Bambi and the Duke

Seeing there was no one in the hall she almost ran back to her room and shut it close behind her. Uneven sounds of breath were heard in the quiet room and something told her that it wasn’t because she dashed out of the main hall. She patted her hand on her chest to lull it to be still. It was only recently did she come to realize that everytime Leonard stepped to close to her her heart would beat as if it couldn’t contain itself. Was she catching a fever? Placing her hand on her forehead she scrunched her brows. It didn’t seem like she had a fever.

Lightly patting her cheeks three to four times with her fingers in an effort to get herself together she went to the basin and leaned forward to look at the small mirror she had bought from the fair for herself. The stem really did take revenge on her for not cutting it with care.

Wetting her apron with the water, she wiped her cheek careful feeling the burn it left every time she tried cleaning it. Dabbing her face clean, she looked at the black-eyed girl who stared back at her through the mirror. Vivian had grown to be an absolute stunner due to which she often received compliments from mostly men and a few women. Her body was slender with a proportionate body. Widening her eyes she moved her face slightly before smiling at the thought that she had a beautiful pair of eyes. It didn’t have colours of blue or green or red or specs of gold in them but they were purely black which shone every single time she smiled with her heart out and she was aware of it because people had complimented her.

Tucking the blonde locks of her hair that had loosened out from the braid, she unlocked her room door to see Leonard standing right in front of the door.

”Where is Lady Shirley?” Vivian asked making room as he stepped inside and closed the door.

”She went to use the powder room,” Leonard murmured taking in the status of the room. There was a small cot in one corner next to which laid an old tea table and in another corner was a basin. Clothes were stacked on the tea-table.

”I think you should go back to her. She might be looking for you in a minute,” Vivian suggested hearing him hum for an answer.

”I will.”

Wondering if he needed something, she asked, ”Did you need something?” to her question Leonard’s lazy eyes went to settle on the prominent red line could be seen running down her temple up to half of her cheek.

”Does it hurt?” this time he placed his thumb directly on the red line and felt her flinch.

”It hurts now!” She tried swatting his hand away but the man was too stubborn to move, ”Leo,” her soft voice pleaded with her eyes looking up at him.

Leonard could smell the faint scent of blood on her face from where he had pressed his thumb. Holding the side of her face in one hand, he said, ”Do you know Bambi how vampires heal sometimes if they don’t heal by themselves?” Vivian continued to look at him in wonderment to his question, ”Here...”

”That’s alright, Leo. I washed it-” but Leonard had already placed his other hand on the wall, leaning forward until his face was close to hers he gave a single lick on the metallic line formed.

Vivian had turned into a stone except for her beating heart that she could hear and so could Leonard. She could feel his gaze on her as he had licked, his expression serious that lacked mirth. When his coarse tongue licked again over her tender skin, this time it jolted her back to reality and she pushed him away without much effort. Not because she was stronger than him but because Leonard made her think they were the same kind without many differences.

”W-what was that?!” Vivian stuttered holding her cheek protectively while moving away from him wide-eyed. Her innocent reaction made him chuckle.

”I was healing you,” a sly smile came upon his lips.

”I d-don’t want that kind of healing!”

”Well, that’s too bad. See, it’s already healing,” he tipped his head and she carefully avoided stepping close to him and went to the mirror to see he was right. Was that an ability of vampires?

”Vivi, are you there?” Paul knocked her room door suddenly.

Vivian began fretting as she bit her bottom lip. As Leonard went to open the door, she jumped to catch his hand and pull it away.

”Don’t,” she whispered shaking her head, ”It’s not right to have a man in an unmarried girl’s room.”

”It’s me so it’s fine,” he said and she shook her head vigorously. Hearing the footsteps disappear, she let go of his hand. Unlocking the door after a good minute, Leonard left the room.

What she said was true but there was also another reason. The day she and Paul had got scolded by Mr Carmichael’s younger brother, Sullivan, she was clearly told not to associate herself with Leonard as they belonged to two different class.

That night she had been upset. Paul had found her in the church of the town, talking to her about his life before he started working for the Carmichaels, asking her to maintain distance from the higher class people, telling it would her hurt if she weren’t careful. Saying sometimes keeping distances maintained remaining the value each other had.

Vivian didn’t understand though why it should be followed when Leo never treated her to be lower than him.