“History in the Making, It talks about things that happened to make history.”
“Sounds interesting; are there any more books?” I asked, looking around for a book shelf.
“The library is downstairs. Would you like to see it?”
“Yes, I would,” I said.
Tony sat the book down and took me to the library on the first floor. Covered from floor to ceiling were books. A ladder attached to a rod at the top of the shelves made it easy access to the books out of reach. Two armchairs and a floor lamp sat in the center of the room with a desk holding a small lamp behind the chairs and an open book lay on the desk.
Searching the library, I found a mystery novel, When Strange Things Happen, about two people falling in love, and every time they worked on their relationship, someone or something was trying to split them up.
Tony had things to do at the blood bank and now that I was feeling much better, decided he could leave me.
Wrapping myself up in the book, I had forgotten the time. I was three quarters finished with the novel when I started thinking about the rooms behind the wall. Tony still wasn’t home. I decided to see if I could find the hidden stairway while he was at the blood bank.
Setting the book down, I went to the first floor kitchen searching for the hidden stairwell without success. Turning to leave, I noticed a latch sticking out from behind the kitchen door. Closing the door, I saw the hinges to the door in the wall, unlatched the latch and opened the door. Sure enough, there was a stairway. Without knowing when Tony would return, I took a chance to see what was off limits.
Closing the door behind me, I ascended three flights of stairs, feeling exhausted when I reached the top. I must be weak from the flu. The top of the landing, to the right, was a hallway. Going to the first door and trying the knob, the door opened. Sticking my head inside the room, I found a coffin. Deciding to investigate I walked over to it and placed my hand on the top. Suddenly the oddest feeling came over me as if I was being watched. Hurrying out of the room and closing the door behind me. The feeling disappeared and I went to the next door across the hall. Opening the door slowly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, freezing in place I slowly turned around, to see a man standing behind me and then he disappeared. I ran to the stairs and out to the kitchen, latching the latch and went back to our floor. Sighing with relief, Tony hadn’t made it back yet.
Sitting in the high-back chair and catching my breath, I thought of the man who touched me. His hair was long and gray, wearing a black robe, pale and in his thirties, maybe forty. Shivering from the experience, I vowed never to go behind the wall again.
Chapter Twelve
Tony and I went for our boat ride. In the middle of the lake was a medium-sized island. Pulling up to the dock, I noticed a wrought iron fence. Above the gates it read: “MUREAUX.”
“This wouldn’t be a cemetery, would it?” I asked, with curious eyes.
“It sure is. This is where I come to be alone,” he said, helping me out of the boat. “I enjoy the peacefulness it gives me to gather my thoughts and think of you. Just kidding, I didn’t know you when I lived here,” he said, smiling at me. “I do enjoy the peacefulness.”
We walked a few yards to the middle of the cemetery where a table with four chairs sat in a gazebo, headstones surrounded us. The cemetery reminded me of the park at home, but gave me a feeling of watchful eyes everywhere, a feeling I wasn’t accustom to, but peaceful. We sat listening to the sounds of nature, a frog croaking, birds singing, and fish jumping in and out of the water.
“I know why you come here,” I said. “It reminds me of the park, peaceful.”
“I thought you would. I come here to listen to the sounds or just to read.”
“These are family, right?” I asked, looking around at the headstones.
“Yes, they date back as far as the fifteen hundreds. It was all land until my father had a lake built around the cemetery,” he said, reaching out for my hand.
“Tony, I have something I need to tell you,” looking worried and down at the table. “I don’t want you to be upset with me. But what I have to tell you might.”
“You can tell me anything, you know that,” he said, reaching for my chin, gently lifting my head so I could look him in the eyes.
“Sweetie, you can tell me anything.”
“Well, I found the hidden stairway,” I said, with my nerves on edge.
“Why would you do that? I told you it was off limits.”
“I know,” I whispered.
“I haven’t been behind that wall my entire life, let alone know where the stairway was.”
Shrugging I said, “I was curious so I went up there.” Letting go of Tony’s hand I got up and walked to the bench by the lake.
Tony followed me. He stood behind me placing both hands on my shoulders. “Jess, why? I told you not to go up there.”
“I know, but I wanted to see for myself. Are you upset with me?” I asked.
“No, I’m not upset. What did you find?” he asked, sitting beside me he put his arm around me, looking toward the lake.
“I found a coffin and a man,” I said, turning toward him. “The man touched my shoulder. When I turned around, he disappeared. I left immediately without looking back or seeing the rest of the rooms.”
Tony sighed. He had a secret about that part of the house he wasn’t telling me. I didn’t ask either.
“Was his hair long and gray? Was he wearing a black robe?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s the man I saw! Who is he?” I asked.
Tony shrugged.
“Do you know what is behind the wall?”
Tony hesitated. Sighing he said, “I know, but I didn’t want you to know.”
“I can handle it. I promise I won’t go up there again. I want to know.”
Tony took a deep breath, looked at me with sadness in his eyes causing me to feel sad seeing him this way.
“A long time ago, my great-grandfather, William, became a vampire in the last room on the left. His coffin is there, as is he. He brought his mistress, Charlotte, to the house one night when my great-grandmother was off visiting her family. The unthinkable happened!” Tony got up, walked to the edge of the lake tossing a pebble into the water. “He didn’t know his mistress was a vampire. She turned him that night so they could be together forever.” Tony squatted down, tossing another pebble in the water. “He writhed in pain for days. When my great-grandmother came home, she couldn’t find him. She searched the house day after day, night after night, to no avail. He was hiding in the basement so no one could hear the scream or find him. After three days the pain stopped and he made his way back upstairs to his room without being seen.” Tony stood up and walked back to the bench. “She’d hear footsteps and see him wondering the halls. But she never asked questions. She already knew because his skin was so pale.” Sitting down he continued, “My great-grandmother found him one day with Charlotte. And the rumors of the town folk were devastated to her.”
“So, that was you’re great-grandfather who touched me?”
“It was. You’re lucky he didn’t try to turn you. Charlotte is said to be with him. I don’t know, and I sure don’t want to go up there to find out. Anyway, Catherine is buried over there,” he said, pointing to a headstone by the water. “She couldn’t bare the fact that her husband was a vampire, so she hung herself to keep him from turning her. My father was a little boy when it all happened. Fascinated with vampires, he wanted to be immortal like his grandfather.”
Tony paused, glanced at me, but I was looking at Catherine’s headstone.
“So your father became a vampire, how?” I asked, looking back at him.
“He asked William to turn him.”
“How old was your father when he became…?” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“He was twenty-one and had only been a vampire for three months when my mother met him.”
Tony got up from the bench and walked over to a huge mulberry tree.
Following Tony to the tree, I stopped and asked, “What’s here?” I asked.
“This is my grandfather,” he said squatting down.
“He doesn’t have a headstone.”
“No he doesn’t, but I know he’s here,” Tony said standing up. “He didn’t want any part of the immortal world and lived a full and happy life according to my father. But,” he said turning to me. “I wished you hadn’t gone up there. You could have easily become one of the eternal damned yesterday.” But you will be, someday. Tony raised his eyebrow at me.
“I’m sorry, Tony. I wanted to see what was there. I won’t go up there again I promise.” I said, sincerely. “I was frightened when he touched me, and I left as soon as my legs would let me.”
Tony and I walked back to the boat. He helped me in and rowed us back to the house instead of the motor. It was tranquil and quite romantic under the circumstances. I’d been an inquisitive fool. Questions ran through my mind, questions I had to ask.
“So can you live forever?” I asked.
Knowing it was a lie, Tony said, “No.”
We slowly drifted back to the house with little words spoken between us. Pulling up to the dock, I couldn’t help but look at the windows to the side of the house that was blocked off. In the second window from the end, there was a man standing there looking down at us. Chills raced up and down my spine. “Tony, can I ask you a question?”
“What’s that, sweetie?
“Will I be safe in the house now that he knows I’m here?”
Tony looked at me and noticed I was looking at the house. He turned to see William standing in the window. “Yes, you’ll be safe. I’ll make sure of it,” he said, keeping his eye on the window. Tony nodded at the man in the window and the man nodded back.
“Did you just nod at him?” I asked.
“He heard you ask about your safety. He has very good hearing. A sixth sense, some call it.”
“So, he can hear us…?”
“He hears everything going on in the house. He would have heard you coming up the stairs to see what was up there.”
“You said he could have made me a vampire. Wonder why he didn’t.”
Tony shrugged and helped me out of the boat. Walking back to the house, I glanced at the window again. William was still there looking at us.
“Tony, can he hear us making love?” I asked, whispering.
Tony looked at me, and I knew the answer.
Tony and I dressed for bed. I wasn’t in the mood for Tony, however he was.
“Doesn’t it bother you he can hear us?” I asked, whispering.
“Jess, no it doesn’t, and it shouldn’t bother you.”
“It does bother me,” I said, out loud.
“Why? You didn’t have a problem before. ”
“I didn’t know before.”
“Jess, are you really going to let that bother you?” he asked.
“I don’t want it to.”
“Then don’t let it. Enough with the chatter,” he said and started kissing my neck.
Tony started caressing me, but I couldn’t relax. I kept looking over at the wall. Tony pulled my face to his. “Will you relax? They don’t care.”
“They? Who are ‘they?’ You know more than you’re telling me, don’t you?”
“Jess, please! I want you to forget about that, and give me your undivided attention,” he said. “Now where were we?” going straight for my neck again, kissing it lightly, moving his hand slowly down my thigh.
I melted like butter when he kissed my neck passionately, relaxed and forgot all about the other side of the wall. Tony had my undivided attention.
Falling asleep in Tony’s arms comforted me, feeling safe. I wasn’t comfortable knowing William could hear us and Tony didn’t seem to mind. What bothered me the most was that, Tony knew the entire time and didn’t tell me? Putting it to the back of my mind, I fell asleep.
I dreamt William called me to his room in whispers. I went up the stairs and entered the room with the coffin. Charlotte and William were standing on either side of the coffin. William came to me, took my hand as Charlotte smiled holding her arms out. William looked at Charlotte and she nodded as he led me to her. Charlotte wrapped her arms around me. I woke up screaming.
“Sweetie, are you okay?” Tony jerked up in bed.
“I’m fine, just a bad dream.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
“No, I’ll be fine. I need a drink,” I said, getting out of bed.
Tony didn’t press me to tell him about the dream. He followed me to the kitchen and back to the bedroom. I could tell he wasn’t going to leave me alone.
Early in the morning when I got up, Tony was taking a shower with the bathroom door open. Tony heard me and peaked around the curtain. “I thought we’d go to London today and see some of the sites.”
“I’d love that,” I said, sitting on the chair at the vanity staring at the bedroom wall.
Tony peeked around the curtain and said, “You’re not fine, are you, Jess?”
“No, I’m not,” I said, wishing I had never gone to the other side of the wall. My curiosity had gotten the better of me. Now I was going to have to get over it the best way I could and forget that they were listening.
“You relaxed last night. I knew you would. They don’t care what we do or how we do it. They can’t see, and it isn’t going to make them check. Now, do you want to talk about it?”
“Can we talk about it on the way to London?” I asked.
“Jess, what is going on?” he asked. “You have never acted like this before?’
“I know. I’ll tell you on the way to London. I promise.
Tony and I finished our showers and dressed. Tony left the room to fill his flask in the kitchen, and I was right on his heels. He didn’t notice me standing in the doorway until he turned around. “Jess, sweetie, there’s nothing to be frightened of. I will be right here, okay.”
I shook my head and followed him back to the bedroom.
“Buckingham Palace,” he told the driver. He pushed a button and the window between us and the driver closed. “Now, will you tell me what you dreamt?” he asked.
Sighing, I told him about William and Charlotte wanting to turn me into a vampire. This time I was the one looking down and wringing my hands and didn’t notice Tony’s eye light up.
Oh! You will be, Jess. “I will never let that happen, Jess.”
“How can you be sure he won’t come while we sleep?” I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder.
He lifted my head to look him in the eye. “William will never be seen in any part of the house he knows he can’t be in. He has to stay in his part of the house and only his part. My father and William have an agreement.”
“What kind of an agreement?” I asked, now curious.
“William is not an ordinary vampire. He needs blood to stay alive.”
“So do you!” I said, immediately.
“Yes, but I can eat other foods, too. William can’t. He has to have human blood.”
“Then—”
“Let me finish,” he said, holding up his finger. “William leaves the house and travels far away to hunt. My mother is human, as you know. William and my father agreed that he will stay in that part of the house and hunt far away to keep my mother safe.”
“Does your mother know about William?” I asked.
“She does, and she’s okay with it. Vampires don’t scare her. If they did, I wouldn’t be here.” Tony laughed. “William has never attempted to hurt my mother. My father won’t allow that.
“Does your father stay in the house or at the blood bank?”
“My father stays at the house unless too many humans are visiting. The blood bank keeps my father’s thirst in check, so he doesn’t have to hunt, but William prefers the old way.”
My dress kept bunching up, and was getting annoying. I grabbed it and pulled it up, far too high, exposing way too much leg. Tony raised his eye brow wit
h a cheeky smirk on his face.
“What?”
As he leaned over to kiss me, he let out a soft growl. “You’re too tempting.”
Our lips met as he placed his hand on my thigh.
My mind was overcome with passion, I wanted him here and now, but that would be inappropriate. My hand rested on his waist.
We released our embrace, pulled ourselves together, this was not over.
The limo stopped in front of Buckingham Palace. We saw the changing of the guard. At the main gate, Tony showed our invitation, to the guard, from the Queen, inviting us to tour the palace. Inside we saw the paintings of the Royal Family, their displayed treasures and then to finish the tour a garden party.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum was next on Tony’s list and then the Tower Bridge to end the day.
Worn out when we got back to the house, I flopped on the bed. Tony went to the kitchen for a flask. Closing my eyes, waiting for him to return, I felt something crawling up my leg. Opening my eyes, whipping my head around, Tony stood behind me running his fingers along my leg. “Jess, you’re not dressed for bed.”
I rolled over to face him, looking into his eyes. His brown eyes now translucent had flames dancing deep within. A soft growl rose from his chest as he joined me on the bed, slipping my dress off my shoulder. Hearing a rip, my dress lay in pieces on the floor.
Tony wrapped his arms around my waist running his nose along my arm, across my chest and down my stomach. “Rose scent is strong tonight.” Then his lips firmly met mine and his passion was uncontrollable.
During the night, I woke up screaming.
“Jess, I’m here,” rubbing my back. “Did you dream again?”
I nodded.
“We’re leaving for Stonehenge in the morning. We’ll stay in a hotel for a few days, okay? Hopefully that will help.”
I nodded my head. I didn’t want to go back to sleep. I stared at the ceiling, afraid I’d dream again. Soon sleep took over me, and I closed my eyes.
In the morning we packed and left. Tony had rented a car for our trip. It was a two-hour drive to Stonehenge, but I didn’t care. I was out of the house and happy enjoying England with Tony. A vacation I wasn’t going to forget.
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