Fic: Love Is Not a Blessing - TVD [Chapter 2]
Chapter 1: DW | LJ
Chapter 2
“You must be Miss Pierce,” Stefan Salvatore said, bowing slightly.
“Please, call me Katherine,” she said, holding out her hand for him to bow over. He was every bit as handsome as he’d appeared from the window of her coach days ago, and her stomach gave a little flutter just like it had at that first sighting. “And you must be Mr. Stefan Salvatore.”
He laughed. “Just Stefan. My father is Mister Salvatore. If you have no need to stand on ceremony then neither do I.”
Katherine smiled and curtsied, murmuring, “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Stefan.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” His voice was pleasantly growly, made all the more charming by the faint blush that spread across his cheeks.
She took her hand back before the contact became unseemly. “Is your father not home to greet me?”
“Father is in his study, where he lives these past few years.” He turned to the slaves standing off to the side. “Fidela, inform Father we are entertaining our guest in the parlor. James, help Miss Pierce’s girl get settled into her room.”
Katherine tucked her hand into Stefan’s arm, staying as close to him as proprietary allowed as they walked up the front steps.
“Please come in and make yourself at home,” he said, sweeping his arm out to usher her inside before him. He showed her into the parlor just off the entrance and saw that she was seated comfortably in the corner.
“Would you care for a drink? I’d offer you tea but I’m afraid with the blockades lately our supply of tea is very low. Father only allows it on Sunday mornings.”
“Water is fine, Stefan, thank you. Our canteens ran dry an hour ago so I welcome it.” That wasn’t strictly a lie as Emily had actually finished hers. Katherine hadn’t had a drink of water in months, but it was best to uphold the subterfuge of humanity at all times.
Stefan nodded to Fidelia, who had silently slipped into the room but left quickly at Stefan’s order.
“Miss Pierce,” Mr. Salvatore said, coming into the room.
Katherine stood and curtsied deeply. “I thank you again for your hospitality, Mr. Salvatore.”
He nodded stiffly. “I trust you traveled safely?”
“I did. These roads are some of the safest I’ve ever traveled.”
“As well they should be. The town council’s highest concern is the safety of it’s citizens. We’d accept nothing less.”
“Then I’m indebted to you yet again for keeping me safe.” She smiled shyly and was pleased to see his frown soften slightly.
“Well, I’ve been informed that dinner is served, so let me feed you lest you waste away under my care.” He offered her his elbow and she took it. His arm was stiff under her hand, and she got the feeling that he didn’t interact with ladies very often.
He led her into a formal dining room with all the finery laid out. He pulled out a chair for her, seating her graciously beside himself and opposite Stefan.
“Father tells me he met you at the boarding house in town,” Stefan said after everyone was seated.
“Yes, it was fortunate that he did. There were no rooms to be had and I would have been turned out onto the streets if he hadn’t come along!” Katherine opened her eyes just a touch too wide and put a hand to her chest to feign distress. Of course, she’d compelled the innkeeper to turn her away at just the moment Mr. Salvatore was walking past so she could open the opportunity for him to save her, but the way he smiled slightly at her comment meant he didn’t suspect her.
“I couldn’t very well abandon such a gently bred young lady in a time of need,” Mr. Salvatore said.
“It is fortunate indeed that you had business in town then, Father,” Stefan said, beaming across the table at Katherine, seemingly delighted to be involved in saving a young lady from homelessness.
She smiled back, pleased with her scheming. They ate well, the Salvatores pulling out their best for their guest. After dinner Mr. Salvatore stood.
“It has been a pleasure dining with a lady again, Miss Salvatore. Thank you for your company. However, if you will excuse me I have some work to finish before the day is out.”
Stefan frowned. “Can it not wait, Father? We could play a round of cards to entertain our guest.”
Mr. Salvatore smiled, his face softening only a little, but it was the most relaxed she’d seen him. “Play cards, or take her for a stroll through the grounds now that it’s cooler out. I have every confidence you’ll be a good host. I have a meeting with the Mayor I must prepare for.” He bowed slightly towards her and strode from the room.
Stefan sighed. “Please excuse my father. He doesn’t mean to be rude, but I expect when the time comes he’ll argue with Saint Peter himself that he has too much work to do and can’t accommodate death at that moment.”
Katherine waved a hand dismissively. “Great men must spend their time in productive ways. I suppose I’ll have to make do with you this evening,” she said. After all, her interest in staying with the Salvatores was as much to get closer to Stefan as Giuseppe. “Your father mentioned that you have gardens?”
“We do. They were my-” Stefan cut himself off then glanced towards the door. “We can walk through them if you’d like.”
“I would love to,” she said. She collected her fan from Emily, who trailed them through the front door and down a bricked path to a formal garden on the side of the house.
Stefan opened the gate and gestured her through. They ambled slowly along a crushed brick path, and paused in the shade of a large magnolia tree. “I used to climb in this tree with my brother, when we were little,” he said suddenly, turning to look up at it, his smile small and wistful. “It’s so ancient it must have been planted when my father was young.”
“Your brother? Will we be meeting him?”
His shoulders stiffened and the smile slid off his face. “He has joined the army and is away contributing to the war effort. We don’t know when he will be home again.”
“You must be proud of him.”
Stefan shrugged slightly. “We argued before he left and I’m afraid he is upset with me.”
“I’m sorry to hear you left on poor terms,” she said, touching his shoulder lightly. He looked so forlorn it seemed natural to comfort him. “Perhaps you can resolve your argument when he returns.”
He nodded slowly. “He hasn’t written since he left, and we don’t know yet how to forward mail to him. I hope he isn’t so angry that he refuses to communicate.”
“I’m sure he’ll overcome his anger and write. If he is as good a brother as you he won’t neglect his family obligations.”
Stefan shrugged again and smiled, this time a little lighter. “I hope you’re right. Come, let me show you the maze my mother designed for this garden.”
“Your mother?”
“Yes. She was ill with consumption for a long time. She always loved formal gardens with mazes, so my father had one planted for her to look out on while she was confined. She was delighted to work with the gardener to plan it. It kept her busy for a time.” He paused and ducked his head a little, laughing a little hoarsely. “I’m sorry to be so maudlin this evening. My manners seem to have deserted me entirely.”
He clasped his hands behind his back and shuffled his feet a little so that he was turned away and she could see him rubbing his fingers together nervously. It was completely inappropriate conversation to be having with a guest on the first day of meeting, but Katherine was charmed by his earnest and overflowing love for his family. It was such a rare thing to find.
She touched his shoulder again. “I understand. My own mother loved to embroider and I treasure the last dress she made for me.” She hadn’t worn it in public since she had been disavowed and banished to England, as the style would have immediately marked her as a foreigner. She had worn it frequently at night those first few years, though, and the comforting thought of her mother’s love had gotten her through many long and sleepless nights. When the dress had shown signs of wear she’d slowed to trying it on once a year, then once a decade. Now it was packed safely at the bottom of one of her trunks, untouched for a century. It really was a miracle it had survived so long.
Stefan smiled at her in commiseration, and Katherine had to force herself to smile back and not to frown. She hadn’t told anyone about that dress, and she couldn’t imagine what had prompted her to do so now. She needed to remember to keep her distance. She took Stefan’s arm when he offered it to her and chattered gaily about her interest in the town while they walked through the garden, and tried to remember that she had a purpose here other than Stefan.
They adjourned to the drawing room some time later when the light failed. Stefan showed her how to play a card game she’d never heard of, and she was pretty sure he let her win the first two hands.
Some time later she excused herself for the evening, and Emily, who had been sitting quietly off to the side, lit a candle and led them up to a room just off the stairs. It was roomy and nicely furnished, definitely a step up from the boarding house. Her trunks were laid out, one at the foot of the bed and the other two along the far wall under the window. Her evening dressing things were laid out on the vanity, her brush and a soft cloth alongside a pitcher of warm water.
“Well this is lovely. Certainly better than that boarding house,” she said, walking over to test the softness of the pillow.
“Yes it is, Miss Katherine. This is appropriate for a lady of your stature,” Emily said.
Katherine glanced over, but Emily was simply smiling blandly, waiting quietly by the door with her hands folded in front of her. Katherine sometimes got the idea that Emily might be mocking her with all her dry comments. She was pretty sure there was more to Emily then Emily let on.
“Come and help me out of this dress, please,” Katherine said, standing in front of the poster bed and grabbing a post. “What do you think of Giuseppe Salvatore?”
“He seems very reserved, but you can’t deny his charity to open his home to you,” Emily said, lifting away the bodice of her dress and starting on her skirt.
“I think he has connections around town. He may actually be useful for more than a place to stay while we find the other vampires.”
“How is that?”
“I think he has a soft heart underneath everything, and I mean to use it.”
Emily snorted, her sure fingers loosening the strings of her corset so that Katherine could finally draw a full breath again. “I think the only thing soft about him is his middle.”
Katherine laughed. “I suppose we shall see who is right about that.”
Emily helped her into her nightgown and Katherine sat at the vanity so Emily could brush and braid her hair for sleeping.
“You are sure there are vampires here?” Katherine didn’t like the uncertainty of working with incomplete information.
“My family has long known of the presence of vampires in this area,” Emily said, tying the end of her braid with a thong. “I can’t be certain, but there are likely one or two. You know this. I have a cousin I trust and will reach out to her tomorrow, if you can spare me after dressing.”
“Yes, you have leave to visit with her.” Emily rested her hand on Katherine’s shoulder and Katherine reached out to lay her hand briefly on top. “Thank you for your help in this. I know it is dangerous for you and your family to be involved with vampires.”
Emily squeezed her shoulder. “It is the least I could do, considering what you did for me.”
Katherine turned and smiled at Emily. “Do you have a room set up for yourself?”
“There is a small room for the help beside this one, I’ll be there. I’ll be close if you need anything.”
“Well then, good night.”
~~~
“Oh, Miss Pierce!”
Katherine shut the door to her room and turned to see Stefan standing uncertainly at the top of the landing. “Why, good morning, Stefan,” she said, pointedly using his first name.
He flushed a little. “Good morning, Katherine.” He looked around awkwardly.
He had likely never had a conversation with a lady without an escort of some sort, and she didn’t even have Emily with her this morning. She smiled in amusement at his discomfort and came to stand beside him at the top of the stairs. His hair was damp and combed neatly, and he looked smart in his vest and coat. “Don’t you look gentlemanly this morning. Are you attending the meeting with your Father?”
“Ah, thank you,” he said, brushing a hand self consciously down the front of his vest. “Father is having guests over to the house for his meeting. I won’t be attending, but I wanted to present well. Would you care to head down to breakfast?” He gestured for her precede him down the stairs.
She stepped a little closer and murmured, “I’m sure you’d hold your own during your father’s business meetings. He should include you,” before heading down the stairs at a leisurely pace. She’d been close enough to catch a whiff of cologne, which he certainly hadn’t been wearing yesterday. She wondered if that was to impress her or his father’s associates.
Stefan saw her into the dining room, pulling a chair out for her to sit before taking his own seat. Mr. Salvatore was already there, buttering a biscuit.
“Good morning, Mr. Salvatore,” she said, smiling.
“Good day to you, too, Miss Pierce,” he said, nodding briskly.
“Stefan told me all about your big meeting this morning. I do believe he is excited to be around such excellent company.”
“Is he indeed,” Mr. Salvatore said, gazing appraisingly over the rim of his glass at Stefan, who looked both anxious for his father’s approval and mortified that Katherine had spoken for him. “Well, attitudes such as that may get him invited to attend someday.”
Katherine hid a smile at Stefan’s hopeful look. “May I enquire as to the nature of your business?”
“I own several businesses, chief among them is a timber business that built this house and half the town. Currently I am purchasing real estate in town, and am brokering the deal with several other founding members.” He smiled kindly at her. “It’s all very tedious, I wouldn’t want to disturb your first restful morning off the road with all this.”
Katherine needed to know as much as she could about the town and Mr. Salvatore’s contacts if he was to be of any use to her, but she forced herself to laugh lightly and smile. “It is good to be back in a proper home again. Traveling for long periods is so dreadful. I look forward to doing some needlepoint this morning. It’s impossible to keep up with it in a bouncing carriage, you know.”
Mr. Salvatore nodded gravely, then turned back to the sheaf of papers beside his plate and Katherine got the feeling they’d been dismissed from his train of thought.
Stefan smiled apologetically at her. “I’m afraid I’ll be turning to my work after breakfast, as well. I keep father’s books for his timber business and I have several hours to put in this morning. Will you be able to entertain yourself when we abandon you?”
Katherine smiled confidently. “I’ll be quite safe in your drawing room for a few hours, Stefan. You needn't worry over me.” In truth, she hoped to eavesdrop on Mr. Salvatore’s meeting and welcomed being left alone to do so.
After breakfast was cleared she tucked herself quietly into a corner chair in the drawing room where she had a good view of those coming and going through the front of the house, while being out of the way enough to hopefully escape notice. Several men arrived not long after, and she mentally noted all their appearances. Giuseppe didn’t introduce her, merely ushered everyone along to his office and shut the door firmly behind them.
Katherine could hear them well enough anyway, could pick out the deep voice of the stout one and Giuseppe's confidant response as they all settled down with cigars.
“Well, Giuseppe, your plan with the Boarding House failed. A vampire was found there last night and taken care of. A human owning the deed is not enough.”
Katherine froze in shock, needle poised over the rosebud she was forming. She may have been discovered had she stayed longer at the Boarding House! She wondered if Emily knew the Council was actively hunting vampires, or if she was as ignorant as Katherine herself had been.
“But that makes no sense,” Giuseppe said. “We know they cannot enter any human home uninvited!”
“But is anyone actually living at the Boarding House? And does it have to be the deed holder?”
There was a pause, and then Giuseppe said, “The innkeeper doesn’t live there, he keeps a house with his family not far away. No one lives there, that I am aware of. That must be the difference.”
“How can we fix this?”
There was a rustling that sounded like someone stood and paced across the room.
“Well, I’m not going to move into the Boarding House, for God’s sake, but we can’t leave the place open to facilitate their travel, as we have for so long. They are a constant danger to the town.” Giuseppe said. “Who can we get to move in there to see if that would make the difference?”
“They must be someone we can trust, in case we have to include them in Council business.”
Giuseppe sighed wearily, and another rustle sounded as if he’d sat heavily in his chair. Long minutes passed, then he said, “I have a young cousin I trust reasonably well. He lives close enough to get here quickly, and he has no family or business yet to tie him down. I can try and persuade him to move in and manage the business. If I needed to induct him to the Council I think he would acquit himself well.”
“That is a good plan,” the Mayor said. “Let us know how that goes. In the meantime, we think we’ve found a safehouse for the demons, other than the Boarding House. Mr. Johnson, tell him what you think about your neighbor.”
“Well, about a month ago they stopped behaving normally. Mr. Smith hardly leaves the house to go to work, and I never see Mrs. Smith in the garden anymore. The lights are on in the house all hours of the night, and the curtains drawn all day. I’ve knocked on the door several times but only gotten them to open the door once. He looked nervous and tried to shut the door in my face! Something is really wrong there.”
“Mr. Johnson, does the bank have any leverage over the Smiths? Do we have any legal right to seize the house?”
There was a rustle of papers and Katherine thought Mr. Johnson opened a folder. He cleared his throat. “Mr. Smith has leveraged himself quite significantly to purchase his latest crop of horses for later resale. He took quite a hit when the army seized so much of his sales stable, you know. It’s a little questionable, but we do have grounds to seize the house for repayment. We’d need to get someone to live there, but we can have this done in a day or two.”
“Guiseppe, can you buy the place, on top of the Boarding House purchase?” The Mayor asked.
“I can,” Guiseppe said. “I welcome the chance to save these folks from this evil possession.”
Katherine sat back in her chair, stunned. This Council seemed far more active and dangerous than she had expected. She touched her necklace, shuddering to think of the position she’d be in if Emily hadn’t intervened. She would have to be very, very careful during her time here or she might not make it out.
The talk of the meeting turned to more ordinary town business, and Katherine resumed her embroidery, mind racing through the new information and how she could use it to her advantage. The men emerged some time later. Giuseppe saw them out, then disappeared upstairs with Fidelia, issuing orders that he be packed and made ready for a week long journey.
Early afternoon saw the three of them standing at the front door, Stefan frowning slightly.
“Father, this is so sudden, are you sure you can’t wait a day or so? Our guest has just arrived!”
Katherine sympathized with him. He likely knew nothing of his father’s real business about town, and it was extraordinarily unusual to leave a young lady in unsupervised company with an unrelated man, much less to leave them alone in the house for days at a time! Stefan was probably confused beyond belief.
“I have business that can’t wait, son. I expect you to manage my timber business, you know what to do there, and look after the household.”
Stefan’s brow creased. “But I don’t understand, what business could have come up so suddenly that I don’t know about-”
“I can’t discuss it, Stefan.” He reached out and laid his hand on Stefan’s shoulder, smiling a little at him. “I trust you to handle business here. That’s all you need to know.”
Stefan’s shoulders slumped a little, but he nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Giuseppe turned to Katherine. “I do apologize for this unusual turn of events. Are you quite sure about staying here while I am gone? I can give you the finest room at the Boarding House until I return. The last thing I want is questions about your honor.”
Katherine shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Fidelia and Emily are both here to supervise, as is my driver, and you’ve got Mrs. Lockwood stopping by daily to check in on us.” She gave her sweetest smile. “Stefan is an honorable man, any young lady would be safe in his care.”
Giuseppe sighed. Katherine thought he might change his mind and order her to pack and leave, but he merely shook his head. “Well, if you insist. I don’t have time to make any better arrangements, and I can’t very well turn you out again after taking you in, can I? I will be gone a week at most, perhaps as short as three days. Stefan, you can contact the Mayor with any problems. I can always return home quickly if I’m needed, it’s only a half day’s ride if I press the horses.” He squeezed Stefan’s shoulder, bowed to Katherine, and strode down the stairs to the waiting carriage.
After he was gone, Stefan turned to her with his eyebrows climbing to his hairline. “This is most unusual!”
“Well, you’re master of the house now, you’ll have to see to all my needs,” Katherine said lightly, enjoying his flush at her comment.
“Is there anything you need that we haven’t provided?”
Katherine took his arm and stroked a palm down his firm bicep. “Well, I haven’t eaten this afternoon. I do think you should feed me before I perish from hunger,” she said solemnly.
Stefan smiled down at her, his eyes warm and his smile whispering of pleasant moments to come. “Then I shall feed you, and give you whatever else you desire.”
Katherine’s heart fluttered pleasantly and an answering smile stretched across her face. It was the most innocent flirting she’d ever taken part in, since he’d likely never done more than ask a lady to dance twice at the local ball, but he moved her in a way no one had in a hundred years. She walked with him to the dining room, stroking his arm in a most improper manner and enjoying his proximity and eager expression, and forgot entirely that she was supposed to be making plans for the day.
~~~
The dogs in the yard broke out into noisy baying and Stefan looked up sharply from the book he was reading.
Katherine set her needlepoint down on her lap. “Are we expecting visitors?”
“No, and Father wouldn’t be back unless something were wrong.” The din outside changed to excited barking and yipping and Stefan’s expression grew hopeful. He set his book aside and strode to the door, Katherine scrambling to follow. He paused on the open threshold, his face breaking into a delighted grin. “Damon!”
He rushed out the door, running down the steps and launching himself at a dark haired man walking up the drive. The man laughed and dropped his bag in the dirt to wrap his arms around Stefan and pound him on the back in greeting. “Oh, it is good to see you, brother,” he murmured, low enough that a human wouldn’t have been able to hear it. He tried to pick Stefan up and barely managed to get him off the ground. “I swear you’ve grown an inch since I left!”
Stefan laughed and pulled back, his hands coming to rest on Damon’s jaw. “I am so glad you’re home safely, brother.” He patted Damon’s cheek before pulling him into another fierce hug.
Katherine stood on the porch and watched Damon’s homecoming with curiosity. Stefan had frequently spoken fondly of his brother in the short time she had been here, and it was plain to see that love was returned in spades by Damon. Rarely had she seen two siblings with so much affection, and it actually caused a small pang of remembrance for her own sisters now long gone. It seemed ages before Stefan pulled from their embrace to turn to Katherine.
“Damon, I don’t know if you got my last letter, but we have a boarder. Her name is Katherine Pierce.”
Damon reluctantly pulled his gaze from Stefan to look up at her. He looked her up and down - quickly and subtly, but she was experienced enough to catch it - and smiled. He came up the steps to bow over her hand, gazing up at her from under his unruly fringe of hair. “Stefan did indeed write to me of you, Miss Pierce. It is a great pleasure to meet you.” His gaze and the touch of his hand on hers was electric, and she wondered what it was about the Salvatore boys that pulled at her so.
“The pleasure is all mine, Damon. Please, you must call me Katherine.”
“If it pleases you, Katherine,” he murmured, brushing his lips over the back of her hand in an electric kiss before letting her go and standing. He threw his arm around Stefan’s shoulder, who had come to join them on the porch. “I go away to war, to march across the state and fight my fellow man and eat god-awful food, only to come home and find you entertaining the finest lady I’ve ever seen. I do think you got the better end of this bargain!”
Stefan laughed and scuffed his toe against the porch. “It has been an honor to aid a lady in need.”
Damon’s thoughtful gaze rested on her. “Indeed it is. Noble Stefan,” he murmured, scrubbing his hand affectionately through Stefan’s hair, laughing when Stefan shoved him away to set himself aright. “And where is Father? Why is he not here to greet the prodigal son returned?”
“Father is away on urgent business. He left just this afternoon.”
“And what, he left you here alone?” Damon’s disbelief bordered on comical.
“Your wise father left me in the care of your noble brother,” Katherine said, smiling charmingly at Damon. “And now I shall have another to champion my honor. I do believe I am the luckiest lady in all of Virginia.”
Damon bowed exaggeratedly to her. “My lady, let’s get you inside and out of this heat so I can eat and drink before I fall over from exhaustion. I’ve been walking since daybreak and I would be rid of these damn boots if it’s the last thing I do.”
Stefan grabbed Damon’s duffel and ushered them inside, Katherine sitting back in the parlor while they tromped upstairs.
“Did Father really leave you here alone with her?” Damon murmured when he probably thought they were out of earshot.
“Yes, he had a meeting with the Mayor this morning and then practically ran out of the house as soon as he could pack and make ready. He’s going to fetch our cousin Henry from River Crossing.” There was a pause, then Stefan said, “I know, I can’t figure it either. He wouldn’t tell me the nature of his business. Maybe you can get it out of him.”
“Unlikely. I’m the last person in town he’d confide in,” Damon muttered, and his voice was far more bitter than Katherine would have expected. She tapped her finger on the book of poems she was pretending to read. Perhaps that interesting information would prove to be useful. There was a muffled thump, as if one of the boys had shoved the other into the wall. “You, on the other hand, need to tell me everything! Where did this woman come from, and why the devil did Father leave you alone with her?”
“Father found her at the Boarding House, turned away and with nowhere to go. Of course he took her in! And why shouldn’t he trust me to care for her?” His voice turning offended.
“Because you are both of marriageable age and it’s improper,” Damon said, the words gentle but his tone sly. “Is she staying there? You’ve been two doors down from her all this time-”
“Damon!” Stefan sounded so outraged and shocked that she had to hide a smile. “I have behaved with the utmost propriety around our guest, I’ll have you know. I would never-”
“Relax, baby brother,” Damon said, laughing. “I know you wouldn’t so much as look at her sideways. Though she does cut a fine figure.”
Stefan harumped. “Well, you’ve turned into quite the prurient while you’ve been away.”
“The army will do that to you.” Katherine arched an eyebrow. That was a very interesting thought. There was a thump, and then another as Damon shed his boots. He flopped back on the bed and sighed loudly. “You have no idea how relieved I am to be home.”
“Did you see battle?” Stefan’s voice was soft, hesitant, and Katherine thought he’d likely been very scared for Damon while he’d been away.
“Some,” Damon said. “But come, let’s go eat. Fetch me those boots I used to wear while riding, they’re well broken in.”
The boys tromped back downstairs and they adjourn to the dining room, where Fidelia had a simple meal laid out.
“A table and chair and proper dinner knife, such luxuries I haven’t known in months!” Damon exclaimed. He pulled a chair out and gestured to Katherine. “My lady.”
“Thank you, Damon,” Katherine murmured, smiling at him as she sat. His answering grin was warm, his blue gaze just a touch too intense.
The boys sat opposite her, both smiling eagerly at her as they passed platters of food across to her. It was a heady feeling, having both their full attention.
“Damon, how long have you been in the army?”
“Only eight months. I’m lucky to be getting leave so early. Some men in my regiment haven’t been home in two years and more.”
“Oh? Well, you must entertain us with tales of your bravery!”
“Well, most of the soldering life is deadly boring. We spend the majority of our time marching, and most of the rest of it camped out while trying to figure out where the enemy is and coordinating with the rest of the Army. There’s not much glamorous in all that. But I will tell you this story. I went to board at John B. Cary’s Academy about a year ago, and not long after that the school closed due to the war. The instructors, many of whom had military experience, and the older boys in my class decided to join the army together, creating our own Company. Well, my bunkmate Jeffrey was quite the clown and he was always getting into trouble.”
Katherine sat back and listened, enjoying the way Damon grinned mischievously at them and Stefan smiled easily back and threw his arm around the back of Damon’s chair. He seemed more relaxed than he had since she’d arrived. It was the most light hearted meal she’d had while staying at the Salvatore house, and she had no doubt that had everything to do with Giuseppe’s absence. She liked Damon and his charm and mischief and the way he teased Stefan, but never too roughly. She might even like him as much as Stefan, which was unexpected. She had been struck by Stefan from the moment she saw him, and was a little unprepared to be as interested in his brother as he.
They laughed and talked late into the evening, until Emily slipped quietly into the dining room and Katherine had to acknowledge that the hour was getting too late to properly remain in mixed company.
“Well, gentlemen, I thank you for a delightful evening,” she said, wiping her mouth and throwing down her napkin. “It’s time for me to retire, and I’m sure you have catching up to do.”
Stefan hurried up from his place to pull her chair out for her, saying, “I’m so glad you got the chance to meet Damon, what wonderful luck that he came home while you were here!”
Damon stood and bowed to her from across the table. “Good evening, Katherine,” he murmured. “I hope you sleep well.”
Katherine curtsied to them both and left with Emily. Up in her room, she paused by the bedpost while Emily undid her bodice. “How did it go with your cousin?”
“It went well. She was willing to talk to me, which was more than I expected, really. Things aren’t much different than they were before I left. She did tell me where Pearl was staying, though, which you will find useful.”
“Oh?”
“She’s staying in town, above the general store, which she keeps now. You can find her there working most days.”
“Her identity remains a secret?”
“So far as my cousin knows, yes. She herself didn’t even know Pearl was a vampire.”
“That’s good,” Katherine said. It would be easy enough to engineer a ‘chance’ meeting at the store, no one would think twice about it. “I will be going into town tomorrow, then. You may come along if you like, or did you have further plans with your family?”
“I did want to visit with my cousin again. It’s so good to be home again, and hearing family news about all the things I’ve missed. No one else knows I’m back, but it’s still nice.”
Katherine nodded and they said goodnight, Katherine tucking herself into bed. She fell asleep to the quiet murmuring of deep voices and lighthearted laughter.
~~~
“I will be riding into town this morning,” Katherine announced at the breakfast table the next day. “I left home without certain items, and it would be good to purchase them. Is your general store well supplied with items of ladies fashion?”
“I suppose it is,” Stefan said. “The ladies around town all seem finely dressed to me.”
Damon laughed. “You’ve never traveled anywhere, Stefan, how would you know?”
“Well, we get women traveling at the Boarding House every so often and they don’t seem any finer than our ladies.”
Damon shrugged at Katherine. “He’s probably right. You may expect more from high society in Atlanta, but Mystic Falls is relatively in fashion from what I saw. You and Emily will enjoy shopping, I think.”
“Emily has family in the area and won’t be joining me today.”
Stefan’s eyebrows raised. “You will need an escort, then. I can be of service today.”
“Don’t you have work to finish before your father comes home?”
“Well, yes, but I can’t allow you to wander around town all by yourself.”
“I can escort you,” Damon said, a small smile on his face.
Spending the day with Damon was an interesting prospect. His knowing little smirks were intriguing, and Katherine wanted the chance to get to know him a little more intimately.
“Well, I can’t pull you away from your work for something as frivolous as shopping, Stefan,” she said. “And I would enjoy your company today, Damon.”
Stefan frowned. “Very well, then.”
He seemed so disappointed that Katherine smiled gently at him. “You can spend the evening entertaining me any way you like. How about that?”
He perked up a bit at that. “Then I look forward to your return.” Originally posted at http://pslasher.dreamwidth.org/63782.html. Read
comments over there.
Chapter 2
“You must be Miss Pierce,” Stefan Salvatore said, bowing slightly.
“Please, call me Katherine,” she said, holding out her hand for him to bow over. He was every bit as handsome as he’d appeared from the window of her coach days ago, and her stomach gave a little flutter just like it had at that first sighting. “And you must be Mr. Stefan Salvatore.”
He laughed. “Just Stefan. My father is Mister Salvatore. If you have no need to stand on ceremony then neither do I.”
Katherine smiled and curtsied, murmuring, “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Stefan.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” His voice was pleasantly growly, made all the more charming by the faint blush that spread across his cheeks.
She took her hand back before the contact became unseemly. “Is your father not home to greet me?”
“Father is in his study, where he lives these past few years.” He turned to the slaves standing off to the side. “Fidela, inform Father we are entertaining our guest in the parlor. James, help Miss Pierce’s girl get settled into her room.”
Katherine tucked her hand into Stefan’s arm, staying as close to him as proprietary allowed as they walked up the front steps.
“Please come in and make yourself at home,” he said, sweeping his arm out to usher her inside before him. He showed her into the parlor just off the entrance and saw that she was seated comfortably in the corner.
“Would you care for a drink? I’d offer you tea but I’m afraid with the blockades lately our supply of tea is very low. Father only allows it on Sunday mornings.”
“Water is fine, Stefan, thank you. Our canteens ran dry an hour ago so I welcome it.” That wasn’t strictly a lie as Emily had actually finished hers. Katherine hadn’t had a drink of water in months, but it was best to uphold the subterfuge of humanity at all times.
Stefan nodded to Fidelia, who had silently slipped into the room but left quickly at Stefan’s order.
“Miss Pierce,” Mr. Salvatore said, coming into the room.
Katherine stood and curtsied deeply. “I thank you again for your hospitality, Mr. Salvatore.”
He nodded stiffly. “I trust you traveled safely?”
“I did. These roads are some of the safest I’ve ever traveled.”
“As well they should be. The town council’s highest concern is the safety of it’s citizens. We’d accept nothing less.”
“Then I’m indebted to you yet again for keeping me safe.” She smiled shyly and was pleased to see his frown soften slightly.
“Well, I’ve been informed that dinner is served, so let me feed you lest you waste away under my care.” He offered her his elbow and she took it. His arm was stiff under her hand, and she got the feeling that he didn’t interact with ladies very often.
He led her into a formal dining room with all the finery laid out. He pulled out a chair for her, seating her graciously beside himself and opposite Stefan.
“Father tells me he met you at the boarding house in town,” Stefan said after everyone was seated.
“Yes, it was fortunate that he did. There were no rooms to be had and I would have been turned out onto the streets if he hadn’t come along!” Katherine opened her eyes just a touch too wide and put a hand to her chest to feign distress. Of course, she’d compelled the innkeeper to turn her away at just the moment Mr. Salvatore was walking past so she could open the opportunity for him to save her, but the way he smiled slightly at her comment meant he didn’t suspect her.
“I couldn’t very well abandon such a gently bred young lady in a time of need,” Mr. Salvatore said.
“It is fortunate indeed that you had business in town then, Father,” Stefan said, beaming across the table at Katherine, seemingly delighted to be involved in saving a young lady from homelessness.
She smiled back, pleased with her scheming. They ate well, the Salvatores pulling out their best for their guest. After dinner Mr. Salvatore stood.
“It has been a pleasure dining with a lady again, Miss Salvatore. Thank you for your company. However, if you will excuse me I have some work to finish before the day is out.”
Stefan frowned. “Can it not wait, Father? We could play a round of cards to entertain our guest.”
Mr. Salvatore smiled, his face softening only a little, but it was the most relaxed she’d seen him. “Play cards, or take her for a stroll through the grounds now that it’s cooler out. I have every confidence you’ll be a good host. I have a meeting with the Mayor I must prepare for.” He bowed slightly towards her and strode from the room.
Stefan sighed. “Please excuse my father. He doesn’t mean to be rude, but I expect when the time comes he’ll argue with Saint Peter himself that he has too much work to do and can’t accommodate death at that moment.”
Katherine waved a hand dismissively. “Great men must spend their time in productive ways. I suppose I’ll have to make do with you this evening,” she said. After all, her interest in staying with the Salvatores was as much to get closer to Stefan as Giuseppe. “Your father mentioned that you have gardens?”
“We do. They were my-” Stefan cut himself off then glanced towards the door. “We can walk through them if you’d like.”
“I would love to,” she said. She collected her fan from Emily, who trailed them through the front door and down a bricked path to a formal garden on the side of the house.
Stefan opened the gate and gestured her through. They ambled slowly along a crushed brick path, and paused in the shade of a large magnolia tree. “I used to climb in this tree with my brother, when we were little,” he said suddenly, turning to look up at it, his smile small and wistful. “It’s so ancient it must have been planted when my father was young.”
“Your brother? Will we be meeting him?”
His shoulders stiffened and the smile slid off his face. “He has joined the army and is away contributing to the war effort. We don’t know when he will be home again.”
“You must be proud of him.”
Stefan shrugged slightly. “We argued before he left and I’m afraid he is upset with me.”
“I’m sorry to hear you left on poor terms,” she said, touching his shoulder lightly. He looked so forlorn it seemed natural to comfort him. “Perhaps you can resolve your argument when he returns.”
He nodded slowly. “He hasn’t written since he left, and we don’t know yet how to forward mail to him. I hope he isn’t so angry that he refuses to communicate.”
“I’m sure he’ll overcome his anger and write. If he is as good a brother as you he won’t neglect his family obligations.”
Stefan shrugged again and smiled, this time a little lighter. “I hope you’re right. Come, let me show you the maze my mother designed for this garden.”
“Your mother?”
“Yes. She was ill with consumption for a long time. She always loved formal gardens with mazes, so my father had one planted for her to look out on while she was confined. She was delighted to work with the gardener to plan it. It kept her busy for a time.” He paused and ducked his head a little, laughing a little hoarsely. “I’m sorry to be so maudlin this evening. My manners seem to have deserted me entirely.”
He clasped his hands behind his back and shuffled his feet a little so that he was turned away and she could see him rubbing his fingers together nervously. It was completely inappropriate conversation to be having with a guest on the first day of meeting, but Katherine was charmed by his earnest and overflowing love for his family. It was such a rare thing to find.
She touched his shoulder again. “I understand. My own mother loved to embroider and I treasure the last dress she made for me.” She hadn’t worn it in public since she had been disavowed and banished to England, as the style would have immediately marked her as a foreigner. She had worn it frequently at night those first few years, though, and the comforting thought of her mother’s love had gotten her through many long and sleepless nights. When the dress had shown signs of wear she’d slowed to trying it on once a year, then once a decade. Now it was packed safely at the bottom of one of her trunks, untouched for a century. It really was a miracle it had survived so long.
Stefan smiled at her in commiseration, and Katherine had to force herself to smile back and not to frown. She hadn’t told anyone about that dress, and she couldn’t imagine what had prompted her to do so now. She needed to remember to keep her distance. She took Stefan’s arm when he offered it to her and chattered gaily about her interest in the town while they walked through the garden, and tried to remember that she had a purpose here other than Stefan.
They adjourned to the drawing room some time later when the light failed. Stefan showed her how to play a card game she’d never heard of, and she was pretty sure he let her win the first two hands.
Some time later she excused herself for the evening, and Emily, who had been sitting quietly off to the side, lit a candle and led them up to a room just off the stairs. It was roomy and nicely furnished, definitely a step up from the boarding house. Her trunks were laid out, one at the foot of the bed and the other two along the far wall under the window. Her evening dressing things were laid out on the vanity, her brush and a soft cloth alongside a pitcher of warm water.
“Well this is lovely. Certainly better than that boarding house,” she said, walking over to test the softness of the pillow.
“Yes it is, Miss Katherine. This is appropriate for a lady of your stature,” Emily said.
Katherine glanced over, but Emily was simply smiling blandly, waiting quietly by the door with her hands folded in front of her. Katherine sometimes got the idea that Emily might be mocking her with all her dry comments. She was pretty sure there was more to Emily then Emily let on.
“Come and help me out of this dress, please,” Katherine said, standing in front of the poster bed and grabbing a post. “What do you think of Giuseppe Salvatore?”
“He seems very reserved, but you can’t deny his charity to open his home to you,” Emily said, lifting away the bodice of her dress and starting on her skirt.
“I think he has connections around town. He may actually be useful for more than a place to stay while we find the other vampires.”
“How is that?”
“I think he has a soft heart underneath everything, and I mean to use it.”
Emily snorted, her sure fingers loosening the strings of her corset so that Katherine could finally draw a full breath again. “I think the only thing soft about him is his middle.”
Katherine laughed. “I suppose we shall see who is right about that.”
Emily helped her into her nightgown and Katherine sat at the vanity so Emily could brush and braid her hair for sleeping.
“You are sure there are vampires here?” Katherine didn’t like the uncertainty of working with incomplete information.
“My family has long known of the presence of vampires in this area,” Emily said, tying the end of her braid with a thong. “I can’t be certain, but there are likely one or two. You know this. I have a cousin I trust and will reach out to her tomorrow, if you can spare me after dressing.”
“Yes, you have leave to visit with her.” Emily rested her hand on Katherine’s shoulder and Katherine reached out to lay her hand briefly on top. “Thank you for your help in this. I know it is dangerous for you and your family to be involved with vampires.”
Emily squeezed her shoulder. “It is the least I could do, considering what you did for me.”
Katherine turned and smiled at Emily. “Do you have a room set up for yourself?”
“There is a small room for the help beside this one, I’ll be there. I’ll be close if you need anything.”
“Well then, good night.”
~~~
“Oh, Miss Pierce!”
Katherine shut the door to her room and turned to see Stefan standing uncertainly at the top of the landing. “Why, good morning, Stefan,” she said, pointedly using his first name.
He flushed a little. “Good morning, Katherine.” He looked around awkwardly.
He had likely never had a conversation with a lady without an escort of some sort, and she didn’t even have Emily with her this morning. She smiled in amusement at his discomfort and came to stand beside him at the top of the stairs. His hair was damp and combed neatly, and he looked smart in his vest and coat. “Don’t you look gentlemanly this morning. Are you attending the meeting with your Father?”
“Ah, thank you,” he said, brushing a hand self consciously down the front of his vest. “Father is having guests over to the house for his meeting. I won’t be attending, but I wanted to present well. Would you care to head down to breakfast?” He gestured for her precede him down the stairs.
She stepped a little closer and murmured, “I’m sure you’d hold your own during your father’s business meetings. He should include you,” before heading down the stairs at a leisurely pace. She’d been close enough to catch a whiff of cologne, which he certainly hadn’t been wearing yesterday. She wondered if that was to impress her or his father’s associates.
Stefan saw her into the dining room, pulling a chair out for her to sit before taking his own seat. Mr. Salvatore was already there, buttering a biscuit.
“Good morning, Mr. Salvatore,” she said, smiling.
“Good day to you, too, Miss Pierce,” he said, nodding briskly.
“Stefan told me all about your big meeting this morning. I do believe he is excited to be around such excellent company.”
“Is he indeed,” Mr. Salvatore said, gazing appraisingly over the rim of his glass at Stefan, who looked both anxious for his father’s approval and mortified that Katherine had spoken for him. “Well, attitudes such as that may get him invited to attend someday.”
Katherine hid a smile at Stefan’s hopeful look. “May I enquire as to the nature of your business?”
“I own several businesses, chief among them is a timber business that built this house and half the town. Currently I am purchasing real estate in town, and am brokering the deal with several other founding members.” He smiled kindly at her. “It’s all very tedious, I wouldn’t want to disturb your first restful morning off the road with all this.”
Katherine needed to know as much as she could about the town and Mr. Salvatore’s contacts if he was to be of any use to her, but she forced herself to laugh lightly and smile. “It is good to be back in a proper home again. Traveling for long periods is so dreadful. I look forward to doing some needlepoint this morning. It’s impossible to keep up with it in a bouncing carriage, you know.”
Mr. Salvatore nodded gravely, then turned back to the sheaf of papers beside his plate and Katherine got the feeling they’d been dismissed from his train of thought.
Stefan smiled apologetically at her. “I’m afraid I’ll be turning to my work after breakfast, as well. I keep father’s books for his timber business and I have several hours to put in this morning. Will you be able to entertain yourself when we abandon you?”
Katherine smiled confidently. “I’ll be quite safe in your drawing room for a few hours, Stefan. You needn't worry over me.” In truth, she hoped to eavesdrop on Mr. Salvatore’s meeting and welcomed being left alone to do so.
After breakfast was cleared she tucked herself quietly into a corner chair in the drawing room where she had a good view of those coming and going through the front of the house, while being out of the way enough to hopefully escape notice. Several men arrived not long after, and she mentally noted all their appearances. Giuseppe didn’t introduce her, merely ushered everyone along to his office and shut the door firmly behind them.
Katherine could hear them well enough anyway, could pick out the deep voice of the stout one and Giuseppe's confidant response as they all settled down with cigars.
“Well, Giuseppe, your plan with the Boarding House failed. A vampire was found there last night and taken care of. A human owning the deed is not enough.”
Katherine froze in shock, needle poised over the rosebud she was forming. She may have been discovered had she stayed longer at the Boarding House! She wondered if Emily knew the Council was actively hunting vampires, or if she was as ignorant as Katherine herself had been.
“But that makes no sense,” Giuseppe said. “We know they cannot enter any human home uninvited!”
“But is anyone actually living at the Boarding House? And does it have to be the deed holder?”
There was a pause, and then Giuseppe said, “The innkeeper doesn’t live there, he keeps a house with his family not far away. No one lives there, that I am aware of. That must be the difference.”
“How can we fix this?”
There was a rustling that sounded like someone stood and paced across the room.
“Well, I’m not going to move into the Boarding House, for God’s sake, but we can’t leave the place open to facilitate their travel, as we have for so long. They are a constant danger to the town.” Giuseppe said. “Who can we get to move in there to see if that would make the difference?”
“They must be someone we can trust, in case we have to include them in Council business.”
Giuseppe sighed wearily, and another rustle sounded as if he’d sat heavily in his chair. Long minutes passed, then he said, “I have a young cousin I trust reasonably well. He lives close enough to get here quickly, and he has no family or business yet to tie him down. I can try and persuade him to move in and manage the business. If I needed to induct him to the Council I think he would acquit himself well.”
“That is a good plan,” the Mayor said. “Let us know how that goes. In the meantime, we think we’ve found a safehouse for the demons, other than the Boarding House. Mr. Johnson, tell him what you think about your neighbor.”
“Well, about a month ago they stopped behaving normally. Mr. Smith hardly leaves the house to go to work, and I never see Mrs. Smith in the garden anymore. The lights are on in the house all hours of the night, and the curtains drawn all day. I’ve knocked on the door several times but only gotten them to open the door once. He looked nervous and tried to shut the door in my face! Something is really wrong there.”
“Mr. Johnson, does the bank have any leverage over the Smiths? Do we have any legal right to seize the house?”
There was a rustle of papers and Katherine thought Mr. Johnson opened a folder. He cleared his throat. “Mr. Smith has leveraged himself quite significantly to purchase his latest crop of horses for later resale. He took quite a hit when the army seized so much of his sales stable, you know. It’s a little questionable, but we do have grounds to seize the house for repayment. We’d need to get someone to live there, but we can have this done in a day or two.”
“Guiseppe, can you buy the place, on top of the Boarding House purchase?” The Mayor asked.
“I can,” Guiseppe said. “I welcome the chance to save these folks from this evil possession.”
Katherine sat back in her chair, stunned. This Council seemed far more active and dangerous than she had expected. She touched her necklace, shuddering to think of the position she’d be in if Emily hadn’t intervened. She would have to be very, very careful during her time here or she might not make it out.
The talk of the meeting turned to more ordinary town business, and Katherine resumed her embroidery, mind racing through the new information and how she could use it to her advantage. The men emerged some time later. Giuseppe saw them out, then disappeared upstairs with Fidelia, issuing orders that he be packed and made ready for a week long journey.
Early afternoon saw the three of them standing at the front door, Stefan frowning slightly.
“Father, this is so sudden, are you sure you can’t wait a day or so? Our guest has just arrived!”
Katherine sympathized with him. He likely knew nothing of his father’s real business about town, and it was extraordinarily unusual to leave a young lady in unsupervised company with an unrelated man, much less to leave them alone in the house for days at a time! Stefan was probably confused beyond belief.
“I have business that can’t wait, son. I expect you to manage my timber business, you know what to do there, and look after the household.”
Stefan’s brow creased. “But I don’t understand, what business could have come up so suddenly that I don’t know about-”
“I can’t discuss it, Stefan.” He reached out and laid his hand on Stefan’s shoulder, smiling a little at him. “I trust you to handle business here. That’s all you need to know.”
Stefan’s shoulders slumped a little, but he nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Giuseppe turned to Katherine. “I do apologize for this unusual turn of events. Are you quite sure about staying here while I am gone? I can give you the finest room at the Boarding House until I return. The last thing I want is questions about your honor.”
Katherine shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Fidelia and Emily are both here to supervise, as is my driver, and you’ve got Mrs. Lockwood stopping by daily to check in on us.” She gave her sweetest smile. “Stefan is an honorable man, any young lady would be safe in his care.”
Giuseppe sighed. Katherine thought he might change his mind and order her to pack and leave, but he merely shook his head. “Well, if you insist. I don’t have time to make any better arrangements, and I can’t very well turn you out again after taking you in, can I? I will be gone a week at most, perhaps as short as three days. Stefan, you can contact the Mayor with any problems. I can always return home quickly if I’m needed, it’s only a half day’s ride if I press the horses.” He squeezed Stefan’s shoulder, bowed to Katherine, and strode down the stairs to the waiting carriage.
After he was gone, Stefan turned to her with his eyebrows climbing to his hairline. “This is most unusual!”
“Well, you’re master of the house now, you’ll have to see to all my needs,” Katherine said lightly, enjoying his flush at her comment.
“Is there anything you need that we haven’t provided?”
Katherine took his arm and stroked a palm down his firm bicep. “Well, I haven’t eaten this afternoon. I do think you should feed me before I perish from hunger,” she said solemnly.
Stefan smiled down at her, his eyes warm and his smile whispering of pleasant moments to come. “Then I shall feed you, and give you whatever else you desire.”
Katherine’s heart fluttered pleasantly and an answering smile stretched across her face. It was the most innocent flirting she’d ever taken part in, since he’d likely never done more than ask a lady to dance twice at the local ball, but he moved her in a way no one had in a hundred years. She walked with him to the dining room, stroking his arm in a most improper manner and enjoying his proximity and eager expression, and forgot entirely that she was supposed to be making plans for the day.
~~~
The dogs in the yard broke out into noisy baying and Stefan looked up sharply from the book he was reading.
Katherine set her needlepoint down on her lap. “Are we expecting visitors?”
“No, and Father wouldn’t be back unless something were wrong.” The din outside changed to excited barking and yipping and Stefan’s expression grew hopeful. He set his book aside and strode to the door, Katherine scrambling to follow. He paused on the open threshold, his face breaking into a delighted grin. “Damon!”
He rushed out the door, running down the steps and launching himself at a dark haired man walking up the drive. The man laughed and dropped his bag in the dirt to wrap his arms around Stefan and pound him on the back in greeting. “Oh, it is good to see you, brother,” he murmured, low enough that a human wouldn’t have been able to hear it. He tried to pick Stefan up and barely managed to get him off the ground. “I swear you’ve grown an inch since I left!”
Stefan laughed and pulled back, his hands coming to rest on Damon’s jaw. “I am so glad you’re home safely, brother.” He patted Damon’s cheek before pulling him into another fierce hug.
Katherine stood on the porch and watched Damon’s homecoming with curiosity. Stefan had frequently spoken fondly of his brother in the short time she had been here, and it was plain to see that love was returned in spades by Damon. Rarely had she seen two siblings with so much affection, and it actually caused a small pang of remembrance for her own sisters now long gone. It seemed ages before Stefan pulled from their embrace to turn to Katherine.
“Damon, I don’t know if you got my last letter, but we have a boarder. Her name is Katherine Pierce.”
Damon reluctantly pulled his gaze from Stefan to look up at her. He looked her up and down - quickly and subtly, but she was experienced enough to catch it - and smiled. He came up the steps to bow over her hand, gazing up at her from under his unruly fringe of hair. “Stefan did indeed write to me of you, Miss Pierce. It is a great pleasure to meet you.” His gaze and the touch of his hand on hers was electric, and she wondered what it was about the Salvatore boys that pulled at her so.
“The pleasure is all mine, Damon. Please, you must call me Katherine.”
“If it pleases you, Katherine,” he murmured, brushing his lips over the back of her hand in an electric kiss before letting her go and standing. He threw his arm around Stefan’s shoulder, who had come to join them on the porch. “I go away to war, to march across the state and fight my fellow man and eat god-awful food, only to come home and find you entertaining the finest lady I’ve ever seen. I do think you got the better end of this bargain!”
Stefan laughed and scuffed his toe against the porch. “It has been an honor to aid a lady in need.”
Damon’s thoughtful gaze rested on her. “Indeed it is. Noble Stefan,” he murmured, scrubbing his hand affectionately through Stefan’s hair, laughing when Stefan shoved him away to set himself aright. “And where is Father? Why is he not here to greet the prodigal son returned?”
“Father is away on urgent business. He left just this afternoon.”
“And what, he left you here alone?” Damon’s disbelief bordered on comical.
“Your wise father left me in the care of your noble brother,” Katherine said, smiling charmingly at Damon. “And now I shall have another to champion my honor. I do believe I am the luckiest lady in all of Virginia.”
Damon bowed exaggeratedly to her. “My lady, let’s get you inside and out of this heat so I can eat and drink before I fall over from exhaustion. I’ve been walking since daybreak and I would be rid of these damn boots if it’s the last thing I do.”
Stefan grabbed Damon’s duffel and ushered them inside, Katherine sitting back in the parlor while they tromped upstairs.
“Did Father really leave you here alone with her?” Damon murmured when he probably thought they were out of earshot.
“Yes, he had a meeting with the Mayor this morning and then practically ran out of the house as soon as he could pack and make ready. He’s going to fetch our cousin Henry from River Crossing.” There was a pause, then Stefan said, “I know, I can’t figure it either. He wouldn’t tell me the nature of his business. Maybe you can get it out of him.”
“Unlikely. I’m the last person in town he’d confide in,” Damon muttered, and his voice was far more bitter than Katherine would have expected. She tapped her finger on the book of poems she was pretending to read. Perhaps that interesting information would prove to be useful. There was a muffled thump, as if one of the boys had shoved the other into the wall. “You, on the other hand, need to tell me everything! Where did this woman come from, and why the devil did Father leave you alone with her?”
“Father found her at the Boarding House, turned away and with nowhere to go. Of course he took her in! And why shouldn’t he trust me to care for her?” His voice turning offended.
“Because you are both of marriageable age and it’s improper,” Damon said, the words gentle but his tone sly. “Is she staying there? You’ve been two doors down from her all this time-”
“Damon!” Stefan sounded so outraged and shocked that she had to hide a smile. “I have behaved with the utmost propriety around our guest, I’ll have you know. I would never-”
“Relax, baby brother,” Damon said, laughing. “I know you wouldn’t so much as look at her sideways. Though she does cut a fine figure.”
Stefan harumped. “Well, you’ve turned into quite the prurient while you’ve been away.”
“The army will do that to you.” Katherine arched an eyebrow. That was a very interesting thought. There was a thump, and then another as Damon shed his boots. He flopped back on the bed and sighed loudly. “You have no idea how relieved I am to be home.”
“Did you see battle?” Stefan’s voice was soft, hesitant, and Katherine thought he’d likely been very scared for Damon while he’d been away.
“Some,” Damon said. “But come, let’s go eat. Fetch me those boots I used to wear while riding, they’re well broken in.”
The boys tromped back downstairs and they adjourn to the dining room, where Fidelia had a simple meal laid out.
“A table and chair and proper dinner knife, such luxuries I haven’t known in months!” Damon exclaimed. He pulled a chair out and gestured to Katherine. “My lady.”
“Thank you, Damon,” Katherine murmured, smiling at him as she sat. His answering grin was warm, his blue gaze just a touch too intense.
The boys sat opposite her, both smiling eagerly at her as they passed platters of food across to her. It was a heady feeling, having both their full attention.
“Damon, how long have you been in the army?”
“Only eight months. I’m lucky to be getting leave so early. Some men in my regiment haven’t been home in two years and more.”
“Oh? Well, you must entertain us with tales of your bravery!”
“Well, most of the soldering life is deadly boring. We spend the majority of our time marching, and most of the rest of it camped out while trying to figure out where the enemy is and coordinating with the rest of the Army. There’s not much glamorous in all that. But I will tell you this story. I went to board at John B. Cary’s Academy about a year ago, and not long after that the school closed due to the war. The instructors, many of whom had military experience, and the older boys in my class decided to join the army together, creating our own Company. Well, my bunkmate Jeffrey was quite the clown and he was always getting into trouble.”
Katherine sat back and listened, enjoying the way Damon grinned mischievously at them and Stefan smiled easily back and threw his arm around the back of Damon’s chair. He seemed more relaxed than he had since she’d arrived. It was the most light hearted meal she’d had while staying at the Salvatore house, and she had no doubt that had everything to do with Giuseppe’s absence. She liked Damon and his charm and mischief and the way he teased Stefan, but never too roughly. She might even like him as much as Stefan, which was unexpected. She had been struck by Stefan from the moment she saw him, and was a little unprepared to be as interested in his brother as he.
They laughed and talked late into the evening, until Emily slipped quietly into the dining room and Katherine had to acknowledge that the hour was getting too late to properly remain in mixed company.
“Well, gentlemen, I thank you for a delightful evening,” she said, wiping her mouth and throwing down her napkin. “It’s time for me to retire, and I’m sure you have catching up to do.”
Stefan hurried up from his place to pull her chair out for her, saying, “I’m so glad you got the chance to meet Damon, what wonderful luck that he came home while you were here!”
Damon stood and bowed to her from across the table. “Good evening, Katherine,” he murmured. “I hope you sleep well.”
Katherine curtsied to them both and left with Emily. Up in her room, she paused by the bedpost while Emily undid her bodice. “How did it go with your cousin?”
“It went well. She was willing to talk to me, which was more than I expected, really. Things aren’t much different than they were before I left. She did tell me where Pearl was staying, though, which you will find useful.”
“Oh?”
“She’s staying in town, above the general store, which she keeps now. You can find her there working most days.”
“Her identity remains a secret?”
“So far as my cousin knows, yes. She herself didn’t even know Pearl was a vampire.”
“That’s good,” Katherine said. It would be easy enough to engineer a ‘chance’ meeting at the store, no one would think twice about it. “I will be going into town tomorrow, then. You may come along if you like, or did you have further plans with your family?”
“I did want to visit with my cousin again. It’s so good to be home again, and hearing family news about all the things I’ve missed. No one else knows I’m back, but it’s still nice.”
Katherine nodded and they said goodnight, Katherine tucking herself into bed. She fell asleep to the quiet murmuring of deep voices and lighthearted laughter.
~~~
“I will be riding into town this morning,” Katherine announced at the breakfast table the next day. “I left home without certain items, and it would be good to purchase them. Is your general store well supplied with items of ladies fashion?”
“I suppose it is,” Stefan said. “The ladies around town all seem finely dressed to me.”
Damon laughed. “You’ve never traveled anywhere, Stefan, how would you know?”
“Well, we get women traveling at the Boarding House every so often and they don’t seem any finer than our ladies.”
Damon shrugged at Katherine. “He’s probably right. You may expect more from high society in Atlanta, but Mystic Falls is relatively in fashion from what I saw. You and Emily will enjoy shopping, I think.”
“Emily has family in the area and won’t be joining me today.”
Stefan’s eyebrows raised. “You will need an escort, then. I can be of service today.”
“Don’t you have work to finish before your father comes home?”
“Well, yes, but I can’t allow you to wander around town all by yourself.”
“I can escort you,” Damon said, a small smile on his face.
Spending the day with Damon was an interesting prospect. His knowing little smirks were intriguing, and Katherine wanted the chance to get to know him a little more intimately.
“Well, I can’t pull you away from your work for something as frivolous as shopping, Stefan,” she said. “And I would enjoy your company today, Damon.”
Stefan frowned. “Very well, then.”
He seemed so disappointed that Katherine smiled gently at him. “You can spend the evening entertaining me any way you like. How about that?”
He perked up a bit at that. “Then I look forward to your return.” Originally posted at http://pslasher.dreamwidth.org/63782.html. Read
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