A Vampire's Life Book 2

Chapter 10

I sit on the bench seat, staring out the window as the rain gently pelts against the glass. My father's words echo through my head 'You are not to see him again nor attempt contact, you are not to go into the city unescorted, only your mother or I are allowed to escort you, you are not to leave the castle without permission, you will attend the ball and you will find someone suitable to court.' As the days have passed the maids have brought in food hoping that I might eat something, seeing that I have not, they remove the untouched food. My mother comes in as usual trying to tempt me to eat. A myriad of food, bottles of blood is set out on the little table in front of my fireplace, but nothing makes me want to feed. I have no lust for food. I put the buds into my ears, turning up the music, giving my mother one final icy glare before wrapping the blanket around me, laying down onto the bench seat, staring out the window.

Friday rolls around, Jeremy slinks into my room, hoping that he might be able to entice me to eat or speak. He nattered on about some sort of nonsense that I wasn't really listening to. I found it more interesting to sneak into his mind, the revelation that his relationship with Crystal was met with happiness from my parents of course. The only consolation I found was that he was punished for aiding my secret love. I didn't want him to be punished for it, I was happy that he helped me but I guess my nasty side was glad that I wasn't the only one suffering. I hear the door open, of course I wouldn't know by looking at it, I was in my usual position, wrapped up in my blanket, staring out the window.

"The dressmaker is here." one of the maids announces.

"I'll leave you to it." Jeremy mutters, leaving my side.

I can hear my mother swan into the room.

"Lillian time to get up, I want to see the dress on you."

She pokes my arm and I roll over, pulling the buds from my ears.

"Get up young lady."

I lack the energy to do it but do so, knowing that my mother will not let up. I flick off my clothes, remaining in my underwear as the dressmaker helps me into the dress. Her lip quivers as she realises that I have lost a serious amount of weight, the dress just falls off my body. She looks at my mother, the distress evident on both of their faces. It's not usual for vampires to lose or gain weight in such a serious fashion, the only time it happens is if they were to not feed or feed too much. A frenzied feed will stack on the weight but it will drop off again after a few days, returning to a normal weight range. I step out of the dress pooled around my feet and redress into my clothes, wrap the blanket around myself and resume my position on the bench seat, staring out the window, wishing Patrick was here with me.

I don't hear them speak, but I do hear them leaving the room. My mother's words echo through my mind, even though she speaks in a hushed tone on the other side of a closed door, I can still hear her.

'Sophie, I would like to speak to my husband, would you give me a minute please?'

'Of course my lady.'

'Would you escort Sophie to the sitting room?'

'Certainly my lady.' Hobbs, the butler.

A few seconds pass before my mother speaks again.

'She has lost weight.'

'So?' my father.

'The dress fell off her, the ball is tomorrow night, the dressmaker will not have time to pull it apart to take it in.'

'What do you want me to do?'