This choice: Ask Charles about Rosalie • Go Back...Chapter #116Rosalie Explains It All by: imaj   “Sit down boys,” says Charles, ushering you and Joe into the study. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
You and Joe sit down in the poky wooden chairs. Snow is falling lightly outside and you watch the dance of the flakes rather than make eye contact with Joe.
“About Rosalie,” he says haltingly. You turn from the window. He’s nervous. He’s actually nervous. You don’t think you’ve seen him like that before.
“It’s complicated,” you say, your eyes falling just sort of meeting his.
“I just want to say…” begins Joe before being interrupted by the door opening. Whatever he wants to say will have to wait.
Rosalie walks in, eyes downcast and sits in the third chair, followed by Charles. He closes the study door and leans back on it, arms folded. “I could tell you about what Rosalie and I talked about, but it isn’t my place to. You’d both be better of hearing this from Rosalie herself.”
“Thank you Mr Brennan,” says Rosalie with some difficulty. She looks at you and then Joe and bites her lip nervously. “The first thing I need to say is sorry,” she begins hesitantly. “Because I haven’t been honest with both of you, or anyone I suppose.” She pauses, unsure what to say next. “I guess the start is when Grandma Shabbleman sent me to Saratoga Falls. I don’t think she’s really my Grandma, I don’t know. It’s hard to tell sometimes in Cuthbert. She’s the head of the Shabbleman clan and I guess she’s a witch.”
You remember something Blackwell told you a long time ago. Magic runs in families, and that he sought Will Shabbleman for that very reason. It shouldn’t surprise you that more of the Shabblemans have magical ability.
“She sent me because Will Shabbleman, her grandson and heir had disappeared there while apprenticed to a man named Blackwell. She wanted me to find Will Shabbleman, to find out what happened to Blackwell and to keep an eye out for something called the Libra Personae and disguise related magic,” explains Rosalie. She hangs her head in disgust. “I was betrothed to Will Shabbleman,” she says quietly.
You look at Joe, fire smoulders in his eye and he looks ready to explode. Before anything can happen, Charles walks over and places his hand on Joes arm. Joe looks up at his adoptive father and the fire fades away, to be replaced with deep pools of sadness.
“I’m sorry Joe,” says Rosalie snuffling. Joe doesn’t reply. “I hated Will Shabbleman, he was a monster. Grandma Shabbleman controls the marriages in Cuthbert. She controls everything. You wouldn’t understand what it’s like, what she’s like.” She breathes deeply. “When I met you Joe, and you told me about the Stellae it seemed like a chance to escape, she’s terrified me since I was little. Your Stellae seemed like they might be powerful enough to stand up to her and I thought you could take me away from it all…”
“More than powerful enough,” growls Joe uhappily.
“…but you didn’t want to leave Saratoga Falls and I knew she was watching me somehow. I could feel her hovering over me”
“The crow,” you interrupt.
“Yes, the crow,” replies Rosalie. “I never saw it for what it was until last night. When you showed up in Saratoga Falls Will. I can’t describe it, it’s so strange but I felt I’d known you all my life.” Joe looks at the floor unhappily. “When you got Joe to phone his Dad I was so happy because finally I was leaving everything behind. At least I thought so, but I could sense Grandma Shabbleman’s presence still with me when we drove here.”
“And this is where I can explain things,” interrupts Charles. “Rick recognised the watcher hovering around Rosalie as soon as he spotted her.”
You take a minute to think that one over. “Because Rick sees things,” you say. “And he sees more if he hasn’t been drinking. He’d just driven up from L.A. so he would have been sober. You even offered him a drink when he came in.”
“Well reasoned out son,” smiles Charles. “Of course, things would have gone a little easier if Rick had told me what he’d seen rather than take it into his head to solve the problem himself.”
“Always act a little dumber than you really are,” you and Joe say in unison. You stare at each other goggle eyed for a few moments. Joe smiles a little.
“Heh, that’s about right,” replies Charles. “He persuaded Maria to help him out, figured if she hit you with a guilt trip he could get whatever you were hiding out from you,” he explains to Rosalie. “Maria made a mistake though, she laid the guilt on Will instead by accident.”
So that’s who Maria was talking to on the phone you think – Rick. “We were in the hair salon,” you explain. “We looked identical because we both covered up. That’s when I told you about what happened to Will Shabbleman,” you add, talking to Rosalie.
“And that’s when I realised you were the first real family I’d had,” explains Rosalie. “All of you, but especially Will.”
“Interesting,” says Charles, rubbing his beard. “I’m starting to think this wasn’t just a simple mistake. Too much of a coincidence. Maybe Sulva was helping you two out somehow.”
“But you still tried to take the Libra last night,” you say.
Rosalie looks at the floor. “After the hair salon I could feel Grandma Shabbleman watching me more and more closely. I knew she wanted the Libra so offered to help Mr Carnes when he brought it here. I almost took it, then I realised that wasn’t what I wanted at all.” Rosalie tails off as she finishes.
“What happens now,” asks Joe, looking at Rosalie.
“Rosalie’s asked to join the Stellae Errante and I’ve accepted her application,” smiles Charles. “Her entry has been troubled, but no more troubled than Will’s, or even your own son.” You smile, then Rosalie smiles. Everyone in the room is beaming, except for Joe.
“That’s not what I meant,” he says ruefully. “I mean about you and me Rosalie. It’s obvious that there’s something between you and Prescott.”
Rosalie leans forward and grabs Joe by the hand. “It isn’t like that,” she says, her thumb rubbing at Joe’s hand. He seems uncertain, but you’re sure he wants to believe her. “Me and Will are close, yes, but it’s like… It’s like he’s my brother.”
“Separated at birth,” asks Joe, with a twinkle in his eye. That’s more like normal for him. Rosalie blushes.
“It’s not unknown for two Stellae to develop a filial bond,” interrupts Charles, rebuking Joe gently. “Something you and Frank should know. To do it so quickly is unusual – even given their shared Sulva ousiarch – unless Will and Rosalie are already related in some way.”
“We might be,” you say. “Will Shabbleman was my cousin…”
“…and everyone in Cuthbert is related to each other somehow,” finishes of Rosalie. You look at each other and grin.
“Then it’s worth investigating further,” says Charles. “Now you’ll have to excuse me, I’m afraid everyone else will be wondering where I’ve got to. I have to play the host at these sort of things,” he adds with a disarming smile.
Joe waits till his dad has left the study then turns one of his trademark grins on you. “Hey Prescott,” he says. “I hope you weren’t planning on doing that whole ‘stop dating my sister’ shtick.”
Rosalie bats at him ineffectually. “That’s not funny,” she says. Joe pulls her out of her chair and onto his lap where she wraps her arms round him. You watch as they kiss and giggle, a yawning pit opening up in your stomach. As you awkwardly edge out of the room unnoticed one thought sticks in your mind: Rosalie is right, you are like a brother and sister – so why does watching Joe and Rosalie leave you feeling so jealous?
*****
Nash catches up with you the following morning, a little after breakfast. A cigarette already dangles from the side of his mouth and battered looking mug of coffee is in his hand. “Yer reddy Will,” he says, the cigarette shuffling about in his mouth.
“Fer what,” you reply. “I mean, for what?”
“We ganna have a tack and get this myst’ry oh yers fixed.”
“My other ousiarch,” you ask.
“That’s what I said, wasn’t it,” he replies.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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