Page 69 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

“Of you and my sister?” Diya snorted, shaking her head. “Of course not. I’m only surprised you’re still here. I thought you would spend a day or so here before moving on. Especially since Miss Blythe never mentioned you again.”

Diya sounded cordial, but Caroline could hear the underlying anger. She didn’t know how to explain that it was safer if Diya didn’t know about Valeria.

“I wonder why our Miss Blythe has kept us a secret from one another, because I haven’t heard about you either.”

“I’ve been busy with wedding preparations.” Her face heated as she stumbled over the clumsy lie neither believed.

“Interesting, because you had eight years to mention me to Miss Evans.”

“Eight years!”

Caroline rubbed her temples. She wished she could kick them both out, but it wouldn’t solve her current problem, as there was no way either would leave. Her best friend and…Valeria looked at her expectantly, and she sighed.

“You remember when my family toured the continent, and we spent the summer in Italy.”

“Of course.”

“Her family owned the vineyard where we stayed, and we became fast friends. For twelve weeks we were inseparable.”

Her eyes were fixed on her plate as she spoke. Doing this in front of Valeria was embarrassing, but she needed Diya to understand that she truly cared for Valeria. Even if this all ended in tragedy, she wanted her best friend to know her feelings were real.

“It was fourteen weeks.”

Her eyes snapped to Valeria, who was still draped over her chair with the same bored expression, but her eyes had softened.

“But just those fourteen weeks. I wrote every day for months after I returned to England, but not a single letter was returned.” She cleared her throat, turning her attention to Diya. “I think that’s why I didn’t tell you. It was embarrassing and heartbreaking, and I didn’t know how to tell you without feeling foolish.”

Diya reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “That’s why you should have told me.”

“Do you think I didn’t write because I didn’t care?”

Caroline pulled her hand away before glaring at Valeria. “What else was I supposed to think?”

“You were on vacation. And sure, you spoke such sweet things in my ear, but what would happen once you returned to real life and responsibilities? When you came to your senses and realized we had no future. You were always going to need a husband to help you run your estate and give you a dozen little Blythes running around to keep the cycle going.”

She wanted to deny it, but she was engaged to Edgar and still planned to marry him despite Valeria’s reappearance in her life. Her family’s future mattered more to her than anything—even her own happiness.

“Excuse me,” Valeria said, standing up with her wine glass in hand, “I’m afraid I’m not feeling well after all and need to retire to my room.”

Diya’s eyes tracked Valeria as she walked from the room until the dining room door clicked shut behind her.

“Are you together?” she hissed.

“No.” She shook her head, feeling empty at the denial. “It’s complicated between us, but she’s right. There was never any future for us.”

“Are you still marrying Edgar?”

“Of course, Edgar will return, and Valeria will move to America with her new family. Nothing will change.”

Diya nodded, though she didn’t look convinced. Mercifully, she didn’t push the issue, and their dinner continued. The conversation was stilted as Caroline pushed herself through the motions because no matter what was happening, she couldn’t stop thinking about where Valeria had gone. And if there were any bodies left in her wake.

CHAPTER 19

Valeria’s bedroom was empty, and while Caroline wasn’t surprised, she was a little heartbroken.

Which was entirely foolish because Valeria was a vampire. She fed off of blood, and it wasn’t as if Caroline could ask her to starve herself. It was another way they didn’t fit because she couldn’t wait around while Valeria killed innocent people and only hoped it wasn’t anyone she knew. Because not all of Valeria’s victims were strangers. There was dear sweet Nellie and even her own father.

Caroline needed to get over Valeria and get her out of her home before Edgar returned. It was the mantra she repeated as she sat on Valeria’s bed and waited for her return, even as she grew more and more tired.