The sound of a Robin singing outside of the window awoke Marcille the next morning. She blinked her eyes against the bright light in the room, someone had apparently pulled the curtains, and rolled over trying to get some more sleep by pulling the blanket over her head.
As soon as her head was covered her feet were free to the air and they soon become cold. She sighed and opened her eyes blinking into the bright morning. At once she remembered where she was, her tiredness left her and she became curious. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the sparsely furnished room.
The furniture was from the Louis the Sixteenth era of France. There was a large desk on the far side of the room from her in front of a large picture window. It had a veined marble top and a silver quill holder with matching ink well.
There were also a few Queen Ann chairs set in certain areas of the room. They were all done in black and silver damask to match the walls and curtains of the room.
Suddenly, she remembered the naked state she was in beneath the blanket. She wondered who had stripped her.
Was it Darien? She wondered, or just a servant. Even though she had been a Lady of the night for many years now, she still blushed at the idea of Darien seeing her naked. With this in mind, she took the blanket and wrapped it toga-style around her body covering as much as possible.
After she finished making sure that she was adequately covered she opened the door that lead into the hall and peeked outside.
The sun was shining through the windows in the immense hall. The floor was a fine white marble, apparently from the same quarry where the desktop came from as it had the same fine veining almost making it appear like the floor had veins of black blood.
She smiled as she closed the door to the sitting room she had been sleeping in and leaned over a nearby vase of red, white, and black roses.
That is a strange combination, she thought to herself, I wonder why he chose these colors. The hall she noted was long and wide enough for five people to walk abreast and not bump into the person next to him. There were more Queen Anne chairs dotting the hall.
She silently closed the sitting room door and wandered down the hall inspecting a beautiful landscape painting that was hanging on the wall.
Suddenly, while she was engrossed in the painting, someone tapped on her shoulder causing her to jump. She turned around with fear in her eyes wondering if she shouldn't be there, and saw an older man dressed as a valet. He had grey hair, ice blue eyes and was smiling at her.
"Good morning, Madame. I am Mars, the Lordship's valet. I did not mean to startle you, but I saw you standing there as I came down the hall. Was there something you required?"
She looked down at herself and blushed realizing how much of her legs were bare and she returned his smile, "Yes, if you don't mind, I would like some clothes."
His eyebrow raised in question at her language. This did not sound like a London slum whore to him, but he responded, "I completely understand, Milady. Let me show you a guest room that was prepared for you while you were sleeping."
"I would enjoy that," she said as she followed him up the stairs to a beautifully furnished room. It was painted in a sky blue and the bed was fit for at least 3 people to lay comfortably side by side. She sat of the soft bed and tears came to her eyes. "What does your master want from me?"
He looked at her and understood her confusion, and wished he could assuage it, "Honestly, Milady, I do not know what he wishes in your regard. But I do know that he would not want you sitting around uncomfortable and wrapped in a blanket," He smiled gently, reminding her more of a grandfather than a valet, "Now I will call you a bath, and by the time you are done a clothier will be here to get you some new clothing."
She smiled nervous at the idea of being treated this way. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh as she rubbed her eyes wondering if this place, so like heaven, would disappear as in her dream. When she reopened her eyes Mars was gone but there was a wonderful tub in front of the fire which was being filled by other servants with hot water.
Mars walked out of the room just as the others had come up the stairs with the lady's bath. He nodded his approval to them and walked to the study. He knocked lightly on the door and was answered with a gruff, "Entrez."
He walked in the study his eyes slowly adjusting to the light of the single candle on Darien's desk; He looked at his master's face which was thrown into shadow by the candle, he looked pale, his skin was drawn tight around his skull, and it was obvious that he hadn't fed last night or slept this morning.
"Master, you shouldn't be up at this time of day," said Mars worried. He had never in his seventy years of service seen his master look like this.
"Thank you Mars for that astute observation," snapped Darien glaring at his valet.He shook his head and looked into the candle, "I am sorry Mars. I know I am acting out of the ordinary, but I am just worried about our guest."
Mars looked at his Lord and raised a grey eyebrow not believing a word of what Darien was saying. After seventy years he knew when his master was trying to keep things from him. "She is whole and hail upstairs about to take a bath, as you well know. What is really bothering you Darien?" He asked with what would be, to other master's, a rude tone of voice.
"I am not worried about how the staff will treat her Mars, I am not as young as all that. I am worried about the person who attacked her coming back for her."
"I thought you said that you broke his neck against a wall, Milord."
"And that I did. Broke more than that I am willing to wager, as hard as I threw him."
"The please excuse my ignorance, Milord, but what is the problem?"
"You have spent the entirety of your life in a Vampire's household, and you have no idea of why I am worried?"
"But surely, Milord, a vampire would not attack an unfortunate in such a way?"
"I will give you that I did not consider it a possibility either, but while I was out last night I saw him walking the streets whole and hale as if nothing had happened. I am Positive that the attacker was another Vampire. So while she is here I would like to make sure that she is safe. By no means make her a prisoner here, but just make sure she is discreetly watched while I am sleeping."
"Of course Milord, it is as you wish. I will have someone keep a discreet eye on her."
"Oh, and Mars?"
"Yes, Milord?"
"Send Sophia to tend to Marcille's needs. She came highly recommended as a lady's maid when we first hired her on."
Mars bowed, "Of course, Milord."
Darien nodded and got up walking to the door of his bedroom which was adjacent to the study where he worked.
"Goodnight, Milord," Mars said as he snuffed the candle Darien had left burning.
"Good day, Mars."
Mars went directly to the kitchen where Sophia would be enjoying her breakfast before a long day of polishing silver.
"Sophia?" He called as he entered the kitchen.
A young woman stood up immediately brushing down her plain grey dress, "Yes Sir?"
"His Lord requires you to attend upon the young lady who is out guest. She is currently staying in the blue room. Please attend on her as you would any woman of class."
"But I was under the assumption, Sir, that she was a whore out of the White Chapel district?"
Mars give her a stern gaze that would turn water to stone, "I do not want to hear you voicing that out loud again. If the Lord wishes her to be treated as a Lady, Then she will be with no questions. Understood?"
Sophia blushed and ducked her head, "Yes, sir."
"Good. Oh and Sophia, be sure to keep an eye on her. The Lord is worried about her well being."
She nodded and curtsied to Mars before heading up to the lady's room.
Meanwhile, Marcille was watching the servants fill the copper bath tub. After the tub was filled and one of the servants had spread in some dried rose petals, she got in the tub and sighed as her sore muscles relaxed. She sank deeper into the bath until her black hair was all that was left floating at the top of the bath water. She surfaced and rubbed her eyes, nearly jumping out of her skin when she noticed the girl who had appeared in her room.
"I am sorry Milady; I didn't mean to startle you. I am Sophia and his lordship wished me to tend to your needs. Would you like me to tend to your hair?"
She smiled and nodded, "Yes please, I have an awful time washing it."
She relaxed as Sophia washed and rinsed her hair ducking under the warm water to clear out the remainder of the soap. When she came back above the water Sophia carefully laid her hair out over the side to allow it to dry.
"If you need anything Milady I will be sitting just outside the door," Sophia said as she walked silently to the door closing it behind her.
Marcille laid back and let her thoughts wander to the mysterious man who had brought her here the night before. She was still surprised he had not left her to die as many people would have done. After all, she was just a Lady of the night, a mere unfortunate; most would have left her to die in the gutter.
Suddenly, her thoughts moved away from this morose line as she thought of Darien. Just the memory of the kiss last night was enough to send shivers down her spine.
Closing her eyes she visualized this strange man His long flowing black hair tied back in a red ribbon, his face appearing as though it had been chiseled from marble. She saw him, in her mind's eye, coming into her room and kneeling by the metal tub she was currently sitting in. She looked deep into his eyes feeling as if he could see al the way down into her soul, while he gently brushed her hair with one hand his other cupping her face and bringing it closer so he could kiss her.
