He was so comfortable discussing politics. Everything they said to him, he had a rebuttal for. Every counter argument was met with either quiet approval or a disproving shake of his head and a fierce comeback. Over the few short weeks I’d spent with him, I’d seen how intelligent he was. None of these men stood a chance at winning the debate. No matter how light-hearted they appeared to be.
“Excuse me for a moment,” he said after noticing our arrival.
“Of course,” Mr. Wilson said, turning to continue his discussion with another man.
Ray greeted us with a warm smile on his face. Turning to Jayne, he said, “You look lovely this evening.”
“Thank you,” she told him before following her mother farther into the house.
“Serenity,” he breathed, turning to me. “Lovely does not begin to describe you.”
“You may be somewhat biased.” I was well aware of the sudden silence as I reached up to kiss his cheek. It had become my habit of late.
“That may be so, but that dress is sublime on you. Have I seen it before?”
“Good evening, Serenity,” Liz greeted me, interrupting Ray. “Helen worked wonders with the hem, I see.”
“She did, though she spent most of the week fussing over it.”
“This is the dress I was wearing when I met your father,” she explained to Ray. “I thought it would make a wonderful gift to Serenity.”
“You were wearing it in the portrait hanging in your room,” Ray said, the pieces of the jigsaw falling into place.
“I was.” She smiled. “If you’ll excuse me, I believe the refreshments need tending to.”
“Happy birthday,” I told him once we were alone. “I have something for you.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he scolded gently. “You being here is enough of a gift.”
“Nonsense, this is something I thought you might like to read.” Having handed him the wrapped book, I watched as he opened it. “It’s from a collection we made around five hundred years ago, but I only wrote the stories into it over the past week.”
“Serenity, this is too much,” he whispered, without having opened the book.
“Accurate, first-hand accounts of the rise of Rome, the burial of Cleopatra, the discovery of America, and some of the stories of my kind.” Taking the book, I pointed out some of the tales. “Not all of them are about me, but they’re all accurate.”
“I’m at a loss for words.”
“The stories of my kind are in our language, and you will only be able to translate them with the key that’s in my study. The rest you’re free to read whenever you wish, but promise me you won’t share them too widely.”
“I promise.” He ran his fingers gently over the thick binding. “This will be for my eyes only.”
“When you can read my language as well as I can, perhaps I’ll let you see the rest of my history.”
“What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“You never had to do anything, Ray. I’m yours, and I always have been.”
“I must be dreaming.”
His statement caused me to chuckle softly. “It’s not a dream. This is all very real.”
“Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“I think I might.”
“May I show my mother?” he asked, eyes still on the book. “She would love to see what you’ve given me.”
“Of course.”
We made our way through his home, stopping occasionally to say a brief hello to some of the guests. The house teemed with people, and eager stares followed us everywhere. I heard the whispered comments about who I was and musings about our relationship. There certainly were some jealous women in attendance.
By the time we meandered into the kitchen, where Liz busied herself preparing more food, I had overheard at least two plans to steal Ray from my side. Those petty children would be in for a shock if they tried. I may have looked every inch the delicate lady, but I was far from it.
“Ray, dear, are you well?” Liz asked when she spotted us by the door.
“Very well, Mother. I wanted to show you what Serenity brought for me.” He smiled as he handed the book over to her.
“Oh my,” she whispered, glancing through some of the pages. “Where in heaven’s name did you find such a treasure?”
“It was among some books we’ve had for a while.” It wasn’t quite a lie.
“I hope you plan on reading quickly, Son. This is something that needs to be put in the safe.” She gently closed the book. “For now, I’ll put it on your desk.”
“Would you like me to do that?” I asked. “You seem very busy.”
“Nonsense, it will only take me a moment. Go, have fun.”
It felt strange, a human wandering off with one of our history books. She wouldn’t know what most of it was about—neither would Ray without some assistance—but it still felt strange.
“I cannot thank you enough.” Ray’s whisper sounded loud in the silence of the kitchen. “It really is too much.”
“Ray, you will come to learn that material things are just that—things—and nothing is too much. Not when it comes to you.” I took his free hand in mine. “Would you dance with me?”
“Someone told me you despised it.”
“Ha! Helen has been telling you more stories.”
“Perhaps. You do dance then?”
“Come, I’ll show you how much I can enjoy dancing.”
It took us a few minutes of pointless chatter before we reached the sitting room. All of the furniture had been moved to leave room for the couples. Various young women were busy glaring at us from the side-lines. They may have taunted Ray for most of his life, but they were certainly able to see what they’d missed. He was an incredible young man: intelligent, handsome, strong . . .
I was, of course, biased in my opinions, but anyone could see what a wonderful husband he would make.
“Serenity, how exactly do you plan on my dancing with you?” he asked when we entered the sitting room.
“Do you trust me?”
“Completely.”
“Then I promise not to let you fall.”
There was a hint of confusion on his face as I reached for his cane. I’d never let him fall, but I wanted him to be able to dance, as he’d desired when we first met. Quite how he’d planned on dancing with me then was a mystery.
Taking a firm hold of his hand, I let my body absorb the weight of him as he leaned into me.
“Let me do all the work,” I whispered. “Put your hand on my waist.”
We didn’t need to move from where we were, barely past the doorway, and the song that was playing was coming to a close. He did as I asked, hesitantly.
“Ray, look at me.” I gazed deep into those consuming eyes and told him, “I won’t let you fall.”
He took a long breath, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them, there was a look of determination on his face. He smiled, nodding once.
Leaning to the side, I placed his cane within easy reach of us. Though I was more than capable of supporting him in any dance, something simple was perfect.
Music filled the air, drowning out the whispered comments and jealous mutterings. He was apprehensive, but after a gentle reminder to look only at me, he relaxed. Our steps were simple, never moving far from where we started. We would only have the one dance together this evening, but from the expression on Ray’s face, that would be enough.
By the end of the song, he was smiling brightly, laughing as we talked.
“Thank you,” he told me, picking up his cane.
“It was my pleasure, Ray.”
“I’m quite surprised I didn’t step on any of your toes, with that being my first dance and all.” We sat again, taking up one of the sofas along the sitting room wall.
“You never told me you hadn’t danced before,” I chastised him. “I would’ve had you practice had I known.”
“Dancing hasn’t exactly been my t
op priority in life.” He tapped his right leg with a finger, smiling sadly.
I smiled wickedly. “Then perhaps I shall force you to practice on occasion.”
One dance was all we were able to manage, but there would be other times, and practicing sounded like a fantastic plan. The rest of our time was spent sitting on that same sofa, talking.
Except for the occasional interruption.
Unwanted interruptions.
Especially when it came to a couple of the young women whom I’d overheard earlier in the evening. Having seen Ray with me, they thought it would be the perfect opportunity to ask him for a dance.
I was tempted to make comment on their treatment of him over the years, but that was information I shouldn’t have known. So my mouth stayed firmly shut as they flaunted themselves in front of Ray—even when they took to sending supposedly evil glares in my direction after his refusal. It was Ray’s birthday party after all.
For him I would play nice with anyone.
Even self-centred, stuck-up, pompous morons.
We heaved a sigh of relief when the party drew to an end. The sun was setting and everyone wanted to get home before nightfall. It was a dangerous time to be caught unawares, and not because of the vampire feeding ground a few streets away.
Sam insisted on helping Liz move the chairs back to their proper place before we left. She refused to let us help with the cleanup. The sight of Sam and Liz moving furniture was a humorous one. Jayne had fallen asleep on one of the sofas, snoring softly. She barely flinched as they dragged it back to where it belonged. We all let out a chuckle when she snuggled deeper into the cushions.
Jayne was still sleeping when we finished. Out of habit, I went to gather her in my arms for the ride home. She was too big for Helen to carry, and there was little point in waking her just to put her back to sleep in a few minutes’ time. Sam stopped me, nodding discretely in Liz’s direction.
It was so easy to forget myself, especially when I was around Ray.
“Thank you, Liz, I had a wonderful time.”
“You will have to come for dinner one evening. I’ve enjoyed your company immensely.”
Ray walked out to the carriage with me while Helen and Liz discussed their plans.
“Will you be going out again tonight?”
“I go out every night, Ray. The incident with the window was a rare occurrence.”
“I wasn’t worried. I wondered if you would . . . ?” He looked down at his hands as he often did. “Would you come by?”
Standing up on my toes, I whispered, “Leave your window open.”
“Thank you,” he said, kissing me on the cheek.
It was the first time he’d kissed me, the first of many I hoped, and that brief kiss had me smiling all the way home.
He knew of the single occasion when I’d trespassed in his garden in the dead of night. Of course, it hadn’t bothered him in the slightest, and he insisted I was more than welcome to watch over him whenever I wished. An offer I refused. Unless there was cause for me to be there, I’d let him have his privacy.
Except when I was specifically invited.
“What has you so happy?” Helen asked once she’d tucked Jayne in bed.
“I’m going out tonight.”
“You go out every night, why would tonight be . . . ? Oh! You’re going to see Ray,” she said, smiling as everything clicked into place.
“He asked if I would.”
There were a couple of hours before it would be safe to return to his house. Once everyone was asleep I would go. The last thing either of us needed was to be caught by his mother. She may have a soft spot for me, but sneaking into her son’s bedroom was bound to erase that.
Once Helen and Sam had said their goodnights, I took to wandering around my bedroom, looking for something to wear. As tempting as it was to spend the time wandering the streets around Ray’s home, I didn’t want to chance a repeat of the incident with the window. It would be worrying for Ray if I didn’t turn up at his house.
In the end I settled on a lightweight, dark-coloured summer dress. It was more appropriate than the clothes I normally wore at night, clothes in which Ray had yet to see me.
I slipped quietly out of the house and hurried through the streets towards Ray’s. It was quiet in every way. Most of the humans were sleeping, and I didn’t encounter anyone of the nonhuman variety. Even the vampires were only venturing out when they needed to feed. Getting caught in the blast of a falling bomb might not kill a vampire, but getting trapped in the rubble could.
When I got to Ray’s house, I silently scaled his garden wall and waited in the shadows. He was leaning on his windowsill, gazing up at the night sky, like he had the one night I’d dared to get close enough to see him.
When I’d asked, he told me it was something he did often, thanks to his grandmother.
With his father gone and no memory of him, she told Ray he was watching over him. So whenever he woke in the night, he would gaze at the stars for a while. They reminded him that he was never alone.
How true that sentiment had turned out to be. Even if it was in a way he couldn’t have anticipated.
I understood the feeling of relaxation he got from them. The night sky had hardly changed over the years, and it was nice knowing that there was something as everlasting as I was.
When I stepped out of the shadows, it took him a long moment before he realised I was there. I had to laugh at the unobservant nature of humans.
“I’ll get the door,” he whispered, knowing I’d hear him.
Putting my hand up, I gestured for him to stay where he was. There was no point in making him walk to the door when I could easily scale the wall.
A couple of seconds later, I was standing beside him, following his gaze to where I’d been.
“That was fast. I would have opened the door.”
“Climbing through your window is more discreet, and I did warn you.”
“Yes, you did.”
“You look tired.” I reached up to trace the circles under his eyes.
“Long day.”
“Go to sleep, then,” I told him. “I’ll be here in the morning if your mother is still sleeping.”
He paused for a moment, leaning against the windowsill. “Would you . . . ? Do you mind if . . . ? Would it be too forward of me to ask you to lie with me?”
His question took me by surprise. It wasn’t the question itself or the act of staying with him in his bed, or even the fact that he’d asked. I wanted to be with him. That was what shocked me. It was all so very new, and so very frightening.
Apparently I paused in my answer for too long. “Never mind, forget I said anything.”
“Ray, this is new to me. I’m not sure what’s appropriate and what isn’t.” Taking his hand in mine, I tried to find the words to explain. “I would love to, but I’m unsure as to whether it would be right to do so.”
“This is new to me, as well.” Slowly, he inched towards the bed and sat on the edge. “I did have an idea regarding what’s proper and what isn’t.”
“You’ve been thinking about this?”
“I have, and I came up with a suggestion. In public we stick to the proper rules of society, as ever-changing as they seem to be. In private, I thought we could perhaps try things by your rules?”
“That sounds . . . very fair.”
He had clearly put a lot of thought into our physical relationship, more than I had. I’d assumed things would progress at whatever rate they happened to. The rules of etiquette hadn’t crossed my mind. Ray’s suggestion took care of that. I’d be free to be who I was when we were on our own or at my house.
“So, you will?” He patted the bed beside him, a coy smile on his face.
“I will.”
Being in Ray’s bed, his arms wrapped around me, was like nothing I had ever experienced. We talked for a moment before he drifted off to sleep, a smile on his face. I heard his mother snoring softly down the hall, and Ray’s hear
t beat out a slow, steady rhythm. There was nothing in the entire world I’d rather do than lie by his side, watching him sleep.
As I lay there, resting my head on his chest, I thought about our days together. Endless hours filled with questions and answers. We’d spent most of our time at my house or riding in the fields surrounding London.
My mind wandered from the things we’d talked about to what it felt like when he kissed me. It may have been a chaste peck on my cheek, but it made me wonder what it would be like to have him do it again. Letting my eyes drift shut, I thought about what that could be like. To feel his lips against mine, to have him kissing me. Properly kissing me.
I don’t know when it happened or even how. I do know the last time I’d fallen asleep so easily was before I matured.
Sleep for us was almost always forced. When we did, it was exceptionally light, and it took a conscious effort on our part. Always.
Yet, as I came awake, I knew I’d fallen into a deeper slumber than I’d ever experienced. Normally, on the occasions when I slept, I was awake by dawn.
The first thing to catch my attention as I woke was the sound of Ray’s heartbeat, and the second was his arms wrapped around me. My initial reaction to realising I was curled up in Ray’s arms was to snuggle deeper into his chest, relishing the warmth.
No sooner had I moved closer to him than I heard footsteps in the hall. There was a brief knock on the door, swiftly followed by it being opened.
I shot up, and came face to face with Ray’s mother. She was as shocked to see me as I was her. My only saving grace was the fact I was on top of the covers and wearing my summer dress.
“Morning, Mother.” Though Ray’s tone was sheepish and his voice quiet, a stray arm found its way around my waist, pulling me closer.
“Good morning, Son, Serenity. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.” She eyed my dress briefly before leaving.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should have never accepted his invitation. I shouldn’t have stayed in his bed.
We were both silent as I berated myself repeatedly for my mistakes. Mistakes cost lives; I knew that better than anyone. Mistakes weren’t something I could tolerate, not where Ray was concerned.
The Last Keeper Page 9
