Thornfield answered, her voice cool.
"And who might this be?" the constable asked. Removing his hat, he turned his attention to Analisa.
"This is Analisa Matthews," Mrs. Thornfield replied in the same cool tone. "She is a friend of the doctor's, recently come to stay with us."
The constable's gaze moved over Analisa, missing nothing. Clad in a gray uniform and a brown overcoat, he was of medium height, with sharp brown eyes, a bald pate, thin lips, and a nose that was too large for his face.
"I don't suppose you would be knowing where the good doctor might be found this evening?" the constable asked.
Clenching her hands to still their trembling, Analisa shook her head.
The constable nodded. "I believe I'll just wait for his return."
"He may not be back for quite some time," Mrs. Thornfield remarked, her tone and expression making it clear the man was not welcome in the house.
"That's quite all right," the constable said. "I'll wait."
"Very well," Mrs. Thornfield said, a note of exasperation in her voice. "You may wait in the library. Come along, I'll show you the way."
Analisa waited in the parlor while the constable followed Mrs. Thornfield into the library.
"What do they want with Alesandro?" she asked when the housekeeper returned.
"They suspect he is guilty of the murders in the village."
"But why?"
"He keeps strange hours, is never seen during the day. There have always been rumors about him. The villagers fear him."
"But I don't understand. If they're afraid of him, why do they come to him for help?"
"They only come to him when they've nowhere else to turn."
"Alesandro told me there was another vampire in the area, that he was the one responsible for the deaths."
Mrs. Thornfield nodded, her expression somber. "His name is Rodrigo. He is a wicked, evil creature, as old as Lord Alesandro. He is a very powerful being."
Analisa's eyes widened. "You know him?"
"I only know of him."
"Is Alesandro in danger from this other vampire?" Analisa asked, and even as she did so, she remembered that night in the rain. Alesandro had been hurting then, in desperate need of blood because of Rodrigo's attack.
Mrs. Thornfield nodded. "They have been enemies for four hundred years."
"Why?"
"Lord Alesandro has never seen fit to confide in me. Perhaps—"
"Mrs. Thornfield, perhaps you should take some tea in to our guest."
Analisa's heart seemed to skip a beat at the sound of his voice. Turning, she saw him striding across the floor, his long black cloak billowing behind him.
"Yes, doctor," Mrs. Thornfield said. "Analisa, would you care for a cup?"
"No, thank you." Analisa smiled at Alesandro. "Good evening, my lord."
"Lisa." He brushed a kiss across her lips, then turned his attention to the housekeeper once more. "What does the constable want now?"
"There's been another murder," she replied.
"Yes," he replied curtly. "I have seen the body."
"You couldn't help?"
"No, I arrived too late." Removing his cloak, he handed it to the housekeeper. "Thank you, Mrs. Thornfield, that will be all."
With a nod, the housekeeper left the room.
Analisa looked up at Alesandro, her gaze searching his. "Was it Rodrigo?"
"Yes, damn him!"
"That night you were hurt, did he… ?"
He nodded. "Yes, he attacked me."
"Has it happened before?"
"Many times. Do not worry, Lisa, you are safe here." A dark shadow passed behind his eyes. "As safe as you can be with a vampire in the house."
"I'm not worried about myself," she said.
You should be . She heard the words as clearly as if he had spoken them aloud.
His hand caressed her cheek. "Go have some tea with Mrs. Thornfield while I speak to the constable."
"But—"
"I won't be long." He silenced her questions with a wave of his hand. "Go along now. Have some tea and cookies with Mrs. Thornfield."
With a little "humph" of pique, Analisa turned and flounced out of the room. She was a woman, for goodness sake, not some child to be sent off to another room while the grown-ups
"And who might this be?" the constable asked. Removing his hat, he turned his attention to Analisa.
"This is Analisa Matthews," Mrs. Thornfield replied in the same cool tone. "She is a friend of the doctor's, recently come to stay with us."
The constable's gaze moved over Analisa, missing nothing. Clad in a gray uniform and a brown overcoat, he was of medium height, with sharp brown eyes, a bald pate, thin lips, and a nose that was too large for his face.
"I don't suppose you would be knowing where the good doctor might be found this evening?" the constable asked.
Clenching her hands to still their trembling, Analisa shook her head.
The constable nodded. "I believe I'll just wait for his return."
"He may not be back for quite some time," Mrs. Thornfield remarked, her tone and expression making it clear the man was not welcome in the house.
"That's quite all right," the constable said. "I'll wait."
"Very well," Mrs. Thornfield said, a note of exasperation in her voice. "You may wait in the library. Come along, I'll show you the way."
Analisa waited in the parlor while the constable followed Mrs. Thornfield into the library.
"What do they want with Alesandro?" she asked when the housekeeper returned.
"They suspect he is guilty of the murders in the village."
"But why?"
"He keeps strange hours, is never seen during the day. There have always been rumors about him. The villagers fear him."
"But I don't understand. If they're afraid of him, why do they come to him for help?"
"They only come to him when they've nowhere else to turn."
"Alesandro told me there was another vampire in the area, that he was the one responsible for the deaths."
Mrs. Thornfield nodded, her expression somber. "His name is Rodrigo. He is a wicked, evil creature, as old as Lord Alesandro. He is a very powerful being."
Analisa's eyes widened. "You know him?"
"I only know of him."
"Is Alesandro in danger from this other vampire?" Analisa asked, and even as she did so, she remembered that night in the rain. Alesandro had been hurting then, in desperate need of blood because of Rodrigo's attack.
Mrs. Thornfield nodded. "They have been enemies for four hundred years."
"Why?"
"Lord Alesandro has never seen fit to confide in me. Perhaps—"
"Mrs. Thornfield, perhaps you should take some tea in to our guest."
Analisa's heart seemed to skip a beat at the sound of his voice. Turning, she saw him striding across the floor, his long black cloak billowing behind him.
"Yes, doctor," Mrs. Thornfield said. "Analisa, would you care for a cup?"
"No, thank you." Analisa smiled at Alesandro. "Good evening, my lord."
"Lisa." He brushed a kiss across her lips, then turned his attention to the housekeeper once more. "What does the constable want now?"
"There's been another murder," she replied.
"Yes," he replied curtly. "I have seen the body."
"You couldn't help?"
"No, I arrived too late." Removing his cloak, he handed it to the housekeeper. "Thank you, Mrs. Thornfield, that will be all."
With a nod, the housekeeper left the room.
Analisa looked up at Alesandro, her gaze searching his. "Was it Rodrigo?"
"Yes, damn him!"
"That night you were hurt, did he… ?"
He nodded. "Yes, he attacked me."
"Has it happened before?"
"Many times. Do not worry, Lisa, you are safe here." A dark shadow passed behind his eyes. "As safe as you can be with a vampire in the house."
"I'm not worried about myself," she said.
You should be . She heard the words as clearly as if he had spoken them aloud.
His hand caressed her cheek. "Go have some tea with Mrs. Thornfield while I speak to the constable."
"But—"
"I won't be long." He silenced her questions with a wave of his hand. "Go along now. Have some tea and cookies with Mrs. Thornfield."
With a little "humph" of pique, Analisa turned and flounced out of the room. She was a woman, for goodness sake, not some child to be sent off to another room while the grown-ups
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