Torchlight

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Almost an hour later, Elizabeth entered the parlour. She looked weary, like someone who had been through an emotional ringer.

Cassandra and Emilia stood up and waited. "He is resting. The blood is working. He needs rest and darkness right now."

Emilia clutched her midsection in relief and sunk back into the chair.

Elizabeth moved over to her. Kneeling at her side, she took her hands.

"Thank you for helping my brother. Without you, he would have died today."

Emilia just nodded. She didn't know what to say. In fact, she was entirely overwhelmed.

"I think its best we leave. You all need rest, as do we," said Cassandra sensibly.

"You have many questions," Mick stated.

Cassandra looked over at Emmanuel, and then back at Mick. "And they can wait. Till tonight at least. I think we all could use some rest, and much needed perspective."

"I'll have your carriage brought around." Emmanuel left the room.

Elizabeth nodded. "Please, come at dusk." Looking back at Emilia. "Thank you, again."

Emilia hugged Elizabeth instinctively before she and Cassandra walked out to the carriage. She helped Emilia in before turning to Emmanuel.

"Will he be alright?"

"He is strong and heals fast. He will be fine."

Cassandra had a million other questions milling and swirling around in her mind. Emmanuel took her hand, squeezed it gently and then lifted it to his lips. "Get some rest, Cassandra."

He said her name and her knees turned to jelly. She nodded and allowed him to help her into the carriage. "You too, Your Grace."

Cassandra and Emilia went home, bathed and went straight to bed. It was well past lunchtime when Emilia awoke. She lay for a minute and pondered everything that had happened the previous night, and the day before.

Vampires, they were vampires. He was a vampire.

Her maid entered, effectively ending her musings. "My Lady, I am so glad to see you are awake. Would you like me to bring up your lunch?"

"Thank you, Rose. But no. I will dress and take lunch over at Winterley Court. Would you have Charles send Cassie a note, so she knows to expect me?"

"Yes, my Lady. I laid out your clothing."

"Thank you."

Cassandra was reading the morning paper, in the afternoon, when Emilia walked in. The murder had been reported. Cause of death was similar to the previous murders. Are the Konstantin's involved in all of those as well? Cassie thought.

Hearing someone enter, she looked up from her musings. "Em! You're looking much better!"

"You mean, after my brush with death?" Emilia frowned. "Technically Lord Hale is already dead, so it was quite a literal brush."

Cassandra bit her lip. "It should strike me as unusual that our reaction to discovering that our recent acquaintances are vampires is rather... well... normal, but it does not."

"Cassie, what could shock us, honestly? Besides, my cousin Neville disgusts me more than the walking dead."

"True that. Neville is rather horrid." Cassandra shuddered.

"And to think, I could right now have been a day closer to becoming the Countess of Wheton."

Cassandra's eyes bulged. "What?!"