History of the Vampire (The Vanderlind Castle Series Book 4) (33 page)

Chapter 44

Colette

I begged off from work for another day. I needed time alone in the room I shared with Lilly to prepare for my elopement, and I couldn’t exactly pack with my family around. My mother frowned when I told her that I was staying home. “If you’re still in pain, then maybe we really should call the doctor.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I said. “I’m sure by tomorrow I’ll be right as rain.”

Mama reached up and laid her hand against my cheek, looking into my eyes. “Are you sure that’s all it is?” she asked. “It’s just a sore arm. Nothing else is bothering you?”

“No.” I shook my head back and forth a few times. “Nothing at all.”

I’d always been an obedient daughter and never given my parents much grief. They were good parents and I knew they loved me, so it seemed only fair to show them the same consideration. Not telling them about my engagement to Jessie was one of the most difficult things I’d ever done. But I knew if I told them, then they would want me to wait. They’d insist that I finished high school and get to know Jessie better. But I wouldn’t wait. I couldn’t wait. Being in Jessie’s arms, sharing a life together, was all I could think about.

Papa needed to get out the door bright and early to make sure everything was running smoothly on the town hall project. They were going to pour the foundation soon and he wanted to make sure it was done right. Mama was going to drop him off and then drive over to meet up with a few of her old school friends who live in the next town. They got together for a luncheon a few times a year. This was perfect for my plans because it left me with the house to myself for a few hours until Mama returned. Even though I was still in my nightgown when my parents were about to leave, I ran downstairs to give both of them a hug and a kiss goodbye.

“You’re being awfully affectionate this morning,” Papa remarked as I took a moment to give him a second squeeze.

“Am I?” I asked, putting my arms around Mama and hugging her again, too. “I just wanted to let you know how much I love you.”

Mama gave me a kiss on the head. “We love you too, you silly girl. Are you sure you don’t feel well enough to go to work? You seem to be full of energy and I wouldn’t want you to lose your position.”

Gingerly moving my elbow up and down, I said, “It still hurts a little, but I’m sure I’ll be fine in another day if I just take it easy.”

After they left, pulling the door closed behind them, I turned around to find Lilly sitting on the stairs, watching me. “What are you up to, Lettie?” she asked, suspicion in her eyes.

“Nothing,” I assured her. “I’m just letting my arm heal.”

“Is that all it is?” she asked, getting to her feet. “Because you’re acting awfully funny.”

“No, I’m not,” I insisted.

“If you want to give your notice at the castle, then I’m all for it,” she said. “Papa has his town hall job and then he’ll work on the school. We don’t have to keep working there. Our family’s doing fine now.”

Her comment surprised me. “Don’t you like working at the castle?”

“If I’m being completely honest, no,” she said. “The work is fine, but the family makes me uncomfortable. There’s something about them that’s just not right. You can see it in their eyes.”

“They all have beautiful eyes,” I insisted. I couldn’t bear to hear Jessie criticized.

“No.” Lilly shook her head. “They all have cold eyes. Dead eyes. Like the eyes of a shark.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” I told her. “And you’re only saying that because of the color. The Vanderlinds can’t help it that their eyes are gray.”

“I suppose,” Lilly said. “But I still don’t like it there. I heard that Mrs. Zucker’s cousin isn’t working out at the store. They’re going to be hiring again and I’m thinking of asking for my old job back.”

My first impulse was to tell her not to do it. I couldn’t imagine leaving the castle, even if I wasn’t betrothed to Jessie. But then I thought about how odd it would be if Lilly was still working there as a maid while I was Jessie’s wife. “Maybe you should,” I told her. “That might be a good idea, seeing that you don’t like it.”

“I’ll ask for you, too,” my sister told me. “I think it would be better if we left the castle together.”

“Thank you,” I said, giving her a hug. “I love you, Lilly.”

“I love you, too,” she said, pulling away from me while giving me another suspicious look. “But I wish I understood why you are acting so strangely.”

After Lilly left for work, it didn’t take me long to decide on my wedding trousseau. I wanted to wear my organdy dress as my bridal gown, but it was still torn from my encounter with Lev Wilson. I decided on my green dress with the white flowers. It was of a light fabric, so I knew I’d probably be chilly, but once Jessie and I were together, he could put his arms around me and keep me warm. I positioned the dress and my favorite hat, the straw one with the silk daisies on it, toward the front of the closet. That way it would be easier to retrieve my clothes without disturbing my sister.

After that I pulled a small suitcase down from the closet shelf, flipped it open on the bed, and packed my prettiest nightgown. I knew I would also need something to wear the next morning, so I added a sweater and a wool skirt, along with some warm tights and a few toiletries. There was still my toothbrush and a few other items, but I thought I would slip those things in at the last minute, so that no one in my family would notice anything missing.

Taking a seat at my desk, I pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and found a pen. I didn’t want my family to panic when they found my bed empty in the morning. That wouldn’t be a nice thing to do to them. So I thought I would write a note, just to assure everyone that I was fine and in no danger. It would lessen the surprise when Jessie and I called the next morning as newlyweds, but it was better not to make my parents worry.

Dear Family,

I’m sorry for keeping this secret from you, but Jessie Vanderlind and I have fallen in love. In fact, by the time you read this note, I will already be his wife. I apologize for sneaking off and eloping in this way, but I know you would counsel me to wait to get married until we’re both a little older. I’m afraid I love Jessie too much to delay. I hope you’ll forgive me, once you see how happy he makes me. He truly is the most wonderful man I have ever met.

We’ll call you when we get up. Please don’t worry until then. I’m sure Jessie will take good care of me.

I love you all very much.

Lettie

It was just as I was signing my name when I heard the front door open and close. Snatching the note off my desk, I tossed it into the suitcase, on top of my clothes. Snapping the lid shut, I quickly tucked the whole thing under my bed.

“Lettie,” I heard my mother call as she was climbing the stairs. A moment later she was poking her head in the door.

“Hi, Mama,” I said. “What are you doing back so soon?”

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said, pulling the pin from her hat. “After dropping your father off, I drove half way there before I realized the luncheon isn’t until next week.”

Chapter 45

Jessie

I’d already worn my favorite suit when I’d proposed to Colette, so I felt at a bit of a loss for proper wedding attire. I wondered if it would be considered bad manners to wear the suit again for the ceremony. My next choice was to wear my tuxedo, but I decided against that pretty quickly. I sincerely doubted Colette had a wedding dress tucked away in her closet and it wouldn’t do to be dressed fancier than the bride. I did have a blue suit that I’d been told was becoming, but I couldn’t seem to find it anywhere in my closet. After an extensive search, I discovered it crumpled on the floor. It must have not been hung up properly when the household contents were unpacked. It definitely needed a good pressing.

When I’d flown back from Lettie’s, I’d spent the rest of the night searching for a boat. My mother had plans to get a couple of small boats for the castle, but no one had gotten around to ordering them yet. Most people who used the river had already taken their boats out of the water in anticipation of the first big freeze. I had to soar up and down the river for a few hours until a small rowboat, pulled up on the bank and turned over to dry, caught my eye. It wasn’t the most attractive of conveyances, but I hoped that Colette would find it romantic.

By the time I’d towed it back to the castle and hid it in the woods, the sun was preparing to rise. As I hurried inside, the sunlight had already starting to lighten the sky, making my skin ache. I had to laugh at my own stupidity. I didn’t want to be such a distracted bridegroom that I ended up inadvertently roasting myself.

Once I was safe inside the walls of the castle, I found that I was inordinately tired. But there were still so many things that I had to get done. I had to choose my wedding suit. I had to figure out a plan to avoid the sun once we’d been officially wed. I loved Lettie more than I loved my own life, but it would be a terrible shock for her to see her new husband burn to a crisp the morning after her wedding. I also needed to find some type of ring for my darling girl. I intended to have her real wedding ring specially crafted, but there wasn’t time at the moment. I would just have to go through the family vault and find a temporary ring adequate for the ceremony.

My head throbbed and I realized I was hungry. I hurried to Arthur’s room and helped myself to one of the blood packets in the refrigerator. Packing had to wait, I decided as I finished my meal. I needed time to rest.

The knowledge that Colette would soon be my bride must have put me at ease because I quickly found the repose that was usually so elusive. When I finally opened my eyes again, the sun had set on another day. I immediately leapt to my feet and started packing, which led to the dilemma about which suit to wear.

I rang for a maid and handed her the blue suit. “I need this pressed right away,” I told her. “Bring it to me just as soon as it’s ready.” And then I headed to the vault, where we kept quite a bit of the family jewelry.

The vault was a large room in the dungeon that Grandfather had converted into a walk-in safe. Three of its walls were stone and the fourth was a large, metal door with a combination lock. It would be foolhardy for a mortal to steal from vampires, but we saw no reason to subject the servants to temptation. Especially with so much jewelry around. We could easily lose dozens of pieces and never even notice for a few decades, if ever.

Once I opened the vault, I was faced with a real challenge. What was an appropriate ring for a girl like Lettie? I dug through boxes upon boxes of jewelry, putting rings aside that I thought might be a possibility, but nothing seemed quite right. I knew that Lettie came from a good family, but she wasn’t used to the wealth of a family like the Vanderlinds. I didn’t want to overwhelm her with a giant diamond, but I didn’t want to insult her with a ring of no consequence. It was just impossible to put everything I felt for Miss Gibson into one tiny piece of jewelry.

“You wanted to see me?” Mrs. Denkler asked, appearing in the vault’s doorway.

“What?” I had been so absorbed in finding the right piece of jewelry that I hadn’t even heard her approaching.

“One of the maids said you were looking for me,” she said, her eyes flitting over the pile of jewelry in front of me. “Is there something I can help you find?”

“No, that’s quite alright,” I assured her. “This is…” I couldn’t think of an excuse for why I was combing through diamond rings. “I didn’t send for you,” I finally managed to say. “I just wanted my blue suit pressed.”

“One of the maids is doing it now,” she said. “Is there a special occasion?”

“No, no,” I assured her. “I just found my blue suit crumpled on the floor of my closet and I want it pressed.”