Bambi and the Duke

Hearing that the village was close by Vivian decided to ask the housekeeper, ”Can you take me there, Jan?” her question was enough to fill the housekeeper with dread, his face slightly turning pale, ”You did say the Duke said I could ask you for anything for the day,” her smile was so infectious that the housekeeper for the first time found it hard to answer back to her but he was well aware with the game of manipulation.

”I’m sorry, milady but I cannot fulfil your request on it. I would suggest you go with Master himself once he returns back home.”

Jan, the vampire, housekeeper of the Carmichael mansion stood firm with his words. For a moment he thought he would have agreed before realizing how wrong it might go to take the lady to a place where the massacre had taken place. Having the human around him often and tending to her requests it seemed that she had managed to get under his skin, his eyes narrowed at that thought of his. Not only would she be in trouble but it would also put him in front of the ire of the Duke which he had no intention to experience.

Vivian continued to look at the man, hoping he would change his words but he didn’t, instead, he turned his head away to talk to the maid to heat the milk for her while also going to ask to prepare warm bowl of water to be readied in the room so that the wound could be re-dressed. Sighing, she turned around to continue eating her breakfast, taking one bite and chewing on the soft bread which must have been prepared early in the morning.

Taking the newsletter she went to read more on what was written ’...bodies have been found in the village where no one has been left alive. Whoever who has killed them must have been bloodthirsty to not leave even young children alive. Throats have been slashed across...The morning of Bonelake has brought another chill news to find some bodies that lead to the lake. We are yet to know what the Council is going to do with this information...” the written words went on, making her question why anyone would commit mass murder. Reading about the throat slashed tingled her mind but it never connected to her previous sight.

She wished she could go meet Sister Isabelle and ask her what was happening as it felt like she would have some insight on it but now that she was stuck in the mansion, there was little to nothing that could be done. Also, it didn’t seem like Jan could be swayed by persuasion.

The more she thought about the death that took place, the more curious she turned to what might have caused to lead to such mass murder. In the past, the mass murders took place due to the plague which made men sick and deficient, the disease that couldn’t be easily prevented but that took place three decades ago. Another reason was when deranged vampires who hadn’t be turned well had attacked the people causing a lot of problems and rift between the already delicate matter when it came to the human and vampire relationship.

From what she had come to hear from Leonard and also the newsletter which she read, the number of dead bodies that had begun to rise in the four lands. Though this was the actual massacre that took place with such a high number of death, it was hard to not think with what if’s they were done by the same group of people. But what was the need to have so many bodies? She wasn’t part of the council yet to work along with Leonard but she wanted to involve herself and checking the village didn’t seem like a bad idea.

She couldn’t help but try, therefore when she was done having her breakfast, she wiped her mouth with the napkin, dabbing it gently and placing it down, ”He only told to not go to the church for today. Did Leonard tell I wasn’t supposed to go out?”

”No, milady. I don’t remember him telling that to me,” answered the housekeeper cautiously.

”Then isn’t it safe to say I can step out of the mansion anywhere I want with a guard next to me?” she tried to haggle her way.

”Please wait for Master Leonard,” he bowed his head and left the dining room. As the maid began to clean the table, Vivian excused herself and walked out of the room. The need to follow Jan until she received a yes was too high but she bit back her curiosity.

Walking around the mansion at noon she was walking past the main door when she heard someone knock on the main door of the mansion. With her standing not far from the door and no maids around, she decided to open it herself. But when she did, she wished she hadn’t done it as there stood Leonard’s uncle, Sullivan Carmichael.

To say he didn’t look particularly pleased with her presence in front of him could be considered to be an understatement.

”Mr Sullivan, good afternoon to you,” Vivian bowed her head politely for him to gauge her up and down.

The last time she had met Mr Sullivan was when she was a maid and the last time they had spoken it hadn’t been a pleasant conversation. She was a lowly maid who was told not to speak so freely about the young master of the house like she was his friend when she had to know the difference between their status. She had been more than hurt that day when Sullivan had scolded her in front of other few maids and Paul.

Unlike his older brother, Giles Carmichael who was Leonard’s father, he had little to no regard when it came to the low people of the society. Humans were nothing by slaves to the vampires in his eyes and Vivian was well aware of it.

Vivian who didn’t know about the talk that transpired about her between Leonard and his uncle didn’t know how to react in front of Mr Sullivan now. She should have known that one of these days she would be meeting the man as he was one of the direct relatives of Leonard.

The man scanned her with his dark red eyes which were very much similar to Leo’s as if testing and seeing the girl if she was worth his nephew’s time. Sullivan didn’t find anything appealing when he made a quick look over at her. Leonard could do so much better, with his looks, status and personality he could land plenty woman who would willingly fall into his arms. Maybe she looked better with her clothes changed from a servants dress to a proper lady but she was an average girl with decent looks and his nephew Leonard could do so much better but the time they spoke, it seemed that he was serious about her and wasn’t looking for another woman.

”Where is Leonard?” his question was to the point as if he didn’t want to waste his precious time talking to a measly human girl.

Noting that the man didn’t greet her and went straight to ask about Leonard, she replied back, ”He was summoned to the council early in the morning because of the ambush that took place in one of the villages.”

”That was why I came here,” flipping the watch which he took out from his pocket cloak he flipped it back close to slip it inside the pocket, ”Will you be standing here and not let me in,” his sharp eyes stared down at her and Vivian quickly moved back and away to make way for him. She scolded herself mentally for not realizing the little mistake she had done by making him stand outside the mansion like an outsider.

Sullivan walked through the main door, his long strides quick as they mad way to the drawing room and he plopped himself in time for Jan to arrive at the door with his eyes that slightly widened at the sight of the man and the Lady standing in front of the pureblooded vampire. Like Vivian, Jan didn’t know about Master Leonard confessing his love for the girl to his uncle which turned him worried but kept his face passive of any emotions. Sending her to the village didn’t sound that bad anymore, thought the housekeeper before he came to ask the man,

”Good afternoon, Mr Carmichael. Master Leonard isn’t here right now and will be arriving later tonight,” said the lowly vampire with his eyes which were cast down to not meet the eyes of the pureblooded vampire directly.

”So I have heard,” Sullivan looked at Vivian who stood with her hands held together.

”Would you like to have something to drink?” asked Jan.

Sullivan hummed in response. As if in some thought, he didn’t reply looking at the window which showed the clouds that weren’t dark due to the rain that had poured down the previous night, ”I would like blood tea,” when Jan bowed his head in response to his demand, the man surprised both the housekeeper and Vivian by telling, ”I would like her to bring it,” his gaze moved from the window to stop at Vivian, ”Prepare it yourself,” she?

Jan was about to speak but Vivian interrupted the housekeeper to happily oblige to Sullivan’s words.

”Excuse me,” Vivian went to the kitchen leaving Jan to entertain Sullivan Carmichael.

Blood tea was a tea consumed by pureblooded vampires. The tea powder which was used by the humans wasn’t the same one which was added to make this special tea. Seeds called the ’Entimone’ was used which grew in the West region of Woville which when consumed in large quantities could behave like an aphrodisiac. This tea was mostly prepared by the house butlers as they were skilled in using the right composition and thickness of blood of the rabbits.

When she was young she had seen Martha prepare it for Mr and Mrs Carmichael and their guests who visited them but she didn’t know it was the blood of rabbits that were used here. Having loved the innocent creatures for long it had broken her heart when she had eagerly decided to make one for Leo to find out that the rabbits went missing because of this reason. Nonetheless, she did it as she lived in the mansion of pureblooded vampires. She knew Sullivan Carmichael was testing her and for some reason, this gave her a fair notion that maybe he had found out about Leo and her relationship.

Having already prepared it once, she gathered the necessary ingredients that were needed and started to prepare the blood tea.

Taking the hot tea cup, she took it to the drawing room where Leo’s uncle sat with one leg on top of another who hadn’t bothered to exchange any words with the housekeeper. Giving it to him, she saw him take a sip from it, his mouth hovering over the teacup before putting it down, ”Leonard informed me about your exam. The first might have been easy but the second isn’t. The second is always hard to track and if you fail you don’t just fail but also might lose your life,” he warned her without commenting on her tea-making skills.

She wasn’t sure if he was trying to warn her or scare her now. Realizing that he hadn’t commented on her attire of proper clothes which she wore now, she wondered if he knew about her and Leonard. Since the time he had arrived here, she couldn’t stop thinking and worrying of how he might scold her like last time.

Sullivan looked at the human girl from his teacup as he sipped his blood tea. He hated humans, for the way they loved, for their weakness mentally and physically making him mock at their existence. His nephew had picked her to be his partner which he didn’t understand in what way.

”Sitting here and doing nothing is not going to make you the one who is eligible to be part of the council,” Vivian who had been looking at his shoe which were made of leather looked up when he spoke, his eyes narrowed at her he placed the teacup in a clatter on the table. Taking the kerchief from his side pocket he wiped his lips and opened his pocket watch for the second time. Getting up from the couch, he faced the housekeeper, ”We will be going out,” at his words her head snapped to look at him.

He hadn’t mentioned about Leonard and her but was he going to kill her off somewhere?

”Get the lady’s cloak,” he ordered the housekeeper who had to bow and oblige in response. The old pureblooded vampires didn’t take the words of the servants too kindly. Once he returned back, Vivian wore her overcoat which was gifted by Leonard.

”Excuse my foolish behaviour but where might you be going, Sir Sullivan? I had like to mention it to the young master when he arrives back home,” he asked using Leonard as an excuse but it was true.

”Hmm, tell him we went to visit the dead man land. The village which had a massacre,” as Sullivan said this, the housekeeper worried for what Leonard might say to it. It was obvious that the older vampire wasn’t fond of humans especially not Vivian as he had decided to take her along to the site where the dead bodies must have scattered which no one would dare to go. It was a crime site and he wasn’t sure if Vivian could go. Having no say of refusal all he could do was bow at the man, ”If you said he will be home late, I think I should be able to send back her before the time of his arrival.”

Sullivan didn’t wait to check or ask Vivian if she was ready to leave as he turned and headed to his carriage.

Just as Vivian was going to hurry herself to follow the pureblooded vampire’s footsteps, she heard Jan say, ”Please be careful, milady.”

”Yes, Jan,” she smiled widely before toning it down when he sighed.

All this while she wanted to go and see what happened so that she could find some kind of reading before the council would come and remove the evidence. To think that Leonard’s uncle had offered to take her there, she was more than happy to accompany him.