"Take care of it" was a nicety my mother concocted to cover the truth of what my father did for the Dàil. The truth was that once he received word of an outlier, he would need to find them, rip them apart, and burn them so as not to leave any evidence. She was content in not knowing the details of his barbarity.
The door creaked open. "Ladies." My father tipped his flat cap to us, making his way over to dole out his usual greeting via a peck on the cheek.
The breeze he carried in with him had the distinct smell of blood and nervous sweat.
"Gabriel, what is that smell? Did you kill a human by accident?" My mother queried as she sniffed his shirt.
"I didn't kill any humans…today, at least," he joked.
"Can't you tell who it is, Mother?"
"Yeah, Stella. Don't act like you can't smell Mike and Zenni," my father stated, half way up the stairs.
My mother walked to the door and pulled it open. "Why, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson, what brings you two so far away from home?"
"I wouldn't call down the road very far, Mrs. Winthrop." Mike chuckled.
Zenni chimed in excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. "We brought a pie."
Mike handed my mother a piping hot Dutch apple pie with brown sugar crumble loaded on top.
My mother reached out. "Oh my, and what is this for?"
"We heard the McAllisters' daughter is having a baby shower and we wondered if you would give this to them for us." Mike explained nervously.
"I would be honored, Mr. Davidson." My mother smiled.
"Please. Call me Mike," he interjected quickly.
"Okay, Mike. I will be sure to tell the McAllisters this lovely pie was from you."
My mouth started to water as the pulsating vein that ran through their necks beat more wildly as their heart rate quickened. They were obviously nervous to be standing at our doorstep. The Winthrops and the McAllisters were somewhat token mysterious celebrities in town. No one really knew how we came to have what we had, and no one seemed to question it either, content just to tip toe around us.
I placed my hand over my mouth and nose to hinder the captivating aroma from entering my nostrils. More importantly, to hide my growing fangs. Mother was so much better at controlling herself than I was when it came to dealing with humans. The only human who never bothered me was Mrs. Santiago. The old woman had a blood disorder, so to me her blood smelled bitter, which helped tremendously when dealing with her.
Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson's blood smelled as sweet as the pie my mother was holding in her hands, and if I could have a small taste, I was sure it would be just as warm and satisfying.
"I need to run upstairs," I said, excusing myself from the imminent murder that was about to take place if I stayed. "Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson."
They waved to me as I hurried upstairs to chat with my father.
I knocked on his door. "Come in," he said.
I pushed the door open. "I had to get out of there. They smell so good."
"Your mother has the best self-control of any vampire I know," my father boasted.
"She is a diplomat, for sure."
Rosaline.
I stopped mid-step, startled by Gideon's voice.
Come outside.
"No," I whispered.
"No what?" my father asked.
"No…I…I…what did you say?" I stuttered, trying to piece together a string of coherent words that made even a modicum of sense, but failed miserably.
"Yes, well, you have the rest of your life to build up that same self-restraint, so I wouldn’t worry too much. You are your mother's daughter, after all." He smiled as he walked up to me tightening his tie.
His words couldn't have been farther from the truth. I could never be as graceful and proper as my mother.
"How does this look, my dear?"
He was wearing a crisp black suit with a black tie to match. "You look quite dapper, sir." I said in my most regal voice as I adjusted his tie slightly. "We don’t want Mother to see you with a crooked tie."
"It would kill her." He smirked, looking past me at his reflection in the mirror.
"I can see the headlines now." I held my hands in the air. "Death by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder."
"You know I could hear you two planning my death from downstairs, right?" Mother said as she walked into the room.
"It was Father!" I smiled, quickly throwing him under the bus.
"Rosaline Winthrop!" My father scolded with a smile on his face.
"I'll meet you two at the car. Don’t be too hard on him, Mother," I whispered as I brushed by her, shooting my father a wink.
I headed down the stairs and scooped up the pie that was sitting on the side table next to the door. Mrs. McAllister's face was going to be priceless when I handed this to her at the party.
After securing the pie in the back seat, I decided to sit on the hood of the car while I waited. Without a soul in sight to witness my childishness, I sprawled out my arms and slowly lay back to enjoy the morning sun. But after only a few moments, the sun that had been so bright was suddenly blocked out by an imposing figure.
"You look beautiful." Gideon's voice propelled me back into a seated position.
He was dressed in a pair of well-fitting jeans and a red and black plaid buttoned up shirt.
And his smell…oh, his smell.
A smell that hugged me like a cool breeze on a warm Georgia evening.
"Gideon, what are you doing here?" I asked as my eyes darted to the front door.
He stretched his hand out. "It's time."
"Time for what?"
His hand still hung in the air as he stared deeply into my eyes, and without any consent of my own, my hand reached out, resting itself on his.
"That's better," he said calmly as he helped me up from the hood.
He placed my hand behind his neck and snaked his arm around my waist.
I pressed against the warmth of his chest. "Gideon."
"Come away with me," he requested sincerely.
"Come away with you? I can't leave now. I have an obligation today," I said matter-of-factly.
"An obligation more important than your future?"
"Pfft! My future…" My words trailed off solemnly.
My eyes widened as I heard my parents coming down the stairs chatting about Clare's baby shower.
"My parents are coming. You have to leave," I urged, pushing him away.
"You are not going to be able to push me away forever," he replied.
The deep timbre in his voice reverberated throughout my body, causing my knees to go weak.
"Not forever…just for now!"
"I'll leave now if you promise to meet me tonight."
"Okay, I promise…now, please leave," I said as the front door creaked open.
My gaze shot over to see my mother and father walking hand in hand across the threshold of the front door.
"Mother, I…I…" I stuttered, unable to formulate words to explain Gideon's presence.
"What, my darling?" my mother asked as she walked by me.
Realizing they weren’t surprised by Gideon's presence, I turned back to him, and of course, he was gone.
I have to be imagining him!
"I…I was going to say I can't wait to see Clare," I lied through my teeth.
"Neither can I," she replied, sliding into the car.
"Darling, get in the car," my father said as he made his way by me toward the driver's seat.
"Of course, Father," I said, clearing my throat as I panned the rolling hills and tree lines that surrounded my home.
If he was real…where did he go?
I slipped into the back seat next to the pie.
"Why did you bring that?" My mother asked.
"I just want to see how Celeste reacts to it," I said, distracted by the emptiness in the pit of my stomach, which I knew wasn't a product of hunger.
My father looked in the rear view mirror. "Rosaline, you are asking for trouble fro
m that woman."
I shrugged, peering out of the window at the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gideon. Unfortunately, I was not that lucky. I did say I would meet him, but what was the point of it all?
What did he want? And why, even after he had gone, could I still feel him in the depths of my bones?
I pressed my hand to the sun-warmed window, my cold-blooded skin creating a fog outlining my fingers. When I was but a child, I enjoyed this trick, and now I realized the same skin that offered me such joy then, was the same skin that bound me to William and the McAllisters of Covington, Georgia.
I began to wonder if my mysterious and enchanting Gideon was somehow going to save me from my dreary fate. If only he would stay around long enough for me to ask. Tonight would be different, though. I vowed I would not let him recede from my sight without answering my questions, even if I had to follow him to the far corners of the world.
We arrived twenty minutes later to a slew of cars parked in neat rows along the edge of the McAllisters driveway, which extended the length of a football field. Wild Wind was always a sight to behold, as it was double the size of Weatherly, an imposing eight thousand square feet of brick and mortar planted in the middle of the rustic Georgian countryside.
My eyes lit up when I saw Clare standing with William and their parents at the end of their walkway, waiting to greet us. My father had hardly stopped the car before I pushed the door open and jumped from my seat.
"Don’t forget the pie," I called back to them.
"Clare!" I waved as I hurried over to her.
"Dear Rosaline," she called to me with open arms.
I flung my arms around her petite frame. "Oh my goodness. How I have missed you," I whispered in her ear.
"Me too, doll," she replied.
"Let me get a look at you, pretty girl," I said as I pushed away from her lace dress, the same deep emerald green of her eyes, to take in her growing belly.
"What do you think?" she asked, her bright red hair glistening in the sun as she moved.
"Lovely! Just lovely! Motherhood suits you," I said, giving her another squeeze.
"Pregnancy does suit you, my dear," Mother said as she waited for her turn to hug Clare.
"Stella!" Clare called with open arms.
My mother and father both hugged her under the watchful eye of her mother, Celeste, who was wearing a white, full length cocktail gown that blended perfectly with her pale skin. Her hair and eyes were a perfect match to Clare's.
"Okay. Okay. No squeezing my granddaughter," Celeste announced.
"Mother, it was supposed to be a surprise," Clare scolded.
My father stretched out his hand to Clare's husband. "Congratulations, Henry."
"Thank you, Mr. Winthrop, sir," Henry replied.
His soft brown eyes smiled amidst a sea of curly brown hair as he took my father's hand in his.
Clare's imposing father, Gregory, stepped in to break up the reunion. "Okay, that's enough with all the niceties. Let's go inside. I had the hunter's take in fresh deer last night specifically for today, and there's no sense in letting fresh blood go to waste," he said in a firm tone as his salt and pepper hair blew in the wind.
We trailed behind him through the large double doors set open to allow the guests to come and as they pleased.
Celeste looked at my father. "What is that atrocious thing in your hand, Gabriel?"
"This is a pie, Celeste. Perhaps you've heard of them? It is a gift from our neighbors, the Davidsons," he replied, handing it to her.
She received the gift with open hands, cringing her nose at it.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, looking up at my mother.
"Celeste, it was a nice gesture, don’t you think?" My mother tried to soothe the pretentious beast.
Gregory chimed in. "Yes, it was nice. Please tell them thank you from the both of us," he said, his stark gray eyes glaring at Celeste.
I leaned over to Clare. "I need to talk to you."
"Okay, let me ditch Henry and my mother," she whispered back.
As soon as she walked away to chat with her husband, and before I could sneak behind a wall to hide, William approached me.
"Rosaline, you look stunning in that dress. I can’t wait to see what you and your mother came up with for our wedding." He grinned.
Celeste brushed by me and slid her arm around Williams's waist. "Yes, Rosaline, what have you and your mother come up with? Nothing dreadful, I hope."
My mother and her pin drop perfect hearing glided over just in time to interrupt the vulgarity about to spew from my mouth.
"Celeste, we have already found the perfect dress, and I assure you it is not dreadful," my mother said calmly.
"Hmm." Celeste rolled her eyes and walked away, taking William with her.
I smiled but said under my breath, "That woman."
My mother interjected, stepping in front of me and laying her hands on my shoulders. "That woman is going to be your mother-in-law and the wife to the head of our new coven. Be nice, Rosaline. If not for me, at least for your father," she said, looking into my eyes for agreement.
"Yes, Mother," I agreed, catching a glimpse of Clare hurrying back over to me.
"Stella, can I steal Rosaline?" she asked with a grin.
"Of course, my dear," my mother said, leaning in to give Clare another peck on the cheek. "I still remember when you two had sleepovers at Weatherly. I miss those days."
"Me too, Stella," Clare said with a regretful frown, rubbing my mother's arm.
"Okay, let's go," I said, tugging at Clare's arm, urging her to follow me outside.
"What is it?" Clare asked, trailing behind me.
"Shhh! I don’t want all the prying ears to hear," I said as we made it in between two cars half way down the driveway.
"Rosaline, what is it?" She asked again.
I extended my gaze behind her to make sure we hadn’t been followed.
"Shhh."
"Okay, what is it?" she whispered.
"You know everyone in town, right? Humans, non-humans…"
"Well, I have been gone a year." She chuckled.
"Right…that's right…a lot can happen in a year," I agreed, peeking back over her shoulder.
"You're telling me." She smiled, rubbing her swollen belly.
"Have you seen a man in town with amber colored eyes? Handsome. Very, very handsome!"
"So, he's handsome?" she asked sarcastically.
"C'mon, Clare…think!" I coaxed.
"Ummm…I don't think …"
"It's okay…it was a long shot," I said disappointedly.
"Wait a minute. I seem to remember a certain after curfew party we attended when we were about sixteen. Do you remember? It was in the forest," she said, wagging her finger at me as she recollected the memory.
"I think I do. But we went to a lot of parties back then."
"Yes, but this one was different. This was the time William yelled at you in front of everyone. Remember?"
I sighed. "How could I forget? I was so embarrassed."
"You know he has changed?" she said softly.
"Pfft! Or so he says." I huffed, crossing my arms.
"No really. I overheard him talking to Mother right before we walked out here. He told her she was wrong in the way she spoke to you, that he would not stand for her disrespecting you any longer. I was completely shocked."
"Really? That is quite surprising," I stated in disbelief.
"People change all the time, Rosaline. Look at you. So prim and proper now. But let your sixteen-year-old-diary have a say about the topic…"
"Uh. Uh. Uh. Stop right there, Clare Whelan! No bringing up the past! I know a few things about you I am quite sure Mr. Henry Whelan would not want to know about his sweet, sweet Clare."
Clare gently slapped my arm. "How dare you threaten me." She chuckled.
"Back to the party. Tell me what you remember," I asked excitedly.
"Well, I remember seeing a
very handsome boy, with beautiful eyes. They might have been a whisky-autumn color. But I can't be sure because he disappeared before I could introduce myself."
"He was cute enough for you to want to introduce yourself?"
"Yes. Quite so." She nodded. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason," I replied with a sinister smile.
"Rosaline. You're marrying my brother in less than a month!"
I paused, not knowing if I had offended her.
She started laughing. "Oh, my goodness. You should have seen the look on your face. Simply to die for. Tell me everything."
"There's nothing to tell. I have seen him around and wondered if he was new to town," I explained.
"Please don’t insult my intelligence," she replied clasping my hands.
"Honestly. Nothing," I reassured her.
Or was I trying to reassure myself?
"But you would tell me, right?"
"Of course I would, Clare. You're like a sister to me!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around her.
I didn't know why I was so emotional around her. Maybe her hormones were seeping into my body, unbeknownst to me? Or maybe I saw in her the woman I was destined to become in one year's time? Either way, I needed to shake it off and gather my composure for the secret rendezvous I had planned for the evening.
"Do you want to go back inside? I haven’t had a drink in almost an hour, and I'm famished!"
"An hour?"
"The baby has the appetite of an elephant." She laughed.
She took me by the hand and led me back through the front door to the awaiting party, where we indulged in sickening baby games, one of which involved melting chocolate candy bars in unused diapers.
As the afternoon wore on, I found myself in a fog, unable to concentrate on the celebration at hand.
The McLoyd family, from the McAllister coven, made their way over to me.
"We would like to congratulate you on the wedding next month, and we are looking forward to bearing witness to the joining of our covens," Mrs. McLoyd said as she leaned in and gave me a light hug. Her skin smelled of sweet summer apples.
"Thank you." I replied to her kind words.
"We can only hope our young twin daughters, Mara and Mira, are able to secure husbands as sought after as William," Mr. McLoyd said as she gazed down at them.
Rosaline Page 4