Page 36 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

“No, none of the night maids saw anything, and Mrs. Thomas didn’t find any incriminating evidence. Really, that woman is something else. Everyone else is too scared to enter those rooms, but she just grumbled about the mess. Nothing shakes that woman.”

Her stomach churned, and she thought she was going to be sick. There was no reason for any of the staff to play such a prank, not when they all feared Mrs. Thomas’ wrath.

Caroline was certain the footprints did come from someone in the house, Valeria. The only question was why she would do such a thing. Was it only to scare them? Or was this a cover for something more nefarious?

Lucy blathered on about minor gossip, and she did her best to smile and nod as she usually would. Caroline couldn’t let on that she knew who the likely culprit was. That she could put a stop to this madness at any time, but hadn’t.

Once Lucy left, she gave the woman a minute’s head start before she darted out and down the back stairs to the second level. Lucy hadn’t mentioned seeing anything suspicious in Valeria’s room, but she had to see for herself. Even though it would anger Valeria if she found out she had snuck into her room again, she was also relieved when she saw a lump on the bed.

It was eerie seeing Valeria so still. Her hair spilled on the feather pillow like ink. Her radiant skin almost seemed to glow. Somehow she was even more beautiful than when she saw her the previous evening, and it gave her pause because there was something so strange about how her appearance changed from day-to-day.

Next to the bed on the rug were her slippers, neatly lined up so she could step right into them as she got out of bed. They were the only pair Caroline had seen, and her legs shook as she knelt to check them.

Picking up the slipper, she turned them in her hands to look for blood. They were clean, but dry, so they hadn’t been recently washed. Relief flooded her. Perhaps Valeria wasn’t the one who left the footprints after all. It could have been a prank from one of the footmen or someone purposefully trying to anger Mrs. Thomas.

Looking up, the blanket by Valeria’s feet had been kicked aside. Caroline frowned because it was so unlike the perfect calm way Valeria slept. Holding her breath, her hand shook as she slowly lifted the blanket. Valeria’s pale feet were clean with neat, clipped toenails. However, the hem of her shift was filthy. So dirty the sheets were caked in mud. She dropped the blanket.

Heart pounding, Caroline scrambled around the room, looking for more evidence. Either to exonerate her or confirm her guilt. In her dressing room, she found the white porcelain chamber pot tucked out of sight. That wasn’t entirely unusual since they weren’t exactly pleasant, but usually if you wanted them emptied or cleaned, you wouldn’t hide it.

Looking back at Valeria, the woman hadn’t moved—which was expected—so Caroline reached out and lifted the lid, careful not to make any noise.

Thankfully, there wasn’t any waste in the chamber pot, but part of her almost wished there had been because what she found gave her no comfort.

Inside the porcelain pot were slippers so dirty she couldn’t tell what their original color was. Hardened mud surrounded them, but the soles were soaked, rust-brown with what had to be dried blood. She slammed the jar of the pot down so hard the clank of the porcelain echoed through the quiet room. If Valeria was sleeping naturally, the loud sound surely would have woken her up, but she remained perfectly still on the bed.

Fear choked her as she stayed in place, holding the chamber pot. Everything inside her told her to run, to put as much distance between her and Valeria as possible. There was something wrong with her. The sun sickness, the way she disappeared so frequently, the way her appearance changed, and her unnatural sleep were all signs that there was something wrong with her, but Caroline hadn’t wanted to face it. All because she had loved this girl long ago.

Finally, her legs got the message, and she moved. The chamber pot was clumsily placed where she had found it, and she ran from the room, not caring that the door slammed behind her. Though no matter how quickly she moved, she was keenly aware that no matter what happened, once the sun set, Valeria would awaken.

LETTER THREE

Sire,

Everything is unfolding to plan. There have been some small rumblings around town, but no one has even come close, so all is well. I have sent Lizzie back home to prepare our trunks for shipment. Feel free to use her for any errands you need as well. It will be at least a month, if not longer, before I’ll need her.

Please keep me updated on Edgar Andrews’ movements. I figure the girls have him, but don’t let them play too hard, as we may yet need him.

Best,

V

CHAPTER 10

Caroline’s eyes fluttered open as she felt fingernails delicately scratching her scalp. It had been years since she had felt such a thing, and she had forgotten how much she liked it. After wiping the sleep from her eyes, she focused on her mother’s face looking down on her. Though it wasn’t the mother she said goodbye to days ago, but a younger version, which made sense because she hadn’t laid her head in her mother’s lap for scratches since she was a little girl.

“Is my little Caro still resisting sleep?”

She wanted to say something to her mother, to reconcile the woman she knew with the one from her memory, but she nodded, powerless to do anything else.

“Do you need another story, my love?”

“Yes,” Caroline’s small child voice responded.

“What do you want to hear, another tale of Fionn MacCumhaill? Diarmuid and Grainne?”

“A new one. Tell me a story you haven’t told me before. “Something scary.”

“Something scary? Are you sure that will help you sleep?” Her mother laughed when Caroline nodded vigorously. “Very well then. Have I told you the tale of Abhartach?”