Chapter 32
“Mr Jerome. I hope the celebration isn’t tiring you,” Leonard came forward.
“Oh, it isn’t. I am actually quite enjoying,” Mr Jerome responded back and wished him, “Happy birthday, Duke Leonard.”
Vivian looked at both of them exchange their small formal greetings to each other. Leonard looked more irritated than usual at the moment.
“If you could excuse us, Mr Jerome, I would like to talk to her,” with no hint of subtlety in his tone or expression, Leonard spoke directly to the man which took the man by surprise.
“Of course,” seeing the man leave, Leonard caught her hand, pulling her in another direction. On their way, he didn’t seem to speak and she wondered if she had to wait to wish him until they stopped where ever they were going. Her heart had begun to beat again as his hands circled around hers.
“Why aren’t you at the hall?”
“I had work in the kitchen,” She wondered if it was normal for a Duke, a pureblooded one at that to have a friendship with a maid like her. Was that even friendship? Paul’s experience in the last household he worked for scared her. What did Leo and she have?
“A few minutes shouldn’t hinder the work.”
“Keeping the guests waiting for food and drinks wouldn’t reflect well on your family. The cake will be cut-” Vivian was turned around suddenly to a halt, “Why are you mad?” she asked carefully.
“You tell me,” he asked letting go of her hand and jamming both his hands in his pocket.
“Ah yes! Happy birthday, Leo!” she wished him suddenly with a bright smile on her face, “I came to your room in the morning but you must have left early for work.”
“…”
“Leo?” Vivian called his name who seemed to be in some deep thought as he stood still before a smile broke on his face.
“Thank you, Bambi. Where’s my gift?” his hand went to brush some strands of her hair away from her face but Vivian could hardly keep her thudding heart quiet. She stepped back when his hand was too close her to which his eyes narrowed, “What happened?”
“What? What happened?” she prompted his words, her eyes a little dilated.
“Why are you moving away?” he asked her, taking a step forward and she had to take a step diagonally as there was no space behind.
“Where am I moving?” she asked nervously looking elsewhere and then back at him, “Master Leonard, I think you should return to the main hall. The cake will be cut soon.”
“I want you to be there. Be there when I cut the cake prepared by you,” he said not taking another step forward. The tips of her ears had turned pink out of shyness. It seemed like she had finally begun noticing him as a man and not the boy whom she used to once follow around when she was young, “You will be there right?” he asked for her confirmation.
The nod which was slow turned to a confident one, and she responded back with a sweet smile, “I will be there. How could I miss it.”
Vivian followed Leonard, one step behind him knowing well if someone saw a maid like herself walking next to the Duke like an equal, words would turn to unwanted rumors.
Letting Leonard walk into the hall first who was soon surrounded by his family, urging him to cut the cake, she slowed down her footsteps. From the corner of her eye, she could see Paul who walked in the direction of the kitchen. A few minutes and then she would get back to the kitchen, told Vivian to herself.
The cake was cut and everyone took turns to wish the Duke for taking up the title as well as for his birthday, wishing him many more to come. Vivian felt chest fill up with an explainable feeling when Leonard’s eyes met hers. As her eyes roamed around quickly before leaving the room, she found Paul coming from the other end of the hall. A little confused she looked at him. Paul must be one good servant to be able to run around the mansion so fast, she then left the hall to go to the kitchen where the maids were working. The servants and maids ate dinner once the guests left the mansion except for some relatives of Mr and Mrs Carmichael. The servants were tired but everytime an occasion like this took place, their wages were always doubled for the day which compensated their efforts. It was close to midnight when all the dishes and the hallways were cleaned all over again.
Vivian sat on her bed, her head resting on her knees as she stared at the flickering candle. She couldn’t believe she had got to see Leonard cut the cake, maybe not see the cake exactly being cut because of the people surrounding him but she saw him and he was happy. It felt rewarding that everything had gone so well. The guests were pleased, Mr and Mrs Carmichael were happy and she was happy too.
Her eyes had only begun to droop when it opened up wide before it began to close. Stretching her arms and legs, she got down from the bed, picking up the empty glass from the small table next to her bed, she stepped out of the room. It seemed like all the workers had gone to bed due to exhaustion.
Making her way back to the kitchen, Vivian pushed the lid of the pot that contained water when she heard some sound in the hall. Normally it was her to break things around the mansion so she wondered who had broken what outside.
Putting the glass down, she followed to the place where the sound had come from. Looking left and right, she found no one until something wet fell on her forehead. It was when a strangled cry was heard did she run up the stairs while holding the front of her pale white night dress. It was when she reached the last step of the stairs did her movements slow down in shock. She covered her mouth.
Blood was everywhere. On the floor, on the walls, blood splattered across the objects and bodies on the ground where some of them didn’t have their parts intact.
With shaky legs, she walked to hear a sound from one of the rooms. Noticing Mrs Carmichael in one of the rooms where the door was open she felt relief flood in that the lady was alright but when she turned to face her with Mr Carmichael’s body lying next to her feet motionless on the cold floor, it didn’t feel right. The lady didn’t seem like herself. Her eyes had turned pitch black and veins had appeared from the sides of her face like a tree’s root.
“Mrs. Carmichael…?”
Something snapped Mrs Carmichael who previously appeared to be in daze. She turned to Vivian, opening her mouth to show the fangs that grew. The woman went to attack her but was thrown on the wall by none other than Leonard who was covered in blood himself. The crash didn’t stop the vampiress’ from getting on her feet and lunging towards her own son, attacking him with brutal movements and going for the direct kill.
It was when Leonard ran the dagger that was in his hand through his mother’s chest did the woman stop moving gradually. Seconds passed until his face filled itself with grief as he held his dead mother close to him in his arms.
