motioned Jonathan into one of the wicker chairs.
"If you're going to pay a surprise visit so late, don't you think you ought to use the door?" she asked.
"I didn't intend. It just… happened."
"Happened? You mean you were sleepwalking?" she asked, more concerned now.
"I was afraid to sleep. I have dreams again, and these are more vivid than anything before."
She moved to his side, took his hands. "Jonathan, are you certain that when you were their prisoner you never drank a drop of their blood?"
"Never that I can remember, but there were many nights there that I can't remember at all. Perhaps I was wrong about that. Perhaps I am—"
She cut him off. "Which of them do you dream about?"
"The green-eyed one, who always seemed a bit mad."
"She was mad, and she's the one still alive, if you can call that sort of existence living." For a long time they didn't speak; then Mina offered an opinion. "I believe the dreams mean that she's coming, Jonathan. It may take her months or even years to get here, but she'll come. You have to be ready when she does."
"Not 'we'?" he asked.
"I'm hardly certain of our future yet and neither are you," she replied.
She hadn't intended her voice to sound sharp, but perhaps he caught some of her anger through her tone. He moved closer to her and kissed her cheek. "I do love you," he said.
His touch brought back so many memories. She wanted to kiss him, to love him. But Essie was sleeping in her bed, and she doubted that Jonathan would ever consent to any intimacy here, when Essie might walk in at any moment.
Hardly a night for romance, so she suggested instead. "Sleep here tonight. In the morning, we should wire Arthur to see if Van Helsing is still staying with him. I think you need to ask his advice about this."
"He hardly helped you before," Jonathan reminded her.
"But he may know something of her history. It may tell us what sort of a threat she'll be."
"I'll have to leave here early tomorrow… work, and all that. I could wire him from town."
"I'll do it. I was intending to write Arthur anyway. He came and saw the house a week ago, and soon after he left, he wrote me and said that he'd read Karina's journal. It was not a pleasant note, and I need to keep in touch. Perhaps he and Van Helsing would like to come here. The two of them can stay with the Westenras. There's scarcely room for me and Essie here, especially with the carpentry work going on."
"And I'm imposing. I should go home."
"You'll do nothing of the sort." She pointed to the dark windows. "It's misted over. You'll have no moon to light the way to the main road. Now lay down here and I'll sleep with Essie upstairs. We'll have plenty of room." She handed him the blanket and sheet. "Perhaps I'll see you in the morning."
She climbed the stairs slowly, half expecting him to call her back. Or follow. Or say good-bye and leave. He did none of that. She heard him moving in the solarium, the swish of the sheet on the damask upholstery.
She found Essie stretched out on the carpet beside her bed, wrapped in a spare blanket. Given how difficult it had been to convince the girl to sleep on the settee, she should have expected this. She decided not to wake her. Instead, she slipped off her shoes, stepped over Essie, and lay down.
Downstairs, Jonathan lay awake in the darkness. He felt foolish for startling that poor servant and for disturbing Mina at such a late hour. Worse, he was afraid to sleep. He'd been alone in his house for weeks, and if his dreams made him cry out, there was no one to hear him. But here…
Mina had dreamed like that once, and he had not been nearly as understanding as she was now. If he had the means to make amends, he would. Now that they were allies again, perhaps she would repeat the offer she'd made that night in their home.
He vowed that next time he would not refuse her.
He thought of this as he stared out at the lawn, struggling to stay awake for just a few moments longer, until he was
"If you're going to pay a surprise visit so late, don't you think you ought to use the door?" she asked.
"I didn't intend. It just… happened."
"Happened? You mean you were sleepwalking?" she asked, more concerned now.
"I was afraid to sleep. I have dreams again, and these are more vivid than anything before."
She moved to his side, took his hands. "Jonathan, are you certain that when you were their prisoner you never drank a drop of their blood?"
"Never that I can remember, but there were many nights there that I can't remember at all. Perhaps I was wrong about that. Perhaps I am—"
She cut him off. "Which of them do you dream about?"
"The green-eyed one, who always seemed a bit mad."
"She was mad, and she's the one still alive, if you can call that sort of existence living." For a long time they didn't speak; then Mina offered an opinion. "I believe the dreams mean that she's coming, Jonathan. It may take her months or even years to get here, but she'll come. You have to be ready when she does."
"Not 'we'?" he asked.
"I'm hardly certain of our future yet and neither are you," she replied.
She hadn't intended her voice to sound sharp, but perhaps he caught some of her anger through her tone. He moved closer to her and kissed her cheek. "I do love you," he said.
His touch brought back so many memories. She wanted to kiss him, to love him. But Essie was sleeping in her bed, and she doubted that Jonathan would ever consent to any intimacy here, when Essie might walk in at any moment.
Hardly a night for romance, so she suggested instead. "Sleep here tonight. In the morning, we should wire Arthur to see if Van Helsing is still staying with him. I think you need to ask his advice about this."
"He hardly helped you before," Jonathan reminded her.
"But he may know something of her history. It may tell us what sort of a threat she'll be."
"I'll have to leave here early tomorrow… work, and all that. I could wire him from town."
"I'll do it. I was intending to write Arthur anyway. He came and saw the house a week ago, and soon after he left, he wrote me and said that he'd read Karina's journal. It was not a pleasant note, and I need to keep in touch. Perhaps he and Van Helsing would like to come here. The two of them can stay with the Westenras. There's scarcely room for me and Essie here, especially with the carpentry work going on."
"And I'm imposing. I should go home."
"You'll do nothing of the sort." She pointed to the dark windows. "It's misted over. You'll have no moon to light the way to the main road. Now lay down here and I'll sleep with Essie upstairs. We'll have plenty of room." She handed him the blanket and sheet. "Perhaps I'll see you in the morning."
She climbed the stairs slowly, half expecting him to call her back. Or follow. Or say good-bye and leave. He did none of that. She heard him moving in the solarium, the swish of the sheet on the damask upholstery.
She found Essie stretched out on the carpet beside her bed, wrapped in a spare blanket. Given how difficult it had been to convince the girl to sleep on the settee, she should have expected this. She decided not to wake her. Instead, she slipped off her shoes, stepped over Essie, and lay down.
Downstairs, Jonathan lay awake in the darkness. He felt foolish for startling that poor servant and for disturbing Mina at such a late hour. Worse, he was afraid to sleep. He'd been alone in his house for weeks, and if his dreams made him cry out, there was no one to hear him. But here…
Mina had dreamed like that once, and he had not been nearly as understanding as she was now. If he had the means to make amends, he would. Now that they were allies again, perhaps she would repeat the offer she'd made that night in their home.
He vowed that next time he would not refuse her.
He thought of this as he stared out at the lawn, struggling to stay awake for just a few moments longer, until he was
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