“That is quite a coincidence,” Flora agreed, frowning.
“Hardly,” Helena said, drawing all eyes. “There was an infestation in our neighborhood years back. Those who escaped had to go somewhere. It was only a matter of time before we stumbled across one we knew.” She shrugged. “Frankly, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. It was quite a devastating time. Nearly half the town had been turned.”
Flora gasped. “That’s awful.”
“But not completely unheard of,” the duke said, voice fervent, rising louder than I’d ever heard previously. His hand clenched so tightly around the fork he was holding that his knuckles stood out, white. “That’s why we have to work so diligently to ensure each and every one of them is reduced to dust.”
“Don’t work yourself up, Father,” Ambrose cautioned, patting his arm gently. “We’re all in agreement with your sentiments.”
Not all of us are in agreement,I thought, watching them. My eyes darted back to Helena, who’d returned to her bread. She’d deflected suspicion from me with her story. I could still count on her perhaps, for some things. Even if that trust only went so far, and could only be relied upon in the interest of her own self-preservation. Nevertheless, I was grateful at this moment for her intervention.
“If this vampire is still in the neighborhood, rest assured that we will take care of her,” Ambrose continued, eyes meeting his father’s. “Until then, we’ll simply need to keep our guard up.”
The duke nodded.
Maxwell brightened. “Oh, but you should have seen Lucian fight the vampire off. He was brilliant.”
“Was he now?” the duke asked, glancing in my direction. “Have a bit of fight in you, do you?”
“He nearly killed the vampire. Years of fencing and I doubt I could have handled myself any better.”
I was flattered by Maxwell’s praise. “I was lucky.”
“He’s being modest,” Ambrose said, sending me a pointed look.
“Enough of this dreadful vampire business,” Flora said, straightening in her chair. “It’s fortuitous the vampire around Foxglove Abbey has been dispatched, since we will be traveling there this very afternoon and remain there for the next ball.”
“Will we?” Cecelia asked, brightening. “I haven’t been for ages.” Exclamations of delight ran up and down the table among the remaining guests.
“I hear they have good game there,” a girl on my other side told a friend beside her. “I’ve always wanted to see it for myself.”
“It will make for an interesting time,” Zachariah told me conspiratorially.
I didn’t particularly care for the mystery in his words, but I pasted on a smile as I lifted a glass to him, as if excited to meet the challenge.
CHAPTER TEN
“You’ve come a long way already, Lucian,” a blond boy complimented as he packed away the sheet music from the stand I’d been using.
I continued to play the violin, letting the bow run along the strings in a cooldown to my fervent playing. After a moment, I lifted my head from the chin rest and smiled at the boy. “I’ve had a good teacher.”
He shrugged. “I don’t think you’ll be needing me much longer. You’re a natural. Your aptitude on the piano likely helped, but there’s soul in what you play.”
Soul. That was a thought, given how most of his kind thought of me as a soulless monster. I tilted my head as I watched him place his own violin in his case. Franklin was an amiable man. I even admired him, as much as I could admire a human. But once the music stopped, he was as tedious and dull as the others. It was a shame. A little more fire in him, and perhaps he would have made for a good companion. Even if he was rather plain to look at.
It was rare for me to seek out humans to interact with, but I’d found so much joy in the piano that I wanted to continue my musical learning. The violin was an elegant instrument, and the next logical choice.
“See you again next week?” Franklin asked, glancing back as he made for the door of the studio.
“Next week,” I agreed.
He paused at the door, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Oh, is there any chance we could begin a little earlier next time? I have another appointment after yours, and I’d hate to keep him waiting.”
I pursed my lips. “I’m sorry, but I’m otherwise engaged until dusk.”
“That’s alright,” Franklin said brightly. “I told them that might be the case. See you then, Lucian.”
I nodded in reply and stepped out into the brisk night air as he locked up behind me. I whistled a tune from something I’d played tonight as I made my way out of town and up the path that would eventually lead to the castle, violin case swinging at my side.
