Dark souls

3

 The possessions of the Baron de Gau were extensive. Good roads, strong houses, fields, meadows, forests - everything indicated that the owner was rich and did not skimp on maintaining his wealth in the proper form. However, all this did not dispel the confusion in the soul of Jane Gladstone. There were few inhabitants in the villages, and those who came across tried to quickly hide in their homes. Himself for athe mok was gloomy, like a prison. And when, passing a wide ditch, the high wrought-iron gates slammed shut behind Jane, it seemed to her that she was a mouse caught in a mousetrap. To meet Jane and her small escort, consisting of a maid and a strong servant with a huge club, a few servants with gloomy faces came out. Without looking at her and her servants, they took their meager possessions and carried them to the castle. Jane looked around. The vast courtyard, covered with fresh straw on the side of the stables and the barn, and in other places paved with large stones, strong outbuildings, high stone walls of the castle itself with small windows, all this weighed heavily on Jane. In vain, in vain she came here. The uneasiness didn't go away.

I don't feel comfortable, ma'am," whispered the maid. - It's kind of dark in here. Jane nodded.

         While she looked around her future possessions, a young handsome black-haired man looked at her. His amiable smile frightened Jane even more than the gloomy walls of the castle. Some incomprehensible alarm was caused by even white teeth, the correct curve of scarlet lips, there was something vaguely unpleasant in beautiful black eyes, whose gaze seemed to envelop an invisible cobweb. The insinuating grace of the movements of a predator alarmed and frightened more than the outright strength of an unbridled wild beast. His face was strange: childishly smooth, beardless and ruddy, it seemed too feminine for a man. Noticing that he was watching her, Jane blushed. At the same moment, Bertrand de Gaut, spreading his arms, came down the stairs to meet her.

My dear bride! he exclaimed, and, not reaching a few steps, bowed ceremoniously.

         Jane curtsied. The chambermaid followed suit. The servant bowed without removing his club from his shoulder.

         Coming closer, Bertrand de Gaut slowly touched his lips to Jane's hand, not taking his eyes off her face.

I've been waiting for you for a long time. I hope you enjoy it here,” he said earnestly.

         Jane bowed her head in response.

Come on, dear. I will introduce you to future relatives.

I would be glad to meet you, - Jane said without emotion.

         The servants of the Baron de Gault escorted her maid and servant somewhere aside.

They will be taken care of,” the Baron chuckled at Jane's questioning look. She winced involuntarily.

         As they passed the heavy wrought-iron door, Jane saw that they were in a high, gloomy hall. A dozen candles and torches that illuminated it did not add joy and comfort. Daylight barely filtered through the narrow windows. In the middle stood small, in comparison with the huge hall, the figures of a man and a woman that seemed to be toys. When looking at the man, Jane barely suppressed a cry of disgust: his upper lip was divided in two from the very nose, which made his face look like the muzzle of a hare or a cat. Stepping closer, Jane noticed that not only the lip, but the entire upper jaw was so deformed. In addition, a massive body and a broad chest with large red hands were crowned with a large hump. And all this was planted on crooked, thin legs that seemed with such a body.

This is my uncle, Guillaume le Muy. Brother of my deceased father, - said Bertrand.

         Jane cringed under the frankly greedy gaze of the ugly man.

And this is my cousin, Bianca le Muy, Uncle Guillaume's daughter.

         Jane looked at the woman and was struck by how different father and daughter were. As much as the father was large and massive, so the daughter was thin and fragile. Her pale face, set off by a black robe, was sad. Gray eyes expressed melancholy and emptiness. As she greeted her, Jane could barely hear her voice.

Where is your sister? Jane asked, quickly looking around the room.

Sister? Bertrand de Go raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Catherine de Go. I heard she looks a lot like you.

         Bertrand de Gau and Guillaume le Mouy exchanged strange looks, while Bianca le Mouy cringed as if struck.

Oh, my sister is out for a walk now,” Bertrand said with a grin. She always drives around the neighborhood before dinner.

         Bianca lowered her head even lower.

Are you so eager to see her? Something in Bertrand's tone made Jane wary. Some strange light danced in the eyes of her fiancé, and an ambiguous smile walked on his lips.

I would like to see her,” she said politely.

         Bianca sighed softly and barely audibly asked permission to leave. No one paid any attention to her words, and she quietly left.

Dear, said Bertrand. “I ordered your things to be carried to the room. You are tired from the road. Allow me to accompany you. I 'll show you tomorrow.

You are very kind,” Jane said. She was really tired and wanted solitude to collect her thoughts and think. Soon she will become the mistress of this castle. However, this did not please her at all. By nature, a direct and honest person, she did not like secrets. Here the very air was permeated with mysteries. However, Jane did not feel any romance. On the contrary, this uncertainty weighed heavily on her soul.

 As Jane and Bertrand climbed the wide and gloomy stairs, the master spoke incessantly of Jane and of his castle . Too tired from today's experiences, Jane listened to him with half an ear. Finally, when he stopped to rest, she asked him about the sisters' rooms.

Bianca lives in a tower, - answered Bertrand. “She feels closer to God there.” Infinite contempt flashed across his face for a moment. And Katerina…” He looked strangely at Jane. “Katerina’s room is next to mine. In the other wing.

         Despite the simplicity of the words, Jane felt an unease that she could not understand.

         Finally, they stopped at an unremarkable door.

This is your room, Mademoiselle Jeanne,” said Bertrand.

         He opened the door and led Jane into the room. Jane looked around. He looked at her strangely for a while, then suddenly bowed and turned to leave.

I will send you a maid to help you undress,” he said with the same strange expression. Then he bowed again and left. Jane is finally alone.

         She ran to the door and then noticed that there were no locks or locks on it. Glancing briefly around the room, she grabbed the poker from the fireplace, in which, despite the summer, the fire was burning hot, and propped the door with it. Only now she breathed more freely and took a closer look around the room.

         The room was large and gloomy. The high walls went into darkness, but the abundance of candles and the light from the fireplace made it impossible to see where they ended. The windows were small and narrow, barely letting in daylight. As Jane approached them, she saw how high up her room was. No balconies, no cornices, just a bare wall all around and rocks below.

         Despite the warm summer, Jane felt the icy cold, and went to the fireplace to warm her hands. The gilding of the finish gleamed wherever the eye fell. The rich decoration of the room appeared and disappeared in the flickering flame of candles.

         After warming up, Jane continued her inspection. In the room, she found several doors behind the drapery, which turned out to be locked. Overcoming self-loathing, Jane looked through every hole. But she saw nothing but darkness. Finally, not too relieved, she sat down on the huge bed under the velvet canopy. It won't take long to suffocate under this blanket in summer, she thought. “Isn’t that why all the wives of Bertrand de Go died?” Although, it is so cold in the castle that the bedspread is just the way. Unraveling the ties of her cloak, she continued to think about the castle and its owner.

         Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Jane went over and removed the poker. After that, she opened the door. On the threshold stood a woman who looked like two peas in a pod like Bertrand de Go. For the first moment it seemed to Jane that she had made a miscalculation and that Bertrand de Gault himself was standing in front of her. The two faces were so similar. But, seeing the delicate neck and rounded breasts in the neckline of the dress, Jane was forced to admit that this was still his sister.

Good afternoon, dear, - said Catherine de Gau. Her voice was no different from her brother's. Jane shuddered in surprise at this circumstance. “I am, as you might have guessed, Catherine de Gaut. I have just returned from a walk, and my brother told me that you had already arrived. Are you Jane Gladstone? My brother's future wife?

         Jane greeted. Looking at Katerina, she could not help thinking that she was seeing her brother. Noticing this, the woman, smiling strangely, said:

My brother and I are very similar, right? If we were sisters, we would not be distinguished at all.

Yes, that's true, Jane nodded. However, she noticed one difference: what seemed feminine in her brother was too masculine in her sister. Shoulders too wide for a woman, deep voice, large features of a beautiful face. If the brother seemed to be a beautiful woman, then the sister would look like a seductive young man. Except for this small circumstance, Jane, no matter how hard she tried, could not distinguish between brother and sister: the same dark and thick eyebrows, fused at the bridge of the nose, eyes black as agate, scarlet lips with a regular curve, a nose with a slight hump that gave the face something predatory, and luxurious black hair, half-hidden by an abundance of jewelry.

         Going into the room, Katerina noticed the poker in Jane's hands.

Honey, this is overkill. Our area is the safest in the whole north of France. Any royal caretaker will tell you that.

         Jane blushed.

I was just turning wood. It's cold here.

You are right, my dear, - Katerina touched Jane's hand, and her eyes flashed strangely. "God, you're completely cold!" Here, the closets are full of fur capes. Take one, please.

         She easily ran to a massive dark wood closet and pulled out a sumptuous fur coat.

Here, put it on,” she said, and without waiting for Jane's answer, she threw the cloak over her shoulders herself. Her long, thin fingers trembled slightly as she did so. - That's better?

Yes, thank you,” Jane said, surprised at the sudden change in Katherine's voice.

Oh what am I? You haven't changed! she suddenly exclaimed. “Didn’t your brother give you a maid?”

He said he would send it.

And where is this lazybones? Katerina asked cheerfully with ostentatious severity. "Maybe I'll marry her?" Her voice changed again.