Bloody Marvelous - Chapters 5-8
They had talked about nothing and, yet, talked about everything. Twenty imagined cups of tea were passed to him while they sat together. Fredericka had somehow angered her mistress and had her head removed for the offense. The doll could no longer speak to her if her head were not attached, after all. The doll body still sat in the chair but the head was in Drusilla’s hand. She was brushing its hair and humming happily while William stared into his still empty teacup.
One question was still eating at him “How long have you been with them?”
“Forever and since yesterday. I cannot say which.” She put the brush down and hugged Fredericka’s head to her chest. “I am always so alone that time means nothing. They have each other.”
He reached across the table and picked up the brush. He got up and went to stand behind her and began brushing her hair. She closed her eyes and held the doll’s head tighter.
Just before sunset, there was a knock on the bedroom door. William went to the door but didn’t open it. “Yes?”
A muffled voice came from the other side of the heavy door. “It’s Nigel. Master Angelus sent me with some things for you.”
William turned to Drusilla, an eyebrow raised in question. “Daddy’s manservant. Maybe he brought a present.” She dropped the doll’s head to the table and scampered excitedly to stand behind William. “I hope he brought me a songbird. Mine stopped singing to me.”
The door opened, they saw Nigel standing in the hall, arms full of boxes. Drusilla bounced up and down clapping her hands quickly together, rapt with delight at seeing the mass of items.
“Mostly clothing for William, Mistress Drusilla, so sorry.” She pouted and looked at Nigel until he relented. “Well, there is one box for you, the one on the top. Master Angelus wants you to dress in your finest this evening.”
She ran forward and grabbed the smallest of the boxes off the top of the pile. “Ooh. Little boxes are best. Take your presents, William.”
He took the rest of the boxes from Nigel, who turned and walked away without another word. Closing the door with his hip, he carried the boxes to the bed.
Drusilla floated down the stairs ensconced in emerald velvet with William trailing behind her, looking distinctly uncomfortable with his heavily starched collar. When Drusilla opened the double doors to the drawing room, Angelus and Darla both turned from watching the fire to see Drusilla and William enter.
Angelus held out a glass of a strange smelling milky green liquid to William. “Glad to see everything fits, lad. Have a drink to start the evening.”
William eyed the glass suspiciously before he saw that Drusilla and Darla both appeared to be drinking the same thing. Closing his eyes, he took a sip. The girls both giggled as he sputtered, “God, that is awful.” He coughed and looked closer at the liquid. “What is it?”
Darla eased up to him and took the glass out of his hand. “Absinthe is an acquired taste. Perhaps we should add more sugar for him.” She walked with the glass to the drink cart, placed another sugar cube in the glass and stirred. The liquid looked clearer. “Try now.”
He slowly took another sip with three pair of eyes on him. This time, his nose only wrinkled a little at the flavor. “The thing is, I never drink alcohol.”
This got him a sharp laugh and a slap on the back from Angelus. “You do now, lad. Drink up, then.”
Drusilla motioned to Angelus so that he would lean in for her stage whisper. “Where are we going tonight? Is it a surprise?”
Angelus pulled back from her and sat in the wing chair by the fire. “You know our destination. William will want to show his old family that he is alive and well, or well, anyway.”
Drusilla looked William in the eyes. This was what she had warned him about. He decided to heed that warning. “What family, Sire? I only have this one.”
Angelus growled at him, “What do you mean?”
William went as if to speak but was interrupted by Drusilla. “I saw him all alone, just like me. Perfect.”
Angelus was irate. “Dru, come here.” Timidly, she approached her Sire. He yanked on her arm so that she was level with him. She gasped in fear causing William to take a step forward. Darla put a hand on his chest.
“I should not think to try anything, childe.” She removed the hand but he stayed still.
Angelus watched Drusilla’s face for a moment then moved a hand to grasp her by the hair. She screamed when he pressed her head toward the fire. He snarled at her, “What have you seen?” When she refused to answer, he pushed her closer to the flames.
She relented and answered him, lying. “Dead. All of them, dead and gone. All alone in the world, he was.”
Angelus growled deep in his chest and released her with a shove. She ran to William and sobbed on his shoulder, frightened. He ran his hands down her hair to calm her.
Darla spoke up, “That would explain why she chose him. We shall find another lesson for tonight.” She smiled at Angelus and walked toward him, hips swaying. “Here we are, all dressed up and nowhere to go. I say we go to the theatre.” She turned a glance to Drusilla, who was only sniffling. “Would you like to see the pretty dresses, Dru?” Drusilla nodded. “See? The theatre it is.” She rang the bell for Nigel to bring the carriage.
Drusilla spoke quietly. “I want to find a red dress.”
Angelus smiled at her wickedly. “You shall have a red dress and the pretty girl wearing it. You wore your new barrette for me? Good girl.”
“Yes, Daddy.” William looked from one to the other. This was most disturbing after the scene he had witnessed. It was no wonder the girl felt she needed a champion. He swore to himself that he would learn quickly and take the threat away from his princess.
The carriage pulled up in front of the theatre. The crowd was large for the event was a new musical. Gilbert and Sullivan had struck another hit with ‘The Pirates of Penzance.’ It had been a sell out in New York and looked as if it would be in London. Richard Temple as the Pirate King was getting rave reviews, as were the ingénue and young man playing Kate and Frederick. William wondered how they intended on getting into the theatre since they had no tickets. He didn’t have to wonder very long.
Angelus and William exited the carriage first to help the ladies out, their skirts being difficult to manage gracefully. Drusilla’s eyes went wide at the crowd. “Look at all the shining gems. We shall have such fun tonight.”
Angelus brought Darla’s hand to his mouth for a kiss to be placed on her knuckles. “You ladies wait here. William will come with me to get tickets.”
William looked to Drusilla but she only smiled at him. So, he followed Angelus into the crowd. “How are we to get tickets? Surely, they are all sold.”
Angelus didn’t even look back at him, merely kept walking ahead. “You have much to learn, lad. Find a group of four people.”
William stopped walking. “What do you intend to do?”
Angelus turned to look at him. “I intend to do nothing. You will do it.”
Chapter 6
Neither Drusilla nor Darla liked waiting. It only took a minute or two of standing where they had been left before Dru began fidgeting and Darla grew annoyed. Against Angelus’ wishes, Darla led Dru into the crowd. Darla was already on the hunt, searching the crowd for someone who caught her eye. When she found none, she asked after her companion, “Did you find your red dress, yet?”
Dru wasn’t really listening to her because she was too busy searching the crowd for her new friend. She hoped he would do well enough for Angelus’ expectations. She wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to survive Angelus’ disappointment. “They simply disappeared.”
Darla frowned at her, not knowing what she meant. “Who disappeared?” Drusilla stood up on her toes, turning around and trying to see farther into the crowd. She neither answered the question nor seemed to have heard it at all. Darla watched Dru long enough to figure out her dilemma. “Worried about your new boy?”
Drusilla finally noticed someone was speaking to her. “Do you hear the music starting yet? I do so hope they make it back in time.”
Finding the four of them was easy enough. William spotted the women with the most expensive looking gowns in the crowd. He gestured at Angelus to mark his choice. Angelus pushed him toward the two couples. William was hesitant. “You see, the thing is, I’m not sure what you want me to do.”
Angelus could see the fledgling was going to need help this first time. “Follow my lead, lad.”
Angelus’ easy charm saw that the four of them followed him into the alley with little convincing. William had followed behind slowly, uncertain of what he was to do. His new demon had shown him the way.
Angelus, never one to stay out of the hunt, even after telling William to do it himself, moved first, grabbing one of the women by the throat. “Now, childe!”
He leapt at one of the men, the one who looked about to challenge his Sire. He felt the rush of ecstasy as the fight began. It was all a blur for William until the second he tasted the blood on his tongue. He drank greedily, not stopping until there was no longer a pulse to help push the ambrosia into his mouth. He dropped the man and backed away in a daze.
He stared down at the body. He’d killed the man, practically removing his head from his neck. Angelus had taken the other three in no time at all. William looked at his hands, held them out in front of his face. He could feel the power running through him, the borrowed warmth of another’s blood. He felt alive more alive than ever before. Everything was suddenly brighter, louder. She had delivered the promised effulgence.
Angelus moved into his view, holding four pieces of paper in front of him with a smile. “Good choice, boy. We have box seats. My girls will be pleased.”
Angelus turned to leave the alley. Before following, William looked down at the carnage. Drusilla should have a present.
The women were not where they had been left. Angelus let out a low growl of annoyance before they heard Drusilla’s voice calling from a distance.
“William!” She would have run had Darla not linked elbows with her to keep her to a dignified walking pace. They reached the men quickly, as it was. Drusilla stood in front of William with an open smile. “I hear a whisper of presents. Something glistening.” He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and held it up for her to see. Jet beads with a few glimmering diamonds shone in the moonlight. “You brought me the night sky. So beautiful.”
“Even diamonds cannot shine as brightly as you do. Would you like to wear it?” At her happy nod, he moved behind her to put the necklace around her throat.
Darla pulled Angelus aside, whispering, “How was the first lesson?”
Angelus’ brow knitted together in a show of concern. “I fear he may enjoy the battle a wee bit too much. He’ll need to learn the art of the kill before it becomes a liability.” The two of them watched Drusilla and William cooing at each other like the new lovers they were. “He may be even stronger than I thought. It took almost no direction for him to make a kill. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Darla grinned at him. “I have. He reminds me of when you were that young.”
Darla found what she wanted on the way into the theatre. The usher who seated them remained in their box with them, in body if not in spirit.
The seats were wonderful. The box was on the first tier, stage right, with a perfect view of the crowd. Darla and Drusilla watched the theatre patrons take their seats until the gaslights were dimmed.
The opening of the curtains found Dru completely engulfed in the story. In her mind, what was on the stage was as real as what happened around her every night. William had to restrain her in her seat when the Major General took the stage for his big number. She wanted to join the dancers around him in the chorus. It was all William could do to keep her from trying to sing along where she sat.
When the curtain closed and the crowd began to disperse, Drusilla gasped. “Red as blood. I have found her.”
William followed her gaze to a lovely woman in a red dress, a woman he had hoped never to see again. There were almost four million people in London. Why had Drusilla picked that girl? He turned to Drusilla to plead with her to choose another when he realized what her motive was. Drusilla knew who the girl was. She had seen her in her visions of William. She wanted Cecily to suffer.
Chapter 7
At a closer look, the red dress was red with gold embroidery, almost random near the bodice but becoming roses near the hem. It was breathtaking on her. Then again, he had always found her to be beautiful.
Cecily stood in the lobby, surrounded by her usual entourage of admiring young men. William watched her smiling, as if she hadn’t a care in the world while his new family moved closer. She laughed at some unheard joke made by the man who had so ridiculed William the other night. He had to think of something. She may have broken his heart but she had always been so much kinder than the rest in the past. It was one of the many reasons he had loved her. Perhaps Drusilla could be dissuaded.
He made an attempt at distracting her. “Dru, a black gown would look stunning with your new necklace and the ivory of your skin. Simple elegance suits you.” She didn’t look like she could be diverted. “Besides, that girl is surrounded by people. She would be difficult to lure away.”
Angelus accidentally helped William in his cause. “The lad is right. It would draw too much attention.”
Drusilla glared at William. “Naughty boy. You shall have no cakes with your tea.” She pleaded with Angelus. “Grand Mummy was able to choose.”
Angelus seemingly tried to both placate and scold the girl. “She used discretion. Really, Dru, you should know better by now. We can get you a dress made just like it. Choose another.”
Frowning, Drusilla found another victim. Her choice was plain to see as she began weaving her way through the crowd toward a man, alone. William, who relaxed again, and Darla followed her at a distance.
Angelus, finding himself easily suspicious of William’s motives, stayed behind to listen to the lady in red. He made his way close enough that he could hear her voice. “I thought the pirates were outlandish. Honestly, I heard their costumes were much better in New York. That hardly seems right, does it?”
“One would think that those Yankees…” Cecily’s nearest companion froze, forgetting what he was saying.
“Richard? What is it? You look as if you see a ghost.”
The man swallowed and took a deep breath before he could answer. “I thought I saw William the Bloody.” His voice came out sounding strangled.
She paled and tried to peer into the mass of people. “But he died; they buried him.”
“Exactly.” Richard shook his head as if to bring himself back to reality then smirked at Cecily. “Perhaps his ghost still follows you.”
The whole group looked at Cecily, silent with anticipation. Cecily fluttered her eyes and looked as if she might faint dramatically, one hand to her forehead. She righted herself and laughed. “Richard! You should not tease me so.” The whole group erupted into laughter.
He wondered what William had done to earn such a lethal nickname. Perhaps the lad had plans of his own for those people. Angelus had heard enough and walked into the crowd after his family.
Exhilarated, he found himself watching Drusilla stalk the man. The way she moved bored into his brain in such a way he would never forget it. When the man stopped near a lamppost to light a cigarette, Drusilla approached him. Did she proposition him? The man certainly was smiling as if that was what had happened as Drusilla took his arm and led him off down a quiet street. William felt jealousy tear through him. He somehow knew he was being punished for taking Cecily away from her.
Darla had gone to the carriage to wait, as had, presumably, Angelus. William was free to follow Dru as she worked at her leisure. The longer it took, the more disturbed he became. What game was she playing? Did she mean to kill the man or simply make William suffer the rest of the night?
William saw her glance back his way, smiling devilishly. She knew he was there. She stopped the man and walked around him in such a way so that the angle allowed William to see her face. She ran her hands up and down the man’s chest. He leaned in to kiss her. After a moment, the man’s kisses slowly running down Drusilla’s throat, William saw her face change. Seeing that change again, he could only see the beauty of it, the fear and shock no longer in him. He knew from personal experience how deadly she was but still found himself envious of the man as her fangs slipped into his neck.
William found himself at her side the moment the body slipped from her arms. He had suffered enough. Passion could be a potent salve for the wounds of jealousy.
Darla stepped into the carriage as soon as William and Drusilla arrived, her annoyance at being delayed obvious. Once on the road, she asked, “What took you two? We were about to come after you.”
Drusilla closed her eyes and inhaled, fingering the jewels around her neck. “His bouquet was so rich I wanted to savor him. I can feel his blood bubbling like toffee before it sets.”
Darla rolled her eyes and huffed at her. “That why you have leaves in your hair?” William would have blushed if it were possible in his new state. “You two could have waited until we reached home, could you not?”
Angelus interrupted, sparing William the embarrassment of answering Darla’s pointed question. “I heard the strangest thing after you all left the lobby.” He turned to look William straight in the eye. “You knew those people, right lad?” William turned to look out the window, avoiding Angelus’ gaze.
Darla’s mouth opened as if she were shocked beyond speech. She recovered. “He knew them?”
Angelus’ expression was unreadable. “At least they seemed to know him. Thought they had seen a ghost, none too pleased about it either.” To William, he said, “I guess they were not mates of yours, then. Heard them making light of your ghost stalking one of them. Perhaps they feared William the bloody? My question is simple. What are you going to do about it, boy?”
Chapter 8
The carriage making its way toward home once again, they were all waiting for William to answer his Sire. The only sounds were the horse hooves striking the cobbles and the wheels creaking along. The four occupants of the carriage were deathly quiet. William was reluctant to look in the direction of his companions, reluctant to speak. Darla watched William looking out the window. She broke the awkward silence by asking, “They called you William the bloody? I think I might like that. Were they dreadfully afraid of you?”
William didn’t want to answer either question. They weren’t going to like the answer to one and he was unsure of the answer to the other. He chose, at last, to answer the simpler one first, not really lying, just misleading a bit. “They tended to avoid me.” Perhaps he could avoid the other question, altogether. He gaze had never left the window.
He felt Drusilla start to shudder next to him. “Dru? What is it?” He put his arm around her in his worry and looked to her. She whispered incoherent words, her head swinging in a hypnotic rhythm.
Angelus spoke quietly. “I love when she does this.” He watched Dru steadily.
Drusilla stopped whispering to herself and put her head on William’s shoulder. All was quiet again until she spoke, “The perfect surprise for your friends is on the rails. Sharp and cold. Hard and Hot. They already told you what to do if you but remember what that boorish man said.”
She must have had another of those visions. Eerie, it was, the way she could see beyond the confines of space and time. William thought for a moment. What had Richard said just the other night after reading one of his poems in front of the whole party? “A railroad spike?”
Nodding, Drusilla giggled. She put a hand to William’s cheek and peered into his eyes. “Answer his prayers and let him never hear another poem. The lights go out with one little push.” She shivered. “Is it cold in here?”
“I have you, pet.” William put his arms around her tighter, even though he had no warmth to share. He answered the hard question. “I guess I do have a plan in mind.”
Drusilla laughed. “Mummy’s good boy.”
Darla and Angelus sat alone by the fire in drawing room. A piano was playing Beethoven’s Pathetique in the distance, a piece just over a century old. Angelus was sitting in the wing chair in deep thought as Darla sat on the sofa, watching him. “What is it now, Angelus? Still worried about William? I think his plan is delicious.”
He leaned forward, elbows on knees, chin resting on the points of his fingers. “He knew them and said nothing. With us a day and already he defies me. Lad needs to learn his place before he gets himself dusted, or all of us.”
Darla rose from the couch and walked over to sit on Angelus’ lap. She put her arms around his neck. “He merely lacks direction. Has not learned to take orders, yet. Give him something difficult to task. Send him out alone. He will either learn his place and succeed or fail and eliminate himself as a problem.”
Angelus smiled broadly. “I like the way you think.”
She played magnificently. Whether it was something she had learned before she was turned, or something learned since then to pass the time, he did not know. Her nimble fingers caressed the keys, the touch of love pulsing through the music. The piece fit her so well, bouts of sadness laced with moments of gaiety, a perfect compliment to her mania.
They had a music room when he was a child. It was one of the first casualties after the loss of his father; none of the rest could bear to sit at the patriarch’s beloved piano. Still, he didn’t remember it looking like this. Who were these people, these monsters who still insisted on surrounding themselves with beauty? He had always thought that monsters moved in the shadows; he had always been full of strange notions. One difference was clear, his imagined monsters would not have lived in a beautiful home or taken him to the theatre.
“Has it always been like this, for you? Have you lived this well always since you came to be with Angelus?” She didn’t answer him for a moment, caught up in her playing.
She finished the movement before speaking, hands still poised over the ivory. “Grand Mummy says he showed her how to live amongst the people. He gave her gifts and showed her beautiful sights. They have lived this way since.” She paused in her speech to pull her hands up where she could see them well. “I had so many more jewels before. Now, I never know where they are. Fairies hide them from me while I sleep.” She glanced back at him before returning to her playing. “Come sit by me?”
He walked across the room and sat next to her on the piano bench. “You play well. How long have you been playing?” She closed her eyes and hummed along with the music her fingers created. “Do you not know how long? Is this another thing for which time no longer has meaning?” She continued to play but lay her head down on his shoulder. He said, “I suppose it matters not, does it?”
She stopped playing when he put his arms securely around her. “All that matters is family, William. You are my family.”
He kissed the top of her head. “True.”
She pulled back out of his arms to look at him. “He has no trust in you.”
He frowned. “Angelus?”
She nodded. “He will ask you to follow his orders. Please, for me.”
He gathered her into his embrace; it was the only way he felt at peace. “Anything for you, pet.”