Days passed and the month of June wore on. Eleanor was painfully aware that each passing day was another day closer to their return to Holloway. Once the prospect had delighted her, but now it filled her with a sort of dread. If she could not clear out the vampire nest by then, she would have little to no hope of returning. She could not quite bring herself to believe Franklin's assertions that he, and perhaps others, somehow had it under control. If they had, something would have been done by now. Instead, the newspaper was still carrying the accounts of bodies being discovered, although no one else seemed to think it odd.
Olivia Hastings seemed to also be acutely aware of the passage of time, although for entirely different reasons. She began scheduling more and more teas, balls, dinners, walks in the park, and outtings of every kind. Despite her statement that she would be perfectly content if Eleanor chose not to find a husband this season, she seemed to be quite desperate that it should occur. In the past week, there had been a ball at Almack's, a private ball, two dinners, and five separate calls for tea, not to mention the daily walks to the park and the several visitors they had had of their own. Eleanor was run ragged from all the gatherings but her mother seemed to be basking in it.
As for Eleanor, her tensions were high. She knew something had to be done but she did not know what. There was a kind of restless waiting. Once she could safely do so again, she would sneak from the house to explore her hunch of following the river bank, but for now all she could do was wait. It was agonizing.
"You seem in a mood today," Robert commented. Neither of them had brought up their argument and he seemed willing to let it lie. He had gone back to treating her completely normally, at least. She believed her injury had something to do with that.
"Mother insists we go to another dinner tonight," she said. "I can scarcely handle it."
Robert flipped to the next page in his newspaper. He had spent the better part of the day in the nursery with his son and now he was relaxing in the drawing room. These were scarcely the normal occupations of a man his age, but Eleanor had long since stopped commenting on his habits.
"She seems to be enjoying herself. I haven't seen her this happy during a London season since I was married."
"I don't know how she does it," Eleanor said. "I can understand a dinner or ball a week, but she has us going to something every night. It's exhausting."
"She's afraid you'll end up unmarried at the end of the season."
"Yes, I know," Eleanor snapped. "She's made it quite clear that she wants me to be married as soon as possible."
"What's the harm in that? You have to admit, you're rather old to be doing the London season."
"I had reasons for that!"
Robert returned to his newspaper. "I am quite well aware. But look at it from mother's perspective. She wants you to have someone to take care of you after she's gone."
"I don't need any-" Eleanor began to protest again but Robert cut her off.
"Of course you do. You're a woman, you can't very well be buying your own estate. You'll be staying at Holloway house and we both know you'll get bored there. With a husband, you'll be able to travel with him, or without him, as you like. Would it really be so bad?"
Eleanor stared at him. He sounded oddly practical, especially for a man. "To be married to a stranger?"
"Why does it have to be a stranger? You've spent a great many evenings in the company of a number of perfectly tolerable men. Pick one. Make your attentions clear. I am sure he will call on you the next day."
Eleanor had no response ready for such directness, especially from her brother.
"At the very least, you will be able to get away from mother," Robert added, head buried in his newspaper. "I am sure you would both benefit from that."
Eleanor still said nothing. She could not entertain the notion of simply picking the most pleasant of the men she had encountered and hoping he would make her an offer. She had not had enough time in London to get used to being there again, let alone to form any marked attachment to anyone. However...it certainly would have her mother ease up on her. But still, the idea was ridiculous. Once the engagement was made, it could not be broken, at least not without a great deal of public disgrace that she could very well do without. No, there would be a better way.
The fact that Robert had suggested she take a husband merely to please their mother made Eleanor realize just how dedicated to this their mother was. She would not rest until Eleanor had spent at least five evenings with every eligible man in the city. Whatever Eleanor was going to do had to be done quickly.
She begged off the evening's dinner, claiming she did not feel well. Her mother took one look at her and agreed, which Eleanor felt must say something about her state of mind. She was nervous, she realized. As soon as the family had left for the dinner, Eleanor got up out of her bed and dressed herself in a plain pair of leggings and an old shirt. She tied up her hair herself. Jane did not need to be involved in her lie.
Eleanor took a simple leather satchel and stowed away her stake. She could not be too careful. She would much rather do this during the day but she doubted that river combing would be taken kindly by the police. She would find that one very hard to explain.
The alley behind the house was dark and empty. Eleanor set an even pace as she walked south and east. It would take some time to make it to the location the clam-selling girl had mentioned, at least an hour. As she walked, she made a mental map of the city. Her father had spent countless hours drilling directions into her mind, sending her on trips through the city and then making her draw a map of where she had been on her return. If she got any of the details wrong, he would send her out again.
The streets were dark but far from empty, especially as she got further and further from the rich streets where she lived. Eleanor kept to the shadows near the buildings, trying to keep out of sight. She could hear drunken laughter coming an alleyway and hurried past. She was confident in her ability to dispatch a vampire but she would rather not be bothered by humans.
A silent hour later, Eleanor stood overlooking the Thames. She had been following the river for perhaps a mile, but here the banks were less steep and muddy shores ran along each side. She shuffled down the dirty banks and landed in the mud, feeling it suck at her booted feel. The river was flowing along silently, lapping against the shores. Eleanor gazed out over the black water and a feeling of trepidation slipped over her. She slipped a hand under her shirt and gripped the handle of the knife she had strapped to the small of her back.
Eleanor trod down the shore along the river. Pieces of trash stuck out from the mud at odd angles or bobbed in the water. A stink rose from the river and Eleanor was careful not to step into the dark water. She walked slowly, taking in the feel of the area. She could not imagine spending each and every night stalking down this river, looking for something that she might be able to sell for a few pence. She had seen enough of the poor to know just how lucky she was.
The riverbank was empty from what she could see. She went perhaps a quarter mile when she saw movement up ahead. Pressing herself up against the side of the bank, she watched a figure approach. She stayed still as it slowly shuffled past. She could make out the shape of a man carrying a bag over his shoulder. Occasionally he would bend down to examine something in the mud. He paused a few yards in front of Eleanor and worked something out of the mud. He put it in his bag and then continued on his way. Eleanor waited five minutes for him to disappear into the dark fog before she disentangled herself from the bank and continued down the river.
An hour later, Eleanor was despairing of finding anything. She would have to return home soon or else she risked being discovered, although she doubted anyone would be in to check on her until morning. She continued to scan the river when she again saw movement up ahead. She froze, then climbed up on the bank a short way to disappear into some rushes. The shape was ungainly and moved slowly. As it neared the edge of the river, it dropped something large. The figure straightened up and Eleanor realized the shape on the bank was a body. She sucked in a sharp breath and the figure froze.
The man lifted his head and scanned the bank. Eleanor held her breath as it looked past her. Finally, he knelt down again and appeared to be doing something to the body. Finally, he waded into the river, tugging the body behind him. He went out to his waist and then pushed the body free. It floated for a moment and then disappeared from sight.
The man emerged, dripping, from the river. He brushed himself off and climbed up the bank and to the street above. Eleanor waited a moment before disentangling herself from the plants and following behind the man. She scanned the street just as he disappeared between two buildings. She followed quickly after him, trying to step as quietly as she could. She wished she had thought to muffle her boots with something.
The man was treading deliberately down the middle of the street when Eleanor peered around the edge of the shop. She could hear his heavy footsteps as he rounded a corner and disappeared again. She continued to tail him, following just out of sight as he moved from street to street, always going north. They had covered what felt like two miles when he finally slowed. He stopped between two rundown buildings and looked around. Eleanor dipped into a doorway and waited a moment. When she finally looked out again, the man was gone.
She looked all around but she was the only one on the street. She trod forward slowly to where the man was last seen. The buildings rose up on high on either side and space between was barely wide enough to fit through. At her feet was a drain. She stopped and stared down it. It was three feet wide and looked large enough to fit through if she tried. A rivulet of brown water was running down it and she could hear something echoing down below.
The sewer then? It was possible. The tunnels beneath London were vast and she wasn't sure if anyone truly had mapped them all. It was the perfect hiding space and would give them access to nearly everywhere in the city without straying into the sunlight. She hesitated for a moment. The vampire, for a vampire it had to be was somewhere close beneath her down the drain. She could slip down after him. She reached into her pack and played with her stake, feeling the smooth wood beneath her hand. It would be so easy to follow him. But reckless, too. She had no idea how many more of them were down there. She could easily be overwhelmed.
No, she thought, turning around. She paced as quickly as she could while still being silent. She had found out enough for the night. Eleanor moved quickly now, far enough away that he would not hear her. She was far from home and only slightly area of how to get back.
She had gone perhaps half a mile when she heard the footsteps behind her. They were silent at first, mirroring her own. She slowed and they slowed with her, a few seconds lag as they matched her pace. She was being followed.
Eleanor sped up. She had at least an hour to go, perhaps more. She had no delusions, she knew she could not outrun a vampire. She walked deliberately without turning. The footsteps continued intermittently behind her. The streets were dark. It was well past midnight and everyone was in bed.
Finally, Eleanor took a sharp left, walked a few feet, and then ducked into a doorway. The footsteps continued behind her. She peered around the corner just in time to see a man round the corner and stop, peering into the darkness and then turning around to look behind himself. Eleanor watched as he continued toward her. Her breathing was heavy but she tried to reign it in, knowing he would hear. She slipped a hand into her bag and wrapped her hand around her stake. She slowly pulled it out and pressed it to her chest. She poked her head around the corner again and found the man only a few yards away. It was the same man she had been following earlier, the same vampire.
She took a deep, slow breath and then stepped out into the road. The man was ready for her. Before she could stop, she was sent reeling by a blow to the face. She regained her balance as the vampire lunged at her and managed to sidestep him. He let out a growl and rounded on her. Eleanor met his eyes as they faced off. His fangs were out, white and long. His mouth was twisted into a snarl. His eyes were dark, almost black. He surveyed her, taking her measure. She stared back. Her heart was pounding and she was sure the vampire could hear it. She took measured breaths as she watched him, waiting for him to make a move.
Finally, he did. He lunged right and then went left, coming in low and powering into Eleanor's midsection. She went flying to the cobblestones, bruising her spine. She struggled beneath him but he weighed almost twice what she did. She could feel his unnaturally strong arms holding her down. He pushed her head back, exposing her neck. She wriggled beneath him and finally got her hand on her stake.
"Stay still," he murmured, black eyes staring into hers. She could feel the power emanating from him as he tried to bring her under his thrall.
"You first," she answered. As he lowered down to her neck, she headbutted him. Her head reeled from the pain but he rocked backwards. Taking the precious few seconds, she wrapped her hand around the stake and plunged it into his back. He let out his last breath and then a rain of dust fell down upon her. She closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths. Her head felt like it was going to split open. She slowly sat up and, as blood dripped through her eye, she realized that she had busted open her cut again. She staggered slowly to her feet. Dust fell from her shirt and she brushed more off. She leaned against the stone wall and rested.
Finally, she limped out of the alley and back to the main street, heading home. Over an hour later, dirty and tired, Eleanor arrived on her back doorstep. She fitted the key into the lock and slipped inside. She found water in the kitchens and washed up as best she could. Barely able to keep her eyes open, she staggered up the stairs and undressed before collapsing into bed.
Eleanor slept late the next day and woke up to sunlight shining in her face. She turned over to hide from it and slammed a pillow over her head. Her head was hurting again. She barely had recovered from the last injury and here she was again. She finally rolled out of bed and made her way to her mirror, which revealed a frightening sight. Her hair was a tangled mess and she had not managed to wash all the dirt from her face. Her clothing and boots were in a pile, something that she would have to deal with before anyone found it. She sat down and pulled a brush through her hair.
Nearly an hour later, she was almost presentable. She had had a bowl of water delivered to wash up with and Jane had dressed her. She sat in her chair, studying herself. Her cut had reopened. Jane had been insistent on calling the doctor but Eleanor had managed to persuade her to bring her the extra bandages that the doctor had left behind. It would be closed up again in a day or two. It was not as deep as it had been.
Finally, with a deep breath, Eleanor rose and quietly exited her room. She made her way down to the kitchens and requested a late breakfast before finding her way to the dining room. The house seemed quiet. Halfway through her eggs and toast, the door opened and Olivia came in.
"Williams said you were up," she said. "Dear Lord, child, what happened to you?"
Eleanor arranged her face into a confused expression. "What's wrong?"
"You look exhausted and your cut is rebandaged."
"Oh." Eleanor touched the cut over her eye. "I'm fine, I think it must have reopened in the night. I'm just tired."
"Should I call Doctor Green?" Olivia asked. She took a seat next to Eleanor.
"No, I'm fine. I think I've just been tired, getting to bed early last night did me well."
"Good. You'll be prepared for tonight's ball at the Moreland's."
Eleanor laid her head on the table as her mother left the room.