The Vampires #2: Heroux and Odette

Chapter 1 (Odette): As Always

I'd also discovered the seven follies on the property and since they were secluded and unused, I had decided to make them mine for the three years I would be living here as Heroux's wife. I turned one into my journal folly, and I left my journal there behind a loose stone I discovered. It was a folly built over one of the lakes and was a soothing place to write. I had a folly where I read only mysteries, a folly for reading thrillers, and a folly whose walls were covered in climbing roses for reading romances. One folly was dedicated to deep thinking when I needed to be alone with my thoughts and one folly was so ridiculous, I made that my one for playacting. I would pretend I was different characters from the romances I read and would act out scenes as the heroines to the applause of thousands.

I'd never been so free and happy in my life. I was left alone and after a lifetime of being tormented and ignored and sneered at by just about every person I came into contact with, it was heaven to not have to see anyone except the servants and Heroux -- and my husband I saw only half an hour every day. We didn't eat meals together, so I saw him only when it came time for him to feed and release.

Every morning after I ate breakfast, I'd grab a picnic lunch, some snacks and drinks, put them in a backpack I'd found in my closet and head for the draft horse stable. Apparently, the Alarie estate had several different stables -- one for the saddle horses, one for the Akhal-Teke horses he bred, and one for the draft horses. It was to the draft horses I usually went because they'd been trained to pull an old-fashioned, two-wheeled sulky. I'd learned very quickly, with the help of the stablemaster, how to harness the horse, hitch up the sulky and how to drive it. Now, I drove my little cart all over the grounds and somedays we flew and other days we kept it to a slow trot, depending on what I felt like doing. What I felt like doing was such a liberating concept to me. I had the power to choose. I had the power to make decisions, even if they were just small ones like that.

"They haven't had such workouts in a long time, Lady Alarie," Fabrice said. He was normally a dour vampire, perfect as a stablemaster, but occasionally, I would get a half smile from him. But never would I get my first name from him or any of the staff; I was only and ever Lady Alarie.

So, on this day, the last day of freedom I had, my heart had sunk when I saw it was four-thirty. No one had told me when Trilla and team would be by to work their magic, but I figured I better be home by six. That would give them two hours to attempt the impossible of making a sparrow into a swan.

I walked in the door just before six and found myself faced with Trilla and team...and Heroux.

"Where have you been?" His eyes flashed his anger, but his voice was controlled.

"Out driving a sulky. Is something wrong?"

"You knew we had to leave at eight tonight."

"Yes. That's why I came back at six. To get ready."

His gaze raked over me with contempt, but he kept his voice calm and low, just for me. "It will take longer than two hours."

He turned to Trilla. "Have her ready in two hours."

I bit my lip as he walked away, feeling all the joy of the past year turn into dust. But somehow, the hair, makeup and nail geniuses accomplished the impossible after Trilla practically threw me into the shower, and at seven fifty-five I was staring at myself in the foyer mirror, waiting for my husband. My spirit was soaring -- I'd never looked this good in my life, and the high heels gave a bit of height to my five foot two inch frame. The black dress was sleeveless with thin straps and was draped in the back. My hair had been swept into an elegant updo and my makeup minimized my beaky nose and actually gave me cheekbones. I kept peeping at my fingernails which were nude, but thrilled me nevertheless because I'd never had my nails done before and they made my hands look elegant, I thought. From head to toe, I felt like a princess.