besides, on the roads, deep furrows from the wheels were well noticeable.
The weather spoiled. The wet snow alternated with raindrops, and find the tracks of the crew on the risky road was increasingly harder. Overcoming another turn of the way, I heard the snoring of horses and the orders of the coachman. Due to the subtle trunks of the trees, it was possible to see the crew, accidentally went from the road and fell into a swamp, on which the ice was melted. The wheels of the carriage were stuck in the mud. The groom and the coachman tried to force their horses to pull the crew from the mud but they didn’t manage it. Francesca stood a little bit away from the roadway. Sometimes she looked back, hoping to see another carriage. Nobody was in a hurry to help her.
Without thinking, I took my initial and most familiar appearance, and came out of the trees. Francesca almost screamed from surprise when I suddenly turned out to be right at her back, because a minute ago the road was empty. I did not even move my hand, but she felt the persistent touching io her shoulder. Too amazed to greet me, Francesca was silent.
«Maybe your ladyship will allow me to provide a help?» I asked. It sounded as if I was going to raise a scarf, and not to correct the traffic accident. Francesca just shrugged and said:
«I would only bless your efforts, but how can you manage it one… without servants?» She hinted at the fact that I would have to explain how I was here alone without a horse and the carriage. I did not satisfy her curiosity, but only strictly ordered the groom and the coachman:
«Get out!»
They exchanged glances incredulously, fearing, as if they did not hear correctly, but under a shrill, ice-looking stranger left their work. With a quiet whisper, the meaning of which no one did not understand, I calmed down the horses, and then I presented as the rims of the wheels, bypassing the dirt, climb over the mud and roll on solid soil. The crew slightly straightened. When, I was a man, my mental efforts would hardly have enough for such hard work, but now everything went out, as in a dream. Observing the order, the horses themselves pulled forward a carriage, which thanks to my invisible support became much easier, and soon the crew was already on the road.
«Witchcraft!» Quietly murmured the coachman, raised his hand to cross, but then looked at me right away, scared to make some pious gesture in my presence. After all, an extraordinary acquaintance of his hostess can be angry. And what will his anger lead?
Francesca through the power thanked me and allowed to help her climb into the carriage. In her glance flashed all the same spark of suspicion and recognition, but I did not pay attention to it.
I said goodbye, closing the door, but she looked out in the window and suggested.
«Do not want us to bring you to your estate?»
«Oh,» I extended and carelessly dismissed. «To travel, I do not need a carriage.»
She nodded, as if she understood something that we were both afraid to speak out loud, although in fact it was incomprehensible to her.
Returning to my still not renovated abandoned estate, I found the porch of uninvited visitors. Most likely, Mr. and two servants who spent all their strength to keep the excited horses on the spot. All animals almost went mad when they found themselves within my newly acquired possessions. In Mr. I immediately recognized Selvin. He was already took for the door ring, it hit at the metal door with a buzz. The door, of course, remained locked. Despite the insistence of Selvin, no one hurried to let him into the house.
«Probably the owner is not at home,» timidly suggested one of the servants. «Maybe we will return, and then send a servant with the message.»
He was already frozen under the snowfall. Selvin himself also hung up in a fur coat, but did not go away.
«Let’s wait,» he said calmly, but in the intonation of the voice, the order was felt.
«Good afternoon and welcome!» I said, suddenly appearing behind his back.
Selvin, of course, was surprised that he did not hear my steps, but from politeness did not openly show his amazement.
«Come in!» I invited, and the door, which before that did not succumb to a persistent knock, nor a strong push suddenly opened itself. We entered the hall. It was no less cold here than in the open sky and Selvin, forgetting about the manners, began to blow on the frozen palms. He looked around the staircase and the floor, littered with dry leaves and garbage and in his glance flashed disgust.
«The house, of course, is good, but would you not like to put it in order,» he said, as soon as we went upstairs, leaving his servants near the cold fireplace at the bottom.
«Why?» I responded carelessly.
«It is impossible to live in ruins,» he began to chat, only in order not to remain in the grave, frightening silence, with the hidden strength of which he already knew.
«And where did you get that I live here?»
«Well, you bought the estate, and I decided…»
«How did you know that I bought it exactly, you do not know who I am or why did I come to your country?»
«Well, such news is spread quickly,» he began to speak, as if justifying the excessive interest in my personal affairs. «In addition to the fact that His Majesty became interested in you… You have an unusual appearance, only this helped the king to find your trail. Those who meet you admire and… a little scared.»
«You said that the house needs to be put in order,» I interrupted his coming speech. «Are you trying to teach me how to live?»
«In no way,» Selvin immediately passed in front of my strictness and tried hastily to justify himself. «I just fulfill the royal order.»
«Yes, this is the duty of the courtiers, to serve the king and fulfill all his orders.»
If Selvin was embarrassed such straightforwardness, he did not manifest it.
«The messenger with the letter, was sent here and did not find you at home, so I came myself, took on such courage,» after the pause he spoke again. «I generally thought that it was useless to send messengers. But his majesty is worried about you.»
«He takes almost parental care and it is flattering,» I nodded condescendingly.
Selvin shuddered at the mention of parental concerns.
«You see, a rumor reached the king that you are experiencing some financial problems,» he admitted.
«That’s how? And I did not know?» And I thought about myself that it was a complete hypocrisy – to have the treasury full with gold and jewels and at the same time acquire a reputation of the beggar. The favorable king decided that the poor, pretty, rural nobleman needs his help. It was ridiculous, but, restraining laughter, I got a fire in the fireplace. Selvin watched the movement of my hands, but it was not possible to notice from where I took the stream of fire, when I didn’t have a steel, nor trunk, nor even candles. There were cold spilled ashes and fragments of dry branches in the old fireplace, but it began to reproduce the saving heat and the visitor did not have to rub his reddish palms. He sighed lightweight, feeling a stream of heat from the fire, and even wanted to sit down in a chair, but it turned out to be too dusty and the nobleman had to continue the conversation on the feet.
«It is a pity that you were not when the letter came, otherwise the reception would be arranged in the palace… the first one for many years. You probably already know that His Majesty has long been in the mourning, and with him, of course, the whole court. The royal will is law for everyone. If the monarch fell into melancholy, then it is imposed on the other in a natural order. So, at least, it was up to that hunt when we met with you and, honestly, I really wanted to see you again.
Selvin cut his monologue and waited with hope for an answer, but I kept silence. The fire quietly cracked, absorbing the remains of the twigs, but only flared