Real Vampires: When Glory Met Jerry

by Gerry Bartlett

  “You would be right.” Jeremiah appeared in front of me. “This cozy scene has gone on long enough. I can have my knife at your throat in but a moment, MacDonald, if you don’t step away now.” He frowned down at me. “Where the hell is Fergus?”

  “He is close by.” I stood and smoothed down my velvet skirt. “Robert rescued me from Lord Summers. You won’t remember it since you were too far gone with blood loss, but the night you both almost killed each other, his lordship stopped his carriage and offered his help. Unfortunately, he took a fancy to me.” I shuddered. “He has a taste for pain with his pleasure. I’d sooner go back to starving than serve the likes of him.”

  “There will be no need of that, Gloriana.” Jeremiah’s jaw was taut. He bowed toward Robert. “I suppose I must thank you. But Fergus should have been the one to keep her safe.”

  “I am here. I was behind her when MacDonald intervened.” Fergus walked up, Maggie by his side. “I could not very well tell a lord of Summers’ standing to leave Gloriana alone. MacDonald handled the matter without causing a scene.”

  “The play is about to start.” Jeremiah sent Fergus a look that made him drop Maggie’s arm. “Come, Gloriana, we have reserved seats.” He took my arm and swept me away, never even asking about Fergus’s lady.

  “Jeremiah, you were rude. Fergus never forgets his duties, as you well know. It is time that you remembered he is a man with needs. You should have at least asked to be introduced to Maggie.” I spoke low into his ear as he led me to our seats only three rows from the stage. We were to sit in a sea of plaid. Robert was on my other side. I smiled at him just to show Jeremiah I was not rude and had my own friends.

  “Fergus has a job to do. This is not the place for his courting.” Jeremiah nodded to some of the other men around us. “You look very well. Smile, if you please. And I do not like how familiar you are with MacDonald. You call him Robert? It is not seemly.”

  “I will smile when I am happy. Right now you are making me unhappy with your selfish attitude. Robert has been kind to me. I will call him what I please.” I pulled out my fan and waved it slowly in front of my face, as if I was bored and merely enduring the company around me.

  “Damn it, Gloriana, where did Fergus find that doxy?” Jeremiah had turned around and had spied Fergus and Maggie behind the seated crowd. “They are standing with the servants.”

  “That doxy is my friend from the theater.” I closed my fan with a snap. “If it wasn’t for her and the loan of a certain green dress, you and I would never have met. She has a kind heart and a miserable life. So has Fergus, if you must know. You give him no time to seek his own pleasure. What kind of life is that?”

  “Would you two quit quarreling? The play is about to start.” Robert was grinning.

  Of course he had heard us whispering with his vampire hearing. I was sure no one else had above the excited talk from the crowd. But he was right, Master Shakespeare stood in front of the curtains on the stage. The king took his place in a special chair in the front row and waved his hand as if giving permission to proceed.

  Master Shakespeare spoke a few words about the play, then bowed and walked offstage. The crowd got quiet when a man with a staff hit the boards three times. There was an air of anticipation as the curtains parted. Candles were extinguished except for those on the stage and the play began.

  The Moor of Venice was a rousing success but I had a damp handkerchief by the time it was over. Richard Burbage had delivered a masterful performance as Othello. By the time he died onstage, no lady and some of the men in the audience were able to hold back their tears. Even Becks had done a credible job as the villain Iago. I had to admit that the new actor who played Desdemona made a much better woman than Horace did as the hapless Emilia. Horace didn’t look well, his costume was tight, and he frequently looked befuddled, losing his lines. This play was not kind to him, since he usually played for laughs.

  There was much applause and the king himself took the stage to give prizes to those actors who had pleased him. Master Shakespeare was in his element and soon had two women clinging to him as he walked through the crowd, taking congratulations.

  “Hello, if it isn’t Gloriana St. Clair.” He nodded to me when we came face to face. “You are looking very well.”

  I introduced him to Jeremiah. “We enjoyed your play very much. I daresay it will become a crowd favorite.” I touched a handkerchief to my eyes. “Well-played by the cast. I hope you were pleased.”

  “Some players were better than others. Of course I can always see room for improvement.” He looked me up and down. “I look forward to the day when there will be a real woman on stage to play those parts. Now wouldn’t that be a treat?” He laughed then moved on through the crowd.

  “He’s dreaming. The king would never countenance such a thing. He is already hearing complaints from some of the very religious who want to outlaw plays again.” Jeremiah looked after the playwright.

  “You never know what the future holds. Maybe someday women will act and be given prizes for it. And you will live long enough to find out, will you not?” I saw Fergus talking to Maggie. “What would you say if Maggie came to stay with us? She could help clean the rooms and do my hair. I would dearly love to have a lady’s maid.” I smiled up at him.

  “You know that won’t work.” He frowned. “And you know why.”

  “Come now, Jeremiah. If you don’t feel you could trust her to keep your secrets, you could wipe away her memories. As you used to do mine.” I clung to his arm.

  “This would please you? Would it please you enough to forget this mad notion you have?” He pulled me away from the crowd. “You know what I mean.”

  “I am willing to wait a bit. But I won’t forget it.” I pressed against him. The play had made me melancholy. So much death, so much betrayal. Why hadn’t Shakespeare presented a comedy? But I knew why. The king didn’t care for light fare and he’d requested a tragedy. He had certainly gotten that. “I want to go home now. I want you to make love to me. Will you do it?”

  “I am always ready to make love to you, Gloriana. But how will it be if Fergus brings another woman into the place? There will be no privacy.” He caught Fergus’s eye and gestured for him to join us.

  “Are you ready to leave? Shall I fetch the carriage?” He glanced back at Maggie.

  “Gloriana seems to think you wish to have the woman with you, living with us. My love has been taking me to task for ignoring your needs as a man. Is she right?” Jeremiah locked eyes with Fergus. Of course, they could see into each other’s minds.

  “I have been happy to serve you for many years, Jeremiah. But things change.” Fergus nodded at me. “I know I am just the hired help and have no real say in how we arrange things. But I cannot go on much longer watching you two and your happiness without some kind of…” He shook his head. “You know what I mean.”

  “I see.” Jeremiah glanced at me. “Then we will need a bigger place. What do you think? Is the woman willing?”

  “Her name is Maggie, Jeremiah. Which you would know if you had stopped to be introduced.” Fergus was clearly angry. “I am a man, just as you are. I understand that I have a job to do, but it wears on me to always put my needs aside in favor of yours and now Gloriana’s.” He looked as if he wanted say more and seemed to come to a decision. “I am glad you are happy with her. But I have been lonely, Jeremiah. So has Maggie. I can see into her mind and heart. I believe she will be willing if I ask her to join us. She can work alongside me, share some of the chores, even if she is not ready to be more to me than a friend.”

  “Aye. I understand what you’re saying and thinking.” Jeremiah frowned. “We were planning to move anyway. So look for bigger lodgings. After you see if this Maggie wishes to join us. Then we’ll have to be careful. You know we have our secrets. She will have to guard them well or be kept in ignorance.”

  “I know she can be trusted, Jeremiah.” I grinned at Maggie when I caught her watching us. “It will mean a l
ot to me to have company during the day. I hate being alone when you are sleeping.” I glanced up at him through my lashes. “I am not used to your schedule. Mayhap I never will be as long as I am mortal. Having another woman around will help keep me entertained.”

  “I thought I did that.” Fergus growled. But I could see he was teasing.

  “’Tis not the same and you know it.” I hugged Jeremiah. “Thank you. I will stop bothering you about changing what I am. For now, at least.”

  “Then it is time for us to go home. You did say you were in a giving mood.” He grinned at me. “Fergus, arrange things for later in the week. Tell your lady goodbye for now.”

  “I will that.” He strode off into the crowd.

  Jeremiah had to take his leave of the king. That took a while since there were many people eager to do the same and the king was in a fine mood, happy with the play and eager to discuss it and the coming Yuletide season. Because there were some Protestants who disapproved of the lavish Scottish festivities, he was thinking of leaving for Edinburgh soon. That meant his supporters from the Highlands would also be leaving London. Jeremiah seemed excited about the idea by the time we finally got to the door and he helped me with my cloak.

  I was afraid to ask what a move to his home in the Highlands meant for me. Instead, I clung to his arm, enjoying his good humor.

  “Now Fergus will have a woman of his own. I hope you noticed how willing I am to make you happy.” He kissed the side of my neck. “It is no small matter to bring another mortal into our household.”

  “You will make Fergus happy. It is long overdue.” I was not about to be persuaded to just forget what I really wanted.

  “Tell me more about this woman. She was your friend at the Globe. Did she have a protector there?” Jeremiah waved for our coach but it was caught in a line of them. We could see Fergus up on the box next to the coachman.

  “Of a sort. It was a sham marriage. She was tied to Horace, the man who played Emilia tonight.”

  Jeremiah laughed. “Oh, my. Sham indeed. The man was barely able to speak his lines. I can see him in a comedy, but he did poorly in this night’s play. And I swear he split his dress when he raised his arms in the last act.”

  “Yes, I worry for Maggie’s future if she has to rely on his standing in the company. Master Shakespeare will surely lay into him for the way he had to be thrown his lines several times.” I was afraid Horace might be shown the door. Forgetting his lines in front of the king! Shakespeare would not soon forget that.

  “Ah, here’s the coach.” Jeremiah helped me inside. “Now, you were going to be grateful I believe, that I am willing to have a woman to keep you company during the day. I will even pay her generously for that duty.” He settled next to me, his hand under my skirt and sliding up my thigh. “You cannot say you are ever lonely at night, can you?”

  “Of course not. You are good company then, Jeremiah.” I sighed as he slipped a finger inside me, exciting me instantly. “You have proved that vampires are lusty. Are all of them so?”

  “No. I have known men who were more priest-like. Whatever urges they had as mortals, they continue to have or not have as vampires.” He leaned down to kiss the swells of my breasts. “I told you before. I was always eager for lovemaking. Now I will be that way forever.” He looked up and met my gaze. “And there you have hit on one reason I might be tempted to turn you, my love. A Gloriana forever hot for sex. It is any man’s dream.” He ran a fang across my neck and the jugular vein that he loved so well. “But then I would miss the heat of this skin. The hot pulse of your vein when I bite into it and your blood fills my mouth.”

  I shoved him away. “I know I promised, but you brought up the subject. What if I want to live forever? What if I’m afraid I’ll grow old and displease you as my hair grays and my skin wrinkles?” I pulled his hand from under my skirt. I could feel his hard stare in the dark coach. He didn’t like my tone. Well, I didn’t like his stubborn refusal to even consider my needs. “You say you love me. I love you enough to please you any way I can. Why won’t you please me? Oh, yes. I get pretty baubles.” I pulled off my earrings and dropped them in my lap. Next came the necklace and bracelet. “These might as well be coins.”

  Was I mad? A few love words and I was testing him. He could well push me out of the coach and leave me to the likes of Lord Summers. No, I needed to say this. I burned with the need. To live forever. Suddenly I wanted that so much I was willing to beg him for it.

  “Stop it. You looked beautiful tonight. You glowed with health and life. A vampire doesn’t glow at all. We are dead inside.” He leaned back and stared out the other window.

  “You don’t look dead to me, Jeremiah. Nor do you feel dead.” I had my ways. Of course I touched him where he pulsed with life. Yes, there, under his kilt. That got me a stony look. He lifted my hand and tossed it back into my own lap.

  “Damn it, Gloriana. I had to die before I was reborn as what I am. It is a painful transformation, you have no idea how painful. You feel as if you are being ripped apart, burned with torches…” He shook his head. “It is beyond description. You also have no idea what you would lose as a vampire.” He had never been so serious with me.

  “No, I am just thinking of what I would gain.” I faced him, ready to have this out. “Eternal life.”

  “Eternal night.”

  “Eternal youth.”

  “Blood drinking.” His face could have been carved in granite.

  “Mind reading.”

  “Fangs.”

  The coach jolted to a stop. We sat as far from each other as the seat would allow.

  When Fergus opened the door, he stared at us. “We still have a few blocks to walk. You know how it is.” He gave me his hand and I took it. Jeremiah jumped out, landing a few feet away.

  “Nice trick.” I held my cloak around me in the chill night air. “You have quite a few of those. I have seen them. You can run faster than any human, jump higher than one as well. And don’t forget shape-shifting.”

  Jeremiah had no answer to that. He nodded at Fergus who had paid the coachman. Once it rumbled away, he stood waiting for us to move.

  “Are you two fighting now?” Fergus looked from me to Jeremiah. “Gloriana, I was hoping you would give up this mad notion.”

  “What is mad about it? I am in love and want to be with the man I love forever. But this stubborn Scot isn’t interested. I can only think he can’t imagine staying with me for eternity.” I suddenly had to fight tears. Oh, foolish. Why couldn’t I just leave this alone? He had told me his reasons. But I was as stubborn as a Scot it seemed. I walked toward home. I suddenly noticed that Jeremiah had disappeared. No, not disappeared. He was a big black bird, sitting on the stones in my path.

  “Really? You changed? What now? Are you going to peck at me? Make me afraid of you?” I laughed. “Go ahead, blackbird. I can’t wait to shift. What will I be? A pretty yellow canary?”

  “You are making him angry, Gloriana.” Fergus stayed by my side. “The first time a vampire shifts can be terrifying. I saw one try and then fail to go all the way. We had a devil of time getting him back to human form.”

  “Now you are trying to scare me.” I took his arm. “Don’t shift as well, Fergus. I need your strong arm to protect me from that fierce blackbird.” I felt the wind from his wings as, with a screech, Jeremiah took off toward home. “Go, fly away. I would never make love with you in that form. Believe that.”

  “You are foolish, Gloriana. Remember your place.” Fergus pulled out the keys to our hovel. Yes, Robert MacDonald had been right. It was little more than that. I hoped Fergus found a better place before he brought Maggie to live with us. I didn’t doubt she’d agree that we lived poorly now, though it was bound to be better than the room she shared with Horace.

  I walked inside and handed Fergus my cloak. “Wine. I need some of that fine wine you served me earlier.” I was in a mood. I wasn’t denying it. Jeremiah was nowhere in sight but I had a feeling he was in o
ur bedchamber, probably already naked and waiting to take me. Of course, that was my purpose here. And I was supposed to be grateful that he was finally treating Fergus like a man. Damn him.

  Fergus filled a goblet and silently handed it to me. “I have an idea for our lodgings. I am leaving now to see about it.” He said that loud enough for Jeremiah to hear him on the other side of the hearth. “Gloriana, too much wine makes your blood taste different to Jeremiah. Do you really want to do that?” He had noticed that I had finished already and was pouring more.

  “Why not? What care I if the taste is not to his liking? He cares little if he pleases me.” I drank deeply.

  “If you are the worse for wine, it may well make him the same if he drinks from you soon after you…” Fergus frowned when I slapped his hand away and picked up the bottle. I poured the rest of it into my goblet.

  “Now that I would like to see. Jeremiah Campbell out of control. From wine. Not from a fight and blood loss.” I laughed. “Go. We will be very busy, I believe, and you would not want to witness what happens here.” I pushed him toward the door. “Find us a nice place.” Did my words slur? I didn’t care. I was relaxed, the wine warm in my belly. “Maggie is going to love being with you, Fergus. I bet you are a fine, lusty lover. Horace prefers men. Did you know that?”

  “Hush, Gloriana. You cannot say such things.” Fergus picked up his cloak. “No more wine, I beg you.”

  “Just go. We will need two bedchambers in our new place.” I wagged my finger in his face. “Privacy. Very important. I wonder if Maggie is a screamer when pleased?” I drank the last of the wine. “Do we have another bottle, Fergus?” I showed him that my goblet was empty.

  “No, that is all. Good night, Gloriana.” He stepped outside and closed the door.

  I heard the key turn in the lock.

  “Are you proud of yourself? You embarrassed him.” Jeremiah leaned against the doorway to our bedchamber. He wore his shirt and nothing else.

  “Hah! So you were listening. And lying in our bed expecting me to come to you. Like a good little mistress would.” I slammed the empty goblet onto the table. I reached up then remembered I’d already taken off my jewels. Where were they?