Chapter 13

For Adrienne it seemed as if the day would never end as even keeping busy with her cleaning could not take her mind off the coming evening.

At last, six o'clock arrived and Adrienne, as the Baroness had given her permission, hurried to her room to begin getting ready.

Her bath was delicious as the warm water and bubble bath, provided by the Baroness, pampered the excited young girl. This was truly going to be a night to remember, she thought. As she toweled herself dry, there was a tap at her door and the Baroness' voice.

"Adrienne?"

Quickly she wrapped the towel around her and opened the door.

"Something special for you to wear," smiled the Baroness, handing Adrienne a beautiful floor length white gown. The waist was high and sashed in silk. It was trimmed in delicate lace and brocade.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" the girl cried.

"I thought you would like it. I had it made especially for you to wear tonight."

Her eyes misted as Adrienne looked at the beaming face of the Baroness.

"No one has ever given me anything like this before. No one has ever seemed to care. You and the Baron have been so kind to me. I... I don't know how I can ever express my gratitude and how much living here means to me!"

The older woman held out her arms and they hugged for a long moment. The scent of musk came to Adrienne and with it a dichotomy of vague feelings of both pleasure and pain.

"Now I shall leave you to get ready. No, don't say anything," said the older woman as Adrienne was about to speak. "Just have a wonderful time and the evening shall be enjoyable for us all. I'll be back to get you when the guests have all arrived."

With that she was gone.

Adrienne was thrilled, but also dumbfounded that a family of the status of the Vagnors would be doing this for a servant girl.

But why question that which was bringing such happiness -- so Adrienne hummed a sweet melody as she slipped into the gown.

Adrienne had just applied a touch of the musk cologne behind each ear -- funny how she had developed a fancy for it -- when a knock on the door signaled the return of the Baroness, arrayed in a beautiful but deliberately subdued gown of royal blue.

As the door opened, the Baroness' eyes lit up as she beheld the young girl.

"You are truly a beautiful young woman, Adrienne. Tonight you shall be the object of every young man's affection and every young woman's envy!"

"Do you really think so?... But your friends are people of high position. What must they think of a servant girl in these fine clothes?"

"They will think the same as I," said the Baron entering the room, "now there is a remarkably attractive young woman!"

"Thank you sir... but how shall I act? What should I say?"

"Be yourself dear," encouraged the Baroness. "Your honesty and natural charm will be quite refreshing."

They walked to the head of the grand staircase which lead down to the ballroom. Some sixty or so people were enjoying themselves talking, eating and dancing to the music of a small orchestra.

As Adrienne and the Vagnors stepped to the top of the stairs, the music stopped. Conversations died and all heads turned upward to the beautiful young girl. It was a magic moment as Adrienne Lavier became the sole focus of attention of everyone in Vagnor Castle.

"My dear guests," announced the Baron, "I am so happy you could be with us this evening and especially am I pleased that you will have the pleasure of meeting our guest of honor, Miss Adrienne Lavier!"

He took her hand and started down the stairs, then stepped back with the Baroness as the girl descended the stairway. The gown was radiant but not so much as the girl within. Her hair wrapped high and crowned with a tiara which matched the tiny silver slippers on her feet. There was a moment of stunned silence at her breathtaking beauty, then applause as she neared the bottom of the stairs. Her heart racing, she was excited and self conscious to be the absolute center of everyone's attention.

Steffan, smiling broadly, stepped up to offer his arm.

"Remember, you owe me the first dance," he prompted.

"Absolutely Master Steffan," she beamed, " but there is just one thing."

"And what might that be?"

"I don't know how to dance," she whispered.

"A small matter indeed," he assured her.

Waving at the conductor, he shouted, "Meistro!"

The music began. All eyes were on the young couple.

"Now just do as I do and follow my lead."

His arm went around her and she felt assurance as his lead was strong and skillful. Although never having danced before, she followed his movements easily. Within moments other couples also began dancing and Adrienne felt her heart, as well as her feet, swept along by the music and the moment.

As the last strains of the song brought the first dance to an end, the Baron approached with an older gentleman.

"Adrienne, you shall be meeting many of our acquaintances this evening, but here is an old family friend who is especially anxious to meet you. Dr. Mont Lupine, Miss Adrienne Lavier."

"Charmed! You are a singularly lovely young lady Miss Lavier."

"Thank you sir, but please call me Adrienne."

"Of course," he smiled. "I only hope the young men here tonight won't keep you occupied all evening. I would certainly like to see more of you, Adrienne."

"Of that you may be sure," laughed the Baron, taking her by the arm.

As she was introduced to various guests, Adrienne was delighted that they were so warm and friendly. There were many elegantly dressed and attractive women, but it was the young woman in white who turned the heads this night.

As the music began again, she was whisked onto the dance floor by a handsome young officer of the King's Militia. He in turn gave way to a young merchant and he to two sons of a neighboring landowner. All were charming and gallant and the young girl felt almost light headed from the joy of this wondrous night.

The food was delicious, the wine divine.

As the evening wore on, even the Baron danced with her, every bit as elegant and graceful on the dance floor as his son.

"I think I shall never again enjoy myself as much as I have tonight. Thank you a thousand times over," she whispered.

"You're quite welcome my dear. I am glad this evening has been pleasurable, but the real entertainment is just beginning!"

"Really? she asked, "I can't imagine anything more pleasurable than this."

"Oh you'd be surprised," said the Baron, holding up his hands to quell the music and gain his guest's attention.

"Now that you all have had a chance to meet our lovely guest, my son Steffan has a special surprise for her, but one which I am sure you will all enjoy!"

He motioned. The orchestra began packing to leave.

"Now if you will just follow Steffan."

The boy opened a heavy wooden door which lead to the underground chambers. Adrienne recognized the door, for Lars had told her it lead to Master Steffan's laboratory and was never to be opened.

Steffan pointed the way as the guests filed down the narrow, poorly lit stairs. The boy stayed behind to take Adrienne's hand firmly in his as he lead her down into a cavernous room in the middle of which was a large square shape covered by a tarp.

The one hand still firmly grasped Adrienne's hand while he gestured with the other.

"Tonight, in honor of our guest, you will all be treated to the culmination of months of work on my genetics experiments in cross species breeding."

He gestured to the tarp covered shape.

"Here I give you the first half of the evening's entertainment!"

With a pull of the rope, the tarp fell away revealing a large metal cage, the bars more than two inches in diameter, but it was what was on the inside that brought "Oooohs" and "Ahhhhs" from the excited guests.

Standing in the center of the cage was a monstrous black gorilla. Reaching nearly eight feet tall, the shoulders were as wide as those of two men, its legs and arms massive trunks of muscle. It was the face, however, especially the eyes, which drew attention. They were not normal animalistic eyes, but rather shown with an intelligence and understanding far beyond those of a normal ape.

"Ladies and gentlemen," shouted the boy, "I give you... Gor!"

The gorilla stirred at the sound of his name. Many of the guests jumped reflexively even thought the bars were absolutely impenetrable. Many laughed at their own fright.

"Not a very original name I'm afraid," apologized the boy, "but fitting."

"Oh the poor thing!" cried Adrienne. "All alone and caged like that."