| Marguerite woke up in the midnight. The fool moon was shining over the window flooding the room with silver light. It was so quite around! At the first moment Marguerite didn’t understand why she awoke, but in a few seconds she understood the real reason – it was too hot in the room. She stood up and began to think what could she do. She couldn’t sleep in such temperature. It’s impossible. The solution came very quickly – she had to go to swim at little pond located near the treehouse. No one will notice her disappearance. She would come back in a few minutes, not more. But Marguerite broke the main rule of treehouse – never go to the jungle along. She put on her robe and quickly and quietly left treehouse. The night was very quiet, even high trees were immovable. Marguerite reached the pond in a few minutes. The water was smooth as a mirror. The full moon reflected in it making a mystery. Marguerites put off all her clothes and sank into the cool water. It was so pleasant, so sedative that she decided to spend here more than several minutes. All the same everybody were sleeping. She was so missing for hot water and normal bathroom, but in such conditions she was grateful for this pond and for the opportunity to spend a few minutes in it. Suddenly she heard a rustle in nearest bushes. It was too loud to seem unreal. Marguerite strained herself and tried to look something in the dark. The night was light but the bushes were covered with shadow. Marguerite wanted to leave the pond, she felt herself so vulnerable in it. The next moment a dark figure separated from the bushes and familiar voice noticed sarcastically: - It was very impolite of you not to call me to swim with you. It was Roxton! Firstly Marguerite felt a sense of relief that it was only Roxton but not a predator but the next moment the anger swept over her mind. - What the hell are you doing here?! – Shouted she. – Or it became normal for you to spy on me?! - On what question have I answer in the first place? – Asked he in a question. Marguerite answered nothing so Roxton got an opportunity to ask his questions: - How could you go here along in the night, Marguerite? Are you crazy?! You know that the main rule of the treehouse is not to go along to the jungle. Though you perfectly understood all the danger you went here all the same! - Stop shouting on me, Roxton! – Marguerite left the pond quickly and wrapped herself in her night robe. – You are not my chief warder to control all my actions! - Yes, you’re right, I’m not your chief warder but I don’t want you to get in a trouble. Come on, we must go to the treehouse till raptors or somebody else don’t hear us. - I won’t go with you! - You will, even if I have to drag you. - You wouldn’t dare! – She bad him a defiance. - Want to check? Marguerite saw a fire in his eyes that she knew perfectly. Also she knew that he could drag her through the whole plateau if she only gave him a little chance to do it. - Well, okay! I’ll go, but don’t think you are win! They made several steps when Roxton stopped so suddenly that Marguerite who followed him almost cut into his back. At that moment she wanted to kill him with a heavy rock. - And what had happened again? – Asked she in a furious voice. – You saw a monkey? Or now it was a little bird? - No, now there were apemen. – Roxton set behind saving bushes. Marguerite did the same. - How many apemen do you see? – Asked her in quiet voice. – Where they are? - Well, I see two of them in the bushes on the other side of the road. But I’m sure there must be five or six of them near by here. - What the hell are they doing here in the middle of the night?! - I think they want ask you the same. – Answered Roxton sarcastically. - What you mean? – Marguerite turned her face to him and their eyes met. - They are waiting for you. – At that moment Roxton was ready to left everything if just he could see her face at that moment. - Me? But why?! Why am I so needful for them?! - You are quiet… perfect… without your night robe. – He tried to restrain his laugh. - Roxton! – Exclaimed Marguerite angrily. - What?! I just answered your question! She turned away and looked on the bushes where apemen were still sitting. She was almost ready to cry – Roxton laughed at her, may be he laughed on what apemen could find in her. That moment Marguerite wanted to escape from these jungles, from this planet. If it were anybody else everything would be okay, but Roxton... The only man on the planet whom she want to be her greatest love laughed at her. It was so painful! - Marguerite! – Called Roxton for the third time. – Are you still on this planet? - What? – Answered she abruptly. - What happened to your mood? – Asked he but continued without waiting her answer. – We must do something. These guys don’t want let you go. I think one of them want you to be his wife. - Are you kidding?! – Marguerite stared at ugly creatures those couldn’t be called men. – One of them and me?! ME?! It’s impossible! You wouldn’t let them take me, wouldn’t you? A big doubt sounded in her voice. Roxton looked at her and ever in the dark he saw the fear in her eyes. Does she really think he could let these creatures took her away from him?! Even if the world-over flood would happen he never let her be far from him. She is the only purport of his life. He loves her with all his heart. But she has a lot of doubts on this point. - Of course I wouldn’t! Everything will be okay, don’t worry. But… - But what? - We have only one gun. - And what will we do? - We must escape very quickly and very quietly, and then I’ll kill you for your freak. – Roxton tried to speak seriously but couldn’t. - Or I’ll close you in your room. - It’s easier to let apemen take me! – Exclaimed Marguerite. – What for are you trying to save my life? - For this. – Roxton bent forward to her face and kissed quickly her half-opened lips. First moment Roxton expected Marguerite to kick him with a stone or something heavy like that, but in several seconds he noticed that her cheeks covered with flush. And there was no stone near her side. Unfortunately that was not suitable time for development of their relationship, but when they would come back to the treehouse… - Let’s go. – Whispered Roxton, holding her hand in his. But apemen had another plans on their own expense. Tree of them jumped out of the bushed and ran to Roxton, and another tried to catch Marguerite who was absolutely against it. Her husband would be Roxton and no one else! She kicked apeman with a heavy brunch that appeared in her field of vision when she understood that she had no chance. Now she must help to Roxton. In three minutes Roxton left all his bullets and began to use his gun as a cudgel. But apemen were stronger and their cudgels were heavier. He noticed that Marguerite got rid of her future husband but he didn’t want her to help him. It’s dangerous. But Marguerite had other thoughts on thus point. She took that brunch with which she kicked “her” apeman and kicked with it apeman, which tried to hurt Roxton. Suddenly another apeman appeared from the nearest bushes. He shouted and ran to Roxton with a huge and heavy cudgel. Roxton didn’t see him, trying to kill two others. Marguerite knew she hadn’t enough time to call Roxton, to push him away. She hadn’t enough time to save his life. Her heart began to beat faster. She even forgot how to breathe. She stepped forward, pushed apeman, but the next moment the heavy cudgel fell on to her head. Marguerite felt down to the ground thinking that she had made the most essential thing in her life – she safe life to the man she loved… * * * Marguerite opened her eyes and found herself in her room lying in her own bed. She felt her head is almost splited and even sunrays hurt her. But also she found Roxton sitting on her bed and looking very attentively at her face. - Are you all right? – Asked Marguerite trying to get up. The pain pierce through her body and she moaned a little. - I’m okay. – Roxton pushed on her shoulders making her to lie down. – How is your head? - I think it’s still in its place, but I’m not sure. – She closed her eyes for a moment. – I felt myself as if I was kicked with 100-kilogram stone. - No, it was only 10-kilogram cudgel. – He tried to joke. - You know how to put me in good spirits. – She smiled a little. - You safe my life. – He became serious. – Thank you. - Not at all. You did the same for me many times. – She looked in his eyes. – I always try to pay my debts in time. - Don’t think about it. – He stood up and looked down on her. – You must have some rest. Then he covered her with blanket lying on the chair and went out. Roxton remembered how he saw Marguerite lying on the ground near the apeman she had kicked with the brunch. He felt his heart fell down when he thought she died. It was the worst moment of his life. He took her to the treehouse where Veronica helped him to bring her round. She must sleep a little to recover her strength. That moment several hours ago Roxton thought he lost her forever. But he would correct it when Marguerite awakes. He would never let her to doubt about his feelings. II Marguerite awoke in the evening. Her head was almost okay and she felt a great hunger. She remembered that she didn’t eat anything for already 24 hours. “That’s not a bad idea!” – she thought and went to the kitchen. Suddenly she saw Roxton standing at the balcony absolutely lonely. Marguerite came up to him. - Lord John Roxton, in person! Why are you standing here while everybody is in the dinning-room? – She asked with smile. - Oh, Lady Marguerite Krux! What a great surprise! – He caught up her play. – How are you feeling? - Well, I’m okay, but very hungry. – She looked on the stars then in his eyes. – Want to join me? - Sure, but… - But what? – Marguerite glanced at him fixedly. - We need to talk at first. - About what? - Us. Her heart began to beat faster, but she didn’t turn away still looking in his eyes. And she got an answer on her dumb question. But she would play till he didn’t resolve her doubts. - You mean that kiss in the jungle? – She asked. - Yes, I just want to say… - Don’t worry. – Marguerite interrupted him. – I under-stand that you regret of it. It’s okay. I’m fine. - No! – Roxton laid his arms on her shoulders. – I wanted to say another words. Marguerites came closer to him and throw her arms around his neck. - And what were you going to say? – Whispered she. - I love you, Marguerite. – He answered. – You know, it was the worst night in my life. I was afraid that I lost you forever. I don’t want to make such a mistake again. She smiled with a great happiness filled her heart. It was the only moment she waited for her whole life and the only man she wanted to be with. - I love you too, John. He bent forward to her smiling lips and kissed her tenderly. - Marguerite, I was… - Veronica appeared on the balcony. – Oh, I’m sorry. I was looking for you to ask if you need some help, but now I see that you got all the help you ever need. She was quite confused for interrupting Roxton and Marguerite’s kissing. She was able to find anything except that that’s why she felt her blame. Roxton and Marguerite had a very strange relationship during last two years but now Veronica was sure that everything would be okay. But she had great doubts that they would stop confronting with each other though it wouldn’t be so dangerous now. - Well, I see you are not hungry. – Veronica turned to go away. – Wish you good evening. Roxton turned Marguerite’s face to his. - You said you were hungry. Does something change? - No, but I don’t want to dinner with everybody in the canteen. Do you have any suggestions? He thought for a moment. - What if we make our own dinner? In your room for example, or in mine. – He kissed her quickly. – With a long desert after it. - I always knew you have a good developed imagination! –She laughed. - What would you do if I became a wife of one of apeman? - May be I would abduct you in the first minutes of your marriage. – He approached to her ear. – And we would spend the whole life together in our own treehouse. You’re only mine! |
| Night Adventures |
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