She turned away from the window and went to her bed, taking out a wooden box from underneath with hands that shook for fear of being caught. Inside this box held the one book she owned, and because of this, it was her biggest treasure. She sat down and began to read the novel, losing herself in the bloody romantic story. So engrossed was she in the story that she almost didn't hear the footsteps coming up the stairs and jumped up, smoothing her skirts with her hands and nudging the book and box under the bed with her foot only just in time, for her mother appeared in the doorway.
"I guess she knows I've been skipping lessons," Victoria thought to herself sullenly, as her mother Looked at her with scorn in her eyes, "Yes, Mother?" she asked innocently.
Standing in the doorway was a stern, old woman, her gray hair twisted coldly into a bun at the base of her skull and her back as straight as if she had an iron rod instead of a spine. Her gowns were always immaculate and her stays were laced so tightly that Victoria often wondered if her mother could smile.
"Come downstairs please. We've little time to prepare you for Society, and you've much to learn." And with that, Mother turned on her heel and left, expecting her to follow. Not wishing to risk punishment, she hurried downstairs and bid a silent good-bye to her afternoon.
One Week Later
Victoria was bored. She sat amongst a group of young man, all come to court her, and not a one of them had a single brain cell between them. A bigger bunch of empty-headed puppies she had never seen. She looked around her, trying to spot the young man she had glimpsed from her window earlier. She had seen him every day since the first, always across the street, shaded under a thick hat with a wide brim and a heavy black trench coat. Sadly, she shook her head and went back to pretending to be interested. Then, she heard it.
"Come to the balcony..." She looked around but saw nothing.
"Come to the balcony..." There it was again...It sounded like it was behind her. She turned, trying to find the source of the sound.
"Come to the balcony..." Victoria excused herself politely and made as if to go to the loo. Instead, when no one was looking she made for the balcony, creeping quietly to see who has summoned her.
No sooner had she stepped out did she see him. He was beautiful, his face looked as if it had sculpted from white marble and his eyes looked like deep blue pools that anyone would long to fall into. She stared into his eyes, unable to move, unable to even look away. He moved his hand, beckoning her farther from the door and onto the balcony.
When she got to him, he seized her shoulders in his hands. She noticed just how strong those hands were and longed to sink into his arms. He pulled her close to him and kissed her lips. He kissed her face. He kissed her hair, and then sank his teeth into the tender flesh of her neck. Victoria gasped at the pinch she felt, and then sank into his embrace, giving of herself completely until she fell lifeless to the floor. Her eyes saw nothing, until the moment that the man put his own wrist to her mouth and fed her some of the blood that he had taken from her. As the first drops touched her lips she wanted more. She suckled at his wrist as a baby from it's mother until he pulled his wrist away.
Victoria sat up, blinking, and reached for his wrist again. He pushed her away and reached for a body, all bound and trussed up, passing it over to her. She recognized the body of Melinda, her maidservant, briefly before sinking her fangs into Melinda's neck and satisfying that thirst that she had never before known, but seemed so ancient and all-consuming.
Victoria was bored. She sat amongst a group of young man, all come to court her, and not a one of them had a single brain cell between them. A bigger bunch of empty-headed puppies she had never seen. She looked around her, trying to spot the young man she had glimpsed from her window earlier. She had seen him every day since the first, always across the street, shaded under a thick hat with a wide brim and a heavy black trench coat. Sadly, she shook her head and went back to pretending to be interested. Then, she heard it.
"Come to the balcony..." She looked around but saw nothing.
"Come to the balcony..." There it was again...It sounded like it was behind her. She turned, trying to find the source of the sound.
"Come to the balcony..." Victoria excused herself politely and made as if to go to the loo. Instead, when no one was looking she made for the balcony, creeping quietly to see who has summoned her.
No sooner had she stepped out did she see him. He was beautiful, his face looked as if it had sculpted from white marble and his eyes looked like deep blue pools that anyone would long to fall into. She stared into his eyes, unable to move, unable to even look away. He moved his hand, beckoning her farther from the door and onto the balcony.
When she got to him, he seized her shoulders in his hands. She noticed just how strong those hands were and longed to sink into his arms. He pulled her close to him and kissed her lips. He kissed her face. He kissed her hair, and then sank his teeth into the tender flesh of her neck. Victoria gasped at the pinch she felt, and then sank into his embrace, giving of herself completely until she fell lifeless to the floor. Her eyes saw nothing, until the moment that the man put his own wrist to her mouth and fed her some of the blood that he had taken from her. As the first drops touched her lips she wanted more. She suckled at his wrist as a baby from it's mother until he pulled his wrist away.
Victoria sat up, blinking, and reached for his wrist again. He pushed her away and reached for a body, all bound and trussed up, passing it over to her. She recognized the body of Melinda, her maidservant, briefly before sinking her fangs into Melinda's neck and satisfying that thirst that she had never before known, but seemed so ancient and all-consuming.
