Flora nodded to the woman. “For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, this is Lady Luna. She is a gifted medium. She will be reading you all tonight as we eat and converse.”
“But there’s no reason to fret. It’s not intrusive,” Lady Luna said, her voice thick with an accent I couldn’t identify. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that it was utterly fake. It sounded forced. She was likely a complete charlatan. I couldn’t completely write off psychic abilities, seeing as I could hypnotize people with my own supernatural powers. If vampires and ghouls existed, why couldn’t people attuned to the spirit realm? Lady Luna’s initial display, however, showed me her true colors. If her gifts were legit, I doubted she would need to distract her audience with attention-grabbing dresses.
Ambrose muffled a groan beside me. “She already shared the smoke. Next, you can be dazzled by the mirrors.”
I also had to wonder how much money the duchess was paying her for her services that allowed the psychic to afford such costumes. No wonder Ambrose found the woman distasteful. The duke, as well.
“Have you ever performed a séance, Lady Luna?” Cecelia asked politely. “This would be the perfect occasion.”
“I only do private consultations, usually readings, to glean the future.” Lady Luna sniffed. “My gifts aren’t for your entertainment. I take them very seriously.” She leaned forward and winked. “Theoutfitsare for your entertainment.”
I chuckled, earning a glare from Ambrose. I shrugged apologetically, but I couldn’t help but find the medium amusing. At least she had a sense of humor.
Flora cleared her throat. “And for our other guest, joining us from the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, we have Lord Boulliard.”
I winced as Stuart’s description of the man was given form. The severe-looking man had thick eyebrows and dark stringy hair interspersed with gray, and he strode into the room imperiously. He had a slight limp, and one long scar ran the length of the right side of his face, cutting through his trimmed beard.
“Lord Boulliard is a respected historian,” Flora informed us as she followed him to the two remaining seats at the head of the table. “He will test your knowledge this evening. We need an informed mind to join this family, and Lord Boulliard will ensure that is the case.”
Ah. I sent Zachariah a sideways glance. Istria. So, he was watching out for me. How adorable. He met my gaze with a knowing look.
Boulliard glowered down at his plate as Flora took the seat of honor and smiled at us reassuringly.
“Has anyone heard if that vampire in the neighborhood was destroyed?” Lady Luna asked as the first course was served: chestnut soup. “And wasn’t that girl at Foxglove Abbey killed by a vampire as well? They couldn’t be one and the same, could they?”
I stiffened. Perhaps shewaspsychic.
Flora smiled tightly. “It hasn’t been destroyed from what I’ve heard, but I doubt very much they could be the same creature. Foxglove Abbey is such a long way from here.”
Violetta shifted in her seat, and I met her eyes reluctantly.
“Unless it’s following Lucian,” Melbourne said. “He knows it, after all.”
Beneath the table, my hands clenched into fists. Perhaps some animosity still remained between us. I had half a mind to gouge out his eyeballs with the spoon he was slurping from.
“It’s notfollowinghim,” Cecelia corrected Melbourne. “He just knew the young lady when she was alive. Do keep up, Melbourne. It’s like you’re not even trying.”
“Perhaps he should pay less attention to his soup,” Ambrose suggested.
Melbourne straightened and left his spoon in his bowl to dab at his lips with a napkin. “My mistake.” He didn’t lift his eyes to mine.
“You knew it when it was human?” Lord Boulliard asked, squinting at me. “How interesting. And it recognized you?”
I cleared my throat, not particularly liking his attention focused on me. “It did.”
“I hear vampires seek out the ones who were closest to them in life,” Zachariah said. He glanced sideways at me. “Were you close?”
“I was little acquainted with the woman before she became … one of the undead,” I said regrettably. “I’m surprised she approached me as well.”
“But yours is hardly a face people forget,” Maxwell said, before looking away quickly.
“Here, here,” Ambrose chuckled, his good cheer wilting under the stern stare of his mother. He suddenly became fascinated as soup was ladled into his bowl.
“Shall we begin the questions?” Flora asked pleasantly. She gestured to Melbourne. “Lord Boulliard?”
Boulliard sat forward in his seat, giving Melbourne a once-over before turning to a notebook. He scanned a page before returning his eyes to the boy. “What three forms can a vampire take?”
I nearly scoffed at how easy this question was, but Melbourne frowned. I blinked before tilting my head toward Lord Boulliard. An occult question. An occult historian. Interesting.
