First Bite: A Bite Of The Past Prequel

by Laura Greenwood

  Chapter 3

  "Up," Mother instructs as she marches into my room.

  I groan and pull my covers over my head. "It's too early."

  "It's almost midnight, you've wasted most of your day in bed. Now you're going to get up and get dressed, and talk to your Father. He's waiting in the parlour." She doesn't add the threat of what Father will do if I don't go out and talk to him.

  I throw the covers off and slip out of bed. I have a couple of dresses that'll be easy to put on, I'll pick one of them and I'll be decent within moments. I won't be the best dressed young woman in court, but if no one except my parents are seeing me, I doubt it matters.

  I'm dressed within moments. Mother purses her lips, then directs me to the stool in front of my dressing table. I perch on the stool as she grabs hold of my hairbrush and begins tugging it through my tangled hair.

  "You did well last night," she observes. "Your Father is pleased."

  I perk up. "He is?"

  "Mmhmm. I believe he's had several offers of marriage for you already. But he'll only tell us once he's settled on one."

  A weight drops in my stomach. Marriage. I know that's what the previous night is all about, but I don't want to face the realities of it.

  "So soon?"

  "You should be glad. Not a lot of girls will have many offers this early. Your station, and your decorum last night helped."

  The image of Benedict's smiling face slips into my mind. I push it away. I don't know him. There's no reason for me to fixate on him.

  "I am glad," I say instead. I suppose in a way I am. I want my parents to be happy, and I want them to be pleased with what I do.

  "Good. You need to do everything right from now on," Mother says. "If you put a foot wrong, then there's a chance everything we've worked for will fall through and you'll be to blame."

  I bite my lip. Is she trying to tell me I may grow old as an unmarried maid? It seems unlikely. For one, we can't be stuck in these times forever. The humans are advancing every day, and vampires tend to follow behind. Or sometimes ahead. More than one of the famous inventors humans claim are geniuses is actually a vampire, or at the very least someone with a vampire whispering to them.

  "Pass me the hair net, please," Mother says.

  I frown. What does she want that for? I'm only meeting Father, and as an unmarried girl, I'm allowed to wear my hair loose if I want to. Tying it back in a net would be some kind of signal that I'm no longer available for marriage. Which is odd to say the least.

  Even so, I do as she asks, passing her the silver filigree net studied in jewels from my dresser. Within moments, she has my hair pinned back and swept out of the way. I can never manage the same when I try.

  "There. You're done." She steps back.

  I rise to my feet and turn to face her, smoothing down my skirts in the process. They've bunched up after being sat on the stool and I don't like the way they look.

  Mother nods approvingly, then opens the door to my bedroom and walks out. I follow her, knowing there's no other choice. Father is waiting for me, and the last thing I want is to make him angry.

  The moment I'm in our other family room, I dip into a curtsy to show him the respect he demands. I'm not sure this is the way families should work, but I'm not in a position to change that.

  At least, not yet.

  "Catherine," Father says, rising to his feet and putting his hands behind his back in a stance I've seen many times and know to mean he's in serious moments.

  "Lord Father," I say calmly, and wait patiently for him to continue. There's no use rushing him. He'll tell me what he's thinking in his own time, and there's nothing anyone can do to change that.

  "I'm sure your Mother has told you that you behaved admirably last night."

  "She has," I admit, keeping my eyes downcast and practising my ability not to fidget. It's hard, especially when I don't know what he's going to say.

  "We've had several offers of marriage for you. I'll be taking the rest of the week to review them and make a decision about which of them is the most profitable for our family," he says matter-of-factly.

  I swallow the lump in my throat and ignore the tears stinging the corners of my eyes. "Yes, Lord Father."

  "Prepare to be married within the month."

  "So soon?" I blurt.

  "Yes," he answers, much to my surprise. "I'm leaning towards the Lord Dewsbury, and he is an impatient man..."

  "But he's so old," the words are out before I can think about them. I curse myself inwardly and hope he won't take his anger out on me too much. I'm not saying anything that isn't true, but that doesn't mean anything.

  "You're a vampire, I don't think it matters, Catherine," Mother interrupts.

  "Listen to your Mother," Father says.

  "Sorry," I mutter, not meaning the word at all.

  "You'll marry where you're told to, and when you're told to," Father reminds me. "And it will be for the good of this family."

  "Yes, Lord Father," I reply demurely.

  How can he do this to me? I'm his only daughter, it doesn't seem to be outside the realms of possibility that he has some twinge of affection for me somewhere inside him. Though it doesn't seem likely given his current actions. It's not like he spends much time with me anyway.

  "When will I get to meet him, Lord Father?" I attempt.

  "At the wedding will be sufficient." He turns to Mother. "See to it she's better behaved by then."

  Father doesn't wait for her reply and walks out, slamming the door behind him.

  "Why did you say that?" she demands as soon as he's gone.

  "I'm sorry, Mother. I don't know what happened."

  She sighs loudly. "You have to hold your tongue. All you have to do is give Lord Dewsbury a son, and then you'll be free to do as you please."

  My mouth drops open. "Are you telling me it's acceptable to have affairs?"

  She shrugs. "Of course. Once you've done your duty with an heir, it's your time to do things the way you want them. Our child mortality rate is small, you'll be fine."

  A shiver runs down my spine as I think about what I'll have to do in order to get the son in the first place. It's not the Lord's age that's a real problem, but more his circle. If I marry him, I'll almost never get to spend any time with anyone even approaching my own. I'll be embedded in politics and boring conversations I've never had any interest in.

  "May I be excused to go read?" I say.

  Mother purses her lips. "Fine. But make sure you're back here before your Father."

  I nod. That won't be a problem. Father will go do what he always does when he's annoyed at one of us. He'll find something to drink, and someone to amuse him. A shiver runs down my spine as I think about what I'll have to do in order to get the son in the first place. It's not the Lord's age that's a real problem, but more his circle. If I marry him, I'll almost never get to spend any time with anyone even approaching my own. I'll be embedded in politics and boring conversations I've never had any interest in.

  "May I be excused to go read?" I say.

  Mother purses her lips. "Fine. But make sure you're back here before your Father."

  I nod. That won't be a problem. Father will go do what he always does when he's annoyed at one of us. He'll find something to drink, and someone to amuse him.

  Chapter 4

  I run my fingers down the spines of all the books, trying to decide which of them to read. Nothing is taking my fancy, though. I could take so many of them off the shelves, but I know I won't be able to read more than a couple of pages. The problem isn't the books. I can't blame them for not catching my attention.

  "Are you going to pick one, or are you going to keep looking at them as if they'll answer all your problems?" a familiar voice asks.

  I spin around, my skirts rustling as they swipe past the shelves. "Benedict." His name comes out breathier than I expect it to, and I try to get control of myself. I don't want to be the kind of girl who is completely knocked off her fe
et by a man.

  His impish smile sets my heart fluttering.

  "Kitty."

  Oh no. That name from him sounds too familiar. Too much as if there's already something between us.

  "What are you doing here?" I ask, trying to save some face.

  "I came to find you."

  I snort, a very unladylike sound, but one that suits the situation. "You don't even know me. There's no way you're here because you thought I was."

  "All right, you got me. I'm here to look for a book. But when I saw you, I became certain it's fate." His eyes drink me in as he leans against the sturdy bookshelf, doing nothing that suggests he's in the least bit interested in the books.

  "Do you always try this hard?" I ask.

  He laughs softly. "Who says I'm trying hard?"

  I cock my head to the side and trail my gaze up and down him. "Let's see...you're leaning, but your body is tense. You're smiling, but there's a hesitance to it, and you're answering my questions with more questions." I cross my arms, only thinking about the effect it'll have on my breasts once I've done it.

  "Fine, Kitty. You got me. I'm trying to impress you."

  "Because you're one of the men who has put a marriage offer in to my Father?" I ask sweetly.

  The blood drains from his face. "Have many done that?"

  "Apparently." Father never told me the number. That's probably a good thing.

  "No, I wasn't one of them," he admits, pushing away from the bookcase. "I prefer to get to know a woman before I ask her to marry me."

  "Don't you mean you ask her Father if you can marry her?" I correct.

  He shakes his head. "No one is in charge of a woman's heart except for herself."

  My heart skips another beat. How is he so perfect?

  No. I have to stop this. There's nothing down this road but heartbreak and pain. I shouldn't take it. I don't know what they'll do if they find out about this.

  I have to stop thinking about it this way. There's nothing for them to find out about right now. We aren't doing anything other than flirting. That's almost a game here, meaning I have nothing to worry about in the slightest.

  "Do you have anywhere to be?" he asks suddenly.

  I frown. Why is he asking?

  "No." The word slips out before I have time to think about the consequences.

  The smile stretching over his face is enough to erase any concerns I have. Whatever he has planned is going to be a lot of fun. And if I'm going to be married soon, then I should take every chance at fun which gets offered to me.

  "Good. Why don't you get some blankets and candles, and meet me on the roof?" he suggests.

  "The roof?" I raise an eyebrow.

  He nods. "We're going to have a picnic."

  "Without any chaperones?" Should I be shocked? I'm not too sure.

  He chuckles. "Do you think we could find one who wouldn't hand us in?"

  "So you're admitting what we're going to do could get us into a lot of trouble?" Despite the question, I know I'm going to go through with his plan. A picnic on the roof sounds like a lot of fun to me.

  "Only if we're caught."

  "Hmm." I glance at the books, trying not to let him see the true emotions in my eyes.

  "It's up to you, Kitty. You can either meet me, or not. If you don't, then I won't bother you again."

  Pain lances through my heart at that. I don't like the idea of not seeing him again.

  "Mother says once I give my husband a son, I'll be able to have all the affairs I want," I blurt, though quietly. Somehow, the two of us have ended up very close to one another while talking. But where has my admission come from? Am I trying to proposition him? I'm not sure.

  "And are you all right with that?" There's a frankness in his eyes I can't escape.

  "No." The word is so quiet, I'm not even sure I've said it. "But I don't know what else to do."

  "Take your life into your own hands," he urges. "And meet me on the roof."

  A small laugh escapes me. "You're only saying that so I come meet you."

  "Perhaps." A teasing smile reemerges on his face. "But I think it's also something everyone should do. Life is about more than simply doing what you're told to."

  "Spoken like a true man," I mutter. "Some of us don't have the same choices you do."

  "Perhaps not. But the only way you're going to get them if you take them for yourself." He shrugs. "Perhaps that's a naive way of seeing it..."

  "Especially when you're a man," I put in.

  "Because I'm a man," he admits. "But that doesn't mean I can't help other non-men..." He steps closer, his words disappearing into a charged silence.

  Heat rushes through me. I know I should duck away and put an end to whatever this is. Especially as we're in the den's main libraries. Anyone can stumble across us at any point. I'm not sure what would happen in that situation, but I've no doubt it'll involve some kind of punishment on me, and nothing more than a stern word for him.

  "I'll meet you," I promise. "How long?"

  "Ten minutes? Will that work?"

  I nod, unable to form the words.

  Benedict steps back. To my surprise, a wave of regret washes over me at the loss of closeness.

  He dips into a deep bow. "I look forward to meeting with you once more, Kitty."

  Instead of coming up with any kind of witty retort, I stand there, unable to find words.

  He disappears away from me.

  Fine. It seems like I'm simply going to have to go through with collecting the things he's asked me to.

  Despite the risks, excitement thrums through me. It's going to be worth it, of that I'm sure.

  Chapter 5

  Nerves flutter in my stomach as I make my way out onto the roof of the main den building. What if Benedict doesn't show up? Perhaps he's thinking about the best way to make a fool out of me? And even if he does, is it really possible the roof won't have other people on it too? As far as I'm aware, there's a couple of hundred vampires living in the den. We can't go out during the daylight hours, so we tend to stick together. Personally, I find it too constricting, but no one will listen to the thoughts of a woman, let alone one of eighteen years.

  "You appear to be lost in thought again, Kitty," Benedict says, pulling me from my musings. He walks towards me, stopping once we're face to face.

  "I hope it doesn't disturb you that I have them." I know what his answer to that one will be, even before he says it, but I still want to hear it. I need him to prove that he's the man I think he is.

  "It doesn't. I very much hope you have thoughts, if you didn't, then our conversations would be rather duller than I intended." He leans in and takes the blanket from me. "I've saved us a spot over here."

  He leads me to a small alcove that's sheltered from the rest of the roof. If someone else comes out here, they won't see us straight away, and we'll be able to hide from them, which makes it perfect. I'm glad he's thought about things like this.

  "Aren't you worried someone will ask where we've been?" I ask. It's the middle of the night, and everyone will be going about their day. Most of them will probably be sitting down to lunch soon, like we are.

  "I suppose it depends who is going to ask. Some of my friends might, but then I'll tell them I've been with a woman. They'll assume something scandalous and not press for more information..."

  "This is scandalous," I point out.

  An amused smile plays on his lips as he whips out the blanket and lays it down for the two of us. "Trust me, there's nothing scandalous about this according to my friends."

  "Even talking to you goes against what's proper," I counter, taking a seat on the blanket despite my words.

  He lit the candles and placed them off to the side. I'm glad I thought to bring a holder for them too. Hopefully, no one will notice they're missing between now and then.

  "Then why are you here?" He sits down beside me, close enough that our legs are almost touching. Maybe it's an accident. My gown is spread out, hiding wher
e my legs are. I'm reading more into it than there is.

  "Perhaps I like danger."

  He snorts. "Try again."

  "Fine. I'm hungry."

  He pulls the basket sat by the edge of the blanket towards him and flips the lid. "I don't think that's it, either."

  "All right, I'm rebelling against my Father and what he wants from me." Even as I'm saying it, I realise there's some truth in that one. I hope he doesn't pick up on it.

  "Closer, but I don't think so." He hands me a goblet.

  I take it from him and wait as he pours wine into it. The scent of the ruby red liquid reaches me. There's no doubt it's a good vintage. Hmm. I may need to do some asking around about Benedict to find out more about him. I should have done it anyway. Then again, there's been no time. The ball was only last night, and I could hardly start asking people then.

  "Then maybe it's because I like you, for some unknown reason," I admit.

  I lift the goblet to my lips and take a sip. The taste matches the smell. He's pulling out all of the stops.

  "I'm glad to hear that. You're not alone."

  "You don't know me well enough to have decided you like me," I point out, taking another drink just for something to do. I hope he brings the food out soon so I can eat instead of drinking too much.

  "We can call it a gut feeling. Clearly, you feel it too," Benedict points out.

  "You should work on your flirting."

  "You told me that last night too. But you also promised to teach me how to do better at it," he counters smoothly.

  It's easy to get lost in his easy manner, even though I know I shouldn't. "I'm fairly certain you're a lost cause."

  "Come on, Kitty, you know you want to try and teach me..."

  The way he says my name sends a shiver down my spine. This may be dangerous, but it's also thrilling at the same time. I've never spent much time alone with a man before. For good reason. There's a chance I'll be ruined if we're discovered. Though I suppose it depends who comes across us and whether my family can hush it up in time. I'm not sure if it makes it worth the risk, though it may get me out of the marriage Father has planned.