PHYSIENTS WILL ALWAYS OFFER BEST STORIES AND LIVE STREAMING ALL TIME
ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 211 The long table
Like many other guests in the mansion, Eve and Vincent walked to Quintin’s family dining room.
On their way, Eve saw Allie with her mother and sister. The little girl slightly bowed in greeting and Eve returned it. Lady Annalise only glanced at them, while Marceline offered a sweet smile while taking note of the governess’s bland clothes.
The women of the Moriarty family walked past them, which was when Eve’s eyes fell on a couple and she quickly stepped behind Vincent. It was the Walsh’s whom she had threatened to hit in her umbrella.
Eve turned, ready to walk away, when Vincent caught hold of her wrist. She asked him,
“What are you doing?”
“Thank you for asking my question. Now the answer,” Vincent waited for her to reply and uncurled his fingers around her wrist.
“I don’t think I am hungry,” she replied, subtly looking at Walsh’s couple talking to Henry’s parents.
Vincent said, “You came here to have lunch, it would be rude to leave. Whom are you trying to avoid?” His curious eyes fell on the Walsh couple. He hummed, “Ah, the man you were going to hit with your umbrella.”
It seemed like Vincent knew about this incident too, Eve thought. She would just have to avoid the couple and stay away from their sight.
“What can I say, you are so popular in your catastrophe, that you make me proud,” Vincent’s eyes twinkled, while she looked slightly worried. “Though it is unfortunate that you didn’t whack him with that umbrella of yours. It would have been a sight to remember.”
When they stepped into the dining room, Eve heard Henry call her as he approached where she stood.
“Ms. Barlow. I have reserved a seat for you. I would be more than pleased if you would join me for lunch,” said Henry, who wanted to spend time with her.
Eve turned to ask Vincent, when she noticed him walking to the right and around the table. She turned back to Henry and nodded.
“This way, please.”
Henry led her towards their seats, slightly away from the centre of the long table. The dining room and the table was big enough to accommodate more than thirty people in one sitting. Though Walsh’s family sat on the opposite end of where Eve and Henry sat, she felt at ease when Vincent chose to sit in front of her while the other members of the Moriarty family sat at the centre of the table.
With most of them, who had taken a seat, Henry’s mother, Mrs. Quintin, turned to Eve and said,
Mrs. Quintin said, “Henry has spoken quite a lot about you, and I can tell that his words did little to no justice to your beauty. Though I must say I am curious how a woman such as yourself was not courted by men.”
Vincent picked up his blood wine as if the conversation didn’t concern him when in truth, his ears and attention were right there.
“I am passionate about my job and it’s what makes me happy,” Eve politely responded to the lady of this mansion.
“Only a person who cannot marry would think like that. You must be the only person working in your house, and money obviously doesn’t come easy for people in Meadow,” Mrs. Quintin stated with a knowing smile, as her son had informed where she came from.
“My employer pays me generously,” Eve said, feeling Vincent’s eyes on her.
“I do not doubt it,” the lady of the house murmured, “Have you attended any soiree before this, Ms. Barlow?” she asked as she picked up a napkin and spread it on her lap.
“I have, Mrs. Quintin,” Eve’s words were polite.
Mrs. Quintin then leaned towards her son and whispered, “You can have all the fun you want with this one like the others, son. But let us get real, she cannot be part of our family,” the woman then smiled, and she picked up her glass to drink the wine.
Vincent, who was staring at his wine, asked, “Mr. Quintin, I hear you want to marry our governess. Was it love at first sight?”
Mrs. Quintin coughed at Vincent Moriarty’s question, which was loud and clear for everyone to hear. Henry, slightly nervous at his mother’s glare, nodded.
“Ms. Barlow is a beautiful woman,” said the human.
“And undoubtedly knowledgeable?” Vincent added, and Henry nodded to it too.
“Yes. Ms. Barlow appears to be a kind woman, and gentle.”
“Is that why you are stealing her,” Vincent remarked, and Eve’s eyes subtly narrowed at him.
Henry softly laughed and replied, “I don’t think that it would be stealing, Mr. Moriarty, when she doesn’t belong to anyone.”
With a serious stare, Vincent said, “That is what you think.”
Eve’s eyes widened at what Vincent was trying to do. The smile on Henry’s face faltered. A few guests around them couldn’t help but listen more to their conversation.
“What do you mean, Mr. Moriarty?” Henry Quintin asked, a look of doubt slipping into his eyes.
“Maybe Ms. Barlow will answer you better,” Vincent turned the glass in his hand in a circular motion, staring at Eve.
People looked from the pureblooded vampire to not look at Eve, wondering if there was something juicy they could get their ears on. Eve replied, “I am my own person, Mr. Quintin. I love what I do right now and want to keep working.”
“Certainly, Ms. Barlow. I very much agree with you,” Henry nodded with a look of relief. He said, “Doing something you love, you shouldn’t stop.”
Soon the servants started to serve a variety of food and drinks. One of the servants, who brought in the food, was Mr. Humphrey, who grit his teeth on seeing his employer talking to Eve right now.
On the other side of the table, Marceline’s friend, Lady Stella Desford, noticed Mr. Quintin’s attention on the human governess. She leaned towards the Moriarty vampiress and said,
“The last time we were here, you were sitting next to Henry.”
Marceline’s eyes moved to look at Mr. Quintin, who was right now wooing her sister’s governess right now. She commented, “His arms are short and he realised he couldn’t pluck the fruit from the higher branch of the tree. So he’s settling for something that grows in the ground.”
There was no way Henry Quintin would settle for governess. If not him, Marceline knew his parents would never approve of it, and it made her smile.
Lady Stella smiled at her friend’s words, nodding, “I can’t believe he invited someone like her to sit at the same table as us.”
Mrs. Walsh’s eyes fell on Eve. Her eyes narrowed before she turned to Lady Annalise, “Is she your new governess, Lady Annalise?”
“Yes. If you want to hire her, you are free to do so,” Lady Annalise said with a straight face and took a bite from her food.
“I would never hire a woman with a character like hers. I cannot believe you did,” Mrs. Walsh spoke with a look of disbelief.
Wanting to always show that she had the purest heart and kindest thoughts, Marceline stated, “She isn’t terrible in being a governess, Mrs.Walsh. Allie is learning quite a lot from her.”
Mrs. Walsh shook her head, “I am not talking about her job. You are a kind woman, Lady Marceline, which is why you don’t know about her true nature. She’s a man snatcher!”
Lady Annalise’s eyebrows raised, while Marceline outwardly appeared to be in shock, while inwardly, she was delighted to find the truth behind the governess. Feigning innocence, she said, “I don’t think I understand what you are saying.”
The other woman leaned forward and whispered, “A few months ago, I was going to hire her, but tried to seduce my husband. Trying to look for immoral favours to gain fast money. My poor Mr. Walsh, he would have been defamed, but we chased her out of our mansion.”
“Oh my!” Lady Stella exclaimed.
“That sounds terrible,” Marceline said, turning to look at where Mr. Quintin and Eve sat, talking to each other. She said, “If it weren’t for my brother, we would have replaced her long back.”
In the meantime, Allie sat beside her mother, didn’t realise that her fangs had appeared as she ate.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 212 Last switch
Music Recommendation: Heavens, what an afternoon- John Lunn
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In the past, whenever Allie Moriarty was in the presence of people who were not her family, her head was always slightly bowed. The small vampiress only stared at people without uttering a single word.
But today was different because she was no more a fangless vampiress.
One of the men at the table noticed Allie’s fangs. Leaning toward his wife, he whispered, “The rumours seem to be untrue about the incident that took place in the Moriarty family.”
“What are you murmuring about?” His wife asked, pausing her fork and looking in the direction where her husband was looking. She looked surprised, “Looks like it. I was sure that she was fangless and she had brought shame to the arrogant family.”
As if two wasn’t enough, another woman caught sight of Allie’s fangs and remarked,
“Lady Annalise, your daughter is a lovely vampiress.”
Believing the praise was for Marceline, Lady Annalise raised her gaze and said, “Marceline has always held grace in her. It isn’t anything new, Lady Noel.”
On hearing her being praised, Marceline smoothened her dress and smiled. But then the woman said, “That is true, but I was talking about your younger daughter Allie. Her fangs are out.”
Lady Annalise turned irritated, not liking this disgraceful joke about her family. She was about to glare at the woman for such impudence, but she looked at Allie. Her eyes widened, and her eyebrows subtly furrowed. Were those… fangs?
“Truly, the Moriarty family is remarkable. Even after all the rumours going on, you didn’t let it ruffle you or your family members,” the other woman continued to praise, while both Lady Annalise, as well as Marceline were perplexed if Allie perhaps had stuck something in her mouth.
Sensing everyone’s gaze on her, Allie stopped eating and looked up at her mother. Not realising until this very second that her fangs were out, she turned tense.
Lady Annalise pulled out her handkerchief and dabbed the corner of her younger daughter’s lips, which also allowed her to look closer at the fangs. She couldn’t believe it… How did this happen?
But soon, Lady Annalise didn’t care about how and what. Her daughter had fangs!
“It has indeed been a while since I have seen Miss Allie with her fangs.”
With a proud smile, Lady Annalise placed her hand on Allie’s shoulder and responded, “There’s no need to show off the fangs, unless it is necessary. We are Moriartys after all, and Allie knows it too. We don’t have to prove anything to anyone,” she harrumphed.
But Marceline found it strange that Allie’s once lost fangs were back. Even a human’s tooth didn’t grow back after the second time. She tried to speak to her mother,
“How is–“
Lady Annalise placed her hand on Marceline’s lap to stop her from questioning and smiled at the people who curiously looked at them, especially Allie. Continuing to smile, she whispered to Marceline, “There’s no need to wonder how the broken vase got fixed, when everything is well.” The older vampiress then turned to her younger daughter, asking her fondly, “Would you like to eat some meat, Allie?”
Allie looked up at her mother and nodded.
Lady Annalise internally heaved a sigh of relief.
Since the day Allie’s fangs had been pulled out by the previous lowly governess, it had made Lady Annalise worried about how her daughter would grow up in the society they were living in. The incident didn’t just threaten to bring shame to Allie but to the entire Moriarty family. Now that Allie’s fangs were back, there was no reason to mention the broken fangs at all.
At one side of the table, Lady Annalise was happy about her daughter’s regrown fangs, and on the other side, Eve and Vincent’s eyes occasionally met before others spoke to them.
Right now, Eve heard Henry speak, “… summer house that is near the lake is beautiful during the rainy season. We should all go hunting together. Hasn’t it been late this season?”
“I think with the increased rogue’s activity, it has been paused until the forests are clear,” said another man at the table.
“What do you think, Mr. Moriarty?” Asked another man who sat near them, and Vincent, who was looking at Eve, shifted his gaze.
“The weather is lovely and it is the perfect time to hunt the animals before they go into hiding. Unless the gentlemen are worried about rogues,” Vincent remarked.
“Let us discuss this further after lunch then,” agreed Henry. He then turned to look at Eve, who took a bite from her plate. His eyes fell on her lips, where the liquid slipped from the corner of her lips, and she quickly dabbed it with the napkin.
Vincent watched the smitten human staring at his mermaid and took another sip from his wine.
After a minute, one of the guests pulled Henry back into the conversation. Eve noticed the woman sitting next to Vincent staring at him. As much as the woman tried to capture his attention, the pureblooded vampire looked uninterested, as if there was no one sitting next to him, and it was just Eve in front of him.
But the woman was patient enough to wait, and when Vincent slightly turned to her side, she dropped her handkerchief. She looked embarrassed and murmured,
“How clumsy of me.”
Knowing Vincent, Eve believed he would continue to have his meal.
But Eve’s eyes widened when Vincent leaned his head to the side to pick up the fallen handkerchief belonging to the woman.
When Vincent bent his head, his eyes fell on the things under the table. His eyes fell on Henry’s foot. The shoe and the sock were missing from the man’s right leg next to Eve.
His eyes met Eve’s, who looked at him in question. When he sat straight, he placed a spoon back on the table. He said to Eve,
“Dropped this naughty spoon. Is it hot here?” he asked her while ignoring the woman beside him, whose mouth was hanging open.
What did he mean it was hot? Winter was near and the weather was cold. She shook her head.
“Thought so,” Vincent hummed before taking a bite from his food.
The she-wolf waited for a few seconds before realising that Vincent wouldn’t pick up her fallen handkerchief.
The second course of the meal was served to the guests, and though people didn’t speak to Eve, she didn’t feel alone. After some time, while she was eating, she felt someone’s foot bump into hers.
For a moment, she thought it was Henry’s feet, but the man was eating his meal, and when her eyes met his, she smiled before resuming her meal. But someone’s foot bumped against her foot. She froze when the foot gently brushed against her ankle.
Eve’s eyes were quick to look at Vincent, who didn’t look at her first and when it did, he stared at her. As they continued to stare, a small smile cracked on his lips and she glared at him. She pulled her foot away from him.
“Mr. Moriarty, if you are done having your meal, a stroll would do you good,” Eve whispered to him.
“How rude to say it when you see me eating,” Vincent replied, and one corner of his lips pulled up.
But God only knew how long this devil’s legs were. He caught her left foot and pulled it forward firmly. If Eve were to pull her leg, she knew it would end up bumping the table’s surface.
Just because it was under the table didn’t mean they weren’t surrounded by people! And what was he doing playing with her foot!
When his foot moved above her ankle, a shiver ran to the centre of her body and she gripped the knife and fork in her hands. He brushed against her stocking with ease, reminding her of the evening when she had felt his breath on her bare leg.
Her heart was turning nervous and she gulped.
When no one was paying attention to them, she asked with gritted teeth, “What are you doing?”
“So soft that it makes you want to bite it,” Vincent remarked loudly, turning Eve quickly red.
Henry, who heard it, turned to Vincent and the pureblooded vampire said, “The duck has been cooked excellent, Mr. Quintin. Never have I bitten into such softness.”
“You are absolutely right, Mr. Moriarty,” Henry nodded. Eve picked up the glass of water and slowly drank it to hide her embarrassed face.
For Vincent to do something like this in a room of people and right under their noses, Eve didn’t know if she should perhaps excuse herself, but it was rude to leave when the last course of meal was yet to be served.
When her eyes met Vincent’s coppery-red eyes, he stared at her, a cunning smile creeping up his lips.
Eve felt Vincent’s foot move up, brushing her calf-muscle gentle yet sensually. She tried hard to keep a straight face. She closed her eyes when he pulled his foot away.
But then she felt the foot trying to sneak back under her dress.
Getting her thoughts together, she decided enough was enough!
A few seconds ago, on seeing Mr. Quintin adjusting his seat, Vincent had pulled back his foot, knowing what the man would do.
Unable to resist without touching Eve’s beauty, Mr. Quintin had tried to get his foot under Eve’s dress to run it over her leg and ready to place his hand on her thigh.
But things didn’t go as the man wished and hoped for.
Eve subtly raised her foot, and when the foot got near hers, she used her shoe heel and stomped right on top of the foot.
She smiled in victory, and the smirk on Vincent’s lips turned into a grin. While Mr. Quintin’s face turned red in pain.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 213 Planning ahead of time
Knowing she had stamped the foot of the person under the table made Eve smile. It seemed like she was getting better at catching Vincent, but why was he smiling as if knowing an inside joke that she wasn’t aware of?
Did Vincent enjoy pain? Eve asked in her mind. She pulled her foot, crossing it to the side and ready to continue her meal, when she heard a muffled whimper escape from Henry Quintin sitting next to her.
Eve turned to look at the man sitting next to her, whose eyes had turned wide, and his face was between wanting to cry and scream, but he did not. Instead, he stared at his plate as if he had found gold.
Mr. Quintin tried to hold in pain from his foot. He hadn’t expected the woman to stomp in such force, and he dragged his foot back to his side. Vincent, who was quietly enjoying the scene in front of him, asked with false concern,
“Mr. Quintin, you don’t look so good. Are you alright?”
Another gentleman sitting next to Vincent asked with a slight laugh, “Did you swallow a chilli?”
Henry couldn’t look at Eve, believing she had found out about what he was going to do, and at the same time, he couldn’t lose face in front of his guests. He mustered a smile and replied,
“It seems like it,” nodding while trying to ease the pain. Henry said, “Excuse me, I will be back in two minutes.”
“Some chillies are spicier than the others. You should always be careful, Mr. Quintin,” Vincent remarked with an innocent expression. He continued, “If you cannot handle the spice, it is better to not try it.”
Mr. Quintin tried to keep a straight face while his foot throbbed. He tried to wear his shoes not so subtly, which was when Eve’s eyes met Vincent’s eyes. The pureblooded vampire moved his eyes to the man next to her, hinting to her to see what he was doing under the table.
When Eve’s eyes fell on Mr. Quintin’s foot, her eyes turned wide on seeing blood on his barefoot. Did she just stamp her host’s foot? But at the same time, she looked up at him. Did he try to touch her?
Without attempting to wear his sock, Mr. Quintin stood up from his seat. His mother frowned and questioned him,
“Where are you going? The meal hasn’t ended yet.”
“I will be back soon, I just need to… visit the bathroom,” Mr. Quintin whispered to his mother, who looked put off by her son’s words.
Mr. Quintin walked away from the chair without looking at Eve, while her eyes moved to his shoe that didn’t have a sock, where he slightly wobbled and left the dining room. She couldn’t believe that the man had such thoughts, which repulsed her.
When Eve’s eyes met Vincent’s, he cut the meat on his plate into a thin slice and took a bite from it. He said to her,
“Your food is going to turn cold, Ms. Barlow.”
Eve blinked at him. It couldn’t be that all this while, Mr. Quintin was the one who was running his foot around her ankle and up to her knee. In between taking bites from her plate, she stared at Vincent.
“Was it you before who…?”
Vincent raised his head, placing his lazy gaze on her. He questioned, “Was what?” Eve looked at the table before looking up at him. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
It was him! Eve shouted in her mind.
Earlier, when he had bent down to pick up the spoon, he must have noticed something, Eve thought in her mind. Mr. Quintin didn’t return to his table for the third course of the meal, and everyone finished their lunch.
Most of the guests had moved to games of cards arranged in another room, while some stood in the corridors, talking to each other.
“Aren’t you going to join us in the game room, Ms. Barlow?” Marceline’s words came from behind her, who now walked with her friend Lady Stella.
“In some time,” Eve offered a polite bow and watched them walk away from where she stood.
Eve wondered if it was okay to leave, but none of the other guests had left the mansion. Though she had arrived in Mr. Quintin’s carriage, it wouldn’t stop her from walking out of the mansion and towards the carriage stop to hop on the next local carriage passing by from Skellington.
She walked opposite where Lady Marceline and the other guests were being entertained by each other’s presence. She looked at the paintings that hung on the walls, when she heard Vincent’s voice and a woman who seemed to be enjoying his company as she smiled.
Turning behind, she noticed the woman lean forward to say something in his ear before she left the corridor.
Vincent was famous among women. The female humans freely willed to give their blood, while the female vampires or werewolves were happy to have him take them into his arms.
Eve wondered who the woman was that Vincent was entertaining. She then turned back to admire the painting in front of her.
“Admiring the painting or waiting to stomp the other foot of Mr. Quintin?” Vincent asked, and Eve quickly turned to make sure no one heard him. He came to stand next to her and remarked, “You seem to have quite a good aim. You should join us for tomorrow’s hunting session.”
“I don’t think the men would like to have a woman join them,” Eve pursed her lips, looking at the people in the corridor before she asked, “Did you see Henry?”
“He must be in his room, bandaging his foot, considering the scent of his blood that drifted in the air. I was hoping for you to nail your heel into his foot but then your shoe isn’t as pointy as I wished it was,” Vincent said in a nonchalant tone.
When Vincent started to walk, Eve left the painting. Her footsteps came next to his steady ones. She had to move her feet slightly faster than him. She asked,
“Why didn’t you warn me about it?” She murmured, “A small kick under the table would have worked to let me know to be cautious.”
Vincent clicked his tongue and remarked, “Kicking a lady is rude. As a governess, you should already know it.” And running his foot up her leg was not? Eve stared at him in disbelief. He said, “I thought it was more amusing like this than you know about your gentleman’s advances.”
Eve retorted, “He’s not my gentleman.”
“No? You had nothing but nice words about and for him,” Vincent hummed, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.
“It is called being polite,” she replied.
Eve didn’t want to be rude to Henry earlier when he hadn’t done or said anything bad to her until they were in the dining room. Right now, she was worried about what or how Mr. Quintin would react to her stomping his foot. As it was not done directly in the public’s eyes, she hoped her action didn’t hurt Henry’s male ego.
“Ah polite, something that is lost in my world,” Vincent chuckled. As if not missing an opportunity, he taunted her, “You surprise me, Eve. I didn’t know you were into men like him. Not all men take a woman’s politeness as being polite, but use it to their advantage. I told you he wasn’t qualified to be your husband.”
“You did…” Eve whispered in agreement. She was thankful that nothing more had happened apart from Mr. Quintin acquiring an injured foot because of her. The man had only himself to blame.
Vincent and Eve walked to the other side of the mansion, where the tall and wide pillars supported the mansion’s ceiling. On one side stood the walls with doors, and on the other side, where the pillars stood, let one view the garden built around the mansion.
When Vincent slipped his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the fangs that belonged to Lady Camille.
“Do you like them so much that you carry them with you?” Eve questioned him. Looking at the pair of fangs made her uncomfortable, knowing they belonged to the person she had killed and later buried.
Vincent noticed Eve staring at his hand. A grin appeared on his lips, and he said, “I am gifting it to someone today.” His eyes were bright with excitement she didn’t want to be part of.
From the other end of the corridor, Mr. and Mrs. Walsh walked. Vincent noticed them and heard Mrs. Walsh whisper to her husband, “You would think the Moriarty family have some class and taste. To hire a woman who lacks little to no character.”
“What more can you expect from a family that has murdered people?” Mr. Walsh replied to his wife. His eyes fell on the beautiful governess of the Moriarty family, and he couldn’t stop himself from looking at her. He hadn’t forgotten that a few months ago, she had threatened to hit him.
Eve turned quiet on seeing the couple walking towards them, while they walked from the other end of the corridor. Vincent lowered his hand that held the fangs. Though Eve couldn’t hear what the couple were whispering to each other, Vincent heard it all.
“I hear that Vincent was the one who hired her. Maybe she’s sleeping with him, like she tried to sleep with you in the name of working as a governess,” Mrs. Walsh muttered.
Mr. Walsh softly harrumphed, “The family was doomed when Eduard married that deceased human.”
When the couple neared Vincent and Eve, they stopped to bow at the pureblooded vampire. Vincent stepped in front of Mr. Walsh and dusted the side of the person’s coat, taking the man by surprise.
Vincent said, “I hate seeing dirt. Your coat caught a little cobweb.” Smiling, he took a step backwards and said, “Looks like the Quintins are in need of more servants than what they already have.”
Mr. Walsh politely asked, “Will you be joining us for a game of cards, Mr. Moriarty?”
A crooked smile appeared on Vincent’s lips. He hummed, “We should play one last game before the day ends,” the couple bowed, and before they left, Mr. Walsh’s eyes fell on Eve as if he couldn’t look away from her beauty.
Seeing the couple leave the corridor, Eve turned to look at Vincent, whose hands were empty. She stared at him before realisation hit her.
Eve said, “There was never a cobweb….”
Vincent had slipped Lady Camille’s fangs into Mr. Walsh’s coat pocket. She saw him turn to look at her and smile, “A little gift never did too much damage.” But Eve knew it was far from the truth. What was he planning?
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 214 The Bully, The Crazy and The Escaped Bullied
Today’s chapters are dedicated to: RaineReigns , nancal42, ddsyren, mz_merl, Monica_Ceja, Hollygolightly, Frine_Gingras, Daniela_llieva, Marina_Maura
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As they continued walking in one of the quiet corridors of Quintin’s mansion, Henry Quintin, who came walking from the other side of the corridor, appeared in front of them. Eve hadn’t expected the man to show up, and he bowed at her and Vincent.
“Ms. Barlow, forgive me for leaving the dining room so abruptly. Something came up that needed quick attention,” Henry said to Eve apologetically.
Eve was surprised that the man was talking kindly to her after what she had done to him or what he had tried to do with her. He continued, “I was wondering if you would allow me to take a stroll with you.”
Vincent, who noticed Eve’s hostile glance towards the human, said, “You seem to be late with your request, Mr. Quintin. Ms. Barlow promised to walk with me for the rest of the noon.”
“That’s true,” Eve answered Henry, whose eyebrows furrowed, and she noticed his lips setting in a thin line.
There was a tension between them which none of them addressed about. Henry offered her,
“Then I hope you will allow me to accompany you back to your home as you don’t have a ride.” He was persistent, as if wanting to erase what happened earlier in the dining room.
Knowing his earlier intentions, it was hard for Eve to smile and it came stiff. She answered, “I have to head to the Moriarty mansion for work. I will be going home after that,” she bowed.
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“Ms. Barlow, if you will, can I have a moment with you?” Henry requested her, and apprehensively, Eve stepped to the side. Vincent turned to look at the garden. Henry said, “Ms. Barlow, I sense that you are upset with me. My foot has been itching since this morning and I had removed my sock and shoe earlier. Then ne–“
“Mr. Quintin,” Eve looked at Henry in the eyes and sternly said, “It would be best for us not to converse anymore. Just because I am standing under your roof, don’t think for the sake of it I will overlook what you were going to do.”
Henry stared at Eve, not expecting her to speak about it so directly and hoping to brush the matter under the carpet. As the woman came from Meadow, he had hoped for her to be demure and not fuss about it. He sarcastically laughed at her,
“What makes you think I would like to be in contact with a woman who comes from such a low birth? Instead of apologising, you are accusing me.” His earlier kind face morphed into a scowl as if looking down on her. “Be grateful that I even looked at you. I was doing you a favour, a woman who exceeded the age of marriage.”
Eve gritted her teeth and reminded the spoiled heir of the mansion where she stood, “Your memory must be weak, Mr. Quintin. I never expressed my interest in you or marriage.”
“It was my folly. I already heard rumours here that you try to sleep with men in the name of governess. Nobody will ever want to marry yo–“
“That isn’t very nice of you to say, Mr. Quintin,” Vincent remarked, turning to look at them.
Henry placed his hand on his chest and complained, “You don’t know what your governess did to me earlier. She stomped my foot like she wanted to nail it to the floor!”
Vincent clicked his tongue, walking to where they stood. He stated, “If it was me in her place, you would be missing a toe.”.
Mr. Quintin looked baffled and protested, “You are taking her words over mine? A woman who comes from a lowly status?”
Vincent cocked his head to the side and muttered under his breath,
“What a dimwit.” He looked to the side before looking back at Henry and said, “Mr. Quintin. Ms. Barlow might be from Meadow, but right now it looks like she belongs in Skellington, while you are showing poor character, Mr. Quintin. I think you forget that she’s my governess, so anything that concerns her is my business,” his eyes narrowed at Henry, who warily looked at the pureblooded vampire.
Realising Vincent had heard about what happened back in the dining room, a stiff smile appeared on Henry’s face.
“Just because it is your governess I have decided to spare her this time,” said Henry as if it was Eve’s fault.
When Henry turned, ready to leave, Vincent stopped him by saying, “On another thought, I think you should apologise to her.”
Mr. Quintin turned with a baffled expression on his face, and he laughed as if finding Vincent’s words to be funny. He said, “Apologise?”
“Did I stutter?” Vincent questioned back, his eyes glowing red, and an unwilling Henry, who noticed it, turned slightly frigid. “I am not too fond of people wasting my time.”
But Henry was stubborn, and he slightly glared. Slightly because even though this was his mansion, Vincent Moriarty was a pureblooded vampire, and everyone knew he had a few screws loose in his head. He said, “I thought we already settled it. After all, I never touched her. I should be the one compens–“
“It was when Ms. Barlow decided not to create a scene, but you should be well aware Mr. Quintin that I don’t mind a scene,” a calm smile appeared on Vincent’s lips, and he looked at one side of the corridor, where three elderly women were walking in their direction, taking a stroll after lunch.
Henry tried to swallow the bitter feeling of being humiliated. The man was a farce who had behaved gentlemanly only wanting to receive indecent favours from Eve. He finally said,
“It won’t repeat again.”
Vincent rolled his eyes and said, “That’s the worst apology in history. I am sure you can do better than that. Try again.”
Henry grit his teeth and clearing his throat, he said, “I am sorry it won’t happen again.”
Vincent sighed and unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt, folding it until his forearms. Eve noticed the veins that pressed from underneath the vampire’s skin. She saw Henry sweat, and he hissed,
“I was wrong to think that you would comply with my wish, Ms. Barlow. Forgive me for what I tried and something like that will never happen again.”
“And?” Vincent prompted.
“I will not come near you!” Henry said, looking back and forth between Eve and Vincent. He said, “I would also hope you don’t mention what happened to anyone.”
When the elderly women walked near them, Henry offered a bow and walked away from the place.
“Don’t you just love it when people listen to you instead of making things difficult?” Vincent raised one of his eyebrows, pleased to see Henry scurry. Not only had he passed the fangs to someone worthy, but he had gotten the useless human from buzzing around his mermaid.
Eve asked him, “What if Mr. Walsh finds the fangs before he leaves from here?” Not to mention, the fangs could be considered to belong to anyone before they could be thrown away.
They started to walk back in the direction they had come earlier, and Vincent said, “It’s been three hours and Mr. Walsh has not once slipped his hands in the pocket of his coat. There’s no way he’s going to find it when his hands are going to be occupied with cards. It is a coat that he often wears, probably because it’s the only one that fits. He has been invited for another soiree tomorrow.”
“And what happens once the council gets the news about it?” Eve asked him in curiosity, looking at him as she walked next to him, keeping up with his steps.
“The Council officials will keep him for a day or a week. Treat him like the guest in the dungeon before they realise he has nothing to do with it. Fear is good,” came the nonchalant words from Vincent.
When they reached the mansion entrance, Eve’s footsteps stopped, watching Vincent’s broad shoulders as he continued to walk. The vampire stopped, turning to face her, and he remarked,
“I thought you were visiting the Moriarty mansion.”
Eve didn’t see why she should stay in Quintin’s mansion, especially after what went on between her and Henry Quintin. Knowing Vincent was leaving, she took the opportunity to leave, followed him.
In the meantime, Patrick Humphrey, carrying a tray of glasses filled with refined blood, was walking across the hall when his eyes fell on Eve and the silver-haired vampire. He wished to get his carriage to drop Eve home, but it would only cost the high-paying job he had right now.
It looked like Eve was close to her employer because he saw the two of them enter the carriage and leave Quintin’s mansion.
Upon reaching the Moriarty mansion, Vincent and Eve stepped down from the carriage. Alfie quickly walked to the front of the mansion, offering a bow.
“Welcome back, Master Vincent,” Alfie walked behind his master and removed his coat. The butler offered a bow to Eve.
Eve said to Vincent, “If you will allow me, I would like to go home. I can take the local carriage.”
“Alfie will arrange a carriage for you,” Vincent stated, his face relaxed and his cold eyes looking at Eve. He had noticed a sadness in the woman’s eyes over the lowly human’s words.
“That won’t be necessary,” Eve responded to him. Her thoughts were shaken at how things had turned. Her aunt had advised her to keep an open mind, which resulted in this. Mr. Quintin’s words echoed in her mind, on how she wasn’t worthy of being married. She said, “The local carriage will be here in forty minutes.”
“Eve,” Vincent called her name with an underlying warning that had both Eve and Alfie turn alert. “I wasn’t giving you an option.”
“I wasn’t asking for your permission,” Eve was firm with her response, and Vincent’s eyes glowered.
The silver-haired vampire ordered his butler, “Bring Ms. Barlow a cup of tea and preferably biscuits to go along with it to the study room.” He ignored Eve’s words, and she pursed her lips.
The loyal butler didn’t dawdle around them and decided to slip away because of the little unspoken tension in the air around his master and the governess.
As he started to walk, Eve watched Vincent slip his hands into the pockets of his trousers. She heard him say, “I would like to talk to you about something.”
“You aren’t good at communicating, are you?” Eve asked him as she started to follow his trail of footsteps.
Vincent turned to look at Eve over his shoulder and, in humour, asked her, “What gives away?” He then asked, “Why are you in such a hurry to run home? Leaving your friend all miserable and lonely.”
Eve’s lips twitched on seeing his fangs when he smiled. The vampire was anything but miserable and lonely.
As they walked in the corridor, she didn’t know why it felt like she was approaching a devil’s den.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 215 Strings pulled towards the untouched
The butler brought the tea and biscuits, pouring the tea for Eve before he excused himself out of the study room. Vincent stood in front of a small table on which many different alcohol bottles sat.
“What did you want to talk about?” Eve asked him, feeling the warmth of the cup on her hands.
Vincent took a sip of alcohol from the glass with his back facing Eve.
“Strangely, I cannot remember what I wanted to talk about,” came the thoughtful words from him, and Eve glared at him. “Did you have any new premonitions? Jumped out of the window?”
Eve shook her head, “Thankfully not. I… tied my leg with the bed sheet and tied the other end to the bedpost.”
“Precaution, I like it. It would be sad to see you flat on the ground if you were to jump,” Vincent took another sip from his glass.
Ignoring his sarcastic remarks, Eve asked him, “Did you hear anything from the authorities about Lady Camille?”
Vincent’s lips cracked a smile, and he turned around to pour more alcohol into his glass. He said, “Let the poor vampiress rest in peace for a few more hours.”
Hours?
“In the next twenty-four or forty-eight hours, her body will be found with the other bodies dug around there. It will avoid us having to dig out every part of the ground to find your mother… maybe,” Vincent let her know, and Eve wondered how he would do that.
She asked him, “Is someone else going to get framed?”
When Vincent turned to meet her eyes, he asked her, “You are free to give me volunteers. Anyone you hate or don’t get along with?”
“I don’t think I hate anyone enough to set them up to visit the dungeon,” Eve replied, and Vincent ran his tongue over his fang.
“Thought so, which is why I picked my favourite person. It would be interesting to see a little chaos and confusion,” Vincent spoke nonchalantly and made his way to where she sat on the couch. He folded one of his legs to let it rest on the couch while letting the other rest on the ground so that he sat sideways to face her.
On the other hand, Eve sat with both her foot on the ground and her hands holding the teacup that now rested on her lap. She looked at him, and he stared right back at her. His copper-red eyes stood stark behind the silver strands of his hair.
Eve wondered how to feel about using someone to find her mother’s body.
Vincent asked her, “There’s no need to be tight lipped with me. I am sure we are way past that,” he said, rotating his wrist to move the alcohol in the glass. “Let me take a guess, you are thinking about the poor man who is going to be framed.”
Instead of judging Vincent, Eve decided to understand and asked, “What did this person do to you?”
A slow smile spread on Vincent’s lips, and he said, “He doesn’t know when to stop getting in my way. Bastard made it hard for me to hide the dead bodies.”
“…”
Bringing the teacup to her lips, she took a sip from it. But with Vincent continuously staring at her, it unnerved her, and a drop of the tea escaped from her lips before sliding down her chin.
Eve turned to the side and dabbed the side of her lips with her hand. So far, the vampire hadn’t asked her for her blood, and they were alone.
Vincent casually said, “How does it feel being wooed by men? You must be popular.”
“Not as popular as you,” Eve murmured before biting the inside of her cheek, and a grin appeared on his lips. She said, “Sometimes it’s not the number of people wooing you, but the quality of men.”
“You sound disappointed,” he hummed before taking another sip of the alcohol.
“Wouldn’t you be?”
“To be touched under the table by a woman? It would be a delight,” Vincent grinned. “You are asking the wrong person.”
“But you aren’t like that, are you?” Eve questioned him, her blue eyes looking at him.
The grin on Vincent’s lips slipped, and his face turned serious, “How sure are you about it?” He challenged her.
Eve felt her hands turn shaky and placed the teacup on the table so she wouldn’t end up spilling it over her dress. Vincent was odd, but he had never done anything that could hurt her. Which gave her the reason to believe him.
“We are similar to chameleons, who change our characteristics and attitudes. Different with different people,” Vincent finished gulping the last sip from his glass, and when he leaned over to place it on the table and sat back, it only ended up with him sitting closer to her than he had two seconds ago. “Don’t assume false perception in your mind just because you want it to be true.”
“My thoughts are my own,” Eve didn’t look away from Vincent.
The curtains of the study room hadn’t been pulled apart for light to enter, and the only light came from the fireplace, which wasn’t too far from where she sat and a few candles in the room.
“Don’t be sad if you turn disappointed in the future,” there was something with the way Vincent looked at her as if trying to provoke her or keep a distance between them even though, at times, he claimed there wasn’t.
“Then I will be the only one to be blamed,” stated Eve, and she got up from her seat. She said, “I should get going.”
“Did my words scare you? More than Mr. Quintin’s words?” Vincent watched her from where he sat. “Don’t worry, we’ll find you a qualified husband.”
A small smile appeared on her lips, and she turned to look at him. She said, “Thank you for your concern about my single and lonely life, but you don’t have to do that. It is apparent that marriage is not in my fate.”
[Music Recommendation: Deer in Headlights- Sia]
Even though Eve hadn’t uttered about Henry Quintin’s actions in the dining room or words in the deserted corridor, Vincent noticed the hint of sadness behind her blue eyes.
Vincent questioned her, “True. Who knows the next man who comes along will be another imitation of what you experienced today?” He watched her eyes lower as if in thought. Getting up from the couch, he came to stand in front of her, that got her to look at him. “Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to,” Vincent stared at her with a serious look, making Eve wonder if he had decided to drink her blood now. She closed her eyes, listening to the crackling of the logs in the fireplace. “Don’t open until I tell you to.”
Vincent placed his hands on either side of her waist to pull her closer to him, eliminating the distance between them. He stared at her before leaning forward as he parted his lips. But he didn’t bite her.
Eve felt Vincent’s breath on her cheek as if his lips were just above her skin, with a distance of air between them. She heard him speak,
“What were you thinking walking and sitting next to him?”
“What did you–“
“Sshh,” Vincent hushed to quieten her. His voice held a whisper, like a poison seeping into her with every word he spoke, “You don’t have to respond to them. Men like Quintin are far from eligible to hold you. Most of them have small brains and will be incapable of standing next to you.”
Vincent’s words were like the piano’s keys, soft yet clear. When Eve involuntarily craned her neck, his face moved to the side and her neck. Her heart shuddered in her chest, trying to concentrate on his words while his breath demanded her attention.
He said,
“You asked me earlier if I knew who would be right for you… It would take a remarkable man to see you for who you are. To respect your words, and stand by your side over the storms. Don’t settle because you feel things are slipping.” Vincent’s breath turned colder and Eve clutched the sides of her skirt. “Someone who is as good as you and won’t corrupt you. Someone who will make your heart race and tremble.”
Vincent let Eve sink his words and moved his breath, tracing back where it started.
“Don’t settle for something low when you can have more. Don’t be swayed easily,” When his face came in front of hers, her eyes opened that were slightly dilated.
Eve saw Vincent the way she had never before, and she stared at him, feeling her heart skip a beat.
And just as her heart skipped, it slipped to the floor when Vincent said, “It is only a pity that men like those are either taken early or don’t exist.”
A sliver of worry and anxiousness slipped into Eve’s mind, knowing Vincent had only tried to lift her spirits in his own odd ways and there was nothing more to it. He let go of her waist and stepped backwards while she felt her heart pull towards him.
What did he… do, Eve whispered in alarm.
The study room’s door suddenly opened, and Vincent’s father and Lady Annalise stepped into the room with a surprised expression, not expecting to see Eve. She quickly bowed at Vincent and the other two vampires before hurrying out of the room.
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