Bambi and the Duke

Vivian clapped her hands in response when the play came to an end. Staring at the man who had played the lead in the play who bowed at the audience thrice before disappearing behind the red curtain which was drawn to her disappointment. She didn’t find him to be attractive as a person but he had fascinated every woman in the room with his performance to Leonard’s dismay.

Not long ago he had declared her to be his and here she was looking at the man with interest that slowly boiled the blood that flowed beneath his skin pale skin.

”It was so beautiful,” said Vivian, getting up from her seat. Stretching her legs that had begun to feel numb, she saw the men who had been playing music disperse from the sides, leaving the front of the stage completely empty as the audience began to move out, ”I knew there was something about the piper from the very beginning. I don’t think anyone would have guessed for him to have killed his sister,” she gushed as they made their way out of the box.

”The play was made to appease the audience. I should say it was quite successful,” Leonard responded back with lack of enthusiasm which Vivian compensated with hers.

”Did you already guess who the killer was?” Vivian picked the front of her dress to avoid stepping on it as she had almost tripped when they had arrived earlier.

Leonard in the meantime took his overcoat from the man who handed it to him before descending down the stairs, ”What’s so difficult to guess about it? The piper was a peasant who was brought in to another peasant’s home to only be abandoned and replaced by a girl who could fetch the family money. That’s what one could guess but if you looked closer, the man was in love with the girl. A forbidden love which society doesn’t accept.”

”Really? Wow,” Vivian breathed in surprise.

”Yes,” he answered, his eyes scanning the crowd before a bald man appeared in front of him.

”Duke Carmichael,” the bald man who was shorter than Vivian had to strain his head to look up at Leonard.

”Mr. Helnor,” Leonard exchanged a small nod with the man, ”It is a surprise to see you here. Did you enjoy the play?” he asked politely.

”Oh no, I do not enjoy the play. I think its quite a waste of my time,” the bald man scrunched his brows, ”I was hoping to meet you here as you weren’t available at your mansion.”

”Was there an urgent matter you had to speak about?” hearing this the man who had not once turned to look at the person next to the Duke finally shifted his eyes on Vivian but to only glance back. With the play that was solely being played only for the humans, there was hardly anyone in the corridor to eavesdrop on his conversation.

”Maybe a little private,” Mr. Helnor jerked his head to the corner.

It was clear that the man didn’t want Vivian listening to what he had to say to Leonard and therefore she bowed her head to step away from them.

Seeing the man begin to speak hurriedly in whispers, she turned her head away to look at the bland cream walls as she waited for them to finish speaking.

Coming upon a door to her right, she caught hold of the view of the stage that she had seen from the box. It had looked so small but it was big. With Leonard being held up, she stepped into the wide hall. It looked beautiful, the whole theater was nothing less to breathtaking that Vivian wished she could sit here all day long. The ceilings were painted gold and big chandeliers decorating with them and she wondered if this was what Heaven felt like. She had seen the actor and actress act and play, dance and sing which made her want to do the same. Vivian had never been an unhappy child. She was a ray of light even after her parents had disowned her without her knowledge. Being loved by people around her so dearly, she was a light brighter than the sun itself.

Stepping closer to the instruments she looked at the seats that were far away from the boxes. The distinguished difference between the lower and higher class of society.

Now that she had been turned to a lady, she could do a lot of things she had only thought of until now. She could read more, learn subjects she didn’t have the opportunity before when she was a mere maid. Thinking about the numerous possibilities brought a smile on her lips.

Suddenly Leonard leaned his head over her shoulder, placing it there for support, ”What are you smiling at standing here alone? Hasn’t anyone pointed it out that men and women don’t take such behavior well? Not when the smile is so wide.”

”They have. Enough to call me a mad woman,” Leonard chuckled at her words.

”Hmm, you were always strange even when you were young. What were you thinking?”

”Thinking about the future.”

Leonard didn’t put pressure on her shoulder as he rested his chin, ”And what do you see in that future?”

”A lot of things. What do you see in your future, Leo?”

”I see a lot of things too. To be a great Duke, a man who can serve the council. To be able to let go of the regrets which have bound my heart. A future that has no conflicts between the night creatures, humans and the witches. To live in peace but most importantly, Vivi,” Vivian shuddered when his arms went around her waist to bring her back to touch his chest, ”I see you in it with me.”

”I see you too,” she let him pull her closer.

”I am glad to hear that,” he spoke softly to her, kissing her cheek with a smile on his lips before his eyes wavered to the curtains where a man had been standing there when he had entered the main hall of the seatings in search of Vivian.

The man was none other than the person who had played the lead role in the play who seemed to have been caught by Vivian’s presence. The man hadn’t picked up the courage to talk to her but if he had Leonard would have made sure to remove his existence from the Land of Bonelake. A competition was not what Leo needed right now, not after Vivian had finally begun opening up to him with her feelings.

When they returned back to the mansion, Vivian out of habit went to the servant’s room while Leonard who was about to head up to his own room was interrupted by his paternal relative’s presence.

”Leonard, my son,” Sullivan Carmichael appeared with the housekeeper who looked slightly pale. Luckily Vivian hadn’t accompanied him and instead had gone to the servant’s room.

”Uncle Sullivan! A pleasant surprise to see you here,” Leonard turned around to step down from the flight of stairs, ”Get the tea prepared,” he ordered Jan to see Sullivan raise his hand instead.

”That won’t be necessary. I came to see how my nephew was doing and you seem to be doing fine. I heard from the housekeeper you went out to the theatre.”

”Did you,” Leonard responded, his eyes shifting from the housekeeper to his uncle calmly. He carefully tried to deviate the conversation, ”I am sorry for keeping you waiting. If I knew you were visiting I would have canceled my plans,” Sullivan tched instead.

”You’re a young vampire and I shouldn’t interrupt your time with a woman you’re enjoying yourself with. I hope it isn’t the lady named Shirley. Humans are absolutely pathetic even with money,” Uncle Sullivan said it in distaste, ”It is better to suck her blood and bed her before throwing her away. But boy, what are you doing going to a human’s play when it should be the night you are supposed to live for,” the man grinned.

”A little change never hurt anyone,” Leonard helped the man with his overcoat.

”It never did. That doesn’t mean you change with the change, Leo,” his uncle patted his back, ”We are purebloods, we are to live the way we have been living. Anyways who was the girl?” the man asked intrigued, knowing his nephew didn’t take a lot of women outside.

”She’s a very special girl,” Leo smiled reassuring his uncle.

”Is she now? Let’s hope that I get to meet her soon,”

”Of course. You will be very delighted once you meet her,” closing the door of the carriage his uncle got into, he waved seeing the carriage to be pulled away from the mansion. With the carriage now gone, he stood there at the entrance quietly staring in the direction of the gates that led to the outside world, ”What did Uncle Sullivan ask?” he questioned the housekeeper who stood five steps away from him.

”He asked about where you were before questioning whom you had gone out with,” Jan answered the man who turned over his shoulder to look at him, ”I said I didn’t know.”

”Hmm,” Leonard responded, sigh passing out of his lips, ”I had like you to keep up with that with him.”

”Yes, master,” Jan bowed his head feeling much better with his master’s uncle gone. With the absence of Leonard in the mansion, Sullivan had questioned him about the servants, their work, guests who had visited and even for a vampire who worked for Lord Nicholas previously, it felt as if he were walking on eggshells.

The housekeeper was well aware when it came to the dynamics with the pureblooded vampires and humans. They never mixed well and if Mr. Carmichael were to know about the recent changes which had come as a shock the Jan, there was no saying how the man would take if he found out that he had turned a maid to a lady in less than a few minutes. Right now he worked for Leonard Carmichael, and he was bound to protect the man’s life and honor as he wanted it to be. That is what his Lord wanted from him and he was as loyal one could find in the line of servants.

”Did you get the room prepared with all the necessities?” he heard the Duke ask for the room which the girl would soon begin to use.

”Everything has been cleaned and equipped. The Lady shouldn’t find any trouble,” he informed his master.

Leonard nodded his head, ”Good,” he murmured with not another word spoken, he went back inside. The housekeeper didn’t fall behind and followed him until the hallways before parting ways to go inside the kitchen to get the next meal prepared.