Bambi and the Duke

”Good afternoon, ladies,” Jerome bowed his head to show respect to the women.

Vivian bowed her head, a smile coming up her lips in exchange to his smile. It had been long since she had last seen him. The last time they met, it had been in the study room of the Carmichael mansion. The time when he had asked her openly, stating he liked her in front of Leonard. Thinking about it she dared not turn to look at Leonard where she knew he would have a sullen look on his face.

The vampiress, on the other hand, didn’t spare more than a few seconds, not bowing her head she looked away as if the lower vampire with bright red eyes didn’t stand in front of them. Eleanor who was brought up in the pureblooded family of vampires had grown up with their values of her being in the higher status while the others who were there were lower than her and it included the vampires along with the humans.

Jerome didn’t take the rude response as he was used to such reactions from the elite society. The man had worked hard by making a decent name for himself without having anyone’s help. Though he had earned a renowned name for himself in the high-class society not everyone treated him rightly. After all, he was just a vampire who didn’t belong to their class. He had been passing by the streets after talking to one of the deal vendors to get the wooden material for the doors when he had caught sight of Vivian standing with the Duke and another woman.

”Good evening, Mr Wells. Did you come here to order the supply for the interior of the doors?” Jerome wondered how the Duke knew about it. Or was it the owner of the house he was working on who had a big mouth who had told half the town about his new house which was being built. He wondered if this was what they meant when one said- keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

”Yes. The builder fell short of the wooden carvings and the chiseler broke in the beginning. I didn’t want him wasting his time and thought to get it myself,” answering the Duke’s question, he turned to look at Vivian who looked prettier than the last time he had seen her, ”How have you been, Lady Vivian?”

”I have been doing well, Mr Wells. You seem to be busier these days,” as Vivian spoke to Jerome, Leonard’s jaw ticked at there mere conversation.

He didn’t like the man one bit. Though he had made it clear with him about how Vivian was his woman, it appeared that the lower vampire hadn’t got it into his head yet. But then there was also another reason for his dislike over the man. He had created a fair share of a name in the society by his talent but he had caught some rumours about how the man had used one of the pureblooded vampiress to receive favour before her untimely death which Leo found suspicious.

”The magistrate wants to rebuild the town which is on the far East near the coast,” said the vampire.

”Rebuild? That’s a lot of work. How many houses are there? What about the families who live there, will they have a home to live in?”

”You don’t have to worry about them,” Jerome was touched by the thought of Vivian’s worry over people she didn’t know of, ”The magistrate said the council agreed to give them a nearby shelter for that period of time but Duke Leonard didn’t approve of the papers filed.”

At the mention of Leo’s name both the ladies turned their attention to him, ”Because the whole ordeal is unfeasible,” Leonard’s eyes looked lazily out of uninterest, ”Instead of finishing one house at a time they want to work on every house which is in the town. It isn’t your work that I doubt, Mr Wells, but the intention of why they would want to rebuild everything.”

Jerome nodded his head, ”That’s the dream of the magistrate. He sees the town differently with another future. I can only aid him with the opportunity he’s given me,” which was true. Until now all the architectural assignments Jerome had received were small contracts of the mansions. This was a big deal as it wasn’t about just one or two houses but an entire town which he would be remodelling with his skills to the magistrate’s vision.

”Congratulations on receiving the work, Mr Wells,” Vivian congratulated him as she hadn’t done it before.

”Thank you. It has been less than two weeks since the work started. It might take seven to eight months before we get it ready,” he said to her.

Having enough with their chit-chat, Leonard interrupted them, ”Excuse us, Eleanor and I shall take our leave. Vivian, you should get back home too,” he said with the intention of sending Vivian home so that she wouldn’t spend more time with the man who was trying to court her.

”Oh, you were leaving?” Jerome tilted his head in question to Vivian.

Eleanor, on the other hand, came to realize that the man was wooing the human girl with pleasant conversations. Suddenly wanting to help, she jumped into the conversation.

”It should be alright if Vivian wants to stay back here while we take our leave. Just because we are leaving, doesn’t mean she has to go too,” Leonard’s hands balled into fists in anger at his cousin’s suggestion.

”We found the gown for Lady Eleanor to wear in the Winter’s ball. I should head back too,” she answered his question while lightly ignoring the vampiress suggestion.

”How about yourself?” Jerome hinted about her shopping in the Isle Valley. Instead of letting Vivian reply, Leo took it to answer Jerome’s question, ”She bought her dress.”

”I see,” Jerome smiled before asking, ”How about shoes for it?”

”I don’t think she has the shoe to go along with the dress. You have come all the way here, why not buy the shoe for it, Vivian,” Eleanor pipped in while nudging her cousin with her elbow subtly wanting to shush him.

”I think that’s fine...” she waved her hand. She would rather use the shoes that were in the mansion than buy something expensive from here which would cost her a millennium if she had to return the money.

Leonard who was angry at his cousin, looked at Vivian, ”There’s no hurry to buy it now. Didn’t you say you were exhausted earlier in the shop? She should rather go home and rest,” he said the last line to Jerome.

”If that is so, allow me to take you home, Miss Vivian,” Jerome offered to get a nod from Eleanor but it couldn’t be counted with the way Leonard looked at the man with irritated eyes which was slowly turning angry. Before there could be any more protest or sway of words, the ordinary vampire said, ”Duke Carmichael will be accompanying the lady. It would be rude to not see you home if you’re tired. Please,” he pleaded politely, making it hard for Vivian to resist.

”That’s very kind of you, Mr Wells. We won’t have to worry about Vivian’s trip back to her house. Thank you,” Eleanor complimented to which he bowed his head in response.

Vivian didn’t mind going back to the Carmichael mansion with Jerome but the way Leonard glared at everyone including herself she didn’t know what to say but smile uneasily. Both Leonard and Vivian had kept their relationship to be under the cover until she finished her council exam but it wasn’t a secret to Jerome.

Jerome somehow caught on the tricky situation that was built here. When it had been just three of them, he remembered how he had claimed Vivian in front of him without an ounce of shame. Calling her his woman yet here they were tight-lipped. Taking advantage of the situation he said, ”The horse I brought along with me, isn’t tied too far from here. I hope you will be able to walk,” he smiled when she nodded her head and as expected the Duke fumed standing with his eyes narrowed and jaw clenched tightly.

Vivian turned to bow her head, in a sign to leave to both Eleanor and Leonard.

”I hope to see you soon, Vivian. There’s a tea party next weekend at one of my friend’s place. I will send you the invitation,” the vampiress said with a smile on her lips.

”Thank you for inviting me,” Eleanor wasn’t Charlotte but she wasn’t that bad of a vampiress in Vivian’s eyes, ”Have a good day, Duke Leonard,” her eyes met the burning gaze of Leonard who looked quite mad at the moment. Nonetheless, he tried to keep his cool.

”I hope you reach back home and rest for the day,” and when he said that, Vivian didn’t know why her heart skipped a beat. Though he said that, she felt there was something she had to read under his tone of voice where he wanted to tell ’head back home instead of wandering’. Leonard exchanged a small bow and walked with Eleanor next to him. Vivian saw the vampiress talk enthusiastically about something while Leo didn’t bother to speak but only listen to her.

She heard Jerome speak next to her, ”Shall we, Ms Vivian?” as if broken from the trance she replied with a yes to see the man chuckle. When she gave him a questioning look she shook his head in response.

Jerome had mentioned about his horse and not his carriage while speaking to poke fun at the Duke. Riding on the horse had the opportunity to have her much closer to him with her either sitting in the front or behind him than a carriage. It was the least he could do by getting back for taking away the affection of the woman whom he had harboured feelings of liking...or was it love?