Page 81 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

“I’ll be fine.” He gave her a tight smile as he raised the warm cup of tea, the liquid sloshing so hard he spilled it all over his chin. Though he didn’t seem to notice the liquid dripping from him. “Already I’m feeling better. It’s like being near you is healing me.”

He smiled as she leaned across the table with her handkerchief to wipe his face. His eyes were a little glassy, but his expression was otherwise warm.

“What happened while you were gone?”

Edgar sighed as she sat back across from him at the tiny table they had last shared before he left. Back when her biggest concern had been wedding planning.

“It started well. At least, I think it did. The Count was so hospitable. They threw me a little soiree the night I arrived. The Countess and her sister were very welcoming. Every night they had a feast for me; I never ate so well in my life. Even after I got sick, they still made me so many steaks and lamb.”

“Did they eat with you?”

“The women took their meals separately, but The Count would be at the table with me. He actually served me.”

Caroline paused; the strange eating habits weren’t a surprise, but that certainly was. “Really, why?”

“He said they didn’t like to keep many servants around. He said it was a waste to hire someone to bring me a plate every night.”

Likely because they kept draining their servants, but she held her tongue. She wasn’t sure if Edgar’s memories were fractured and she would be delicate with him until he healed.

“But did he eat with you?”

Edgar looked at her, tilting his head, and it took him some time before he frowned. “You know, I cannot remember if he ate or not. I remember him sitting across from me many nights with a glass of red wine, but I can’t remember if he ever ate.”

Caroline was careful not to show a reaction. She was sure they fed from him, but he didn’t smoke when he stepped from the carriage. Beyond a bite, she wasn’t sure how else to confirm it.

Though if he had been bitten, she didn’t know why he was unaffected by sunlight.

“You know,” she said carefully, “when I didn’t hear from you for so long it worried me.”

Guilt throbbed within her. She had been mildly annoyed with how infrequently she heard from him, but it wasn’t until she saw him in the afternoon light that she realized he had been trapped with Valeria’s family for weeks. She couldn’t imagine the horrors he had faced, while she had never considered he was even in danger.

Because she had known Valeria was a vampire for some time. Had known The Count was dangerous, but she hadn’t even been scared for her fiancé who was trapped in his home.

“I know, my sweet. I meant to write more, but I wasn’t feeling well. Once I started feeling better, I only cared about being well enough to return to you. The Count was so generous to lend me his best carriage and horses so I could get here as quickly as possible. I should have sent you notice, but I only wished to see your sweet face again.”

Her annoyance softened because he was being sweet. And she had been untrue to him as he was slowly being drained on his business trip. She truly was the worst fiancée. He deserved far better than her.

“You’re here now, and that’s what’s important.”

“Too true,” he said with a slight curve of his lips that reminded her of how he used to be. “How have things been here? I’m surprised your parents haven’t come down yet. Usually they won’t give us this much time alone.”

“They’re at the coast. My father fell ill, and Dr. Murnau thought some time at the seaside would be good for him.”

“I hope he didn’t catch what Lady Valeria has. The Count told me she has a very nasty disease. I was so worried about her being here with you once he told me how serious it was.”

“There’s no need for concern because he caught something else, and I haven’t been affected by Valeria’s illness.”

“Good. The Count was so cryptic at times that I feared you would be dead by the time I got here.”

A chill ran down her spine. She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been. Of course, killing her had been Valeria’s plan. That was likely her plan the entire time; she had even had dreams that hinted at it, but Caroline had been so thoroughly stupid. So desperate to believe Valeria loved her back—could love at all—that she had been too stupid to realize she wasn’t special to her.

And she had spent her entire day worried Valeria had somehow burned to death in a ditch outside while she had likely spent the time before dawn planning Caroline’s demise.

“We’ll get your parents back from the coast so we can get married.”

Caroline blinked at the sudden pivot in conversation, but she slowly nodded. There was no reason to hold off their marriage any longer. “I’ll let the church know tomorrow, and we can start sending out invitations.”

As they spent the rest of their afternoon together, she built walls around her heart. She may not be able to force herself to love Edgar, but she could force herself not to love Valeria. Distance would help, but the best reminder would be her cruel treatment of the people around her. Edgar. Her father. Nelly. The people of her village.