IV

“What’s the boy doing here?” Two figures stood at an open window of the town house, looking over the shadowed street. The taller one narrowed his eyebrows in disapproval.



“I invited him.”



“Don’t make another mistake like you did at the earl’s place. It cost a lot to keep us safe. He may still turn us in.”



“I won’t. I promise.”



“Good. I’ll be watching.”



Matthew looked up at the duke’s town house. The design was an old one, and most people would have replaced the dated structure with a more modern house. He wondered why the duke had not done so already. He could certainly afford to.



Two figures were silhouetted against the light of the only large window facing the street. Matthew recognised the smaller one as the duchess and assumed that the larger one was her husband. They stood close together – too close, really, to be proper. Is he kissing her neck? Right where everyone can see him? Two heads rose, and for an instant Matthew could see two white faces staring down at him before both figures left the window.



Matthew shrugged and knocked on the door. The duke’s private life wasn’t any of his business.



Inside, the duchess was waiting for him, a slight flush to her cheeks. “Good evening, Your Grace,” Matthew took her hand, bowed and kissed her fingers, feeling that same shock that he had felt the evening before. Forget about it, he told himself. You saw how she was with her husband.



“So formal, Matthew?” Lucinda laughed. “You don’t have to greet me like that when we’re in private.”



“But I enjoy it,” Matthew said, thinking of the feelings that raced through his body as he touched her hand.



“Truthfully, it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. I didn’t grow up in the court, and it seems a little… strange. It feels unnatural. ”



“But I enjoy it,” Matthew insisted, quickly thinking of the ways he could convince her to allow him this one, small physical contact. “It’s second nature to me.”



With that, he swept into another bow, taking her hand again, and in his excitement, he didn’t notice the almost-suppressed shiver that shook her small frame.





Matthew couldn’t understand it. Lucinda had invited him to visit, but she had spent the entire evening distant. What did I do wrong? Yesterday, at the party, she had been friendly, if somewhat withdrawn, but now she wouldn’t look at him. She would flinch away at his slightest movement towards her. She was beginning to look pale again, too. It was amazing how quickly her skin tone could change.



“What’s wrong?” he asked.



“Nothing.” Lucinda brushed away his concern. “I’m just distracted. It’s all so new here. There are so many things that I didn’t learn.”



She’s lying, was Matthew’s immediate thought. But what would she be lying about? He paused for a moment before replying. “What did you want to learn?” Hopefully she’ll open up.



“I don’t know. I just don’t feel comfortable. The dances here seem so fake and I don’t even know the steps. Everything seems like some ritual. Everyone’s polite, but I’m not sure if they really mean it.”



“I don’t understand.” Did he seem fake? Did she think he was lying? Matthew wondered at her meaning. “I can teach you how to dance, if that’s bothering you.” It seemed like such a pathetic offer, but what else could he do?



“You don’t understand. It’s not that.” Lucinda sighed. “I’m just so lonely. I don’t fit in.”



She looked so delicate, so lost, that Matthew barely thought before he found himself saying, “I’ll always be your friend. I promise.” Friends? It wasn’t what he wanted. How could she be married to him? She was so young, and the duke, regardless of his appearance, was older than his grandfather. But friends was the best he could do for now. for now. Perhaps one day she would be widowed… Matthew quickly dismissed the uncharitable thought. The church taught that such wishes would rebound on the one who made them. He turned his attention back to Lucinda.



“Really? Friends? You promise?” She seemed surprised by his offer, as though it was too good to be true.



“I promise. I’ll be your friend, no matter what.”



With that affirmation, the walls she had put up earlier that evening seemed to collapse. “Thankyou,” she said. “Thankyou.” She began to tremble – with gratitude, Matthew thought.



As a friend, I wouldn’t be out of place giving her a hug, Matthew suddenly thought. He reached out and embraced her, mildly surprised when she hugged him back. She was still trembling, and impetuously, he kissed her forehead. It was strange how cold her skin felt against his lips. Perhaps it was he who was hot.



He felt Lucinda’s head tilt up; felt her tongue lick his neck. Be careful, a voice in his head told him. She’s another man’s wife. He almost ignored it, but a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned and looked towards it. How did the duke get in here? In a moment of terror, he pushed Lucinda away, afraid that her husband knew what they were doing. Of course he knew what we were doing, he thought. He saw us, didn’t he?



“What are you doing?” The duke’s voice was edged in anger. Matthew started to stammer out an excuse, but the duke’s eyes were fixed on Lucinda. She looked back at him, still trembling, her eyes wild.



“I asked what you were doing with this boy,” the duke demanded of his wife again.



“I’m just…” Lucinda licked her lips and looked at Matthew. Just what? Matthew didn’t understand, but the duke did.



“Again? How could you be? You’re just greedy.



Matthew hung back, glad in a way that the duke’s anger seemed focused on Lucinda and not on him. She was still trembling, and looked pale like she had the night before, when she fainted.



As if Matthew thinking it had made it be, Lucinda suddenly collapsed. The duke caught her with startlingly quick reflexes, his anger gone in an instant. “Oh, honey,” Matthew heard him whisper. He cradled her close to him and looked up at Matthew. “I think it’s best you go home now, boy,” he said.



Two priests walked down the road.



“Halt!” called one as he saw the carriage. As he came up, the faint moonlight showed him to be the exorcist who had seen Geoffrey earlier. Behind him stood an acolyte, nervously clutching his cross in one hand and a wooden stake in the other.



“Ah. Young Lord Portsmouth,” said the exorcist. “You should be careful on the roads this late. There is a vampire loose in the city.”



“A vampire?” Matthew bit his lower lip in thought. Weren’t vampires just legends?



“I’m surprised you hadn’t heard. It attacked your friend, Master Paige.”



“I knew he was ill… is he ok?”



“He is recovering from the wound, but we still haven’t exorcised the demon.”



“The demon?” Matthew knew little of vampires, and had never heard of them in relation to demons.



“When a vampire bites its victim,” the exorcist explained, “it drinks the victims blood, and also infuses them with demonic essence. The essence can either be removed through treatment and prayer, or by killing the vampire who bit them. Your friend didn’t respond to the treatment today, though, so we’re searching for the vampire.”



“What if you don’t find it?” While he was infected with a demon, Geoffrey would not be allowed to enter holy grounds. If he died while infected, his body would have to be buried outside of the church grounds, and his soul consigned to hell.



“There’s always hope that the treatment will work.”



“May I visit him?”



“Certainly.” The priest nodded. “Firm friends may help him to fight the demon if we cannot find the vampire.”



“Thankyou, Father. I will pray for him tonight.”



“You do that, my son.” The priest made the sign of the cross over Matthew. “You take care, and may God protect you on your journey home. May he bless you and keep you safe. Amen.”



As the carriage continued to make its way through dark streets, Matthew completed the priest’s prayer.



“… Amen.”

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Ok... I'll post more later.