Marriage is Murder

"In a moment," Khaat said quietly to Jack, waving him onward. She wanted him to go. She turned her attention back to her dance partner.

"They are suspicious," he smiled at her.

"They needn't be," she said. "That was lovely. Thank you."

"No, you were lovely," he said "That was priceless. Your husband is a very , very lucky man. If I had been him, I dont know that I could have let you go." He caressed her cheek with his jeweled hand and kissed her once. But it was a deep, slow magical kiss, the likes of which she had never experienced. It was one of those things that she had read about but never felt. "Until we meet again, mi Tesoro."

"Goodnight," Khaat said as his hand slid down her neck to her shoulder, down her arm to her hand, and he kissed her hand. Then he simply turned and walked away. She watched him blend into the crowd and then he was simply...just...gone. She couldn't see him anymore.

Kate walked to her and touched Khaat's shoulder. "Be careful," Kate said softly. "Men like that are not always what they appear. Come. Everyone's waiting on you." Khaat didn't say a word. She just turned and followed, wondering where he had gone so suddenly.

Her father stepped forward as they reached back to the bar. He brushed back a stray lock of hair off her forehead and smiled at her. "Did you have a good time?" he asked.

"It was nice," she shrugged.

"Brian has your chips. Lets go win some money," he smiled.

"Sounds good to me," she said.

"Michael? Lead the way?" Robert asked. Brian offered Khaat his arm and they followed into the casino room.

"What did you do?" Kate asked Robert in a very soft whisper.

"Removed his spell."

"So he was a warlock!'

"Oh, yes," Robert said. "Very definiitely. And he put a love charm on her. I just removed it."

Jess heard Robert and scoffed " men like that should be shot " she said with Jack holding her arm " I can't understand how he could do that" she said and sighed deeply for her she would keep her eyes open for him and if he came back she'd make sure jack got in his way . Cassidy smiled as she had seen the man walk off.

" he seemed...slimy " she said and glanced at Khaat " if you don't mind me saying." she looked at Jim and saw the look on his face grinning as she spoke again " hay we married women only have eyes for one man in our lives and if another can't find a woman by any means other than magic then hes....hes yuck to me " she said walking in to the casino " wow this is fancy" she said.

Khaat didn't see him as slimy. Nor did she think he needed to be shot. She didn't like their words. She didn't reply. He had been handsome and sweet. He was charming and romantic. So he'd used a charm. Big deal. It wasn't the worst charm. It was fairly harmless, as far as she was concerned.

Brian understood how those charms went. And he could feel her bristle under their words. It would take a bit before her attraction to the stranger wore off.

"Let's go see if we can get in on one of the routette tables," he suggested to her. "Lets' see if we can parlay even a little of Michael's money."

"Yes, please," she said to him. Brian gave a silent look to the others to ask them to give her a moment until the charm the stranger wore had completely worn off. He knew it would be alright. She just needed a moment. Robert agreed and nodded.

"I'm heading to the slots," Kate said. "Anybody else want to go with me?"

"No thank you, I"m not sure where I"m going," Robert said. "Michael? Where are you going?"

"I like to fish for big fish. I'm heading to the baccarate tables."

"Now that sounds like fun," Robert grinned.

"Dont lose everything we own, Robert," Kate said firmly. She watched Michael and Robert head off to the big money baccarate games. "I'm heading for slots and perhaps to the poker tables. Anyone interested?"

Jack and Jess sighed and nodded to Kate's suggestion " sure well come" they said cassidy just looked at the bar again and Jim nodded he understood.

" we're just going to stay at the bar if that's alright" he said and cassidy nodded.
" yes I'm not a gambler " she said smiling as she saw Jess and Jack head out to the slot machines Jim lead cassidy back to the bar where he bought her a drink as they sat in a booth watching the others play and gamble, soon cassidy could not help but lean on Jim as she felt tired.

They didn't stay more than a couple of hours, and Michael took everyone's chips and cashed them in and distributed the winnings. While he was doing that, Robert and Kate gathered them up and headed them to the limosine. It was getting to be very late. Somewhere a clock was chiming just 1 am. It seemed to bother a few of them to be up late. Cassidy was all but asleep. She wasn't able to deal with this.

Everyone headed to the car. Most of them were still smiling and still feeling the excitement of dining, and watching films, and dancing, and, yes, winning a few bits at the tables. He expected them to perhaps sleep in, in the morning.

When they got back, the crew met them in formal uniforms. As they boarded back on the ship, Robert said.

"It was lovely and delightlful. Let them sleep in tomorow and have tomorrow to visit the spectacular beaches and shops. Then tomorrow night, while we sleep, get us out ot sea. We all need to be done with this formality and be a family again. Its lovely, but we do need to be ourselves. It was a nice illusion while it lasted, but now we need to get back to reality. That's when we're at our best."

"I couldn't agree more," Angus smiled. "When you go to bed tomorrow night, we'll lay sail."

"Thank you."

"Good night," Angus said, as they all headed to their quarters.

Cassidy yawned and headed once they were at the yacht down to her cabin, Jim making sure she got to the right cabin and not some poor crew mans as she was so tired. Jess and jack bid good night then left passing Jim on his way back up. " well she was a sleep before she hit the pillow " he told them and chuckled " I came for a night cap before I turn in" he told Angus as he lent on the rain smoking his pipe again. seemed once more he was at it a lot. " it was a good night " he said more to himself than any one with in ear shot.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Angus said, tending one of the lines. "Though I do think it wasn't not exactly Cassidy's cup of tea. She seemed to be nothing but utterly relieved to get back. She does seem to sometimes have a very hard time adjusting to life with the Lupins."

Angus didn't finish his thought deliberately because he didn't know how to say what he meant without sounding unkind, which was not what he meant. But--he did notice that very little seemed to make Cassidy happy and even when hundreds and hundreds were spent to try to provide everyone with something new, something freeing, something fun, Cassidy found something not to like. About the food, about the activities, about not wanting to participate, about something. Angus simply had accepted it as her general sort of persnickety personality, and he had stopped trying to please her. He let her find ways to fit in by herself because that was what she seemed to prefer.

"She struggles," Angus said. "It seems difficult for her." He left it at that.

Jim looked at Angus and sighed " so you noticed that too" he said " I have tried to help her but seeing she spent most of her childhood and her adult hood on the streets I guess all this is all seems foreign to her , yes shes been with Robert a few years now, and no I'm not defending her don't get me wrong. he drank some of his brandy and sighed " like you I wish she would lighten up and loosen up a little, god for bit she goes down the path of Ronatta nothing Robert did pleased that woman" he said " lets give it time and see how she fares tomorrow other wise Robert should send her to Jeffery to learn not to fear everything around the corner." he said and looked at the clear moon lit sky above them " god I hope Jack took his potion tonight its a full moon" he chuckled.

"She does have some of those qualities," Angus sighed. "I think she should go to Switzerland, but I think she needs to do it simply so she can decide what the hell she's going to do with Steven. She can't stop feeling sorry for herself about that, so she needs to go and make a choice one way or the other. I'm not saying its easy to live with that, but she is staying stuck in that sort of sort of self pitying depression that none of us liked about Ronata. She wants to be independent but only when its convenient for her. She wants your attentions so long as it fits her and then she wants you to leave her alone. Its not fair for you to get those sorts of mixed messages from her. I don't dislike her at all, but I need to keep my distance because she's either needy or demanding. And it confuses the hell out of me."

Jim chuckled " wow Angus, honesty at last" he said and sighed " yes I know i am trying to make her understand and help her to focus her thoughts on herself and the kids so she can think clearly about what she wants I guess I nee to back off a little and let her do it herself" he said finishing just as as noise came from the hold. Jack had forgot to take his potion, he stumbled from his quarters trying to fight the affects but he found it harder than he had anticipated now finding himself in the hold he had barricaded the door so as he hoped no innocents would get hurt. He could feel his body changing as pain rushed into his mind at one point he thought he would finally pass out but he didn't and the pain just kept pulsating through him until he could fight it no longer and he changed into a large black werewolf, his fangs dripping with his spit as he then howled loudly at the full moon.