by Liz Crowe
“Vincent, I need to talk to you,” I said to myself. But I wasn’t going to see Vincent until tonight at his Halloween party. Vincent had left four nights ago, saying that he was going out of town on business. But, I knew by the way he had said business that he really meant he was looking for food. Or victims. He had mentioned at Whipps Ledges that there was a plan around who was killed and when. All I could do now was wonder if that plan had been executed against these victims in Columbus.
A knock on the door snapped me back to reality. I turned off the television to go and greet my friend. Jenna pushed my front door open as I welcomed her.
“I am sooooo excited about this party,” Jenna gushed, her face glowing with enthusiasm. She dropped her overnight bag in the foyer. “I can’t wait to thank Vincent for inviting me!”
When Vincent first told me about this party, he had sensed that I was hesitant about attending, so he told me to invite Jenna. He probably also sensed that I wasn’t about to put my friend in harm’s way by inviting her to a party full of vampires, so he sent her a hand-delivered invitation. He assured me it would be safe for her, that humans and vampires could coexist for an evening without any mayhem and precautions would be taken to ensure that. After initially being angry about the situation, I realized it might be a good idea to include Jenna in something since I had seemingly shut her out of my life for the past three years. And maybe having her here now would help take my mind off other things.
“He seems like a great guy, Ali,” Jenna said. “I can’t believe you have kept him from me all this time. How long have you two been dating?”
“Um, I wouldn’t really say we’re dating.”
“Well you should snag him. A good looking guy like that won’t stay single for very long!”
“Um, yeah I guess.” My mind was too occupied to care about this idle chatter but thankfully Jenna’s enthusiasm kept her mind clipping along.
“So where are the costumes?” Jenna asked. She searched around my living room and poked her head into the den.
After initially chuckling at the statement that I would dig up an old costume to wear, Vincent assured me that he would take care of this minor detail for both me and Jenna.
“They’re not…” I was interrupted by the doorbell. I walked to the front door, Jenna close behind.
I opened the door. A tiny old woman stood on my doorstep holding several large boxes which were almost too big for her short arms to handle. Her skin was dark and creased and her gray hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She wore a plain black pant suit with a crisp white shirt. There was nothing special about her eyes; they didn’t glow like Vincent’s or have any strange gold flecks, so I assumed she was a mortal.
“Hello, Miss Allison?” the woman spoke in an accent I couldn’t decipher.
“Yes,” I replied. Jenna had her hand on my shoulder, straining to see our visitor.
“I am Francesca Rousseau. Mr. Vincent sent me to help you and Miss Jenna get ready for tonight’s festivities.”
“Of course he did,” I muttered under my breath as Jenna pushed past me to help Francesca with the boxes. “And please, just call me Ali.”
We moved into the living room where Francesca directed Jenna to the boxes intended for her. Jenna anxiously ripped them open like a child on Christmas morning.
“Ali, look at this,” Jenna gasped as she pulled her costume from the box. “It’s beautiful! Where did Vincent find this?”
“I made it,” Francesca responded, a proud smile on her face. “Do you like?”
“Like it? I love it!” Jenna exclaimed.
She pulled an exquisite outfit from the box. Even standing across the small room I could tell the gown was made of real silk. It was a vibrant shade of blue and looked like it gathered at the waist with extra fabric for draping over the shoulders. The bottom of the gown was stitched with an intricate gold design and embellished with red jewels.
Francesca pointed out in her accented voice that the hem was decorated with genuine gold thread and rubies. She then reached into her bag and retrieved another box.
“Are you kidding me?” Jenna exclaimed. Francesca handed her a beautiful headpiece crafted in gold and covered in jewels, no doubt real ones since the dress was adorned with rubies. She held up a sheer veil of coordinated blue fabric that attached to a gold piece that would cover the lower half of her face.
“Isn’t this beautiful, Ali?” Jenna asked.
“Yeah, it’s great,” I answered honestly.
“Don’t you want to see your outfit?”
I wished Jenna’s enthusiasm would rub off on me, but my conversation with Vincent from a few nights ago still lingered in my mind. I thought my mind would be clearer after spending so much time over the past few days thinking about everything Vincent had told me, but that unfortunately wasn’t the case. I really couldn’t wait to see Vincent, and I hoped that he would help put my mind more at ease.
“Ali…”
“Yeah, Jenna, what?”
“Don’t you want to see your costume?” she repeated.
“Um, sure.”
I walked over to a large box and opened it. “Oh Ali,” Jenna exclaimed. “It’s out of this world!”
Lying in the box was the most exquisite ball gown I had ever seen. As I lifted the heavy garment out of the box, it became apparent why Francesca was here – I couldn’t get dressed by myself. The top of the gown was crafted of deep purple crushed velvet covered with an ornate design sewn in gold thread and speckled with gemstones. White swags of silk fell from the shoulders. Jenna had to help me haul the rest of the garment from the box. The skirt was full and made of white silk, just like the sleeves. The hemline was bordered with a thick band of purple velvet which stretched out into an ornate design of graceful swirls edged in more gold thread.
“It’s beautiful!” Jenna exclaimed as she struggled to hold the gown to her body and twirled around, the skirt consuming my living room. “It’s fit for a queen.”
I was stunned by the costume’s beauty. It was clearly custom made and must have taken many hours, even months, to create.
“Ali?” Jenna asked trying to get my attention.
“It’s beautiful,” I cleared my throat. “It’s a bit much though.”
“You no like, Miss Allison?” Francesca reemerged, pulling a trunk behind her. “I made it just for you according to Vincent’s design.”
“Oh Francesca, the dress is exquisite. It’s just that when Vincent mentioned a Halloween party, I wasn’t expecting such a lavish outfit. I thought I would be dressing up as a witch or pirate, not the queen of England! Did you say Vincent designed this?” I asked as I touched the design on the skirt.
“Yes, Mr. Vincent is very talented. He will be pleased that you like his creation.”
Not only was Francesca there to deliver the costumes, but she was there to assist us with our hair and makeup too. We spent all afternoon primping ourselves. Jenna gushed with excitement through the whole process, thoroughly enjoying the pampering. My mind was elsewhere, wondering what this evening would hold.
When it was all said and done, Jenna and I looked like we had walked straight off of a movie set. Jenna’s blue dress clung to her tiny frame, wrapped around her neck and draped over her left shoulder and hung down her back. Maybe this was what Vincent had meant when he said there would be precautions. If her neck was wrapped, no vampire could bite it. Francesca placed a black wig on Jenna’s head that was parted down the middle and pulled tight in the back. Her head was crowned with the gold ornamentation Francesca had handed her earlier. It fit perfectly into the part in her hair, framing both sides of her hairline, the light catching the rubies, sapphires and diamonds. The face veil was connected to the headpiece and Jenna’s look was completed with two matching gold bracelets that wrapped around her arms from wrist to elbow.
“This is so cool!” Jenna exclaimed. “I feel like a genie.”
I could hear Jenna downstairs talking to herself as I made my way down the narrow sta
ircase from the loft bedroom.
“Whoa, Ali,” Jenna said. “You really do look like a queen.”
The ball gown filled the entry way as I walked into the living room.
“This is quite unbelievable if I do say so myself.”
The outfit couldn’t help but make me feel like royalty. The gown fit perfectly, complete with coordinated purple elbow length satin gloves and lace-up French boots. Francesca had obviously worked for some time on my wig. It was an ornate headpiece with long blonde cascading curls that fell to the small of my back. The sides were picked up and held in place with combs. Of course, no queen would be complete without a crown. Francesca brought several options in her trunk and I selected a dainty yellow gold tiara that peaked inches above my head, crowned with a large amethyst and adorned with diamonds. My head couldn’t hold much else under the weight of the wig. Francesca completed my look with a gold lattice necklace speckled with amethyst and an oversized oval ruby gemstone that she placed on my middle finger.
“Ah, that’s it,” Francesca mused. “Mr. Vincent instructed that I not forget this ring. You must keep this on all night. Understand?”
I nodded my head and wondered momentarily why I would have to wear it all night. I held up my hand and rocked it side to side. The stone reflected the light from the room, rays seemingly shooting out of the center of the stone like a starburst. I held it to my eye for closer inspection and examined the cuts in the stone. There was a diamond-shaped crest, crafted with graceful swooping lines and an etching of a dragon. It was a profile picture of a winged creature which had only two front legs and a pointed tail. It seemed to be a misplaced picture for such a beautiful stone but I didn’t say anything.
“I must go now,” Francesca announced.
“Thank you, Francesca, for the beautiful dresses,” I said.
“Yes, thank you!” Jenna chimed in.
“Miss Allison, Miss Jenna you are most welcome. Enjoy yourselves tonight.”
Francesca was out the door, packing her trunk into her car.
“One more question,” I yelled after her. “How are we getting to the party?”
“Your ride will be here shortly, do not worry.”
“I just hope this ride is large enough for this big skirt,” I said to myself as I closed the door. Jenna heard me.
“Your skirt? What about that huge wig? Good luck getting that in a car!”
There was a soft knock at the door. Thankfully I hadn’t moved too far, mostly out of fear of knocking something over with my gown.
A chauffeur was at the door. He was a short man dressed in a black suit and a white shirt and had a thick mustache and slightly graying slicked back hair.
“Miss Allison?” he asked in a strongly accented voice.
I nodded my head.
“I am Chadwick, Miss Allison, and I will be taking you and Miss Jenna to the party tonight.”
“Please, call me Ali.” I responded.
“Mr. Vincent has instructed that I address you as Miss Allison. Are you and Miss Jenna ready?”
I rolled my eyes at the formality. I saw no need for Chadwick to call me Miss anything but I knew not to argue.
“Yes, we are so ready,” Jenna responded, full of energy, pushing her way past my gown to the front stoop. “Hey, nice ride.”
I squeezed my way through the doorframe to see an exquisite car parked in my driveway, not a vehicle you typically see in rural Ohio. It was long and sleek, and dark as night with equally dark windows and contrastingly bright shiny rims. My jaw dropped when I realized what it was.
“Is that a Maybach?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Chadwick responded. “It’s a model 62.”
“What does that mean?” Jenna whispered in my ear.
“It means the car costs about four times as much as my house,” I whispered back.
“Really? Nice,” Jenna enthused.
A red carpet had been rolled out for our walk to the car.
“This is unbelievable,” I said as Chadwick assisted me and my dress into the car.
“Only the best for Mr. Vincent and his special friend,” Chadwick responded with a wink.
Jenna and I were piled into the car. “Special friend?” Jenna asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You heard that, huh?” I responded but quickly changed the subject. “Chadwick, where are you taking us?” I asked through the open partition that separated the front and back of the vehicle.
“Have you heard of Castle Adena?”
“I have heard of it.”
Castle Adena was an old ornate castle built in 1803 by one of the richest families the state had ever known. It was about an hour away from Ridge Hollow and located on acres upon acres of land, and the castle was not visible from the street. It had been available for tours but was closed about thirty years ago for major renovations and little was known about its current occupants. That was, until now.
“Isn’t that place closed to the public?” Jenna asked.
“Yes, Miss Jenna, you are correct. It is a private residence – the Drake residence. Please, enjoy some champagne as it will be a bit of a drive.” Chadwick rolled up the window to allow us some privacy.
“Don’t tell me twice,” Jenna stated as she grabbed two glasses and poured us some bubbly. I looked at the bottle and chuckled to myself. It was the same champagne Vincent had served me at the cottage. Apparently no expense was being spared for this evening.
We watched the countryside roll by. There wasn’t much to stare at on the way to Castle Adena other than rolling hills, bare trees and an occasional farm house. This was truly desolate country, but at least it was finally a nice fall evening. It wasn’t raining, for once, and an almost full moon hung in the evening sky, dark purple strips of clouds floating over it.
“Ali, you okay?” Jenna asked. “You’re fidgeting.”
I looked down. My legs were bouncing and I was playing with my gloved fingers.
“Yeah, I guess I’m a bit nervous.”
“About what? Vincent is obviously crazy about you.”
“Not that. You know how I am about dancing in front of other people,” I lied. I was nervous with anticipation for what this evening would hold.
“You’ll be fine. Look – we must be here,” Jenna poked a finger towards the outside.
Chadwick turned off the road and we passed under a mammoth steel gate trimmed with a fall leaf garland. Jack-o-lanterns lined a driveway that seemed to stretch on for miles. Nothing was around but flat land. No one would know there was a party here if not for the decorations.
“I wonder who carved all these pumpkins,” I murmured.
We passed under a tunnel of trees, completely in the dark except for the tiny purple, orange and black votive candles dangling from the branches. And then we saw it. In the clearing ahead was a massive castle pitted against the sky. The huge structure was several stories high with numerous peaks. Each side was anchored with rectangular mural towers. It appeared to be crafted out of some sort of large, irregularly shaped stone. The stained glass windows were illuminated with a soft candle glow.
“You have to be kidding me,” I said aloud.
“My goodness,” Jenna whispered, and then exclaimed, “This is going to be one heck of a party!”
Chadwick parked the car and opened the passenger door. Jenna exited first since her costume was easier to navigate in than mine. Chadwick grabbed my hand and pulled me from the car as I attempted to pull my skirt through the narrow opening. I rearranged my dress and made sure everything was in place, then looked up and saw Vincent.
“You look quite lovely this evening, Allison,” Vincent said as he took my hand and kissed it. “Quite exquisite.”
“Thank you,” I said, my mind practically blank as I lost myself in his eyes. I cleared my throat and broke my stare. “And thank you for these wonderful costumes. Francesca did a fabulous job. They’re way more than I expected.”
Vincent simply smirked. “Hello Jenna,” Vincent said. �
��It is nice to formally meet you.”
“Likewise,” Jenna responded, seemingly in a trancelike state. “Thank you for the invitation. And the costume. And the cool ride.”
Vincent chuckled, amused by Jenna’s reaction. “You are quite welcome.”
Vincent offered both of his arms to escort us into the party.
“And what are you, Vincent,” I asked as I examined his outfit. “Count Dracula?” I asked with a chuckle. Jenna laughed as well, not aware of the inside joke.
Vincent looked quite dashing in a black, no doubt custom, suit that cinched at the waist. He wore a short cape secured around his neck with a large oval ruby, like the one on my finger, with the same crest carved in the stone. Under the cape, was a purple velvet sash with ornate gold scrolling that coordinated with my gown.
“Aren’t you silly?” he replied, looking me straight in the eyes as the three of us approached the castle. “Every queen needs a king, does she not?”
“Oh Ali, that’s so sweet!” Jenna exclaimed.
“Sweet it is,” I said staring back into Vincent’s eyes and suddenly overcome with emotion.
We stopped at the entrance. Vincent dropped our arms and turned to face us. “Ladies, there is someone I would like you to meet.”
A handsome man, almost as handsome as Vincent, emerged from the castle. His shoulder length blond hair flowed freely and his green eyes were luminescent in the darkness setting in around us.
“Allison, Jenna, this is my brother, Lorenzo,” Vincent announced.
Lorenzo approached me and reached for my hand. “Allison, it is nice to formally meet you,” he said as he kissed my hand. His eyes had the same gold flecks as Vincent’s.
“It is nice to meet you too, Lorenzo.” Somehow Lorenzo looked familiar to me, yet I couldn’t recall ever meeting him. But there was something about the way he had greeted me that sounded like we had met once before. If we had met before in some informal setting, I certainly didn’t remember. I surely would have remembered his sparkling eyes, muscular build and angular jaw.
He gently placed my hand at my side and stood in front of Jenna. “You must be Jenna,” he said as he kissed her hand, taking it gently and wrapping her arm under his. “Do you mind if I escort you to the party tonight?” he asked in a smooth voice.
