"I am pleased you find me gorgeous it makes me feel a little better about being a vampire, and scaring you. The reason your previous men have ben assholes is because you were secretly waiting for the right man or vampire to come along. I don’t want you for your money, I have my own and if I am married I know nothing about it. I admit I would definitely use you for sex, although I am certain that will be a two way thing. I don’t want you to look after me, but I would like to look after you. I am fairly old Mary, I have learnt a lot over the centuries the last thing I want to do is hurt you."
Why did he manage to give a lovely romantic response, one that made her feel all warm and mushy inside? " it's not that I think you will deliberately hurt me, it's just that you are so, so virile, so strong, so gorgeous and... " this wasn’t working, right now she wanted to throw herself at him "I don’t know anything about you other than you’re a vampire, you are old and could kill me just like that" she clicked her fingers to emphasise her point, although she was quickly forgetting she had a point." I know nothing about your past, nothing about your life now and that scares me"
She could see him thinking, he was truly listening to her. He walked off telling her to wait there. She was sorry to see that gorgeous body move out of her line of sight. Instead she focussed on looking at the books in his collection; she pulled out an old Shakespeare book, ‘Much ado about Nothing’, one of her favourites. Opening the page she nearly dropped it, my god it was signed 'sorry to see you go, William', hearing Darius come into the room she looked up,
"You knew William Shakespeare" he nodded.
“That's amazing, what was he like? I can't imagine."
Darius laughed, "he was a drama queen, that’s what he was like, but he was also a funny person, one who was completely self-absorbed, but nice, I learnt a few things from him." Holding out a book to her she took it, "this and the other one will tell you everything there is to know about me, no-one has ever read these, there are things in them no-one else knows. They are yours to read" now it was Mary's turn to see Darius anxious, although he was handing her the book, she could feel his reluctance.
Taking the book gently in her hands, she sat on the recliner, "You don’t have to let me read these" opening the page she saw it was a biography of sorts "this is too important."
Sitting in the sofa, he smothered a yawn, "I want you to, you want to know me, and these memoirs will let you. About 30 years ago I decided to document my life, not for any other reason than wanting to preserve my life, as I got older I started to worry that I would forget who I am, where I came from, the good and the bad.
"Wow, but they must... it must be so personal to you" already she was getting excited; his life must have been so interesting, he could teach her so much. She slid off the arm of the sofa and curled her feet under her. She felt privileged, no honoured that he had given her this.
"They are but I want you to read it. Uh Mary" she looked up at him, but he could see that she had already drifted away from the conversation "I am going to go to bed for a while, I will be upstairs if you want to carry on where we left off, but if not make yourself comfortable."
"Oh, sorry, no I better leave, I forgot you have been up all night" as he saw her look about, he came to stand in front of her.
"Don’t leave, it's Sunday, there is a spare bed upstairs if you get tired, it's not like you need to change" he saw the confusion before she looked down at herself, laughing as she tried to cover herself and then cover up her blush.
"Oh my god, I am so embarrassed, oh no, that’s why Theo was looking at me like I had grown a second head" her cheeks were bright red now, and she was groaning.
Laughing he bent and kissed the top of her head "I take it you didn’t realise you were wearing pyjama bottoms" she shook her head.
"I like them and I like the idea of knowing you are in my house with sheep pyjama's on while I am sleeping. I tell you what, you stay here and tonight I will take you out for dinner."
He had lost her, she had sat back and opened the book, he wasn’t sure how she would respond to it, it did indeed contain the good, the bad and the damn right ugly. As he climbed into the bed, he knew he was right though, he did like knowing she was downstairs. It felt right.
Chapter 7
This is the life story of Darrell Le Breton, born of Agnes Le Bretton and Father Louis (surname unknown), brother of Philippe and Charmaine Le Breton.
I was born in France in 1303, I start this at the age of 13 years old, why 13, I am not sure really, I suppose even then 13 was a significant age.
I lived with my maman, brother and sister as well as several other females. My father was of the Clergy, one who had pledged his life to God, he was somewhat a hypocrite spreading the word of god and returning periodically to the lives of the children he should not have had. We didn’t see him often but when we did, he preached the teachings of god, spent time hidden away with maman and promised that someday he would return to live out his life with his family.
It wasn’t easy being a boy without a father; it was even harder living with a mother who entertained men in order to put food on the table. We lived in a large house ran by Miss Lilly, which was essentially a brothel, in the Beaubourg quartier in France. This was an area specifically set aside for ladies of the night. Miss Lilly owned the house and maman rented two largish rooms from her.
I remember the majority of my childhood with fond memories, maman was wonderful, she was warm, affectionate and happy most of the time. In fact Miss Lilly's was a lovely house, lots of fun with plenty of laughter and food. There were certain parts of the house we were not permitted to enter, although on occasions me and Philippe would sneak around and watch the goings on. Miss Lilly once caught us and boxed our ears red. She was a buxom French woman who always tsked at us, normally followed by big hugs and lists of chores that needed doing.
Maman was a small petite woman, her long blonde hair hung to her waist; she had big blue eyes that always made it look like she was smiling. By the time I was 10 I was the same height as her. It didn’t matter though, if I was hurt of upset she would wrap her arms round me and make me feel safe and loved.
Philippe was two years older than me; he always looked out for me and our sister, particularly if we went into the city. Being children of a prostitute meant that we were often harassed by the other children; it didn’t matter if their fathers visited maman and the other women. Even then children could be cruel, although childhood wasn’t childhood by today's standards. Many children were working by the age of 8 or 9, with many boys ordered to join the army or serve the knights. Being outside of the city protected us a little, but going into the city could be a trial, very often resulting in fighting between Philippe and the local boys, and as I got older I joined them.
I loved living in France and still consider it my first home. Even then it was a lovely place, the green meadows with trees everywhere and plenty of large castles dotted around the country side. The sights, sounds, and smells teased every sense I have even writing this I feel like I am back there, with my eyes closed, I can still remember the feeling of running through the meadows, the water on my legs from the streams, Charmaine’s laughter and Philippe bawling at us to "hurry up".
When I was 13, Philippe did indeed leave to go join the Kings Army, maman was distraught as was Charmaine who was 10 by that time. Charmaine my younger sister was everyones little ray of sunshine, with her long golden ringlets, blue eyes like mamans and such a sweet disposition. Everyone who saw her fell in love with her. We made sure to keep her out of sight when there were men in the house, maman had drilled us about the dangerous to one such as Charmaine. When Philippe left it became my responsibility to protect her. One I almost failed in.
Maman and the other ladies in the house were ‘entertaining’, I had taken Charmaine out into the yard to collect apples. Maman was going to make a pie; her baking was amazing, so juicy and soft, with a hint of cinamon. The sun was baking down on us; Charmaine was running round the trees g
iggling when a man stepped out from the nearby bushes. Wearing a blue tunic and leggings that identified him as coming from the nearby castle, he stepped forward, speaking to us for a few minutes before placing a bag on the ground in front of us. Opening the bag he placed a loaf of bread, some apples, potatoes and carrots on the floor, he added to this, a gold coin. We looked on in amazement when he added another gold coin to the pile.
Now this was some parcel, in my naivety it didn’t occur to me what he wanted in return. Even though we lived in a brothel and I knew what was sold there, we had been protected from the seedy side of life. So when he moved to take Charmaine, I was a little slower than normal, when Charmaine looked at me and it dawned on me what he wanted, I jumped in front of her.
This didn’t concern the man, he back handed me, knocking me down. I jumped up slightly dizzy and pushed Charmaine towards the house, as she ran she tripped and the man went after her. Running I jumped on his back, he knocked me to the ground again. This time I hit my head on the floor, I knew I was hurt but it didn’t matter I had to get to Charmaine, the man caught her and I ran after them. I thought I had lost her until a second man stepped through the bushes on his horse.
He was huge and a little terrifying, with his long beard and long dark hair, he pulled his sword and stopped the man. Charmaine bit his hand and ran to me after he dropped her; the man went to run after her again. The other man jumped from his horse and followed, as the man went to wrestle Charmaine from my arms, the other man grabbed his hair and held the sword to his throat.
"Unless you are the father of these children and there is a good reason for them to be running scared I would stop now."
Looking to me, I was shaking by this point, he nodded to Charmaine.
"Do you know this man?" I shook my head, by now I was also worried that this second man would want something from us, I wished Philippe hadn’t left, he would know what to do, he always did.
"He tried to take my sister sir."
The man was cursing me. Looking back on my younger self I find myself laughing at my own naivety, i remember that when he started cursing I actually tried to cover Charmaine’s ears. I still recall the words he spoke, and they still cause feelings of anger and bitterness.
"The children of whores were no better than those that birthed them; they are to take the consequences of their mother’s sins" The man was addressing our saviour still trying to get what he wanted.
The man told us to go inside and wait for him there. I did as he said, but there was no way I was waiting for him, I learned from that lesson and wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Luckily maman was coming out to find us and met us in the kitchen. It took her a minute to calm us down, when she did and found out what had happened her face darkened, she started cursing. Telling me to get Charmaine some milk she picked up the rolling pin in one hand and a pan in the other before running out of the house.
I tried to stop her fearing for her safety. When I stood in front of her she stopped, bent down "my beautiful brave boy, don’t fear for your maman, I am as fierce as any soldier when I have to be, no one hurts mine. Now sit with your sister while I deal with this man."
She did return but not alone, the man who saved us came with her, he sat while she made pie, he didn’t say a lot to us but he did to maman. He was English but spoke French, it didn’t matter Maman had taught us both. Although I didn’t really understand much of what they were saying, they spoke too quickly. I did work out that the man's name was Edward and he had come from the fighting down in the South. After pie the man left and I was relieved, wanting to forget the whole incident, although I would never again leave the house alone with Charmaine, I would never let her get hurt.
My relief was short lived though, the next day the man came back, this time for me, maman watched as he led me into the court yard and handed me a wooden sword. I was terrified; when I saw him arrive I thought he must have come back maybe to punish me for letting the man get to Charmaine.
I was wrong. For the next hour he showed me how to hold a sword and how to move whilst carrying a sword. The sword might have been a wooden practicing one, but it was heavy. My arm ached that night when maman sat me down and told me Edward would return the next day to give me more lessons. Apparently he had convinced maman that I needed to be able to protect myself and Charmaine, maman agreed. I wanted to know what he wanted in return, Maman laughed and told me not to worry my pretty little head about that.
Edward did indeed come back every day for a long time, by the time I was 14, I was strong and fast with a sword, in fact for my birthday that year, maman and the other ladies presented me with my own sword and scabbard. It was and still is the best birthday present I have ever been given. My first sword was referred to as a Espée du Guerre, a war sword, I still have this although I don’t wear it every day anymore, I would get a few odd looks and find myself arrested if I tried.
Over that year Edward became more of a father to me than my own had ever been. He taught me how to look after myself and the other ladies in the house, he also taught me to shoot a bow and arrow, and again I still have my first bow and arrow. Some days after he had taught me he would then chat to maman, it took me a while to realise what he wanted in return, I should have been angry but even then I could see how happy Edward made her, she didn’t seem to work as much and Edward was kind to Charmaine as well. That summer was probably one of the best of my childhood.
I remember the morning when Edward came early, maman was with the other ladies and he found me practicing with my sword,
"Well Darrell, you have learnt well, I don’t think there is much more I can teach you" he had tethered his horse and motioned me to sit on a rock, laughing I joined him, "I thought you said you never stop learning."
"I did indeed, although you have to learn from others as well. I have to leave today Darrell, but your maman and you children have been very special to me, I lost my own son when he was but a baby so teaching you has been a honour. Remember all that I have taught you and that I am proud to have been your friend." After he left I just sat there, lost. It had never occurred to me he would leave.
I found maman that night sat in the kitchen quietly crying, she too would mourn the loss of Edward from our lives. He had given maman a short sword as a gift for me and I was immensely proud of this, I was devastated years later when this was stolen from me. Over the next 4 years I helped out more around the house, I dealt with some of the nastier clientele and marked out a bit of a name for myself. On several occasions I was called for when there was trouble at other houses, and I made sure to pass on my new skills to other boys in the neighbourhood.
Chapter 8
Mary sat back with heavy eyes, so Darius was called Darrell and his mother was a prostitute. She had never heard him mention a brother and sister, but if they were born in the 1300's then they would have died, surely they were not vampires. Mary couldn’t imagine living while you lost everyone around you, the pain and grief must be overwhelming. When you live forever what was the point in getting attached to anyone?
She wanted to read on, but her eyes were so tired, damn her early morning, if she had just slept during the night she would have been able to read more. She would close her eyes just for a few minutes, then she should be able to read some more.
Darius showered and quietly made his way downstairs, with the sun setting his day was just starting. He couldn’t hear Mary but he could smell her, he could hear her heart beat coming from the lounge. When he stepped around the corner he stopped and stared, her glasses were skewed across her nose, the book still in her lap, her legs curled under her. Gently stepping towards her he draped a throw over her. Resisting the urge to kiss her he shut the door on the way out of the room. Making a phone call he sat outside waiting for Ben, he didn’t want Ben to wake Mary; he was noisy at the best of times.
In wolf form Ben was huge, with silver fur and blue eyes he was Darius' best friend, Ben was the only person who knew any of his past and even he kne
w very little. As Ben shifted to human form the bag that was across his back fell and Darius caught it "shit Ben you nearly broke the eggs."
Ben laughed this loud growling laugh, Darius punched him in the arm "be quiet you oaf" Ben was the biggest of the pack in wolf form, which stood to reason, how would a tiny wolf look as pack Alpha.
"Darius why are you whispering, why am I whispering? And why am I bringing you human food? Do you know I had to run out of the house just to stop Lucky coming. She's convinced you have a woman tied up in bed" he went to laugh again but Darius punched him again.
The Man Behind the Vampire (The Silver Series) Page 5