Royal Blood Part 10

"I suppose one does," Matty said, giving me a grin. "We're meeting with the couturiere from Paris this morning, Georgie. I'm looking forward to it. In the small salon. It's lined with mirrors so we can admire ourselves."

She paused and stared at the side table that was laden with cold meats, cheeses, fruits and breads, then she turned away. "Alas, just a cup of coffee for me if I'm to fit into that wedding dress."

"Fiddlesticks! One needs a good breakfast to start the day," Lady Middles.e.x said. "I don't hold with this ridiculous fad of dieting. A cup of coffee, indeed. That won't keep your strength up." As she said this she was piling cold meats onto her plate with abandon. "No egg and bacon, I notice," she added with a sigh. "Not a kidney in sight. Not even a kipper. One wonders how you folk on the Continent survive without a good hot breakfast."

I helped myself and sat down at the table. Matty poured herself a cup of black coffee then wandered off with it.

"I hear the men plan to go hunting," Lady Middles.e.x said. "How they expect to tramp through this snow, I have no idea. Insanity, if you ask me, but at least it keeps them out in the fresh air for the day. And hunting's a healthy pursuit for young men. Keeps their minds off s.e.x. Maybe we should see if we can borrow snowshoes and go out for a walk ourselves, Deer-Harte."

I was glad she wasn't including me in this plan. I ate as quickly as possible, then excused myself, only to b.u.mp into Belinda in the doorway.

"Am I glad to see you," I said.

"That's quite a change from last night, I must say," she said with a frosty stare. "You looked daggers at me for some reason. I couldn't think what I might have done to upset you. It was almost as if you thought I'd spent the night with Darcy-which I haven't, by the way."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I was put out. At first I thought that you'd been invited to the wedding and hadn't told me, and then when I found out how you'd arrived here, I was annoyed by your utter subterfuge."

"Utter brilliance, darling, if you please. You do have to admit it was quite a coup. And you yourself said it would have been a lark if I could come to the wedding with you. So when you rejected my kind offer to become your maid, I decided that the wedding sounded like too much fun to be left out. So I packed my bags, caught the next train here, then I rented the oldest, most decrepit car and driver at the station, in the full knowledge that it would be likely to break down. Of course it did, at exactly the right spot, so I was able to present myself at the castle door and register surprise and delight when I found that Her Royal Highness the Princess Maria Theresa was in residence. 'But we were schoolmates,' I exclaimed and of course was received with open arms."

"You're as bad as my mother," I said.

"Not quite, but I'm working on it," Belinda said with a grin. "There was only one small glitch to my perfect scheme and that was when I didn't recognize Matty. My dear, can you believe the transformation? I suppose it is really she? Where did all those missing pounds go? And what about the moon face?"

"I know. I didn't recognize her either," I said. "She's quite lovely, isn't she? And her bridegroom isn't bad either."

"Neither is his brother." Belinda gave me her cat-with-the-cream smile. "Very satisfactory in all departments. Too bad he's a prince or I might snap him up for keeps. But he'll have to end up marrying someone like you. I know-you could marry him, I could remain his mistress in a delightful menage a trois."

"Belinda!" I had to laugh. "I'd share a lot of things with you, but not my husband. Besides, Anton isn't the man I have in mind, although I have to admit that among available princes he's the best so far."

"Wouldn't suit you, darling. Too naughty. He told me some of his exploits last night and they made even me blush. Not an ounce of moral fiber in him. That's why we're perfect for each other."

"So I gather you didn't sleep in your own bed last night?"

"What a question to ask a lady! But darling, at beanfeasts like this who does sleep in their own bed? All you hear is curses and grunting as people b.u.mp into each other in the dark, tiptoeing between bedrooms. It's too, too funny for words. But I suppose you slept soundly and didn't hear a thing. I gather you've been given a room on the superior floor usually reserved for the family."

"Right next door to Siegfried, as it happens," I said, "but Belinda, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Someone came into my room last night."

"Not Siegfried!" she exclaimed. "I thought his interests lay in quite another direction."

"Oh, G.o.d, no. But worse in a way. I think it was a vampire."

Belinda started laughing. "Georgie, you are too funny sometimes."

"No, seriously, Belinda. There is a spooky portrait hanging on the wall and this man looked just like him. I was half asleep and I woke to see him creeping toward me and then he stood over my bed, muttered something in a language I didn't understand then bent down toward me with this sort of unearthly smile, showing all his teeth."

"Darling! What did you do?" She yanked down my collar. "Did he actually bite you? What was it like?"

"He didn't get a chance. I sat up and demanded to know what he was doing. He gave this sort of unearthly moan and vanished."

"Vanished? As in just melted away, you mean?"

"No, merged back into the darkness, I suppose, but when I finally turned on the light he was no longer in the room. And what's more there's a large chest in the room and inside it was a cape still damp with snowflakes on it. Explain that."

"My dear, how frightfully thrilling," Belinda said. "If I didn't have other diversions to occupy me, I'd volunteer to sleep in your room tonight. I have always wanted to meet a vampire."

"So you believe me?"

"I'm more inclined to believe it was some young count or other, one of Nicky's groomsmen, who made a mistake and got the wrong room when he went to visit the lady of his choosing. It's easy to do in a place like this."

"I suppose you may be right," I said. "I'm going to watch when they set out hunting to see if I recognize him. Whoever it was certainly wasn't at dinner last night. And he didn't look-you know-earthly."

Belinda put her hand on my shoulder. "Georgie, I was only joking in London about vampires, you know. You don't really believe in them, do you?"

"Belinda, you know me."

"I do and that's what worries me. Until now I'd have said you were one of the most levelheaded people on earth."

"I know and I'd agree with you. But I know what I saw and I know the absolute terror that I felt."

"A nightmare, maybe? Understandable in a place like this. Darling, isn't it all too delightfully gothic?"

"But what about the wet cape in that chest? If you want gothic, you should see the chest in my room. Come up and I'll show you."

"If you insist," she said. "Very well. Lead on, Macduff!"

Chapter 15.

Bran Castle Somewhere in Transylvania Thursday, November 17

I led her up the stairs and pushed aside the curtains. Belinda looked around the room and of course her gaze first alighted on the portrait on the wall.

"I say. He's not bad, is he? And look at that s.e.xy open shirt. I wonder how long ago he lived."

"He still lives. That's the whole point, Belinda. I swear he was my vampire last night."

A wicked smile crossed her face. "In that case I may well volunteer to change rooms with you. I wouldn't mind being bitten by someone like him."

I looked at her and realized she was still joking. "You still don't believe me, do you?"

"I think the logical explanation is that you fell asleep with that portrait staring down at you and you had a little fantasy dream about him."

"All right, I'll prove it to you. Look, here's the chest." I stomped across the room to it. "And I bet the cape is still damp. See?"

I flung it open triumphantly, then stopped. The chest was completely empty.

"An invisible cape, how unique," Belinda said.

"It was here, I swear. And when I first came up here I saw someone crawling up the wall."

"Of this room?"

"No, the outside wall of the castle. Just over there."

"But that's impossible."

"That's what I thought. But this-whatever-it-was-climbed up the wall over there and then disappeared."

Belinda put a hand on my forehead. "No, you don't have a fever," she said, "but you must be hallucinating. This isn't like you, Georgie. After all, you grew up in a gloomy place like this."

"We had a couple of ghosts, but no vampires, at Castle Rannoch," I said. "I asked Siegfried and Matty about them. Siegfried made light of it but Matty was definitely cagey. You don't think she's been bitten and become undead, do you? And that's why she looks so gorgeous? She's sold her soul or something?"

Belinda gave that delightful tinkling laugh again. "I think it was more likely to be that expensive cure at a spa, and watching her weight. She has hardly eaten a thing since I've been here."

"Well, I think of myself as a sane, rational person but I've been uneasy since I got here. Before I got here, in fact. I think someone was following me on the train. And someone's been watching me from the shadows here."

"How deliciously dramatic, darling," Belinda said. "What a change from your boring existence in London. You wanted adventure and now you've got it. Who do you think could be following you?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. I can't think why anybody would be interested in me. Unless vampires are particularly attracted to virgins. Dracula was, wasn't he?"

Belinda laughed again. "In that case my blood will be quite safe. You know, maybe someone is actually following that horrible woman who is chaperoning you. Perhaps her husband has paid to have her b.u.mped off en route. I know I would."

"Belinda, you are so wicked." I had to laugh too now.

Belinda slipped her arm through mine. "Listen. It sounds as if the men are a.s.sembling for their hunt." The sound of barking dogs echoed up from down below, mingled with the shouts of men. "Let's go down and watch them and see if your handsome vampire really is still alive and among them. We'll see if you can pick him out in daylight, shall we? Of course, if he's going hunting then he's definitely not a vampire. They can't tolerate the sunlight, you know." She led me down the stairs to a gallery where we could overlook the front hall. A good-sized party of young men had a.s.sembled, the fur hats and traditional green jackets making it hard to tell the masters from their servants.

"There you are, plenty of counts and barons and whatnots, all single and all related to you, I suspect. Take your pick."

"I don't see my vampire," I said, studying the young men, some of whom were actually quite presentable as aristocrats go. "That proves it, doesn't it? He's not a normal young count staying at the castle. Now you have to believe me."

"I believe that the local red wine is stronger than you're used to and it gave you vivid dreams," Belinda said. "I say, they're not a bad-looking bunch on the whole, are they? Of course, Anton looks wonderful in his fur hat, doesn't he? So masculine and primitive. I wanted him to take me hunting with them, but I was told it was boys only. Spoilsports. I love shooting things, don't you?"

"Actually I don't. I don't mind grouse because they are so stupid, and I love hunting on horseback but I'm always relieved when the fox goes to earth."

"So what shall we do now?" Belinda looked around the deserted hallways.

"I've got to go and have a fitting for my dress," I said. "You can come and keep me company."

"I might," she said. "It's too bad I'm not still designing dresses or I could have picked up ideas."

"You're not? You've given up your dress design business?"

"Had to, darling." She frowned. "Couldn't afford to lose any more money. n.o.body wanted to pay me, you see. They'd always say breezily 'Put it on my account' and when the time came to pay, they'd come up with every excuse in the book. One woman actually told me I should be grateful I was getting free advertising from her wearing my creation and I should be paying her. So I'm now unemployed like you. Maybe I'll be glad to be a maid, soon." She looked up at me with a grin. "So tell me, did you find a suitable maid and bring her with you?"

"I have a maid, but I can't say that she's suitable. Actually she's completely hopeless. She got my head stuck in the armhole of my dress last night, I found her sleeping in my bed when I came to my room and she forgot to come and wake me this morning."

"Where on earth did you find her?"

"She's a relative of my grandfather's neighbor Mrs. 'uggins."

"Well, then, serves you right," Belinda said.

"She means well," I said. "I'm actually quite fond of her in a way. She's been put in a situation quite remote from her normal life and she hasn't had a single bout of tears or panic. But I'll have to find out about that morning tea. I really do expect that much."

As we pa.s.sed the stairs leading down to the kitchens we saw the young lady in question coming up, wiping the crumbs off her uniform.

"Oh, whatcher, miss," she said. "They don't half eat funny food here, don't they? Cold meat with garlic in it for breakfast. Whoever heard of such a thing? But the rolls were nice."

"Queenie, what happened to you?" I said coldly. "I was waiting for you to bring me my morning tea and to dress me."

"Oh, blimey, sorry, miss," she said. "I knew there was something I was supposed to be doing when I went down to the kitchen. But then I saw other servants having breakfast so I decided to tuck in too before it all went. I wasn't half hungry after missing me supper last night."

I felt rather guilty about this. I should really have made sure that she had had something to eat, but I remembered Lady Middles.e.x's admonitions about being firm with servants. "In future I expect my tea tray to be brought up to me at eight, is that clear?" I asked.

"Bob's yer uncle," Queenie said.

"And you are supposed to call me 'my lady,' remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting that one too, don't I? My old dad said I'd forget my head if it wasn't joined to my shoulders." She shook with laughter at that. "So what am I supposed to do now?"

"Go up to my room and see which of my clothes need pressing. I'll want to wear a different dress for the banquet tonight."

"Righty-o," she said. "Where do I find an iron?"

"Ask the other servants," I said. "I have no idea where irons are kept."

I left her trudging up the stairs and rejoined Belinda, who had been watching from the shadows.

"Darling, utterly clueless," Belinda said. "If she were a horse, one would have to have her put down."

"You are wicked," I said.

"I know. It's such fun." She blew me a kiss. "Enjoy your clothes session. If the other bridesmaids are anything like Matty used to look, you'll be the star and all the men will notice you. Toodle-pip."

She blew me a kiss.

I found the small salon where a bevy of seamstresses were working away with a clatter of sewing machines while a formidable and unmistakably French little woman in black stalked up and down, waving her arms and yelling. A cl.u.s.ter of young girls stood and sat near the fire, some of them in their underslips, while the little woman took measurements. The other girls seemed to know each other and nodded politely to me. Matty came over, took my hand and introduced me in German, then in English.

"My dearest friend from school" she called me, although this was a slight exaggeration. But I didn't correct her and returned the smile she gave me. Why was I suddenly so popular when she hadn't contacted me once since we left Les Oiseaux?

The dresses turned out to be quite lovely and frightfully Parisian chic-a sort of creamy white, long, simple and elegant with a smaller version of the bride's train behind them. What's more, contrary to Belinda's prediction, the other bridal attendants were attractive girls, cousins from German royal houses. One of them was a tall, slim blond girl who looked at me with interest as if she knew me and came over to me.