by Gayla Twist
“Do you like to watch?” she asked, leaning back on the bed slightly and letting one of her hands drift over to her thigh. “Is that what you want?”
“Actually, what I really wanted was someone to talk with while I wait for my brother,” I told her. “But please don’t be concerned; I’ll pay you for your time.”
“Oh,” she said, sitting up a little. “You’re one of those.”
“One of what?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral, although feeling slightly offended.
“You want my life story, I suppose,” she said, her eyes growing a little angry. “You want to know how I managed to become such a downtrodden whore.”
“Not particularly,” I told her. “We don’t have to talk at all, if you don’t want to. We could always play cards for awhile, if you have a pack.”
Bernadette gave me half a smile and turned her head to view me out of the corner of her eye. “Cards?” she said. “You want to play cards? That’s a new one.”
“We don’t have to play cards,” I told her. “But you said you’d rather not talk and I was trying to think of a way to fill the time.”
“You’re too good looking to be in a place like this,” she told me. “I’m sure plenty of girls would give you a tumble for free.”
“My brother wanted to come here,” I informed her. “If I’d known what he had in mind, I don’t think I would have joined him.
“You a funny fellow?” she asked. “You prefer roughhousing with the boys. Is that it?”
“No, I prefer girls,” I assured her, taking in her meaning. “But…” I was about to say too much, then decided I would anyway. “But I’d like to wait for someone special.”
This made her smile. And this time it was a full, genuine smile. “You’re a romantic,” she said. “I thought all of your kind had died out defeating the Kaiser.”
I smiled back at her, a genuine smile of my own. “I guess there are a few of us left.”
Bernadette tried to sit up on the bed in order to speak with me more easily, but something must have twinged in her back because she grimaced and then quickly tried to cover it with another smile.
“What’s wrong with your back?” I asked her.
“Nothing,” she insisted, sitting up a little taller. I lowered my chin and gave her a steady look, so she shrugged. “Okay, there was this fellow who came in a couple of weeks ago. He got a little rough and now I can’t walk straight.”
“Have you seen a doctor?” I asked, rising from the chair and walking over to her.
“There’s only one kind of doctor that comes to a whore house,” she told me. “And bad backs aren’t his specialty.”
“Would you like to stop working here?” I asked. “I mean, if you could.”
She gazed up at me, but still managed to keep her eyelids heavy. “You’re going to save me?” she said, and then suppressed a laugh. “That’s Crystal’s racket, not mine. She’s been saved by not-so-virtuous men a dozen times since she started working here. Although she’s getting a little old for that scam now.”
“I can’t save you,” I told her, in all honesty. “I could possibly provide you with the means, but you’d have to save yourself.”
She thought this over for a minute. “I wonder…’ she said, half dreamily. But then her eyes cleared. “Nah,” she told me. “It’s a nice thought, but I’m too busted and worn out at this point to even try.” Then, with a sigh, she added, “But you’re a sweet boy for offering.”
“I could at least try to fix your back,” I offered. “If you’ll let me.”
Bernadette looked me over. “You’re too young to be a doctor. And don’t tell me you’ve got a magic willie.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her crassness. “No, it’s not magic,” I told her. “At least I don’t think it is.” This earned me a laugh in return. “But my grandfather was a scientist of sorts and he made a kind of tincture that I think might help you.”
“Tincture?” she repeated. I could tell she was beginning to grow suspicious. “What kind of tincture?”
“It’s for pain,” I told her. “And it’ll help you relax so that all your bones and joints can settle back into place.”
I was standing quite close to her at this point and suddenly Bernadette looked alarmed. “Thank you for the offer, but I don’t think I need any kind of tincture,” she told me. “In fact, I don’t think I’m your kind of girl at all. You’d probably like Sally. She’s real pretty and I’m sure she’d drink whatever tincture you had in mind.” She tried to get to her feet. "Why don’t I call for Bruno? He can get her for you.”
“Sit down, Bernadette,” I commanded, looking her straight in the eyes. “There’s no need for you to be frightened,” I told her, gazing at her intently. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She smiled with relief, her body instantly relaxing. “That’s good. You frightened me there for a moment. You never know what some men are about.”
“Close your eyes and open your mouth,” I instructed her.
“Oh. This game,” she said. “I guess there are no true gentlemen left.” But she did as I instructed.
Quickly I bared a fang and pierced the tip of my finger. Once a few drops of blood had formed, I placed them on her tongue. “Swallow that.”
“What is it?” she asked, even as she was swallowing. A few seconds later she opened her eyes.
“How do you feel?” I asked.
Bernadette shifted from side to side, and then turned her head right and left a few times. There was a popping sound and then a few, quieter crunching noises. “Oh,” she exclaimed. “Something just shifted.” She placed a hand on the back of her neck. “Something’s different. I can feel it.”
I stepped back, allowing her room to stand up. She moved cautiously at first and then with greater freedom. “I haven’t felt this good in years,” she said, giving me an amazed look. “What’s that stuff your grandfather made? He was a genius. You could sell that stuff and make a mint.”
“Grandfather had his moments,” I assured her. “But I’m afraid his formula died with him. And that was the last of my supply. There isn’t anymore.”
“Oh.” Bernadette looked at me with disbelief. “And you wasted the last of it on me?”
“I didn’t waste it,” I assured her. “I shared it with a friend.”
She moved around a bit more, testing her back for any residual pain. “That stuff is amazing,” she said. “I thought I was on my way to the grave, but now I feel like I might actually want to live.”
“Do you want to live here?” I asked.
“Not particularly,” she said with a shrug. “But what’s a working girl to do?”
“You could get a little shop and live out of the back,” I suggested. “Maybe you embroider shawls. Maybe you raise chickens and sell the eggs. I bet there are a lot of things you can do.”
Bernadette thought it over. “I guess I could give it a try,” she said. “The girls always want me to sew them some fancy flowers and things. And I’ve got a little money saved. Not much, but maybe I could rent a place and get some supplies.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my billfold. Pulling out several bills, I folded them in half and handed them to her. “Hide this somewhere,” I told her. “Don’t let anyone know I gave it to you or I’m sure someone will try to take it away.”
Bernadette gaped at the money for a moment and then concealed it in her clothing. “So you really are trying to save me.”
“No,” I shook my head. “I told you before, I can’t save you. I can give you a bit of money to help you get started, but you have to save yourself.” Then I looked deeply into her eyes and held her gaze. “I believe in you, Bernadette.”
“I’m glad,” she said, giving me a shy smile. “I think I’m starting to believe in me, too.”
Sitting in the lobby again, the Madame came over to see if I was satisfied with Bernadette’s services. “Very satisfied,” I told her. “She’s quite a remarkable person.”
I engaged the woman with my eyes. “Bernadette might consider leaving here soon,” I told her. “If she decides to leave, then you will not impede her in any fashion. As a matter of fact, you’ll do whatever is within your power to help her. As you would with any of your girls.”
“Of course,” the madam assured me. “I would do that for any of my girls.”
I sat waiting for another three-quarters of an hour before Daniel reappeared. He looked smug, like the cat that had just swallowed a dozen canaries, and there was the faint smell of blood about him. Sitting down heavily next to me, he turned to look in my direction and said with a lascivious smile, “Now that was a bit of fun.”
I shrugged, not sure what kind of reply he would expect from me.
“Have you really never been to a bordello before?” he asked, tilting his head a little to get a better look at me.
“No,” I said, in all honesty. I’d never even thought about going to a bordello.
“You mean Grandfather never took you to one? Not even when you were mortal?” He seemed very surprised. When it was obvious my answer was still no, Daniel added, “That surprises me. He took me to my first whore house when I was sixteen.”
I shrugged again. “Grandfather always did like you more than me,” I pointed out.
“True,” Daniel said, and then he closed his eyes, emitting a contented sigh. After a quiet moment, he said, “Do you think Mother had anything to do with it?”
“To do with what?” I asked.
“Grandfather’s cabin boy.”
“To do… how?” I asked, keeping my voice steady, even though inside I felt alarmed. I did not know how Daniel would react if he knew our mother had set up our maker to be discovered and tossed into the ocean.
“To do with tempting him with a beautiful cabin boy and then arranging it so he was caught in the act.”
I frowned and brought my eyebrows together. “Why would you think that?”
“Because when we disembarked, Mother went through customs first,” he said. “And while I was waiting in line, I could see her talking to a wily looking fellow in a checkered suit. So naturally I was curious to know who he was.” I kept my face completely neutral while he spoke, as if listening to any ordinary story. Daniel went on with, “So as I was standing by myself, waiting for you and Emily, I saw that same fellow approach one of the ship’s stewards, and he was obviously looking for someone. A few minutes later, the steward brings forth a cabin boy. The same cabin boy that Grandfather was caught feasting upon.”
“What did the man want?” I asked, trying not to sound too curious, but as someone who was simply interested in the story.
“He told the boy that some long lost relative of his had died, leaving him a bit of money,” Daniel said with a frown.
“You’re kidding,” I exclaimed. “Well… good for him. I’m glad something good happened to him after what he went through.”
Daniel frowned some more. “But don’t you think that’s just a bit too much of a coincidence?” he asked. “I mean, he gets bitten on the neck by Grandfather and then magically inherits some money. The whole thing smells of Mother, to me.”
“You’re probably right,” I told him. “She’s always had a soft heart. There’s a chance she felt sorry for the boy and set the whole thing up. I can ask her, if you like.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Daniel said with a sniff. “Maybe she did and maybe she didn’t. My bet is she had a hand in it, but as long as she only gave him a few thousand, I guess it doesn’t really matter to me.”
“Are you ready to go?” I asked, making motions like I was ready to get out of my chair.
“Are you really ready to be off this early?” Daniel had to wonder. “I thought you’d probably be up for a second round and here you are, eager to go.”
I was eager to go. I wanted to leave in a rather desperate way. And I didn’t just mean the brothel. I wanted out of New York as well. It wasn’t that I was tired of the sights, sounds and smells of a new city, but I wanted to be on my way to Tiburon, Ohio. I had been thinking about it pretty much incessantly since we’d arrived in America, when I could stop thinking about my belly. It wasn’t even homesickness for the castle, as far as I could tell. Something was calling me to that small Ohio town and I couldn’t wait to get there.
Chapter 23
Colette
“I’m so proud of you girls,” Papa exclaimed, gathering us both in a big bear hug. “Or should I call you young ladies now that you both have jobs and uniforms and everything?” And then he hugged us again. I loved the pipe-tobacco smell of him, although Mama only permitted him to smoke on the porch.
“You should see the ballroom,” Lilly said to him. She’d been brimming with excitement, ever since Millie gave us a tour of the castle’s ground floor. “There are cherubs and goddesses painted everywhere, even on the ceiling. I’ve never seen anything so fancy.”
Papa nodded, listening intently and beaming at us. “Now that’s something I wish I could see.”
“They might have a family day,” Lilly told him, squeezing his hand and then swinging it back and forth. “So that the families of all the local staff can see where they work. At least that’s what Millie said.”
Our father chuckled. That was the third time Lilly had mentioned the other maid since we’d told him the news of our new employment. “Sounds like Millie is your new best friend.”
“You should see the library,” Lilly went on. “It’s a huge room with all this gold trim. And books stacked as high as the sky. I think the Vanderlinds probably have more books than the Tiburon Library and I’m not exaggerating. Lettie was over the moon.”
“They might let you borrow some,” our father said, stroking my hair. “I’ve heard that the great houses of Europe frequently encourage their staff to borrow books from their libraries, if they have any interest.”
Our tour of the castle had been so wonderful, it was almost dizzying. Every room was grander than the last. And we’d only toured the ground floor. “Downstairs maids are never allowed upstairs,” Millie informed us. “Mrs. Denkler is very strict about it.”
“Are any of the upstairs maids allowed downstairs?” Lilly asked, half jokingly.
“They can come down for meals and stuff,” was the reply. “But they all came over from Hungary and don’t really speak any English, so it’s not all that fun when they do.”
“Maybe we can learn to speak some Hungarian,” I suggested.
“I actually know a few words,” Millie told us. “My grandfather emigrated from there. That’s how I got this job. He walked over to the castle, knocked on the door, and introduced himself.”
“What words do you know?” Lilly asked.
Millie’s cheeks turned a little red. “Actually, most of the words I know aren’t appropriate for polite company,” she said in a low voice, and then giggled. “I guess by the time you get to the third generation, that’s all anyone remembers.”
Lilly and Millie got on like a house on fire, but I was too busy thinking to pay attention to most of the chatter. Mrs. Denkler was such a peculiar lady and the way she looked at me made me uncomfortable. “Papa, who was Empress Elisabeth?” I asked when Lilly paused for breath.
“I’m not sure.” Our father frowned a little and then smiled. “That seems a question out of the blue.”
“It’s the reason we got the jobs,” Lilly told him. “The housekeeper thinks that Lettie looks like some royal lady who was stabbed by an anarchist.”
“Oh.” Papa’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. And then he laughed. “Well.. that is one of the more peculiar reasons I’ve ever heard for someone being offered a job.”
Lilly bounced up and down, clapping her hands. “I can’t wait to tell Walter,” she exclaimed before dashing out of the room.
“You don’t seem as excited as your sister,” Papa said, turning his full attention to me.
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br /> “I’m excited,” I assured him. “Just in a different way.”
If I was being honest, Mrs. Denkler’s comments about how I looked like an Empress who had been stabbed to death unsettled me a little. I’d never found the whole idea of reincarnation very appealing. I was me. I never liked the idea of being anyone but me. Or that I could possibly be just a recycled version of someone who had lived before my time.
Chapter 24
Jessie
Tiburon was a small town in the middle of Ohio, just like any other small town in America, I had to imagine. But there was something about it that felt so right to me. There was an indefinable magic that hung in the air like pollen on a spring day.
Ever since I’d been transformed into a vampire, I found it hard to breathe. — Not that I actually needed to breathe anymore, but I felt a figurative tightness in my chest. — But as we arrived in Tiburon, in a motorcade of black sedans, I felt that tightness begin to dissipate. To my mind, becoming a member of the undead meant the end of my life. But being in Tiburon somehow made me feel like I had the chance to live again. I couldn’t have an ordinary life, but I started to feel that maybe I could somehow find happiness.
Or maybe it was just the absence of Grandfather that lifted my spirits. He’d been a black cloud hovering over the family for my entire life. I hated to be the kind of ugly person who was made happier by another person’s demise, but Grandfather was an incredibly difficult man to be around. Plus the knowledge that my beloved sister would not face the same curse of immortality as the rest of us put joy in my heart.
When my grandfather was a young man, the Vanderlind Castle was in the country. As he grew into a young man, Budapest also grew, expanding to the point that the castle was on the outskirts of town. By the time I was born, the city had swallowed up the open fields that had always surrounded the castle. Our home had become part of the metropolis.
Even though Budapest was a city with many architectural beauties, the castle always looked out of place there. It wasn’t meant to be crowded on all sides by the bustle of urban living. That’s why, when I first caught sight of the castle as we made our midnight arrival in Tiburon, it really resonated with me. The castle appeared at home; more so than it ever had in Budapest. It felt like the structure was meant to be there, majestically standing on the shores of the Tiburon River. It felt like home.