Chapter 2:  Meetings

  Isolde   watched in awe as they enter the castle’s courtyard, there she saw a small group obviously waiting to meet her. Once the cart stopped Isolde climbed down, feeling nervous after all she was meeting her employers for the first time, the people who she would working for and living with for the next 3 years. She Dropped into a curtsy and smiled at the small group. Her blue eyes taking in her wards and her employers, “ Good day Lord and Lady Di Centa it my pleasure to meet you and thank you for this wonderful opportunity.”

The older gentleman in a suit gave Isolde a slight bow “ Miss Garnter allow me to introduce my family, my wife Ada.” He gestured to the older matronly woman beside him.  “This is my oldest daughter Katherina” he gestured to the pretty fourteen year old dark haired girl beside her mother” and these two are Paulo and Pina our twins.” The man smiled as he gestured first to the ten year old boy and then his sister beside him” please teach them well, while they know English I would like them to speak it as they do Italian. “

Isolde smiled and moved to the children giving each a soft kiss of greeting” Hello Katherina, Paulo, Pina I am Isolde it is a pleasure to come here to be your teacher” Isolde looked over each and already found herself liking her students.

Lord Di Centa spoke up once again” Katherina will you show Miss Garnter to her room?”  The young girl smiled and then nodded” happily Papa “ Isolde smiled to the girl and then she took her bags in hand and then smiling impishly to her young ward” Thank you Katherina please lead on.” Isolde followed the girl into the main keep of the castle marveling at both the architecture and the art. She paused at one painting that was by itself.

 Isolde stopped and looked on the beautiful red haired woman, and felt a shiver go through her body, it was then she noticed unlike the other painting of family this one had no other painting near it. She studied the woman’s features and was lost in the moment. The woman was obviously from the early renaissance and surprisingly the woman looked like a fighter, cold aloof, like the war goddess made flesh. Katherina smiled and moved up beside Isolde.

“ That is the Lady Scathia Delling, It was She that made the fields of gold such a glorious place.”

“ She is beautiful yet I think she must have been quite formidable.”

Katherina smiled” Yes family legend has it that She put down a rebellion, single handedly though she lost her life in doing so, They say she killed all of her attackers alone for her solders had either joined or fled”

“Why is she here all alone?” Isolde’s voice was trembling, she felt terrible that the woman’s portrait was here alone that no one seemed to accompany her on the lonely journey through time.

Katherina smiled* laughing8 “ it is said that any painting put near it is flung to the hall in anger, she had a true love it is said and that only that painting can hang there and no other.”

 Isolde’s voice  soft almost a whisper” Who was her true love?”

‘That no one knows”

“She must be lonely up there waiting for her true love to come then.  Wait her name is Delling how is it that the Di Centa family came to be here?”

“ Oh the lady Delling was heirless never married, it is said that she adopted a girl from the Di Centa family as her own and though the girl died before the rebellion, she allowed the family to inherit the land.”

“Oh? What was the girls name?” She glanced at the many portraits in the halls.

“ Isolde Di Centa, oh she not here among the painting they say she was hideous that is why there is no portrait, it is also whispered that she betrayed the family and that is why she fled to the fields of gold.”

“ How terrible, yet lady Delling adopted her after her family turned her away. The lady must have been very forgiving.  Hmm we had better get to my room and get settled before supper hmm?

Isolde smiled and laughed as the young Katherina smiled and linked arms with Isolde leading her toward the room.” Don’t worry I will help”