Bambi and the Duke

Back at the Carmichael mansion at the time of the evening, Vivian was back at the shed looking at the lamb whose neck had been tied next to a wooden pole fixed on the ground. With her body crouched, she sat on her feet without placing her bottom on the ground. Now that she had learnt to get close to the lamb, she petted the animal with her fingers.

”Aren’t you going to feed it?” asked Leonard who had come out of his room bored. With his cousins now gone from the mansion, the place was quiet and peaceful again. Picking up the grass from the box he put it in front of the lamb which began eating it. The little girl’s eyes lit up like Christmas had arrived and her eyes went to the box where the freshly picked grass was kept. Seeing her reluctance, Leonard took some more grass and this time instead of feeding it, he handed it to her, ”Try it,” at the same Paul who had gone to pick the logs came back to exclaim,

”Young master, I see you have taken a liking to the lamb too,” in response the boy shook his head.

”I want it to grow up quickly so that we can feast on it. The fatter the better,” the boy’s blunt words made the servant let out a nervous chuckle.

”Of course,” Paul noticed that little Vivian was too busy trying to feed the lamb to hear the words that were exchanged, ”How could I forgot, food is important to you,” he murmured to himself, ”By the way master, I found some glasses being buried next to Shirley,” Shirley was their horse.

”Ah...” the boy trailed and the servant confirmed that it was his young master’s work who had put it there, ”Will you be going out on this Sunday which is yet to arrive?” asked Leonard. Paul usually went to visit his sister who lived in another town on Sundays. It wasn’t something he did regularly because there were times when he would go to different towns just to stroll through the streets. He had taken the young boy once on his insistence who had enjoyed looking through the normal life which people led.

”I have to collect something from Mr Scruggs this Sunday but I promised to take Vivian out next week,” Paul answered, stacking the logs in place and organizing it one over the other.

When the next Sunday did arrive, Mrs Carmichael’s cousin decided to drop by along with his wife and son, Christopher. Leonard was unhappy that he was stuck with his second cousin he didn’t like. With a word to his mother that he was going with Paul, Christopher was sent with him to both their dismays.

Paul who had gone to visit his sister, now walked with the two boys next to him while his sister, Grace held Vivian’s hand so that she would get lost in the sea of a crowd where the fair was taking place along with Grace’s son who was twelve years old, putting the little girl safely between Grace and her son.

With only a few days that had passed since Leonard had walked around the similar atmosphere, he stayed quiet the entire time, looking at the human children jump out of excitement. Christopher on the other hand who was three years older to him looked at the place which was completely alien to him. Being another pureblooded child, his family had never sent him to human town before.

”This place stinks. Who would even walk here?” exclaimed Christopher in disgust, seeing some humans walk on their bare feet and he scrunched his face.

”You are right now,” stated Leonard.

”No wonder your character stinks.”

”You must be talking about yourself,” the young Carmichael didn’t turn his head to look at the boy walking next to him.

Christopher pulled Leonard by his shirt, jerking the boy behind but Leonard had been in this situation so many times with his second cousin that he twirled around before pushing Christopher on the ground. Both the boys glared at each other and Paul interrupted them, trying to remind them to be civil with each other,

”Boys! What did we decide about behaving well when we left the mansion,” Christopher refused the hand Paul had offered so that he could get up, ”Listen carefully now. One more pitter patter of chat and out of line, I will send you back home with a note telling about your misbehaviour of how you both are bent on tarnishing your family names,” he warned with an evil glare.

”And here I thought the speech wouldn’t work,” his elder sister Grace chuckled.

”Works like a charm,” smirked the man, knowing the boys were aware that their fathers would listen to the man when it came to this matter.

Vivian was too enraptured by the place, the sweet fragrance that drifted from a nearby stall where food was cooked in the open and the colours which attracted her attention. Seeing the cotton again, her feet took its own mind but Grace stopped.

”Where are you going? Hmm?” seeing the girl eye the candy, she smiled, ”Do you want the fairy floss?”

”I will bring it,” said Christopher, making both the adults give each other a look at the sudden change of heart the boy had, ”Here,” he gave it to Vivian once he had bought it.

”Now Vivi, what did I say when someone does you something good?” asked Paul to see Vivian blink at him, ”You say ’Thank you’.”

”Thank you,” she whispered with a smile as she held the treat in her hand making him happy.

”She’s still learning,” the man conveyed to his sister.

While Grace taught Vivian on how to tear and eat the fairy floss, Leonard wasn’t happy with the recent exchange. The boy he hated was talking to Bambi who knew no better of what he was capable of. When his eyes met Christopher’s, the boy smirked over something which only got young Leonard irked.

They continued to walk looking at the stalls. Leonard at one point had gone on his own without anyone’s notice before he came back. Vivian had her mind on the fairy floss which was now stuck around the corners of her mouth. Christopher laughed seeing her when the adults were bargaining over an object with the vendor they stood in front, ”You look stupid. You need to wipe your mouth,” Leonard stepped forward to pull out the kerchief from his pocket and began wiping her mouth with not much gentleness.

”Idiot,” he commented.

”Look at you cleaning a human. Your parents must have not taught you the right ways of living as a pureblooded vampire,” said Christopher clicking his tongue. Remembering Paul’s words, Leonard ignored the boy but it didn’t discourage Christopher, ”What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you have turned to a girl by playing house with the girls.”

Leonard turned around to place his fist across Christopher’s face, and soon the boys began fighting to cause quiet few eyes turning to them.

Paul who had finally bargained the wooden ladle at the right price had a wide smile on his face which dropped when he turned at the ruckus caused behind them to find both the boys on the dirty ground wrestling each other.