Bambi and the Duke

”I...” in the moonlight that shone on them, Vivian suddenly began feeling dizzy with Leonard’s closeness, ”I...wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to.”

He saw her blink, once and then twice.

Leonard was expecting something else, but for now, he would settle with this.

”Master Leonard?” came the voice of the coachman from the hall, his voice and he didn’t like the fact of his servant interrupting his time with Vivian.

”Bambi,” he said, ”Promise me something.”

”You said promises are meant to be broken,” she pipped in to see him give her a grave look. It was what he had said to her when she had tried to make him promise her when they were young. When he was supposed to come to the mansion to celebrate her birthday. He had returned a week after her birthday when innocent Vivian had waited for him the entire day with the hope of his arrival.

”This one is not meant to be broken. No matter what,” he spoke slowly so that she heard every word of his clearly without him needing to repeat, ”Don’t leave my side.”

The words were simple yet they were heavy with hope and confidence which jolted her mind.

”I wasn’t planning to.”

”Of course,” his hands found the way to her face, ”If it ever happens so, I will find you. I will find you and take you back with me,” he whispered the words on her lips as they hovered over hers before touching it.

His bold lips moved against her shy ones which took time to get to his momentum but not quite there. Twisting his fingers in her hair, he pulled her closer. Sucking her lips with his, he ran his other hand down her neck, travelling down the side of her breast making her gasp in surprise. Her hand was quick in its reflex to place it on his chest.

”Leo,” she whispered his name intoxicated by his kiss, ”Mm...” his tongue slipped into her mouth.

Coarse tongues rubbed against each other letting each of them could taste the other’s sweetness on it. Her lips were sucked over and over again, his teeth nipping it not gently and leaving it sore. As their lips pulled back, a string glittered in the light and Vivian’s face turned red. Before she could wipe the saliva, the string broke.

Her heart went still, eyes wide when his thumb wiped the side of her lips.

”Master Leonard,” came the annoying voice of the coachman to which Leonard finally responded,

”Yes, we’ll be down. You can wait in the carriage, Nelson,” he said while looking at Vivian whose cheeks had turned red, ”Are you alright?” she heard him ask her.

”Yes,” she looked away from him, her voice shy.

”Let’s go down then,” he said looking unaffected by the kiss they had just shared. Climbing down the stairs, Leonard led the way back.

She couldn’t help but feel her heart sink in her chest at his sudden withdrawal with her. Not a minute ago he had kissed her passionately and it appeared as if now that they were done kissing, nothing had happened at all. Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, she followed him down while making sure to keep her footing right so that she wouldn’t go tumbling down the flight of stairs.

Turning around the last flight of stairs, Vivian noticed the dark hall that they had passed by wasn’t dark anymore and had candles lit around which brightened most part of the hall. This made it look less haunted and though there was light now the emptiness she felt was something that bothered deep in her mind.

Remembering what she felt when she touched the floor of the terrace goosebumps raised on her skin. The chill was still there and she shivered, due to cold and sight. Rubbing her hands against her arms, she saw a table which was set in the middle of the room with food and plates on it.

As if to gauge her reaction, Leonard turned to look over his shoulder to see the look of surprise on her face which then broke into a smile.

”It’s a picnic,” Vivian murmured in awe.

”It’s a private dinner, dear,” he corrected her.

She gladly accepted the seat which he had pulled for her at the table, looking down at the table and then at Leonard who had taken the napkin to open and place it on his lap. Seeing him do it, she mirrored the same. Being a maid since she was a young girl, no one in particular, had taught her how to eat as the elites did. With what she remembered, she had spent most of her time eating in the kitchen on the floor with the rest of the servants. The other times when she was with Leonard, they would either be sitting in the glass room or outside the mansion on a tree where no one could find them.

That didn’t mean Vivian didn’t know how to behave and blend like the rest of the elites. Somewhere deep down the etiquette were there which were never used. She was quick to pick and learn, after all, though she was taken in as a maid, she was taught by Leonard himself.

To think that Leonard had picked a place where there would be no one to judge who she was made her feel extremely warm and safe.

She had been uncertain about their evening, the thought of what if’s had swarmed her mind when she had remembered what had happened at the Lord’s mansion. She wouldn’t cry about people embarrassing her in front of a crowd but it wasn’t something she willing to experience again.

Hearing the cork of the wine bottle being opened, Vivian found Leonard pouring it into two glasses. There were steak, chicken and a few vegetables on the table that gave out steam to indicate it was heated up a few minutes ago.

To fill up the silence, Vivian decided to start a conversation, ”How’s Charlotte doing? The last time I saw her she had lost weight,” which was true. Unlike the average vampires, the pure-blooded vampires looked much human yet holding the features of a vampire making them appear healthy when compared to the pale low vampires.

”She’s been doing better now. Aunt Priscilla is finding her a match,” Leonard replied calmly while serving the food on her plate.

”Ah...” she nodded her head. Both Vivian and Charlotte were of the same age and with them touching the time of age where they were supposed to get married, it wasn’t much of a surprise.

”What about Mr Wells, I thought he would be well suited to be her match,” Leonard proposed the idea to which Vivian couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

”I thought pureblooded family sought only their kind for marriage alliance,” she commented.

”Hmm, that is true,” he handed her the wine glass, ”Jerome is a good man,” hearing this Vivian couldn’t help but raise her brows which he caught before she could school her features, ”Though he comes from an average family I think he’s created a decent name for himself in the high society. Not to forget his connection to the West Lord. I would rather go with him than the ones who are nothing but after her family money.”

Leo was right, thought Vivian to herself. She knew Charlotte for a long time and the same could be told of Jerome, they would definitely be well suited.

”Will Mrs Easton agree to it?” even with the accomplishments, she knew there were families who didn’t deviate from their traditions.

”She wouldn’t mind. Did you forget our families don’t follow the rules set by our ancestors?” he asked taking a bite from his plate, ”If we did, we wouldn’t be having dinner here right now,” he smiled.

It was a relief to hear that.

Her throat feeling a little dry, she picked up the glass of wine which was next to her plate. Though she had seen the way people ate, she had never put much thought into drinks. Unknown, that the wine was supposed to be taken in sips, she gulped it like it was lemonade.

Leo didn’t stop her from downing the wine in one sip. He rather sat there quietly enjoying his meal and her company, asking her,

”Another glass?”

”Yes, please,” she handed her empty glass which he refilled and gave back to her.