Evermore

One of the "Love Gained, Love Lost, Tragedy" Tales of "The Bordello Tales Collection". Self-Published across Amazon. Here's a little excerpt that can give a taste of an Epic Tale...

 

The last train from Redstone arrived at Evermore Station at 9:15 in the evening, its passengers fewer arriving than leaving the small North-East Resheenian Town. Among these were Ms. Carrie Brindley-White and her younger brother, Thomas, who was only accompanying his sister home safely before returning on that same outbound train that would take him back to their University in Redstone. His arrangements not resting easy on his Aunt Melissa Evermore’s plans, who to be fair hadn’t seen Thomas since Carrie’s accident three years ago, one which left her in a coma for all but six months out of the three long years of amnesia.

  ‘Have you got everything, Sis?’ Thomas called out over the loudening noise of the trains’ cooling hydraulics system releasing their pressure into a bellowing vortex of whitened steam that spread like a sheet across the platform.

Carrie gave one last look at the pile of stacked cases that had been taken from the Luggage-Cart on the train and placed with care onto the platform by the train hands.

  ‘I believe that is everything…Ooh, hang on!’

Gazing down at the smallest of the cases Carrie noticed that it had been opened – but how! The case had been locked by her personally and, furthermore, she was the only one with the key which was still secured on her person around her neck.

  ‘That’s strange!’ She exclaimed waving Thomas over to her. ‘Someone’s opened my case. Look, the lock has been broken!’

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. ‘Maybe it burst open, with the amount of clothes you bring each summer, Sis, it wouldn’t half surprise me.’ He giggled.

Carrie knew that her brother was only joking, but somewhere in his tone she felt that he, too, had no real idea of how her case had opened during the journey. Whether it had been opened by force or by accident, the shared decision of making sure that there was nothing missing from it was made.

  ‘Very funny, Thomas, but unfortunately, it is my private case…!’

Carrie opened the vanity case and gently rifled through it to check everything, and to her satisfaction she found everything there that she had packed that same day – as far as she knew.

  ‘Well, everything appears to be here…’

Thomas quickly cut in to inform her that the train was now ready to leave and head back to Redstone, which meant they had to be quick with their goodbyes; a moment of complete silence followed by a swift half-cuddle and finally a glanceless wave that would take Thomas onto the train and leave Carrie standing watching him fade into the distance. All of this taking less than a few minutes before she found herself standing completely alone with her thoughts.

  ‘Good evening Ms. Brindley-White, my name is Edward, I am here to take you up to Evermore. Your Aunt is awaiting your earliest convenient arrival.’ a short fair haired old gentleman who was sporting a very deep mustache and wearing a flat cap declared suddenly, while at the same time startling Carrie, making her jump half out of her skin.

  ‘Oh, I say! ’ She yelped, immediately reaching for her chest with a probing nervous hand. ‘It is not polite to sneak up on people like that. You almost gave me a heart attack!’

Edward apologized immediately, removing his flat cap, bowing his head to the floor and now looking like a naughty schoolboy having been told off and reprimanded by the school Head Mistress.

  ‘Apologies, Ms. Brindley-White, may I take your cases?’

Turning to look at the mountain of luggage laid on the platform, Carrie nodded her head with unsurities of either of them being able to carry such a hefty load, least of all Edward.

  ‘I think we’re going to need some help, Edward, would you mind finding a Station Porter, or someone who may help us to your car with these cases, some of them are very heavy?’ Carrie replied.

  ‘I will go and see the Station Master, Miss.’

Disappearing for a few minutes some short way down the platform, Edward returned with three strapping young men from the Station Master’s Office, two of whom spoke very little English, and the third – Cheeky, as Carrie referred to him – spoke far too much, and yet, with it a Slanguage all of its own that would put a blush on even her Aunt Melissa’s face.

  ‘Tell me, Mr.…’ She attempted to acquire the man’s name, but for the sound of an injured Edward falling to the ground holding his back in agony completely ruining the moment.

  ‘My back! Oh, my back’s gone! ’ He cried out in what seemed to be an award winning whine for sympathy.

It was now that the young man who had been looking Carrie up and down with a serotic stare-like look, was now thinking hard to himself, maybe not what Carrie thought that he was thinking, but definitely thinking all the same on how to fix the situation she had got herself into.

  ‘Well, that’s just great! ’ Carrie sighed with frustration.

  ‘I’m sorry, Ms. Brindley-White, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to contact the House and request another driver for you, there’s no way I can take the journey with this bad back.’ Edward couldn’t emphasize enough on the pain that he was feeling, his face contorting with the agony.

Carrie began to worry, about Edward and the matter of how she was going to get to Evermore, as already it was getting late – very late – and as well as feeling tired from the journey the three men could see it clearly on her face that she was drained.

  ‘I can take you up to Evermore and Edward could arrange for your luggage to be brought up to you tomorrow, Ms. Brindley-White.’ The young man who had been looking at Carrie cheekily suddenly suggested.

Edward pondered a few moments on the idea, as did the other two men who obviously wanted to get off to their homes as soon as they could. Carrie, however, she was a little unsure whether the strapping young man before her should be charged with such an important task, considering she knew that his looks and stares toward her were more than likely  contaminated thoughts that contained the sort which you would expect from a stranger.

  ‘I’ll walk! ’ Carrie snapped.

  ‘Walk! Are you…I’m sorry, Ms. Brindley-White, but I must insist, as I am employed by Evermore...’

  ‘You’re fired! I’ll walk, now you can all get back to whatever it is you’d be doing after you’ve finished a hard day at work. Thank you, Sir, for the offer, but I am in no way introduced to you…’

  ‘Tristan,’ the young man stepped forward and boldly introduced himself with a wide smile. ‘My name is Tristan, Ms. Brindley-White, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance.’

The whole station became silent – deafly silent – as Carrie’s deep set control over the situation crumbled before the men’s very eyes; the dead set plan which she was about to carry out was replaced with a gnawing, not uncomfortable, but something that all at the same time soaked her in a sure feverish excitement. But even then, the growing feeling of attraction began to meddle in what she believed was her ‘Better Judgement’…this was Carrie’s first mistake.

  ‘Tristan,’ she whispered, her tone changing from her previous objecting reply to a more civilized stance.

The three men, including Edward walked away and left the two alone, each of them knowing that what was about to be said in their conversation was more than likely not for their ears.

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