Persistent Invader

Chapter One

Sacha Thorn looked across in growing delight as she viewed their latest location. The enactment society had been privileged this year to be offered the use of the large manor house and grounds by the owner, one Sir Arthur McKinly. A man whose family were apparently a bastion of support for the arts in all its forms, which of course sat well with the enactment brigade. Even his sons had been known to take part in the historic battles on occasion wherever they were held, and were expected to do so again this year. The house itself was totally beautiful in her eyes. Something one could only dream about and never possess. Sacha sighed in envy as she walked up the sweeping gravel drive towards the house, then paused for a moment to appreciate it more fully.

It stood basking in the morning sun, the soft mellow golden bricks reflected in the warmth of the vast spreading golden climbing rose, which grew up and across the wide entrance door and hung above other numerous flowering shrubs below, giving the whole place a timeless air of genteel elegance. The high windows that stood in rows of four either side of the front door, with matching placements above, spoke of a wealth one could only imagine in her world, which made it very trusting of Sir Arthur to open his grounds up to the general public. Not all the grounds, of course, some would be fenced off temporarily, but she must remember to check that there would be plenty of litter bins distributed around the areas they had permission to walk on. The society had a standard to keep up and everything must be left as they found it when the enactment was over, otherwise the owner might not be so obliging again.

The attached hall to one side had very kindly been allotted as the enactment society’s base, a place to meet and give out roles for the day, and also to store equipment along with a multitude of costumes. Along with the long rolling lawns and dense woodland surrounding the property, there was an old, ruined folly sitting in the top field that resembled a ruined castle, and it made an impressive and ideal setting for the battle scenes, no matter which century the show depicted. This year it was Saxons versus Vikings. Next time, if allowed to stage it here again, it would be Royalists and Roundheads. She would keep her fingers crossed for that happening. A lot would depend on how well the public behaved in regard to the grounds. The hall itself also meant eating in comfort for a change instead of having to brave the elements. They would still need their large tents for quick changes near the field of battle, of course, but the more expensive equipment could be locked away safely for the night, which was a Godsend. It was time consuming and disruptive to their schedule as they searched for replacements when vital equipment was stolen.

As she walked nearer to the front door, she consulted her list of names. Right, now to make a start, and there were plenty left to get through. There should be two Vikings residing here to cross off her list. All she had to do was knock and see if they were at home. The names indicated that they were related to the owner, so she presumed they must be the sons. Everybody, it seemed, wanted to get in on the action, from the young and upwards, which was good news for the society as important names guaranteed the enactment being mentioned in more than one newspaper, and all benefited from the experience. It also brought in more visitors to look around the manor house gardens, for which a small fee was charged and would guarantee a good attendance for the show.

Sacha tried to lift the heavy iron knocker, but it seemed to be welded in place. It was only as she struggled with gritted teeth to pull it free that she noticed the very modern bell to one side. Maybe not so aged and romantic, but far more practical, she had to admit. She pressed it firmly,

and hummed mindlessly to herself as she waited, staring about at the impressive view in growing admiration. Absolutely the perfect place to stage their enactment.

She whirled around as the door opened, and a deep voice boomed, Whoa! I say, what have we here? There’s a fair maiden at our door, bro! Do you think she may be after us?

I hope so, bro, another deep voice broke in.

Her eyes rounded as she found herself gazing up at two hulking great giants, with shoulder length wavy blond hair, and deeply tanned skin which emphasised their sparkling blue eyes, and a dazzling display of gleaming white teeth as they smiled. Their t-shirts, stretched tightly across impressively broad chests and heavily muscled arms, made quite an impact too. Heaven must be smiling down upon her. They were about her own age, maybe slightly younger, and looked to be absolutely ideal for the part. A very good start to the Viking marauders.

Sacha laughed up at them happily. Wow! Are you rampaging Vikings ready to pillage, or hulking Saxon defenders?

We can be whatever you want us to be, one grinned, looking her up and down appreciatively. Although we...oof! The air whooshed out of him as the other man elbowed him in the stomach.

Sacha noted the action and frowned at them suspiciously. "You are extras for the enactment, I take it?"

Yeah! Sure, we are, the other man laughed. And who might you be, little lady? The warrior queen from a rival tribe intent on dragging us off to your lair? We won’t put up a fight, promise.

Sacha sniggered. Close! I’m the torturer’s apprentice and very good at my job, so don’t be late. Three on the dot in Pendell’s field up near the woods, straight ahead. Although you probably already know that part of the estate by heart. And my name is Sacha Lane, just so you know who to ask for if you need help to find your place on the field.

Right, we promise to be there, and on time.

She glanced at her clipboard. You’re the McKinly brothers, I take it?

He put a hand on his massive chest and tapped it. Yep, I’m Kendal, and this mop head here is my brother, Conor.

Right, I can cross you off my list then, she smiled. Then tapped her watch to emphasise her point. Remember, be on time.

Sacha turned to leave but halted as Kendal said, Hang on, fair lady, aren’t you supposed to have a dark hulking villain in the script?

Why, do you have a spare one? she asked, peering past him into the hall. They did already have their resident villain for the role, but injuries had been known to occur, and it was always possible their enactor could be put out of play, so it never hurt to have an extra.

He’s right behind you, Conor hissed theatrically.

She gave a snort of laughter which died in her throat as she glanced over her shoulder. Then she skipped nimbly aside as a towering dark-haired man shouldered past her into the house. She called after him, feeling slightly irritated as she had every right to be. After all, he had nearly knocked her over. He may be dark, but the resemblance between the three couldn’t be missed. My goodness, she thought, eyeing him warily. What a contrast to his smiling brothers.

Are you on my list?

He paused, then swung around with an impatient frown, and rumbled, What list?

For the enactment. Sacha pulled her scarf down from over her mouth, as her muffled voice made her aware that he probably couldn’t hear her words clearly. The sparkling blue eyes of the watching brothers were missing in this scowling man, they had been replaced by hard fierce brown orbs, which appeared to be dissecting her. You know, one of the cast?

I very much doubt it, he snorted. His eyes narrowed as he studied her smooth heart-shaped face, and for a few seconds he said nothing, then drawled slowly, As what?

Well, naturally, as the dark, scowling, bad mannered villain! Sacha held her pen poised over the list with an innocent enquiring look.

His frown deepened. Are you alluding to me?

Name? she asked patiently.

No!

You haven’t got one? Sacha raised her brows as if he were slightly dense, making his brothers snigger.

I’m not giving it, he growled, with lowered brows.

Hmm, I’ll take that as a no then, shall I? She drew a line on her paper and turned away, throwing over her shoulder, Now please don’t forget, you two. Round to the hall at half-past-two to collect your costumes. Then up to Pendell’s field. Right?

We’ll be there! Conor called after her as she sped off.

The two men laughed gleefully as their brother stared after her with a fierce brooding expression.

She doesn’t even know who we are, Kendal chortled, highly amused by the idea.

"Well, I for one would certainly like to know her better," Conor said, with a gleam in his eye.

Why? Their brother looked from one to the other with raised brows and shook his head. Apart from having a warped sense of humour, she looked like a refugee from one of those futuristic movies, where the people always seem to be dressed in rags, for some obscure reason.

Kendal shook his head pityingly. Were you even looking at the same girl as us? She’s a working girl, and as such was dressed appropriately for the occasion. It was damn cold out this morning and an old mud-spattered coat and boots are probably from where she’s been tramping over the grounds. She’s not like one of your airhead girlfriends, who have to look trendy all the time and would be horrified by a speck of dirt. This girl is real and I, for one, think she looked terrific!

I second that. She was some looker, Conor nodded.

How would either of you know? She had a scarf pulled up halfway over her face most of the time with some moth-eaten woolly contraption on her head, and my girlfriends are not airheads!

Would they dress like our intrepid lady? Kendal asked, with raised brows.

In no way, so I rest my case, their brother smirked. They wouldn’t be seen dead dressed like a sack tied in the middle.

"No doubt! They would have no idea how to dress down when needed, because they aren’t capable of how to, so in turn I rest my case, and if you think that girl looked anything like a sack, then you’re one who’s sadly lacking. And what’s more, we who are so much more discerning than you, my myopic brother, could tell at one glance that there is a beauty lurking under that bundle of clothes."

Really! When all you could see were her eyes, he scoffed.

You obviously have no imagination, Aaron. Did you see her eyes, I mean really look at them? Big, blue, full of laughter. Eyes that a man could drown in, and I wouldn’t mind taking a swim in them.

I might get to her first, Conor said, dreamily.

Oh, grow up, the two of you! It’s probably your nap time, so clear off and leave me in peace, Aaron snapped. He turned on his heel and stalked away into his study, slamming the door behind him.

Something we said? Kendal grinned.

Conor laughed. It’s probably Christel trying to sink her claws into him again.

Ah, yes, that tiresome woman, his brother nodded in agreement.

Sacha stomped away, harbouring a feeling of annoyance at the way the man had looked at her. Pompous beast! The way he’d looked down his great big arrogant nose at her made Sacha fume at his dismissal of her, as if she was some lesser mortal. Who on earth did he think he was? She knew he wasn’t the owner, because she’d seen pictures of Sir Arthur in the local papers from time to time. Perhaps he was his son, probably was, in fact, if those were his brothers, but whoever he was, the man had no right to treat people as though they were beneath him. She would like to beat him up, but she had a sneaky feeling that he would win. She laughed at herself. Why was she wasting time thinking about him? She had plenty to keep her mind occupied, so best get on. That list had to be gone through before lunchtime. He was extremely handsome though, she mused, as her treacherous mind called up his image. Carved by the gods, but sadly not blessed with a brain, as her mother had a habit of saying when they saw a good-looking man. Nor a nice nature, if those stony dark eyes were anything to go by, Sacha thought. Then she gave a sigh of exasperation. There she went again, thinking of that granite-faced man. She had better things to do. Yet there was a niggle inside that she couldn’t dismiss. Yes, it was the pull of attraction, but something it would be foolish to dwell upon. He probably thought she was totally nondescript, and she had no time for men with overblown egos anyway, so that was that!

Aaron stared out of the study window which faced out onto the front, watching the small figure as she tramped determinedly across the far lawn and gave a reluctant smile. Oh, he’d noticed her all right, and had studied those bright laughing eyes. Now he could see her more fully even from this distance, and what he saw pleased him mightily, but he wouldn’t be fooled by that coil of unwanted attraction. Did she really not know who they were? It wouldn’t be the first time a girl had come to their door on some pretext or other just to try and attract one of them. She glanced up at a man who was just passing and spoke with him, her face alight with laughter. The man was carrying some camera equipment and was obviously part of the enactment brigade, Aaron assumed, and seemed to know her well, because he pulled her hat off, laughing as she grabbed it back, so the girl appeared genuine. His gaze was drawn to the cloud of thick brown hair now blowing in the wind, until she managed to pull the woolly hat down onto her head again. Lovely eyes, nice hair and softly-rounded face. Very nice indeed. Was she using those looks to beguile?

On the surface, she seemed innocent enough, but he still regarded her with suspicious eyes. Although he had to admit she seemed to be caught up in her job. That was real enough. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he followed her progress up toward the woods. Hmm, so she wanted a dark hulking villain, did she? Well, she would have one, and then wish she’d never asked. His harebrained brothers might think it a great joke to take part in the enactment, but he hadn’t wanted it on the property in the first place, far too disruptive. It was his uncle who’d offered the manor house, after all he did own it, but as he was often away, he didn’t have to suffer the fallout, and Aaron valued his peace and above all his privacy. Now he would show that girl at first-hand how disruptive he could be. He smiled in smug satisfaction. He always had liked exacting revenge for slights, however small and insignificant. It never for one moment occurred to him that he might have chosen the wrong person to tangle with. Or, in fact, why he was bothering to do so.

Chapter Two

Sacha rushed onto the field that afternoon and spun around in a circle checking her list against the milling bodies. She instantly spotted her two blond giants already on the field dressed to kill, and smiled in satisfaction as she watched them laughing and joking with fellow enactors, waving as they spotted her across the fields. She waved back, then consulted her list again. Those two had completed her quota of Vikings, and they were just perfect for the part, looking as though they had just stumbled off some battlefield smeared with dirt and some fake blood. They were all bulging muscles, and they topped most of the others by a head. She frowned, studying them more closely. They looked strangely familiar, then she shrugged and turned her mind back to the job at hand. Sacha had no time to dwell on the image that was prodding at her memory, there were still some more Saxon bodies to account for. Her frown deepened. She hadn’t come across the villain as yet. Where was the treacherous usurper, the challenger to the Viking leader’s power? She turned in a circle again, looking frantically among the crowd of extras, still no sign of him, so where was he? The challenger was supposed to cut the Hersir, or chieftain, down in battle and claim that it was an enemy blade which had ended the man’s life. He was key to the main scene. The dark villainous berserker the crowds liked to hiss and boo at, especially the children, as he wrested power from the leader of their clan.

The leader was already in place waiting for his cue, and the spectators were rapidly gathering. Yet still the man hadn’t appeared. Sacha had visions of herself playing the part if she couldn’t find him, and she was hardly suited to the crowd’s idea of a large brawny villainous Viking. They would probably be shouting insults for all the wrong reasons