Rose and the Thorn (Fallen Tales series)

Chapter 76

Chapter 76
Rose
I sat on the floor of the dining room, looking out the floor-to-ceiling stain glass windows. I looked out onto the estate. Small hills of green grass and red, orange and yellow leaves on the trees in the woods.
It's been a week since I came back and already we had fallen into the same routine as before. Patrick and Jenson would work on the estate, I would clean. Lunch in Patrick's office, then back to work. And finally dinner in the Servant's Hall.
Patrick had left early this morning for a meeting with the farmers, drawing up the final papers.
Jenson was also out. He said something about meeting someone and quickly left before I could ask who.
Curious hasn't let me out of his sight since I found him moping in the Servant's Hall the day I got back. I think he thinks I'm going to leave again. Not likely.
"Rose!" I turned at Patrick's voice calling me from the stairs.
"In the dining room!" I yelled back. He appeared from the door half a minute later with a smile on his face.
"See things went well," I said as he sat behind me, letting me lean on him.
"Things went great. Everyone's on board. And guess what?"
"What?" I asked growing a smile.
"I talked to my lawyer, and I changed my will."
I frowned and sat forward to look at him.
"You have a will?" I asked surprised.
He shrugged, "of course."
"Anyway, what did you change?" I asked.
He took my hand and brought me closer to him.
Whispering in my ear, he said "I have given Jenson a block of the estate so he has some place to retire."
I felt a warmth in my heart at the thought of Jenson's face lighting up when he heard the news.
"And you are now part owner."
My eyes grew wide and my mouth dropped. I turned my body to face him, waiting to hear got you, you should have seen your face.
It didn't come.
"Are you serious?"
He smiled chuckling at my reaction.
"Very, of course there will be papers to sign, but it's yours if you want it."
My heart was pounding and I realized he was asking me.
I shook away my shock and wrapped my arms around him.
"Yes, yes, yes. If you're sure?"
He cupped my cheeks and stared into my eyes.
"Yes Rose. I'm sure."
He leaned in for a kiss.
Bang.
I jumped out of my skin and broke apart from him. I turned my head looking around for a gun or something. But it wasn't a gun. It was the door.
Three man stood with balaclavas covering their face in the doorway of the dining room. I turned to Patrick and horror filled his eyes. With strong legs they came towards us.
Pushing me out of the way, Patrick yelled, "Get out Rose!"
Two went for Patrick as one grabbed my arm with ruff hands.
"Get off me!" I screamed trying to pull from his grip. Just as he took my other arm, I heard a thud. Patrick lied lifeless on the ground of the dining room.
"Patrick!"

Patrick
My head was pounding. Like a migraine times hundred. My eyes blinked open, my vision blurry. I groaned the pressure in my head getting worse.
"Patrick," you couldn't miss the worry in Rose's voice. It was loud and echoed in my head. I shook my head as my vision got better. I tried to move my arm but something held it back. The ruff of a rope scratched my skin and I realized I was in one of the dining chairs. I was tied to a chair? My eyes opened and landed on the three man leaning on the wall. Their eyes pieced through my skin. My head turned and I spotted Rose next to me, tied up as worry filled her eyes. 
"How long have I been out?" I asked holding back a groaned.
"Ten minutes, maybe more. Oh God Patrick, I thought you were dead," she bit her lip and I knew she was biting back tears.
"It's okay, Rose. It's going to be –."
I stopped when I heard footsteps. One footstep, two footsteps, three footsteps. A man in a white suit appeared through the door. His shoulders wide with proudness as he walked around the room as if he owned it. He chuckled to himself as he peered out the window. A white brim hat shadowed his face and he smelled of cigars.
When he spoke, it sent shivers down my spine.
"Well, Patrick, it's finally nice to meet you," he turned towards us and continued, "Nice place you got here. Big, very big," he walked around the table admiring the room, "you look like your mother, but I bet you think just like your father." He took a seat and placed it in front of me and sat down. I knew he had to be Jeremy Fisher.
"I see you've met my guys," he pointed behind me, he frowned, "Patrick, I think you already knew one of them. Yes you do. He was the one that gave your scars."
I frowned and looked over their eyes. Blue, green, brown. Brown eyes.
"You know what, I think it's time you see who he really is," he shifted his body to face him, "Marcus."
My eyes widen and my heart started to pound as the balaclava came off and the face of a friend was revealed. Marcus! Marcus! Marcus!
He was there. He killed my family. My best friend killed my family. My best friend gave me my scars.
"Marcus," I couldn't hide the shock, "You, you," I snapped, "You killed my family!"
"Pat, man, you don't understand," he said trying to calm me down.
"You were going to kill me!" I yelled.
"But he didn't," Jeremy butted in before Marcus could.
I frowned and looked up at Marcus, "Is this why I haven't heard from you, because you were with him?" I asked. He stayed quiet, "answer me you bastard!"
"Patrick," Rose's soft voice made me realize how loud I was getting.
"Yes Patrick, please, no need to get fired up. We're all friends here."
My eyes narrowed at Jeremy, "I'm not your friend. Get the hell out of my house!"
He made a noise like a clock.
"Now now, I'm here for business," he leaned forward, "let me tell you a little story. There's a man. He was a great business man. Lords came to him for help, again and again. Money problems, and he always helped them out. But of course they never ever read the fine print. And more often and not, they couldn't pay back the money in a month, so he offered them another deal. Sell half the estate to me, all of it, a quarter of it. Smart ones did. Stubborn ones ignored the threats and held their heads high –."
"So you killed them," I butted in my voice bitter.
He exhaled as if he was frustrated, "I didn't kill anyone," he pointed behind him, "They did. But enough about that. I'm going to give you a deal. I offered your father half of your estate. Now I want all of your estate, or," he pointed to Rose, "The beauty dies."
I struggling against the ropes as a fire started to burn at the pit of my stomach.
"Come on Patrick, be smart. Your father was stubborn. He said no, where that get him. Dead. If you sell your estate to me, you will get to live a normal life with your girl."
"Why her," I said through my teeth.
"Well it's simple, isn't it. On the off chance that she might be carrying your heir that means the house belongs to her. Then baby's born and it owns the estate. Patrick, I'm an impatient man, I'm not going to wait another eighteen years for an estate like this."
I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying, that didn't stop you from killing my three-year-old sister.
"What if she isn't pregnant, then you will be killing her for no reason and I will never sell to you."
He shrugged, "There's no way to tell for sure –."
"Test her."
In the corner of my eyes I saw Rose sit up and her eyes grow wide. I hated myself for putting her in this situation but I wouldn't lose her again now that I just got her back.
"Find out for sure. If she's pregnant, then your plan will work and I'll sell to you. If she's not and you kill her. You'll never get Pinecone Manner," I turned my head to look at her. Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted as if she knew what I was about to say.
"If she's not, you can kill me."
He scratched his chin thinking. My heart pounded in my ear. I might have signed Rose's death sentence.
He smiled and started to laugh, "You really do think like your father. Okay, I'll do it," he turned to the two guys and Marcus. "You," he pointed at Blue Eyes, "Go down to the village and get a pregnancy test, and for god sake take that thing off your face.  And you two, take her to the bathroom."
Marcus and the other guy took her by the arms and untied her. Her eyes were locked on mine as they led her out of the room.
"So Patrick," I turned back to Jeremy, "How does it feel knowing that you might be a father?"