The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (20 page)

“Or that some disgruntled peasants from
Pesth came across the river to burn down the homes of the wealthy,”
Sir Stephan added.

“Truly?” I supposed I should not find
it extraordinary that Vlad’s contemporaries in human society would
anticipate the worst of circumstances surrounding the destruction
of his manor. “As far as I know it was a candle that set it
aflame.”

“Such a tragedy! It was such a lovely
home. You will be rebuilding, will you not?”

“My dear Baroness, of course! Vlad has
many plans and I assure you he will be rebuilding,” I
replied.

“Despite his plans to move to England?”
Sir Stephan asked, daring to meet my eyes.

“Of course. Do you truly believe he
would leave his homeland for such a long period of time? We shall
be traveling to and fro, I can assure you.” I realized I would have
to be careful in making my own plans appear to be part of some
greater scheme concocted by Vlad Dracula. He had been considerably
persistent in his desire to move to England. I was still unsure as
to why he had been so determined to do so. Though it pained me to
admit it even to myself, I was adrift in a sea of uncertainty. It
was already becoming quite clear that I was lost in Vlad’s dark
world. I would have to tread cautiously. Considering my very
nature, I had to accept that I was at a disadvantage.

“Time can be an enemy,” Maria
mused.

A vampire’s eternal youth and
immortality would always put Vlad at a disadvantage. Even if he had
succeeded in entering English society, at some point we would be
forced to leave for another country.

“My husband is always planning ahead.
Even years, decades in advance,” I agreed, snatching upon her
comment with relief. Impulsively, I plunged onward. “We have even
discussed Vienna.”

Sir Stephan grew still, but his cup
trembled upon its saucer. His hand quavering, he set it down
quickly.

“Ah, Vienna. The center of all power in
the empire,” the Baroness remarked dismissively.

They were unsettled and I realized I
had once again made a mistake.

“He does so love a challenge,” I
insisted.

“Quite true,” Sir Stephan agreed daring
to raise his eyes to regard me.

Laura took another small bite of her
cake and watched her father curiously.

“As do I!” The Baroness stood and flung
out her hands dramatically. “I shall throw a grand party to welcome
the Countess to Buda once more. It shall be fabulous! And it will
give our dear little Laura the opportunity to catch the eye of a
dashing eligible man.”

“I really would rather not,” Laura said
softly.

“Oh, but there are so many! Buda is
bursting with young men from all over the empire.” The Baroness’
eyes shone with gleeful anticipation. I was rather impressed with
her. Either she was a great performer or a person who did not dwell
on the uncomfortable aspects of life.

This comment did not appear to impress
Laura in any way whatsoever. She set down her tea cup and stared at
it morosely.

I took her hand. “You can keep me
company at the party. We shall have a grand time.”

Laura graced me with a relieved smile.
“I would like that.”

Maria touched her husband’s hand. “It
is late now. We should depart. I’m certain you are both weary after
your travels.”

It was quite evident that the thought
of her daughter befriending me disquieted Maria.

The Baroness and I were soon left alone
in the parlor. Silence filled the room.

I set my teacup and saucer on the tray
and fastened my gaze to the Baroness’ form. Her gaiety vanished and
she pursed her lips slightly.

“Has he truly forgiven us?” she asked
at last.

“Of course. You know how he can be.
Temperamental. Mercurial.” I shrugged slightly.

“And you?”

I slowly dragged my fingers along the
arm of the couch as I considered my words before speaking. “I am
still devastated by the deaths of my family, but I am now graced
with immortality and power.”

A small smile wavered upon her red
lips. “A painful balance of the scales.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “It is a curse and a
blessing.”

“He does love you,” the Baroness said
passionately. “He is enraptured with you completely.”

“I know you’re his mistress,” I said,
deliberately unsettling her.

Her chin trembled with fear as she sat
back, her eyes riveted to her hands folded upon her lap. “Before
your marriage.”

“And after. I am not a simple girl. At
the castle there are other women, you know. The Brides of
Dracula.”

“You have his title,” she pointed out,
“and his love. He is a worldly man of earthly desires. He will have
other women, but you are Countess Dracula. I can only hope to one
day be your sister Bride.”

“Why do you think me special?” I asked
her, curious.

“Because he told me so,” she answered,
pain leaking into her words. I understood in that moment that she
had hoped to be his countess, but had been rebuffed. “He had
desired an English bride for his move to that country. But after a
time, he told me that he planned to make you his wife in all
ways.”

I had witnessed a secret moment between
Vlad and the Baroness. I knew the words he had spoken to her and
her anger when she believed he loved me. “We shall be sister
Brides,” I said at last.

“You are the first among them,” she
said in a soft, thoughtful tone.

“Perhaps, but we both know that his
lusts are powerful. He still desires you,” I continued, lying. Vlad
had been done with the Baroness. Her worth to him had been
nullified as far as he was concerned. But she was valuable to me
and, therefore, she must believe that she was still of value in the
eyes of Vlad Dracula.

She let out a soft gasp full of
emotion. Eyes sparkling with tears, she reached out to clutch my
hand. “I only want to serve him. When he grew angry with
me...”

“His anger has passed. You know his
moods. He can be quite loving one moment and so very cruel the
next. Do not be afraid anymore. My very presence here must be an
assurance to you that you are not removed from his
favor.”

“Your words have given me such great
joy. I will do all I can to serve him and you.”

“We shall be like sisters,” I promised
her, my fingers grasping hers a little too tightly. I could see her
discomfort, but she did not dare withdraw from me.

“Yes, yes! Always,” she answered, then
with much more fervor, “and forever.”

I could see that she was snared and I
smiled at her with satisfaction.

Chapter 14

Excerpt from Letter from
Earl Wright to his sister, Countess Dracula

I must say, my darling
sister, I am concerned by the tone of your recent letter. The news
of the destruction of your lovely home filled me with terror. To
think you could have perished in the flames fills me with dread. I
cannot bear to lose you after the loss of our family. My only
solace is the knowledge you are in the safe hands of our friend
Baroness Dosza.

I realize your husband has
many duties to which he must attend, but that you are without the
company of family in a time such as this worries me. Perhaps you
should return to England and stay with us until your estate is
restored.

Excerpt from Letter from
Countess Dracula, to her brother, Earl Wright

Your concern for my safety
warms me, my dear brother! Though I long to return to England, I
feel I must perform my duties as a faithful wife and follow my
husband’s directions in this matter. I am quite comfortable in the
home of the baroness. Though I miss you and our family terribly, I
must stay here for the time being.

Please do not worry after
me. Your love and prayers are my strength.

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

June 30, 1820

The Dosza Palace,
Buda

Andrew’s sweet letter
pierced my heart when I read it. I could feel his great concern and
love for me pouring out of the words he had written. It pains me to
lie to him, but I cannot leave Buda until I have exacted my revenge
against Vlad’s minions. And I cannot leave until I find my beloved
Ignatius.

I am also unsure of how I
can return to England and hide from my brother my new nature. I am
not the sister he remembers. I once hid my unnatural beauty behind
veils, pretending to be disfigured, but I cannot keep up such a
ruse. My brother and I share the same nature and he would be
suspect.

I am at a loss.

My family now rests in the
crypt of the Dosza Chapel. I am grateful to have them safely
interred at last. Magda attended the service performed by a local
priest in my stead. I am considering sending them home to England
by ship at a later date, but I am uncertain if this is wise. At
least for now their bodies are in a holy place. That gives me
peace.

Meanwhile, despite my
urgent request to see Astir. He has declined my request to see him
and is silent on the matter of the vampire who attacked us. I wish
only for answers and receive only silence.

I have settled into my new
life at the Baroness’ palace. It has not been as difficult as I had
feared for the Baroness often sleeps through the day. At her
insistence, I call her Csilla during our conversations and she is
perfectly relaxed in my presence.

Soon after my arrival, she
grew restless and began to throw small soirees every evening. I
soon learned that she is fond of drink, men, and is every bit as
scandalous as I had once hoped to be. At her insistence, I join her
small parties, listening to the mad gossips, laughing at the
grandiose tales of young men trying to impress me, and enjoy being
the center of attention. My title is enough to gain interest, but
my English background and my family’s tragedy make me quite the
draw.

“Your husband is quite the
man,” a middle-aged dowager duchess named Frida informed me one
night. Fanning herself on the veranda, she regarded with amusement
the younger drunken people attempting to play croquet in the
moonlight. “So forceful and exciting.”

“He has his moments,” I
conceded.

Adem lingered nearby watching the dark
cloak of night hiding within the tree line. The night air was warm
and thick with moisture. I could see the lights from the palace
glinting on the waters of the Danube beyond the trees.

“I often wondered when he would find a
bride. He seemed like such a rogue,” Frida said, her eyes
glittering with wine and a hint of cruelty. “When word reached me
that he had found a wife, I was shocked. I must admit I thought he
would perhaps one day marry our dear Csilla. They are very much
alike in their particular predilections.”

Tilting my head, I graced the nasty
gossip with a wide smile. “Aren’t they?”

Frida’s wicked expression dimmed
somewhat. “Yes. But I’m sure he has taken you under his wing to
show you the wonders of married life.” The innuendo dripped from
her lips as her keen dark eyes watched me with
anticipation.

With a light laugh, I flipped open my
fan. Fluttering it before my face to create a small breeze, I
graced her with a bemused smile. “Well, he would be a rather bad
husband if he did not.”

Moving her heavy body closer to mine,
she whispered conspiratorially, “Well, if he had not, I’m certain
you could have found one of these dashing young men to do the
honors.” With a hard edge to her smile, she added, “While he was
away, on business, of course, with the Baroness.”

“She may be his mistress, but I am his
wife and carry his title,” I said keeping the steel from my tone. I
refused to be baited.

Her smile faded to a hard little line
as she pressed her lips together. The ostrich feathers of her
turban bobbed around her head as she settled into a chair to watch
the gaiety on the lawn. “Sometimes titles are all women such as we
can cling to when our husbands are distracted.” She added in a
curious tone, “Or perhaps we enjoy their distraction allowing us to
pursue other... interests.”

Settling upon a stone bench, I shrugged
my shoulders.

Frida’s gaze shifted to Adem. “Yes, I
could see that.”

“Then you see what is not there,” I
said.

Hearing her words, Adem merely shook
his head and returned to watching the antics of the Hungarian
aristocrats and a few foreign guests. Csilla was in fine form,
laughing gaily, prancing about with a glass of wine in one hand. It
was clear that she had selected a young Frenchman to bed. She was
particularly enthralled with his accent and broad shoulders. I
could see the allure of his blond curls and blue eyes, but his
beauty was dim in comparison to my lost love.

Laughter sang through the air as people
cheated flamboyantly at the game while flirting outrageously with
each other. At one point in my young life I would have been
scandalized by the flagrant actions of those around me, but I had
lost my innocence in Vlad’s castle. When two men playfully tried to
lift the skirts of the baroness, I thought it fairly tame compared
to how Vlad had torn off my dress.