Oxford Blood (19 page)

By lunchtime, she was more or less packed and she walked
over to the bar for a farewell lunch with her friends. It was only December
4th, but the college had erected a huge Christmas tree. A few nights ago,
there’d been carols sung around it, and the previous weekend there’d been a
Christmas bop. It was hard to remember that there were still weeks to go until
Christmas itself. Harriet stood looking at the imposing tree for a few minutes,
trying to soak up enough of the college’s beauty to sustain her over the next
few weeks.

“I want a word with you.”

The angry voice shook Harriet out of her trancelike state
and she turned around to see a furious looking Katie. She was wearing
high-heeled boots, a black fur coat, and a red scarf, and she looked ready to
kill.

“You and Tom. What the hell’s going on there you little
bitch?”

Harriet’s heart sank. In between the supernatural fury of
George and the inevitable anger of her mother, she’d forgotten about the all
too human jealousy and rage that was likely to come from the girl Tom had been
seeing.

“I’m sorry Katie, it just happened. Has he spoken to you
about it?” Harriet tried hard to sound placating, but was all too aware that
nothing she could say was likely to diffuse the situation.

“Well he gave me a ten minute spiel yesterday evening about
how he’s been in love with you all term and how he was sorry but we couldn’t be
together anymore.”

In love with me all term
. Harriet tried to suppress
her reassured smile.

“That sounds like absolute crap to me. Everything was fine
just two days ago at the Cavaliers’ dinner. I mean, surely the fact that he
invited me to it meant something. But then he ran off and went home with you.
What did you think you were doing?”

“Katie, I honestly am sorry. I’d never normally steal
another girl’s boyfriend, but you had only been together for about a week, and
Tom and I have had these incredibly strong feelings since we first met. I know
you’re going to be angry with me but I’m not sure what else I can say.”

“There’s nothing to say is there? Don’t worry, I’ll find
another guy easily enough, but I won’t forget this.” Katie forced her furious
expression into a fake sweet smile. “I hope you have a lovely Christmas in
whatever shithole you come from.” She stormed off in the direction of her room.

The others were already sitting down when Harriet had
composed herself enough to walk the rest of the way to the college bar. Ben and
Caroline were snuggled up on the sofa, whilst Olamide talked to an unhappy
looking Josh. She sat down on the free chair.

“I grabbed you a bowl of mushroom soup,” said Olamide.
“There are queues and I guessed that was what you’d want.”

“Brilliant, thanks,” Harriet replied. She forgot everything
else in a wave of affection for her new friends, until she remembered that she
hadn’t seen Josh since they’d parted on angry terms the morning after the
dinner.

“Hey,” she said quietly to him. “Everything okay?”

“I’m fine. Sorry about the other day, I totally over
reacted. It’s just that I don’t trust either of those guys and I don’t want you
getting hurt.”

“Don’t worry, I know. You’re a great friend Josh. I’ve got
to tell you though, I’m with Tom now. It’s official.”

“Caroline told me. I’m not going to make a fuss, just be
careful that’s all. And if he puts one foot out of line I’ll kill him.”

Harriet wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that, or fancied
Josh’s chances, but smiled at him anyway. The rest of the lunch passed quickly
as they reminisced about the term and discussed their plans for Christmas and
New Year. It ended with lots of hugging, and then Harriet went back to her room
to await her family, shouting goodbyes and Christmas wishes to everyone she
passed on the way.

***

“So how’s it been love?” her aunt asked once they’d arrived
back home. “From your phone calls it seems to be a different world.”

They were at the kitchen table, eating a simple tea of toad
in the hole. Despite all the exotic food on offer at Oxford, Harriet had missed
her aunt’s soothing cooking.

“It really is. You wouldn’t believe some of the people, some
of the fancy parties.”

“I hope they aren’t turning your head,” her aunt had said.
“I know your Dad was never quite the same person when he came back from Oxford,
although I think your mother was mainly to blame for that. Do be sensible won’t
you?”

For the first few days, it was incredibly strange being back
at home. She felt almost like a guest, and her cousins were slightly quiet and
cautious around her. Quickly however she slipped back into her old routine. It
was great to catch up on sleep, cut down on booze and have her own space. She
watched Sam play in a football match and Jane sing in a school talent show.

“So, met any hot guys?” Jane asked when she’d finally got
Harriet alone without Aunt Kate around. “I kept seeing references to someone
called Tom on your Facebook?”

“You’re so nosy,” Harriet laughed. “Don’t tell Kate or I’ll
never hear the end of it, but he goes to my college and we’ve really hit it
off. He’s gorgeous and so posh it’s quite funny at times.”

Jane carried on asking questions. Harriet avoided the undead
issue, but otherwise told her cousin endless details about him. She couldn’t
get Tom out of her mind, so it was good to talk.

Later in the week, she got dressed up and went out for
drinks with old school friends, marvelling at the cheap drinks and the way
nearly everyone in town was wearing skimpy outfits despite the December chill.
Sat in what had once been one of her favourite bars, they shared university
stories. Everybody had been having a fantastic time, but even without the
vampires (which she obviously didn’t mention), her experiences seemed more
surreal than everybody else’s. They laughed at her tales of black tie dinners
and the scout who cleaned her room and the fact that some of her new friends’
families could be found on Wikipedia.

Like Jane, they were keen to hear all about Tom, and
preferably, to meet him. Harriet wondered how to approach that. She’d love to
have him to stay and introduce him to her family and friends, but wasn’t sure
how she’d explain his complete absence during the day. In the back of her mind,
despite her overwhelming love for him. she was also oddly unsure that they’d actually
like him.

***

Harriet tried not to think about her mother at all and just
concentrate on enjoying the holidays. On Christmas Eve however, she dreamt
about her and the time she’d given her the necklace.

Harriet had always been intensely excited about her mother’s
visits. On this occasion, she could only have been about six. A few weeks
before, Kate had given her a little gold crucifix on a chain. None of the
family was particularly religious, but Harriet didn’t have any other jewellery
of her own and wore it every day.

When her mother had arrived, Harriet had run to her as
usual, expecting to be picked up. At first, the perfectly groomed woman had
smiled to see her, the love clear in her eyes. As Harriet had got closer
however, to her horror, her mother had recoiled.

“Wait there a second darling,” she’d said, taking a step
back, before turning to Aunt Kate in fury.

“Is this your idea of a joke?” she’d shouted to Kate.

“I just want to keep her safe,” her aunt had replied, not
entirely able to hide the hint of smugness in her voice.

“By stopping me from being able to get near her? I’m her
mother. I would never hurt my baby.”

Harriet had stood frozen, not knowing what was going on and
close to tears.

Regaining some composure, Adelaide had spoken gently to her
daughter. “Why don’t you take that silly necklace off?” she’d said softly.
“I’ve got a much prettier one here for you.”

With that, she’d taken the elaborate pearl necklace from
around her own neck. Harriet had always been fascinating by her mother’s
beautiful locket, and without a second thought took off the crucifix and handed
it to her aunt. As soon as she’d done so, her mother hugged her, picked her up
and proceeded to fasten the pearls around her neck, carefully arranging the
engraved, ruby encrusted pendant.

“They’re much too old for her,” her aunt had snapped.

“I’ll make that decision,” Adelaide had replied. “Besides,
you wanted to protect her. Believe me; this will do a much better job.”

After a moment, Adelaide placed Harriet down. The little
girl tried to cling to her, but her mother was firm. “Go to your bedroom
sweetheart. I need to talk to your auntie. I’ll come and get you in a little
while and we can go to the park. It’s really exciting there at night-time.”

Reluctantly, Harriet had complied. After what had felt like
forever, she’d grown bored and crept back downstairs to see what was going on.

“How dare you try to stop me from even holding my daughter,”
her mother screamed. “You’re the evil one here, not me.”

“I won’t let you have her,” her aunt had replied furiously.
“For all I know you killed my brother.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Adelaide had hissed. “I loved Sam,
you know I did. I thought we had a grown up arrangement. I thought you’d give
her a normal life, but still let me see her, let me love her. Clearly I was
wrong.”

“If you take her, I’ll report her abducted. I’ll have the
police track her down.”

“She’s my daughter. Half the police are under our control
anyway. I’ll get all of Gus’ lawyers on the case. We won’t spare any expense.
They’ll give me custody, you’ll see.”

Harriet had listened in fascination. Did her mother really
mean what she was saying? Was she really going to take her home with her, be a
real mum? As she crouched outside the door, she could hardly stop herself from
bursting in.

But then Kate had laughed. “Oh I don’t doubt you have the
money and you have the lawyers and probably half of the judges are your sort.
But do you honestly think for one moment that any court is going to give
custody to a woman who’s been registered dead for five years?”

                                       ***                  

The next morning, every word of the dream was still clear in
Harriet’s mind. She forced herself to calm down and have fun, but vowed that
she’d visit her mother as soon as possible to get answers.

When she discussed it with her aunt on Boxing Day, Kate was
predictably unhappy at the idea. “You can’t just turn up at her house love, you
know what she’s like,” she said, in worried tones.

Harriet assured her that she’d be fine and that she could
combine it with seeing some university friends and a bit of sales shopping.

She travelled down late in the afternoon so that it would be
dark by the time she arrived. Even so, the train was packed with people.
Navigating the tube and the unfamiliar streets was difficult, but she made it
to the right place. Harriet was suitably impressed. She’d often wondered where
her mother lived, imagining somewhere grand and imposing. The reality didn’t
disappoint. The building was late Georgian, tall and white with pillars around
the door supporting the balcony above. It appeared to have around five floors.

She stood outside the house for several minutes, unsure
exactly what she was going to say to her mother and not quite daring to ring
the bell. When she finally found her nerve, the door opened almost immediately.
Arriving unannounced, she’d half expected to find Adelaide in an old tracksuit
with her hair in a ponytail, but no. Despite the fact that she seemed to be
alone and spending the night quietly, she was dressed to the nines in a little
scarlet dress and matching leather boots. Her beauty and poise were startling
and inhuman and Harriet wondered how she could have failed to realise the truth
earlier.

“Harriet! What a lovely surprise. Come inside before you
freeze sweetheart.”

Harriet was pleased by the warm reception. She hadn’t known
what to expect.

They ascended a marble staircase. The stairs carried on for
several stories, but after one flight, Adelaide gestured for her to stop and
led her into a drawing room. “Take a seat,” she said, pointing to a huge
armchair by a carved fireplace with a real log fire burning in it. “I’ll just
speak to the kitchen and have them bring us some hot chocolate.”

Whilst she waited, Harriet glanced around the room. It was
certainly impressive – flagstone floors, half covered with soft rugs, half
artfully exposed, portraits from centuries ago that appeared to be of Gus’
ancestors but which she realised were probably actually of her step-father
himself during different periods of history that he’d lived through.

After a few moments, her mother came into the room and sat
down on the chair opposite her.

“I know,” Harriet said, before Adelaide could speak and make
her lose her nerves. “I know everything.”

“I hoped that you would by now,” her mother replied calmly.
“I’ve wanted you to know for years, but you’d never have believed it coming
from me. You’d never have understood.”

“I’m not sure I really understand now. When did this happen?
How? Why?”

“Oh Harriet, it’s a long story, and it’s your future we
should be talking about, not my past.”

They were interrupted by the arrival of a man bearing hot
chocolate and shortbread biscuits. Harriet took plenty of each to calm her
nerves.

“I need you to tell me everything mum. I mean it.”

“Well if you insist. You’ve come across the Cavaliers. In
essence, I was invited to one of their parties. Your stepfather saw me there
and thought that I was a reincarnation of his long dead wife. As this meant he
stopped the others from harming me, I wasn’t going to argue. A few years later,
I was in a car crash. Somehow, Augustine found me. I was close to death so he
turned me to save my life and that was it really. Your father had died on
impact. I was turned, and because of Augustine’s power and age and my natural
aptitude I quickly became a major player in our world.”