around the farm, carefully using a little of his superpowers now and then when needed to get a job done a little bit faster, or when a little extra muscle was needed, especially when plowing the fields with the crude farming implements his brother was forced to use to accomplish this task.

Will knew that with some Altrusian technology, his brother could accomplish in minutes what now took him a week or more to do. Unfortunately, Will knew he was forbidden from doing that.

Will accompanied his family to the marketplace to sell the food their farm produced and to barter for other goods as needed. Will noticed that a few of the young ladies from the village, some of them very attractive, smiled and waved at him. A few of them spoke with Elizabeth, and laughed and giggled while looking in his direction.

While Will was manning the booth at the market, Elizabeth brought one of her friends over to meet Will, who was obviously quite enamored with him.

“Will, this is Hanna Chapman,” said Elizabeth with a sly smile.

“Good morning, Hanna. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” said Will with a slight bow. Will noticed that Hanna was a slim, raven-haired beauty of about twenty-five with large green eyes. He also noticed her ample breasts under her dress as well.

Hanna curtsied. “A pleasure to meet you as well, Will. Elizabeth has told me so much about you,” she said, blushing slightly.

There was a long pause. None of them knew what to say next, so Elizabeth said, “Will, I’ve invited Hanna to dine with us this evening, and she’s accepted,” she said with a wink.

“It will be a pleasure to have you…for dinner, I mean,” said Will.

Hanna smiled. She and Elizabeth turned and walked back into the crowd giggling. Elizabeth turned and looked at Will who just shook his head. She gave him another wink and smiled.

Matchmaker
, he thought to himself.

***

Dinner had gone smoothly. Hanna was a delight to talk to and was very intelligent. He learned that she had spent several years abroad, spoke French fluently, and that her father owned a successful accounting house in Ravenglass. She, Edward and Elizabeth were surprised to learn that Will spoke fluent French as well. Will explained that in his travels, he had picked up a few languages to help him conduct business.

Will caught Hanna staring at him on several occasions, but he tried not to let her see he noticed so as not to embarrass her.

“So, Will, do you plan on returning to Ravenglass to settle down now that you’re back?” Hanna asked.

“I’m afraid not. My businesses are presently in Asia, and I will have to return there sooner or later.”

Hanna looked disappointed but was not deterred. “Have you thought about bringing your businesses here? The port at Ravenglass is well known and would make it easy to run them from here as well.”

“At this point, it would not be possible, but maybe someday.” Will knew he was not being honest, but wanted the subject dropped as soon as possible.

“Perhaps someday then,” Hanna said smiling.

After dinner, Elizabeth suggested that Will escort Hanna home. Hanna visibly brightened at this, and Will agreed.

Will escorted Hanna to her house, which was about a mile from where Edward and Elizabeth lived. As they walked, a part of Will did regret that he would not be able to stay and get to know Hanna better. He enjoyed talking with her. They talked about many different subjects. She was surprisingly well-read and had a great sense of humor.

Will asked, “I am curious why a woman as beautiful as you has never been married.”

“I don’t know. I’ve had many suitors…most of them chosen by my father and mother. But, none of them were right for me,” she said. “What about you? Why have you never married?”

“I travel constantly with my business. It just wouldn’t be fair to marry someone when I would have to spend so much time away from her.”

As they reached her front door, Will told her goodnight. Hanna told him that she hoped she would be able to see him again soon. As Will was about to tell her that it would not be a good idea for them to see each other again as he would be leaving soon, she did something totally unexpected…she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth.

Will was taken by surprise at this, but he returned the kiss. She was a very passionate kisser.

After several seconds, Will pulled away from her. She turned several shades of red and said, “Oh my! I am so sorry. I’ve never done that to a man I just met. You must think ill of me.”

“No, no. I was just taken by surprise, that’s all. I don’t think ill of you at all. In fact, just the opposite. It’s just that…”

“What? It’s just that you will be leaving soon and don’t want to lead me astray?” said Hanna flirtatiously.

“Something like that. Yes.”

“Believe me when I say that I never do anything I don’t want to do,” Hanna said, moving closer to Will.

Will smiled, reached out, took her in his arms and kissed her again.

***

When Will returned home that night after walking Hanna home, he told Elizabeth that he appreciated her efforts at matchmaking, but a relationship with Hanna was not possible. Elizabeth was disappointed, but she also understood Will’s position and promised to never interfere again.

***

Will learned that Elizabeth was quite an accomplished still-life and portrait artist. She spent much of her free time painting portraits of her husband, Will’s mother, their farm and the surrounding countryside, and her children. She asked Will if he would sit for a portrait, but he politely declined.

One night, after dinner, Will was talking with his brother and sister-in-law by candle light in the family room after his mother and the children had gone to bed.

“Will,” Elizabeth began, “how much longer will you be with us?”

“Probably a couple of more weeks or so. Why?” Will asked.

“I know you’ve heard this before, but we were hoping that you would consider coming back here for good,” his brother finished.

“Aye, it’s time you started thinking about settling down and starting a family of your own.” added Elizabeth. “I know I promised I wouldn’t do anymore matchmaking, but some of the young ladies in the village have been asking about the big, handsome stranger that is staying with us,” Elizabeth said with a wink. “And Hanna is still holding out against hope.”

Will smiled and said, “I’m afraid that will not be possible, Elizabeth. I must return to my home in Asia soon.”

“But why, Brother? We need you here. Mother has been doing so much better since your return,” Edward said in an exasperated tone.

“It’s…complicated,” Will said. “I must return and continue running my businesses. I am truly sorry.”

Will got up and walked outside of the farmhouse. He leaned on the fence and stared up at the darkening night sky.

Am I doing the right thing in leaving my family again?
Will asked himself. Will then remembered all of the good he had done as a Guardian, and that staying here on Earth was no longer his destiny. He knew leaving again was the right thing to do, but that did not make it any easier.

Edward came outside to join Will a few minutes later.

“I’m sorry about that, Will. It’s just that we have missed you so much that we don’t want you to leave again.”

“I know, Edward. I wish things were different, but they are not. However, there is something I wanted to give you before I left.”

Will reached into his pocket and brought out three small burlap bags with a string tied at the top of each of them and handed them to Edward.

“What are these?” Edward asked.

“As I told you before, I have become successful in my business ventures, and I wanted to share some of that success with my family. I had planned on giving these to you right before I left, but I think it’s best to give them to you now. Open the bags,” Will implored.

Edward then untied one of the bags and emptied its contents into the palm of his left hand and gasped at what had landed there.

“Dear Lord! Are these what I think they are?” Edward stammered.

“Yes, my brother, they are,” Will responded. “There is enough there to sustain the family comfortably for the rest of your lives.”

Will had given Edward several precious stones, rubies, emeralds, gold and blue, white and red diamonds that he had brought with him from Altrusia.

“I don’t know what to say. These must be worth tens of thousands of pounds sterling,” Edward said.

“At least,” Will replied. “And here is something else for you.”

Will reached into his tunic and pulled out a folded piece of parchment and handed it to Edward. Edward opened it and was just as shocked. He looked up at Will in surprise.

“It’s the deed to this farm. It has been paid for so that you now own it free and clear, and I paid the taxes up for the next twenty years,” Will said with a smile.

Edward simply reached out and hugged his brother - tears streaming down his face.

After a few seconds Will pulled away and said, “Come, brother. Let’s go to the tavern and celebrate with a tankard of ale.”

“Let me get my coat,” Edward said as he turned to head back towards the house. “Oh, and you’re buying,” he said with a sly grin.

***

The next few weeks were busy for Will and his family. Will and Edward had traveled to London the day after giving Edward the bags of jewels and gold. They had been able to sell them for enough money that Edward was now considered a very wealthy man. Over the following days, Will helped Edward invest the money in various enterprises that would ensure the growth of his money and to purchase an estate with several hundred acres of land only a few miles from Ravenglass Village.

The family was somewhat reluctant to move out of their farmhouse, but did so at Will’s insistence. However, they did not sell the farmhouse, but instead leased it to a local man and his family who had agreed to work the land as Will’s family had for many years.

The money allowed Edward to afford servants that would help with the cooking, cleaning, and care of their mother. Edward also insisted in helping out the villagers where he and Will had grown up by adding a nice sum to the village’s coffers so they could provide much needed services to the people of their village.

***

A week or so after they had settled into their new home, Hanna came for dinner at their new estate. It seemed Elizabeth was not quite as through with trying to play matchmaker as she had told Will. There was a quiet discomfort between Hanna and Will. Will truly had feelings for Hanna, but he was all too aware that he could not act upon them.

After dinner, Will offered to take her home again. This time they traveled by horseback as it was a little too far for Hanna to have to walk. As Will tied up the horse to a hitching post, they approached her front door. Will planned on telling her he could not see her again.

It had started raining gently. “Hanna, we need to talk for a minute,” he said. “I don’t mean to disturb your parents, but could we go inside to get out of the rain?”

“My father is away on business in London for a couple of weeks. He took Mother with him.”

They then went into the large house. Hanna went about lighting a few candles, and then invited Will to sit down in the living room. He sat down on a large settee, and she sat next to him.

“Hanna, I’m afraid that things are not going to work out between us. It won’t be much longer before I…”

“Would you excuse me for a moment?” she said interrupting him.

“Of course,” said Will, trying not to look annoyed at the interruption.

She then went into her bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar. After several minutes, she still had not returned. Will got up and walked to her door. He continued where he had left off outside of her door.

“As I was saying, things are not going to work out between us. I will be leaving soon and it would not be fair to lead you on.” Hanna did not respond.

“Hanna? Did you hear me?” No answer came from the bedroom. Will was concerned and pushed the door open slightly to make sure she was alright.

Hanna stood in front of the window on the other side of her bed looking out at the rainy July sky. She stood wearing a simple, white silk nightgown; her dress lay across a chair in the corner. She did not say a word to Will, but just stood there silently facing the window.

Will sighed and then crossed the room and stood behind her. He slowly put his arms around her and took in her sweet, alluring scent. He held her for a minute or two, and then he pushed her hair to the side and began kissing her neck. She shuddered involuntarily; her body shivered in the warm room. A soft moan escaped from her sensuous lips.

Will’s hands moved slowly down over her trembling body until he found her firm breasts. He gently caressed them with his hands; she let out a soft moan again. He gently stroked her nipples with his fingertips, and she moaned a little louder. Her nipples became rigid under his fingers as he began gently sucking on her neck. Will slowly slid the silk gown off of her shoulders; he moistened the tips of his fingers and continued stroking her bare nipples - which responded to his touch. Her breathing came faster now. The gown fell to the ground at her feet. Will continued to gently caress her body slowly. The fingers of his right hand made their way down between her supple legs, and he slid them gently inside of her.