Vlad nodded with approval as he gazed up at me. Andrew positively beamed with joy.
“You look fabulous,” Andrew declared.
I smiled behind my veil and poked him affectionately with my black feathered fan. “You are too kind.”
“My wife is exquisitely beautiful tonight,” Vlad said proudly as he donned his top hat, then leaned over to kiss my lips through the veil.
This remark obviously touched Andrew deeply for he graced Vlad with one of the brightest smiles to touch his face since his arrival in Buda.
“Thank you, husband,” I said, remembering my manners.
Vlad slipped into his long black cloak as I moved to help him secure it about his throat. “Where is Dr. Baum?”
“He is attending with Sir Stephen and Maria. We will meet him there,” Andrew answered.
“I am so excited about tonight. I think it is going to be marvelous,” I gushed with excitement.
Vlad reached out to touch the cold diamonds decorating my throat. “You will impress all of them with your grace and beauty, dear wife. You shall be the talk of the evening. Everyone will be watching you.”
It was his way of telling me to be careful in word and deed. Earlier, I was firmly instructed not to reveal too much about my past. Vlad wanted us to remain slightly aloof and mysterious. Ever since we had received the invitation, Vlad had been reminding me incessantly that I was to be polite, charming and elusive. To add to my mystic, Vlad had already instructed everyone to hold their tongue about my supposed disfigurement. They were to lie tonight and say that I was still in mourning and therefore veiled according to some strange foreign mourning tradition. Andrew had nearly balked at this, but when I insisted, he had relented.
“We had best be off before we are too late,” Andrew said as he helped me into my satin cloak.
Our little trio hurried out to the waiting carriage and were soon traveling the lighted streets of Buda. After a few minutes, the driver steered the horses up a particularly steep road that was lined with lush trees and fragrant flowers. I could see the windows of the palace glimmering above the tree line. As the carriage drew closer to our destination, the sounds of the merry laughter and sweet music began to waft down to us on the night breeze. I grabbed hold of Andrew’s hand excitedly.
The carriage swept around a curve and I was dazzled by the brightly lit countenance of the Dosza Palace. Carriages of all sizes were pulling up to the stairs leading up to the lovely palace. Smartly uniformed men were escorting guests up the red carpet into the glittering interior.
“Oh, Vlad! Look! It is so very lovely,” I cried out in awe.
Andrew laughed at my enthusiasm and smiled at Vlad. “You would think she had never been to any party before.”
Vlad just smiled his dark little smile as he prepared to exit the carriage. A footman stepped up to the carriage as it rolled to a stop and his white-gloved hand opened the door. Vlad stepped down, then reached back his hand for me. I carefully lowered myself from the carriage and nervously fluttered my fan in front of my veiled face. Staring up toward the grand entrance, I tried to calm my nerves.
“What a lovely palace,” Andrew decided with much appreciation.
“The Doszas do not want for anything,” Vlad responded with just a touch of mockery.
I tucked my hand into the crook of Vlad’s arm and began the long ascent up the red carpet. Andrew followed a few steps behind. Lively chatter, subdued laughter, and music wove together into a delightful mosaic of sound. I could feel my senses sharpening, taking in all the night offered: the sweet fragrance of the blooming flowers, the soft coolness of the wind, the noises of the party, and the extravagance of the palace.
As we entered the grand entrance, Vlad quickly whispered to a butler as I gawked at the sheer opulence that surrounded us. I almost felt blinded by the candlelight shimmering over the surfaces of marble and gold. Glancing back at Andrew, I saw him raise an eyebrow.
“Quite homey,” he whispered with a wink.
“For the King of England perhaps,” I whispered back.
“Count and Countess Dracula of Wallachia and Earl Andrew Wright of England,” the slender butler’s voice boomed out across the grand foyer.
The people milling about in the crowded foyer seemed to look up in unison. I could see the startled expressions clearly and a few looked positively nervous. I was beginning to feel very unwelcomed when suddenly a woman dressed in a bright red gown with a huge gold and red satin turban perched on her coiled black hair, hurried toward us. As she drew closer, I recognized her as someone I had met briefly during my family’s visit in Buda. She was quite lovely. Her eyes were as black as night and, when she drew near, I could see that her gaze was wise and full of cunning.
“Dearest Count Dracula, I am so glad you decided to come to my little party,” she gushed in a smooth, sensuous voice. Her eyes were positively glowing with delight.
“Baroness Dosza, it is my pleasure to be here. It has been a very long time since we last saw each other. Please let me introduce you to my wife and her brother from England, Earl Wright,” Vlad said in such a polite courtly manner it surprised me.
The Baroness smiled brightly, her teeth pearly white against her red lips. “Ah, the Countess Dracula. I am so glad to meet you, dearest. I know we shall be grand friends. Call me Csilla, dear one.”
“You may call me Glynis.”
“Glynis! What a charming name!” The Baroness was positively glowing. “It is slightly masculine, is it not,” she gushed. “Earl Wright, it is so very nice to see that you have joined us tonight.” The Baroness turned her charms on Andrew, her eyes bright and all seeing. “I see a bit of your father in you.”
“You have met my father?” he asked in surprise.
“Oh, yes! He was a charming man and your mother was quite lovely. I meet them at a little dinner party last year when they were visiting with Sir Stephen,” the Baroness answered. “I did not meet your darling sister that evening, but I did meet her briefly at a picnic on the banks of the Danube. Do you remember that, Glynis?”
I barely acknowledged that I did when she plunged on.
“I heard that all the young men were smitten with your sisters and that they would sure to marry well. But imagine my astonishment when I heard she had captured the eye and heart of Count Dracula! We thought he would never marry!” She flashed a dazzling smile at Vlad, then said to Andrew, “And how are your dear parents?”
“I thought everyone knew,” Andrew said softly, his gaze flicking to Vlad.
“My wife’s parents and sister were killed in a carriage accident a year ago. My wife was also injured, but has now recovered,” Vlad said smoothly.
The Baroness looked horrified, her eyes widening in shock as she clutched her hands together dramatically under her chin. “How terribly dreadful, my darling Glynis! You must have been devastated!”
“We were,” Andrew responded for me, his voice quivering.
“We were not aware that such a tragedy had occurred. This is most distressing news.”
“That is why my wife dresses in mourning. In remembrance of her parents and sister,” Vlad explained. He laid a gentle hand on my arm, and I dared to glance at him briefly. His face was drawn with concern that I knew to be false.
“What a tragic figure you are, my darling. I now understand the veil!” the Baroness declared with obvious delight. I was the tragic figure that would cause a delightful amount of dramatic gossip. Perfect for her party, I suppose. “Come, come, let me introduce you to all my fine friends. I know they will adore you.” The Baroness linked her arm with mine and cast a sparkling smile at Andrew. “Come, my darlings, let me show you off to Buda’s finest. Ah, there is Baron Bartok! I must introduce him to my newest friends.”
For the next hour, I was blissful. I adore social settings and was immediately in my element as the Baroness drew me about the enormous marble hall introducing me to all the most influential people in Buda. Her introductions were glowing, a string of poetic words making even Andrew blush with modesty. I rather liked being the dramatic, tragic figure.
It was wonderfully thrilling for me to have a taste of the life I had hated, but now craved. It had once been normal for me to be dressed up in finery greeting strangers with warmth and haughtiness combined. I had stood at my mother’s side and greeted the wealthy and the aristocratic members of society on many occasions. This was the life I had been born to and the idle small talk came naturally to me.
Andrew had picked up a smattering of Magyar during his stay and he attempted to communicate, charming many of the guests with his futile attempts. I, on the other hand, spoke flawlessly in the language of my vampire mother, Cneajna. It seemed to be a gift of the dark world of the vampires to inherit knowledge and certain aspects of your creators.
As the Baroness guided me through the maze of extravagant evening gowns and finely tailored suits, I wished sorely that I could reveal myself to these elegant people. But alas, I was held captive behind my thick veil. I struggled with the desire to rip it from my face and reveal my beauty to those around me.
Yes, yes…I can be as vain as any woman.
The Baroness fairly burst with pride as her English guests charmed the Hungarian elite.
“How lovely she is,” a man’s voice drifted above the chatter of the party.
“There you are, Emil! I wondered where you were,” Andrew called out, recognizing his friend’s voice.
The good doctor’s large frame drifted into view.
The doctor’s face broke into a wide smile and he hurried over to us. “Andrew, we were a little late. Maria tore the hem of her dress and it had to be mended. Oh, Glynis, you look quite lovely!”
“Baroness, let me introduce you to my friend from England. Dr. Emil Baum. He traveled to Buda with me,” Andrew said by way of introduction.
The Baroness smiled graciously as she accepted Emil’s bow over her hand. “How kind of you to join us tonight.”
“Emil, this is our hostess, the Baroness Dosza,” Andrew said.
“It is a pleasure to be here, Baroness,” Emil said with a surprising charm.
The Baroness retained her bright smile, nodding her head slightly, but I could see her eyes were searching the crowd.
Vlad had disappeared from my side at some point and I could not help but wonder if it was my Master that she was looking for.
A tall, lean man approached the Baroness dressed smartly in the household uniform. He was in his late thirties and intriguingly handsome with a long, slightly craggy face. His observant dark gray eyes flickered toward me as he leaned in toward his mistress. His words were indistinct but his accent was clearly British.
The Baroness nodded her head and the man quickly disappeared into the crowd. The Baroness turned to face her guests and held out her arms, immediately gaining the attention of her guests.
“Dear friends, the opera is about to begin. Let us depart for the theater and enjoy the wondrous music of my newly discovered composer, Mihaly Mikszath!”
The Baroness whirled about and the servants flung open the doors to a long hall that evidently led to the theater. The crowd surged forward, and I gripped Andrew’s arm tightly as we were swept along.
“Where is your husband?” Andrew whispered in my ear.
I glanced about, my gaze sweeping over the wave of excited guests. The dark menacing form of my Master was nowhere to be seen. As the gaily dressed guests swept past me, I searched every face.
With a sudden shock of emotion, I realized that I was desperate to find Vlad. I felt quite alone and almost lost without him. Unbelievably, without his guiding glances, I was unsure of what to do next. A fierce anger rose up within me as I rebelled against my anxiety. I immediately made up my mind that I would not be dependent on him. I was a vampire that needed no Master.
“I do not know where he went,” I finally said to my brother.
“Mayhap he crept off with Sir Stephen,” Andrew ventured. “I have not seen him either. I saw Maria, but not her husband. Probably talking business at a party.”