When Aldric rose for the night, Fitz, the butler, greeted him in the parlor. “My lord, this note arrived for you this afternoon.”

“Thank you, Fitz.” Aldric took the note and tried to maintain composure as he opened the envelope and withdrew the sheet of foolscap.

The sight of Vivian’s handwriting made his hands tremble with anticipation. The words were short, but sweet.

Dearest Uncle,

I am staying at the Owl Inn in Lytham. I am faring quite well, but I would be most obliged if you would fetch me home.

Sincerely,

Vivian Stratford

Aldric heaved a sigh of utmost relief. The promise had been fulfilled. At last, Vivian would return to the safety of his home. And then he would be able to deal with the rogue vampire without risk of her being harmed.

“Fitz, tell Jeffries to ready the carriage,” Aldric told the waiting butler. “Then tell Madame Renarde that Miss Stratford will be arriving shortly.”

“Very good, my lord.” Fitz bowed and strode off to complete his duties.

Aldric gnashed his teeth with impatience as he waited for the carriage. While it was practical for a vampire to have elderly servants, it was not efficient.

At last, Jeffries came through the front door. “The carriage is ready, my lord.”

Although Aldric wanted to go straight to Lytham, precautions must be made. “Take me to the Gordon’s Pub,” he directed once he was seated in the conveyance.

Once they arrived at the tavern that his second in command owned, Aldric found Bonnie in her usual corner.

“My niece has been released and is staying at an inn in Lytham,” he told her. “Will you come with me to collect her?”

“Of course, my lord.” Bonnie set her book aside and rose from her overstuffed chair. She regarded him with an arched brow. “You paid the villain off?”

Aldric nodded. “Yes. But if I have my way, he will not keep his ill-gotten gains and all his efforts will be for naught.”

When they went out to the carriage, Bonnie commanded Jeffries to sleep and took up the reins. The eight-mile drive seemed to last an eternity. If it weren’t for nosy neighbors and his servants, Aldric would have ran to Lytham himself and carried Vivian home.

At least Bonnie was as efficient a driver as Jeffries and they arrived at the inn at a quarter to seven.

“Would you like me to accompany you?” Bonnie asked. “Another woman’s presence can be reassuring.”

Aldric shook his head. “Stay with Jeffries.”

The last thing he needed was one of his people to witness an emotional outburst if Vivian was indeed traumatized by the events of her abduction. Or worse, fear or revulsion at knowing what he was.

Aldric froze in the doorway of the Owl Inn. Just as promised, Vivian sat at the polished wooden bar, nursing a cup of ale, and reading a newspaper. His heart and lungs suddenly felt like they were clamped in a vice. Until this moment, he’d never realized how much he cared for her, how much he’d worried for her safety.

From her straight spine and relaxed shoulders, she appeared unharmed, though the downward turn of her lips and the crease between her brows radiated melancholy.

“Vivian?” he said softly.

She turned and Aldric braced himself for a look of fear, accusation, or both.

Then, to his disbelief, she rose from her seat and ran into his arms. “Uncle, I am glad you came.”

He marveled at her lack of fear of what he was. Not caring that they were in a public place, he kissed the top of her head. “I am sorry I did not pay the ransom sooner,” he whispered. “I was—”

“Rhys explained your reasonings,” she said with an offhand wave.

“Oh?” His eyebrow lifted. This rogue presumed to know his mind? “Let us depart and you can tell me what he said about my reasoning at home.” He set a guinea on the bar, took her elbow, and led her outside.

Vivian squinted curiously at Bonnie and the sleeping Jeffries, but before she could question that, Aldric handed her up into the carriage. Now that they’d left the inn, with its miasma of food and beer and humans, the other vampire’s scent radiated from Vivian. Aldric suppressed a growl. His primitive instincts to find the interloper and drive a sword through his heart clanged through his head like the peals of a bell.

His niece seemed to sense his ire, but held her tongue through the rest of the ride. Aldric was thankful for that, since he did not wish for Bonnie to be privy to just how sticky this situation had become.

And Bonnie was indeed squirming with curiosity. Aldric gave her a warning glare as Jeffries was awakened near Gordon’s Tavern. She departed with a bow that was more cheeky than meek.

“Who was that woman driving the carriage?” Vivian asked.

“It’s not important right now.” Aldric leaned forward and spoke to Jeffries. “Please take us back to Thornton Manor.”

“Very good, my lord. And may I say that it is a delight to see Miss Stratford again?”

“Thank you, Jeffries,” Vivian called up from her seat. “I’m pleased to see you as well.”

The remainder of the ride home passed in silence, but once they arrived at Thornton Manor, Vivian asked to see Madame Renarde.

Aldric shook his head. “She is recovering from her illness and still resting, and we must talk.”

Once they were seated in his study, Aldric poured them each a glass of wine. As she sipped her wine, he studied her, frowning at her shabby attire, ungloved hands, and wistful eyes. The reek of the other vampire continued to taunt him. The cad hadn’t Marked her, but he may as well have. “Now what exactly did this rogue tell you about my end of our dealings?”

Vivian spoke in a soothing tone, as if to placate Aldric. “Rhys said that you originally believed him to be a human, and so it would be damaging to your reputation as a Lord Vampire to allow a mortal to best you.”

That was true, yet Aldric stewed with vexation that a strange vampire had been able to assess him with such accuracy. “Why did he even bother trying to explain my original refusal to pay?”

“Because at first I was hurt and thought you did not care about me.” Vivian regarded him with a sad smile. “He wished to assure me that you did.”

Aldric closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Ever since he’d found Vivian to be missing, and received the first ransom letter, nothing had gone as he’d expected. This rogue, Rhys, had been concerned about his captive’s feelings. Yet another indication that Rhys was too soft to be in the business of kidnapping. Sadly for him, that horse had already left the barn.

Soft as he may be, the rogue had still abducted the blood kin of a Lord Vampire and extorted money. And from what Madame Renarde had said, Rhys had likely done more than that.

“Did he feed on you?” Aldric demanded, eager to gather up sins to lay at the rogue’s feet.

“Twice.” Vivian lifted her chin as if proud of the fact. “Once when he showed me what he was. The second time was because I asked him to so that he did not have to risk going out.”

“How do you know it was only twice?” Aldric pressed, even though part of him knew it was cruel. “A vampire usually banishes his victim’s memory after he feeds.”

“I was not his victim.” Red flags of anger streamed across her cheeks.

“You were, though.” Aldric couldn’t stop prodding her apparent wound. Her look of besotted heartbreak filled him with righteous indignation. “He took you from the carriage and held you against your will to extort money out of me.”

“He did it to save his family!” Vivian retorted. “And I know he didn’t feed from me without my knowledge because Rhys had honor, even if he is a rogue, as you call him.” Her eyes narrowed and she her lip curled in a grimace. “Did you ever feed from me?”

“Certainly not.” Aldric held up his hands, aghast at the notion. “You are my kin and were under my care.”

“I was under Rhys’s care as well. One does not wish to harm a hostage.” Her tone was victorious as she pressed her argument. “He went out for his meals, same as you. And I do not see why it matters. As you can see, I am unharmed from the ordeal.”

“Unharmed?” Aldric echoed, stunned at her lack of comprehension as to the gravity of the situation. “The whoreson has ruined your life and placed you in grave danger! He compromised you the moment he abducted you. I may have been able to salvage the situation and keep that sordid fact secret had he not shown you his fangs. In doing so, he’s ruined any hope of you finding a husband and living a normal life. And if I did not care for you as much as he’d wagered, he very well could have signed your death warrant. Humans cannot know of our kind and be permitted to live.”

Vivian’s rebellious countenance softened. “Are you going to Change me into a vampire then?”

He sighed and buried his face in his hands. Mentoring a youngling was among the last things he wanted to do for the next few decades. “I do not yet know what I am going to do. Blast it! What am I going to tell your father? You were supposed to return to London in the Spring, but now, you cannot.”

“Father never cared for me much.” Although her tone was sublime indifference, there was a flash of old hurt in her eyes. “Before I’d learned that you were in a rush to marry me off, I’d planned to ask you if I could remain with you at Thornton Manor and care for you in your dotage.”

“My dotage?” He snorted. “I may be there already.” The remainder of his words registered. “You didn’t wish to wed?”

“I did not.” Vivian crossed her arms over her chest and stared daggers of accusation in his direction. “Something easy to discover had anyone bothered asking me what I wished.”

A twinge of remorse pricked him, but Aldric shrugged it off. “Well, now you are spared the parson’s mousetrap,” he said with a sigh. At least the settlement he’d prepared for Vivian’s dowry also included a trust with a provision for it to belong to her, in case she remained a spinster. A settlement that would bring justice to her, though she wouldn’t know it. “And I suppose you may write to your father and express your wishes to remain in Blackpool. If he refuses, I’ll convince him to change his mind.”

Vivian’s mutinous countenance softened. “Do not look so dismal, Uncle. I am sure we will get on well enough.”

“You’re the one who looks dismal,” Aldric fired back. Madame Renarde’s concerns rang in his mind. “The rogue didn’t bed you, did he?”

“What would it matter if he had?” The crimson flood in her cheeks proclaimed the truth. “I was already compromised. You said so yourself.”

Aldric’s fists clenched at his sides as he rose from his desk and paced the study. “It matters because you’re a highborn lady and your virtue should be reserved for the bonds of matrimony. It matters because you’re my niece and I care very much if some blackguard takes advantage of you.”

“He did not take advantage,” Vivian said through gritted teeth. “I was willing. But I find this conversation to be unseemly and do not wish to speak of something so personal.”

“It’s not the conversation that is unseemly. It is this whole sordid affair.” Still, Aldric didn’t truly wish to know the intimate details. He had his answer. Vivian had indeed fallen for the rogue vampire, the rogue had reciprocated her feelings and as Madame Renarde had predicted, the two had succumbed to temptation. The only positive aspect of this disaster was that at least vampires were sterile, so Aldric did not have to worry about her carrying a bastard. “You are right. We will not discuss this further. The sooner you can forget about that blasted rogue vampire, the better.”

And Aldric would do his best to ensure that she did indeed forget. He gathered his power, fixed Vivian with his gaze, and commanded her to forget all about vampires. “Forget that you loved your captor. He was nothing but a lowly thief and now that you are home, you only wish you get on with living a normal life.”

Vivian blinked and rubbed her temples. Aldric held his breath and silently prayed that his mesmerism has worked just as effectively as it had with Madame Renarde.

“How dare you!” she hissed. “How dare you try to make me forget the only love I’ll ever know?”

“For your own safety.” Aldric returned to his desk and slumped in his chair, defeated. His last hope of eliminating Vivian’s involvement in his world had drifted away like gossamer in the wind. She’d spent too much time with the rogue vampire, had learned too many secrets, and had been intimate with him. Just as Aldric had feared, the memories were permanently etched in her mind and heart. “Didn’t your ‘love’ tell you that a human who learns about vampires must be killed or Changed?”

Vivian crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes,” she said quietly. “He even told me you’d try to make me forget. But I can’t forget. Not after all I’ve been through and what I’ve shared with him.” Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. “Did you banish Madame Renarde’s memories?”

“Yes.” Aldric shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with Vivian’s display of emotion for a vampire who’d ruined her life. “She only remembers that you were abducted by a highwayman and that I paid the ransom and that we must be discreet lest another scandal breaks out. Please do not say anything to her that could make her remember any other details. Her life depends on it. A vampire can only Change one human every hundred years.”

“I won’t breathe a word,” Vivian promised. “May I go see her now?”

Aldric nodded. “She is in her room. I will have the servants draw you a bath while you visit with your companion.” Now that Aldric had the rogue’s scent, he wanted it washed away from his niece as soon as possible.

Vivian darted from the study, in a rush to see her friend. Aldric shook his head. Only a fortnight away, and she’d already forgotten how to speak and walk like a lady. He took a deep drink of wine before ringing for the housekeeper.

His previously peaceful life had been upended beyond comprehension. His niece had fallen in love with a rogue vampire who’d abducted her for ransom to prevent Aldric from evicting a widow who couldn’t manage the land she lived on. Aldric had spent the past several nights nursing a woman who’d been born a man. And now that he’d finally gotten Vivian back, his niece had been flat out hostile towards him.

What would he do with her? When he’d taken his niece under his wing, it was supposed to have been a brief idyllic reconnection with family and a satisfactory endeavor of finding her a prosperous match and ensuring his family line could continue.

Now he couldn’t return Vivian to her father, he certainly couldn’t marry her off to a mortal, he couldn’t even give her the land he’d settled on her, for as long as she knew his secrets, it was too dangerous for her to leave his home. He would most certainly have to Change her, and spend the next few years teaching her and helping her adjust to life as a vampire.

But to Change her, he’d have to petition the Elders. That was the law for all Lord Vampires. Aldric shuddered with dread at the prospect of corresponding with the oldest and most powerful vampires in the world who oversaw the laws of their kind. Although it was unlikely that whatever lie he fabricated for his reasons to bring his niece into the fold would be detected, there was always the slim chance that the Elders would send a representative to hear the case in person.

After he ordered Vivian’s bath to be drawn, Aldric left his office and looked in on Vivian’s reunion with Madame Renarde. He prayed Vivian was holding to her vow to keep her silence about all things pertaining to vampires.

He paused in Madame Renarde’s doorway and watched the two exchanging an affectionate embrace. Madame Renarde’s palpable joy and relief to see Vivian brought an unexpected lump to Aldric’s throat. How long had it been since he’d felt such a closeness for someone? At least two hundred years. Vivian had burrowed her way into his heart and Renarde had gained his respect and admiration in ways Aldric had not anticipated. As he observed Vivian’s protective concern over her companion’s illness and listened to her questions about how she was treated, he felt a pang of melancholy.

That was yet another tangle in this disastrous affair. Vivian’s foray into the vampire world would cleave their friendship like a stone slowly cut by rushing water in a river. No longer could she talk with in her companion about everything in her life. Only Aldric would be safe to talk to and since he’d separated Vivian from her lover, he didn’t anticipate her confiding with him.

Especially when he was finished dealing with said lover. Damn that rogue to hell.

Vivian rose from Madame Renarde’s sickbed and levelled Aldric with an accusing glare as she strode to the door. “You cannot grant me a moment’s privacy with my companion?”

Aldric ignored the sting he felt at her angry tone. “Actually, I only came by to let you know that I must go out tonight and ask you to remain here with Madame Renarde.”

Her stormy countenance softened slightly. “Oh. Well, have a satisfactory hunt, then.”

“Lower your voice,” he admonished with a whisper. “And you are not to leave the house until I’ve decided what to do with you.”

Vivian visibly bristled once more. “I recant my words regarding our prospects of getting on well together.” Before she could utter another biting set-down, the housekeeper appeared in the corridor to announce that her bath had been prepared. Vivian gave him one last furious glare and flounced to her chambers.

Aldric’s shoulders slumped with despair. He had to find a way to repair their relationship before he Changed her. Alas, there was little chance of that, for if Vivian discovered his next course of action, she would hate him for all eternity.