A New Beginning (Part 1)
The rain fell down on the darkened streets of London. It always seemed to rain whenever Raven came home, but tonight it seemed to be doing so with passion as raindrops thundered against the roof of her taxi.
"Angelo summoned me, least he could have done would be to have sent the damn limo", she said out loud, but to herself, blowing the hair out of her eyes.
Four days ago, word had reached her that Angelo had wanted to see her. However, at that particular moment in time she was on assignment for the council; another low life, another clean up job.
As the Taxi pulled into the Manor's grounds, and rolled to a stop, a flash of lightning lit the sky. The taxi driver cleared his throat and turned to address Raven.
"That'll be nineteen pounds fifty, miss", his cockney accent thick, yet easy to understand.
Raven handed him the money through the plastic partition and exited the black taxi. Rain still falling hard, puddles forming on the ground, it made the manor grounds look dreary.
The taxi driver had exited the car shortly after receiving his money, and was now helping Raven take her bags to the door. Raven didn't get the chance to knock, it opened almost immediately.
"Miss Quelhaven, it is good to see you again" Robert ushered his young daughter Catherine to take some of the bags from the taxi driver, as he took some from Raven's hands, and invited her in.
When things had been brought in, and the taxi driver had departed, Robert took the opportunity to make sure that Raven was comfortable, and had a drink before he addressed her again.
"What brings you to the manor, Miss Quelhaven?" he asked politely.
"Angelo sent word that I was to come here at 'my earliest convenience'." Raven sipped the cup of warm blood.
Robert looked puzzled, "But the master hasn't been here for quite some time… he did say however that if you were to call by, I was to lead you to the study."
Raven finished the cup of blood, placed it on the small table in front of her, and allowed Robert to lead her to the study, despite knowing the way like the back of her hand. In ten years, the manor hadn't changed at all.
Robert unlocked the big wooden door to the study, opened it, and waited outside as Raven looked round the room. It was then that she noticed the small envelope on Angelo's large desk. It was addressed to her, and upon opening it and reading the letter enclosed, a single tear fell down her cheek.
----To Be Continued----