An Introduction To Lord Grimmore and Celestia

As my last blog ended, Ezekiel's relationship with Lord Grimmore had just been explained.  Anxious to obtain money to pay off his company's debts, Ezekiel had signed  contract with Grimmore that would provide him with the necessary funds in exchange for...for what? Ezekiel had been so focused on the money that he had not read the contract carefully.  What had he agreed to pay Lord Grimmore? What had he committed both Alistair and himself to do?

Once the contract had been signed, Lord Grimmore turned with a flourish of his long, threadbare black cape and a tip of his tall, dented top hat and began to leave.  Ezekiel begged him to wait, to explain what the contract required.  Lord Grimmore pulled himself up to his full height and whispered menacingly, "Enjoy the next ten years when a world of plenty will be yours.  But be prepared:  Ten years from tonight, I will return for my payment and your souls and those of your families will be mine!"

Ezekiel felt a cold wave of panic wash over him.  His soul, as well as those of Alistair and their families, would be owned by Grimmore!  And his beloved Celestia--would Grimmore take her soul as well?  What fiendish plan could Grimmore have for them?

While Ezekiel was conducting his business with Lord Grimmore, his love Celestia was busy preparing herself for her conversation with Ezekiel. She sat at her vanity applying her lotions and arranging her hair.  Celestia was born and raised in Florence, Italy.  As a child, she had been orphaned when her parents died of typhus  After her parents' deaths, Celestia was forced to live on the streets, begging for food, and working for anyone who needed her.  She became an expert at stretching her meager income to pay for food and other necessities.  Celestia met Alistair and Ezekiel when they traveled to Florence looking for new business prospects.  Celestia was working as a waitress at an inn.  Ezekiel visited the inn to obtain food for Alistair and himself.  The moment that he saw Celestia he fell in love.  He spent every available minute visiting her at the inn.

Too soon for Ezekiel's liking, his trip to Europe ended.  Upon his return home, he began a long-distance courtship with Celestia by writing her long letters telling her about himself, Alistair, and Chill-Shrill Estate.  Celestia, too, had fallen in love and eagerly awaited each letter.  Their correspondence continued for two years before Ezekiel decided that he couldn't live without Celestia by his side.  He asked Alistair if he could ask Celestia to join him on the estate and explained that he intended to marry her.  Alistair, a happily married man himself, was thrilled that Ezekiel had found the woman that he wanted to spend his life with.  Ezekiel's next letter to Celestia included a marriage proposal, but he also told her to wait to respond until she had moved to the estate and had a chance to meet the other people she would be living with.  Celestia eagerly agreed to move to the estate.  Packing her best clothing and the few personal items that she possessed, she left to start her new life in New York.

Celestia and Ezekiel loved being together.  Alistair's wife was happy to act as a chaperone when Celestia and Ezekiel strolled the hallways of the mansion or had romantic dinners and picnics on the grounds.  Life at the estate agreed with Celestia, and memories of her difficult childhood began to fade away.  Soon she knew that she wanted to marry Ezekiel and start a family with him.  For his part, Ezekiel wanted her to wait until the annual gala on Halloween to give him her answer to his proposal.

As the day approached, Celestia knew that she wanted to make it the best day of hers and Ezekiel's lives.  She devoted a lot of thought concerning her wardrobe and hairstyle.  She planned the words she would use to tell Ezekiel how much she loved him and wanted to be his wife.  She was so concerned with her preparations that she didn't even attend the party; she stayed in her rooms making sure she was ready to see him.

Shortly after midnight, she heard a frantic knocking at the drawing room door.  As she ran over to answer the door and let Ezekiel in, she suddenly heard a horrible scream.  When the door opened, she was shocked to see her beloved screaming in about contracts and damnation and punishment. Celestia had no idea what he was talking about.  She begged him to explain, but he just kept telling her to go away and to forget about him.  Celestia cried to Ezekiel that she loved him and was ready to become his wife, but his only response was to tell her to go away as soon as she could.  Poor Celestia was devastated and confused.  She returned to her room and began to brush her hair--an action that she would continue for many days to come.

While all of this drama was unfolding, a lone figure walked away from the mansion.  Tall, gaunt, and creepy, Lord Grimmore made his way to his own house.  Occasionally, he would stop and laugh a horrible laugh that was low and deep, yet sounded a lot like a cackling witch.  What would he do next?