The characters of Bill and Lorena belong to Charliane Harris and Alan Ball, all other characters originate in my own warped imagination.
The Lotus Concubine
The door of the restaurant closed with a creak as Sarah and Colin came in and I waved to them from the corner table where Bill and I were sitting. Sarah came over and joined us as Colin headed for the bar and bought a round of drinks. Most of my friends were used to Bill by now and were fairly relaxed in his company although there were one or two who resolutely refused to meet him under any circumstances. His appointment as Sheriff and the subsequent media attention had meant that I was unable to keep our relationship a secret, even if I had wanted to.
"Hi Alex, how was the movie?" asked Sarah, pulling up a chair and sitting down.
"Oh, it was okay, nothing special." I said. Actually I had seen very little of the movie since Bill and I had spent most of our time kissing in the darkness of the back row, but I wasn't about to tell Sarah that! She and Colin had arrived for a meal in the local Thai Restaurant and Bill and I had agreed to drop in and meet them for a drink before we went home. Colin came over with a tray of drinks and we sat and chatted for a while.
I noticed that Bill's eyes kept being drawn to a carving which depicted a Chinese dragon curled around the top of the bar. I put my hand on his thigh under the table and rubbed gently. "Everything okay sweetheart?" I asked.
"It'll be better when I get you home." he whispered.
"What makes you think I'm coming home with you Mr Compton?" I asked sliding my hand further up his thigh.
At this point a waiter arrived to take Sarah and Colin to their table and they moved off into the restaurant.
"I have something for you." said Bill.
"Hmm...I'll bet you have!" I said.
Bill chuckled, "No not that, well...that too actually, but I meant something else."
By this time my hand had slid up to the top of his thigh. "Well let's go then."
He took my hand and got up. "I'm not sure I can make it back to the car without another kiss." He said softly as we headed outside. Bill looked around, spotted an alleyway two doors down from the restaurant and pulled me into the shadows. He slipped his arms around me and began to kiss me hungrily. I leaned back against the wall and whispered "Bite me Bill, please?" He looked a little shocked but I noticed that his fangs had already slid out. He looked around, "What, here?" he asked.
"Yes, please...I want you to!" I whispered.
He needed no further encouragement and pulled me deeper into the shadows and, with his hand cupping the back of my neck, slid his fangs deep into my throat. I felt the suction of his lips around the little wound and I felt a wave of pleasure wash over me, starting somewhere deep inside and flowing down between my legs, sparking a familiar warmth. Bill sucked hard savouring the taste of my blood, holding me tightly in his arms. After a moment he pulled back.
"We'd better get out of here!" he said "I don't really want to have to ravish you in a dirty alleyway!"
I smiled back at him, "Let's get back then."
Ten minutes later we were in Bill's safe room, various items of my clothing scattered down the staircase. I sat on the stool before the dressing table examining the marks on my neck in the mirror and watched over my shoulder as Bill came in from the bathroom, also naked, and leaned on the door frame, watching me. I gave him a teasing little smile and he came over to stand behind me.
He put his hand under my chin and pulled my head back, leaning down to clamp his mouth over mine and began to kiss me passionately. His other hand moved around and grasped my breast, I gave a little gasp as he pinched the nipple and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into my open mouth. I tried to wriggle away from him but he pulled me backwards until I was leaning back off the stool, helpless in his grasp as his hand slid down from my breast and he began to work his fingers between my legs sliding them inside my soft, slick passage.
"Oh Bill, really! Behave yourself!" I gasped as he let me come up for air.
"Mmm...no, I don't think so" he said huskily looking down at me with a wicked expression.
Without giving me time to object he picked me up and carried me over to the bed. He laid my head and shoulders down on the soft quilt, holding me clear of the bed, helpless in mid air with one hand under each buttock, my legs resting around his hips. He gave me an evil little smile and leaned forward, driving himself into me with a groan of pleasure. I gave a little squeal and grasped at the quilt, but it was hopeless. He had cunningly arranged me in a completely helpless position and I could do absolutely nothing but lie there, while he pounded into me mercilessly, chuckling wickedly to himself.
"Behaving myself isn't nearly as much fun" he panted, lifting me up again, impaled on his rock hard member, and stepping forward to put one knee on the bed. Clasping my body to his, he laid us both down on the quilt and continued his assault.
"Oh!...Bill!...please!" I moaned.
"Still want me to behave myself?" he asked, reaching forward with one hand to brace himself on one of the bedposts.
"Oh no...please don't stop..." I said weakly, writhing against his body and lifting my hips to help him.
"Are you sure?" he asked in a concerned tone, but not slowing down in the least, "I can stop if you like?"
"No!" I cried "please go on!..." I felt as if the whole world had shrunk down to just the two of us and nothing else mattered except the delicious sensation of Bill's hardness pushing into me deeper and deeper, filling up my whole consciousness with the intense pleasure.
"Oh...oh!..." suddenly I was writhing and thrashing beneath him on the bed, crying out his name as the wave of sensation rolled over me, engulfing me completely.
When I could breathe again I was lying on my back with Bill lying beside me looking down at me with a smile.
"I'm so sorry darling," he said with a little laugh "I promise I'll behave myself next time!"
I reached up and smacked him weakly "Don't you dare!" I gasped "not if your misbehaviour is as much fun as that!"
I stretched out an arm and one of the pillows, which had been pushed sideways by Bill's energetic efforts slid off the bed, catching something on the little table as it did so. Bill reached down and picked up the pillow tossing it back on the bed and then picked up the object it had pushed off the table.
"This" he said "is what I intended to show you, before you distracted me, you wicked girl."
"I distracted you!" I exclaimed indignantly.
Bill laughed "Never mind...here," he handed me the object he had picked up. It was a pale green plaque, about the size of a coaster with a Chinese character embossed on it in gold. I turned it over in my hands.
"Bill? Is this Jade? What is it?"
"Well" he said "If you think you can keep your hands off me for long enough, I'll tell you."
"Hmmm...It'll be tough, but I think I can manage!" I said as I snuggled up to him. He pulled the quilt up over us and began his tale.
In the winter of 1898 Lorena received a letter. We were living in a large, expensive property in New Orleans at the time which Lorena and I had obtained by means which you really don't want to hear about, and of which I must say that I am now thoroughly ashamed. She appeared furious about both the contents of the letter and the fact that it had followed us from San Francisco and was therefore several weeks late in arriving. I took the sensible precaution of staying well out of her way for a while. However, after a night of pacing about the house and muttering to herself she passed it to me saying "Here, see what you think."
It was from a friend of hers in China, a vampire that she had met when she was there in 1860 and referred to an estate which she apparently owned just outside Peking. Her friend Li Cheng was living on the estate and acting as a caretaker on her behalf, but he was worried that, since the estate was registered in her name, there might be trouble. He was concerned about a secret society which had recently emerged from the provinces, known as the Boxers. They claimed that their training made them invulnerable and that they had been sent to purify China of foreign influences, which they blamed for the desperate state of thousands of Chinese peasants who were suffering due to Opium addiction.
The Boxers were being suppressed as much as possible by the Chinese authorities since a major cause of their rebellion was the treatment of foreign missionaries and Chinese Christian converts. There had already been several incidents where groups of Boxers had attacked and killed local Christians as well as foreign missionaries and this aggression was attracting the unwelcome attention of foreign governments. Li Cheng feared that there would soon be serious trouble and that Lorena would be well advised to sign over the property to him and take her money out of China for good.
"That estate is worth a small fortune." She fumed "I can't let it fall into the hands of a bunch of uneducated Chinese peasants!" She paced across the room again, considering. "We'll have to go out there to deal with this!"
I sat up, surprised at this unexpected development. "Can't Li Cheng just arrange for the money to be transferred?" I asked.
"Heavens, No!" she said, looking at me with an exasperated expression. "You don't understand the Chinese mind. They consider China to be the centre of the universe and all foreigners to be barbarians. They would never allow money to be transferred out of the country officially. We would have to take it to Shanghai or Hong Kong, a treaty port, and take it out from there. From what Li Cheng says it's likely to get quite nasty soon."
"Where did you get enough money to invest at that kind of level?" I asked, astonished.
"Why from the opium trade of course!" she said, sounding surprised. "Everyone in Hong Kong was involved at that time. You invested your money in cases of Patna Opium brought in from India by the British East India Company. Shipped it up the Pearl River to Canton and sold it to the Chinese merchants for a fat profit. Oh sure, the Chinese authorities didn't like it, but since all the Lorchas were registered in Hong Kong and flew the British Flag there was nothing they could do about it."
"Lorchas?" I asked.
She sighed "A Lorcha is a boat, a Portuguese hull with a Chinese Junk rig and sails. They were known to the Chinese as "Scrambling Dragons". The British granted licenses from Hong Kong allowing smugglers to carry on a brisk trade in opium under the protection of the British Flag. And they were quite serious about it too! Ever heard of the Arrow?"
"I'm sure you'll be able to enlighten me" I said patiently.
Lorena kicked off her shoes and put her dainty feet up on the sofa. "The Arrow was a Lorcha trading in opium and licensed in Hong Kong, unfortunately the license had expired and she was boarded by Chinese officials and the crew taken into custody. The Irish skipper swore blind that the licence was in order and Harry Parkes, the British Commissioner kicked up a fuss, insisting that the Arrow was entitled to British protection. When the Chinese refused to apologise Parkes called in the Navy and gunboats bombarded Canton for six days. I understand that two American ships joined in the bombardment."
"And the ship wasn't actually licensed at all?" I asked.
"It appeared not." she laughed happily "and if Parkes knew that he certainly wasn't going to back down and lose face in front of the Chinese!"
"But trading in Opium was illegal at that time anyway wasn't it?"
"Oh yes, technically. But we understood that all restraints on trade were to be removed by the treaty of Tientsin which also opened up ten more ports to western trade. Admittedly the treaty hadn't been ratified yet because the Chinese were using every delaying tactic possible, but a large detachment of British troops under General Hope Grant had arrived and were to march north to Peking together with the French to see the Treaty ratified by the Emperor Tsien Feng."
"Why were they delaying? Because they didn't approve of the trade?"
"That yes, but mostly because the Treaty would have to be signed by the Emperor himself, in the presence of the western representatives, and there were a lot of them. In the late 1850s there were British, American, French and Russian men-of-war off Canton. That would have been a disaster for the Chinese. You have to understand that the Emperor was The Son of Heaven, he was treated as a god. No one could enter his presence without kow towing, you understand the term? The petitioner would get down on his hands and knees and knock his forehead on the floor? Well the Chinese nobles and mandarins were well aware of the fact that the westerners would never kow tow! So they did their utmost to keep them away from the Imperial Court."
I lay on the opposite sofa listening to Lorena, fascinated by her explanation.
"Well, if this place is worth as much as you say then perhaps we should go and see what we can do." I said. The idea of travelling to China had excited me since I had never left the country before. Perhaps there might be something in this half life of mine of some interest to me after all. At least it would be something new and I had found that I craved new things, new sensations, new experiences, anything which would allow me to feel that Lorena was not the only thing in my life. "But, how would we get there?"
"Leave the arrangements to me." She said with a smile. "There are ways around these things, if you have enough money. Some humans are far more corruptible than you would think, if you pay enough, they simply don't ask any questions!"
And so it was that, a few months later we were walking off a ship in the harbour at Shanghai at dusk, with half a dozen coolies rushing around loading our trunks into a wagon. Since Peking was about 750 miles from Shanghai we were booked into a small Inn to await a ship to Taku in the North, which was the nearest port to Peking. The wagon driver took us to the Inn which was located down a side street a mile or so from the docks. As we arrived the proprietor came out to greet us and showed us into the main room. The place appeared to be relatively clean and the room was crowded with a mixture of native Chinese, Portuguese sailors and a few English and American soldiers from the barracks outside the city.
In a very short time Lorena had arranged for our luggage to be taken up to one of the best rooms, one of the few with a stout lock on the door. We then came back down to the main room and sat at a small table in the corner with a bottle of some kind of local alcohol and a couple of glasses. Lorena looked casually around the room assessing the possibilities of everyone there. As I leaned my chair back against the wall I noticed a couple of soldiers look over at her and say something to each other. Then one came over and began to chat to her. I sat back in the shadows trying not to listen to their conversation, however, before long he glanced over at me and then got up and walked away. Another soon took his place but left again fairly quickly. Lorena turned to me angrily.
"Will you relax!" she hissed, a little unfairly I thought, since I was so relaxed I was practically asleep. "You're cramping my style!"
"Why don't I go for a walk and leave you to your evening's entertainment?" I said, pushing the chair away from the wall and getting up, "I could do with some fresh air."
"Good idea." She replied "You go and enjoy yourself and I'll concentrate on securing us a passage to Peking!"
"I'm sure you'll have a better chance of interesting the sailors than I would." I said.
She laughed "Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you!" She gave me an evil little smile "Who knows, I might be reduced to selling your body in exchange for our passage!"
I put my hands on the table and glared down at her "Well, make sure you don't sell it to anyone who's vital to the management of the ship, because he may not last very long!"
She stood up as if to kiss me goodbye and whispered harshly in my ear "You will do exactly as I say. If I feel it is necessary for you to entertain half a dozen sailors you will do it, and furthermore, you will enjoy it, is that clear?"
I shuddered and turned for the door without answering her. The air in the narrow street outside was, in fact, far from fresh. But it was better than breathing the same air as Lorena when she was in this kind of mood. I prayed that she would not make good on her threat. I knew I should not defy her, it only gave her an excuse to punish me, which she loved, but I could not help myself. My hatred and repugnance drove me to it and, truth be told, I thought that she enjoyed my defiance. In some twisted way she felt that it justified her treatment of me. It had been this way from the very beginning. At first I had prayed, regularly, desperately begging to be released from this purgatory. Asking myself why, what terrible thing had I done in life that warranted this punishment? I had killed many men in the war, but I had no choice, and I was only one of many thousands. Surely they did not all have to suffer this?
But all my prayers availed me nothing and to my horror, I began to believe that she was right, perhaps I really was a monster like her. Certainly there were times, many times, when the hunger, the lust for blood would overcome me completely and I killed and fed, like an animal. Afterwards Lorena would be delighted with me, but I sometimes thought that even her harshest punishments would be easier to bear than my loathing of what I had become.
I was walking aimlessly down the street in the direction of the docks when I heard a faint cry coming from somewhere to my right. I took a few steps in the direction it had come from and found a tiny alleyway almost hidden behind the corner of a building. As I peered into the darkness I heard another muffled cry and saw what appeared to be a child lying on the ground covering his head with his arms. Leaning over him with a short whip was a man in an army uniform and as I watched he raised his arm and brought the whip down on the boy's shoulders.
Without thinking I ran down the alley and snatched the whip from the soldier's hand before he could strike again.
"What the...hey, give that back!" he said, swaying drunkenly, "this little wretch was trying to steal from me!" I looked down at the boy who shook his head and cringed back against the wall. "He's just a child" I said, but as I looked down at him he gave a shout and I turned back just in time to see the flash of a knife as the drunken soldier lunged at me. There was a searing pain in my side as the knife sliced through my shirt and across my ribs and, with a furious hiss, I took the soldier by the throat and flung him across the alley against the opposite wall. Before he could move, I was on him, my fangs out, tearing into his throat and taking deep gulps of his sour, alcohol laced blood. Within seconds I could feel the slowing of his heart and I dropped his dead body to the ground and looked around.
The little boy was crouched against the opposite wall staring at me, wide-eyed with fright and shock and at that moment I heard a commotion at the end of the alley. Three Chinese soldiers came running towards us and I turned to run, only to find that two more were waiting at the other end of the alley. I was trapped! I stood next to the boy, every muscle tensed to flee as soon as the chance presented itself as the first soldier ran up and began shouting at me. I shook my head and he stopped and stared at me for a moment. Then he spotted the whip lying on the ground at my feet. He gave a shout and drew a long vicious looking sword. I looked up at the rickety balconies two storeys above us, I could jump that high easily. "Time to go" I thought, but before I could move, the boy had grasped my leg and pulled himself upright. He stood between me and the soldier and began talking hurriedly, pointing at the dead man, me and finally himself, evidently trying to explain what had happened. I didn't imagine for a moment that the soldier would take any notice of him but, to my surprise, he crouched down before the boy and began asking questions. Seeing this, the other soldiers visibly relaxed and I began to think I might escape unscathed after all. After a few minutes of explanation the soldier stood up and looked me in the eye. He reached over and tapped me on the chest.
"English?" he asked.
"American." I said with a small smile, wondering if he would understand.
He put his hand on the boy's head and said "Sister, son?" I nodded in understanding, the boy was his nephew. He waved his hand and said something in Chinese and the other soldiers melted away into the darkness. He held out his hand and, after a moment's hesitation, I took it. He tapped himself on the chest and said "Jung Lu!" Guessing that this was his name I did the same and said "William!"
"Thank you, William San!" he said, giving me a little bow. I smiled and he turned and headed back up the alleyway, leading the little boy by the hand. The boy turned back and waved to me, then they were gone.
I leaned against the wall for a moment thinking that perhaps Shanghai might be a little too dangerous even for me. With a short laugh I started to walk back to the Inn.
When I arrived there was no sign of Lorena and so I headed upstairs to our room. She was lying on the bed wearing only a silk petticoat with a satisfied expression on her face and turned to me as I entered.
"Well, we leave for Peking, tomorrow" she said. "The captain of one of the Portuguese traders was only too happy to accommodate me, once I convinced him of the advantages." She smiled and held out her hand to me. "Not that he was able to do much more than whet my appetite" she said, licking her lips "come and sit here my darling and tell me what you've been up to. Have you been making friends?"
"As a matter of fact, I have" I said.
She laughed, "Oh William, you are so cute sometimes! Come here!" she took my arm and pulled me down onto the bed, swinging herself astride me and rubbing her body against mine. I hated the very thought of her but I knew from experience that resistance was useless. She was so much stronger than I was, I stood no chance against her. Nevertheless I did not always give in so tamely, there were times when I struggled to resist her. Then we fought like animals, like the monsters we were and I was ashamed to admit that her brutality aroused me, that I took pleasure in her pain even though I knew it was what she wanted. But now was not the time. I had no wish to have half the Inn come bursting in to rescue her, or me! So I lay back and let her tear open my clothing and rub herself over me until she was satisfied that I was sufficiently aroused and gritted my teeth as she climbed onto me and rode me as though I were her pet stud stallion. Suddenly she leaned forward and slapped me across the face, hard enough to bring tears to my eyes.
"Wake up and participate can't you!" she snapped "or are you completely useless?" I gave a snarl and threw her off me with an effort. She lay back on the bed laughing as I grasped her by the neck and ripped the thin silk petticoat from her body. I knelt over her my erection hard against the cool skin of my belly If this was what she wanted, then I needed relief and I would use her as she used me. This was not love, not even pleasure for me, but I knew that, for the moment at least, it was all I had. I dragged her thighs apart and thrust myself into her, ignoring her cries, concentrating only on my release.
When it was over I got up without a word, pulled on my clothes and went out to the bath house which I had seen next door, her mocking laughter following me down the stairs.
For the next two nights at least I was free of her as she played the role of whore to the Portuguese ship's captain. It was not necessary, of course, but she enjoyed it and I was relieved to be spared her attentions. We landed at the port nearest to Peking and were able to find a small carriage and driver in the town to take us to Lorena's estate which proved to be a sizeable villa set amongst beautifully landscaped gardens and with a long driveway leading up from the road.
We dismounted from the carriage outside the front gate to find a middle aged man waiting for us wearing the elaborate silk robes of a Mandarin. "Welcome back Lorena!" he cried. Come in, come in, make yourselves at home." He shouted something in Chinese and two servants ran out and began to unload our luggage from the carriage. We followed Li Cheng through a beautifully carved gateway into a charming garden courtyard surrounded by a wooden verandah. Directly across from the gateway was a set of steps leading up onto the verandah and to a pair of elaborately carved wooden doors which opened as we walked across the courtyard.
I almost stumbled as I raised my eyes from the lovely flower beds in the courtyard and saw the young woman who had opened the doors. She was one of the most stunningly beautiful women I had ever seen. Slender and pale with an oval face, dark almond shaped eyes and glossy black hair that fell in a curtain down to her waist. She looked down shyly as we passed, not meeting my eyes, which was probably just as well! It was all I could do not to stare at her. I looked up and saw Li Cheng smiling at me. "You approve of my little lotus flower? You must be William, yes?"
"Yes...to both questions" I said with a smile.
"Excellent!" he said. "Then I'm sure you will enjoy your stay here."
He bustled into the large room and chivvied a servant to open the shutters displaying a magnificent view down the hill to the river.
"Please sit down, you must be tired after your journey. If you're hungry I'm sure one of my little flowers will be able to assist you." He smiled at my surprise and clapped his hands. Almost immediately two more lovely young women hurried in and stood watching him intently. "These are Jiao and Li Fei" he said indicating the girls, They will be at your disposal during your stay and will help you with anything you need."
Lorena and I sat down on a long couch and the two girls moved over to a smaller bench at the side of the room and sat down quietly, watching us.
"So," said Lorena briskly "what's going on that I had to come half way around the world to deal with?"
Li Cheng sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. "Nothing too terrible has happened yet" he said, "at least, not so far as we are concerned. The Boxers have confined themselves to attacking foreign missionaries and Chinese Christian converts, but they get bolder every day and I feel that soon all foreigners will become targets. There is talk that they will march on Peking and drive the foreigners from the Legations."
"What do you suggest we should do?" I asked.
"There appear to be two risks to your investment here" said Li Cheng "If the property is known to be owned by a foreigner then there is a risk that it could be attacked and destroyed by the Boxers. However if it is owned by a Chinese, it would be safe from the Boxers, but at risk of being looted and destroyed by the Allied Powers if it comes to war. I would be happy to purchase this property from you Lorena" he smiled "I would give you a good price, despite the situation. I think the risk is less if it belongs to me."
As a soldier myself I was shocked by Li Cheng's statement. "Surely you're not suggesting that the western armies would do such a thing!" I asked.
Lorena and Li Cheng both laughed "Oh William" said Lorena "You're so delightfully naive sometimes. Remind me to take you to see the remains of the Summer Palace, it's not far from here." I must have looked puzzled because Li Cheng began to explain.
"After the Opium Wars, when Lorena was last here the British and French armies were advancing on Peking to enforce the signing of the treaty of Tiensin. In August 1860 the Imperial court requested an armistice for talks and a delegation under Sir Harry Parkes was sent, but they were seized and imprisoned. When it was learned, later, after the defeat of the Imperial Army that half of the delegation had died under torture Lord Elgin, the British High Commissioner, decided that he wanted to do something which would punish the Emperor and his Court but not the ordinary Chinese. He knew that if he levied a huge fine, the court would simply increase the taxes to pay it. So in October 1860 he ordered the burning of the Summer Palace."
I sat and stared at Li Cheng, appalled.
"The gardens and pagodas covered an area 8 miles by 10 and burned for three days" said Lorena with a reminiscent look in her eyes "There was panic everywhere, the hunting was excellent!" she gave a little sigh "Ah well….how do you suggest we go about this?"
"The deeds to the property are lodged at the American Legation in Peking" said Li Cheng "You would need to collect them in person and I can arrange for them to be transferred over to me."
A thought struck me. "Just a moment!" I said "The papers are in your name but signed in 1860?"
"That's right" she answered, a little impatiently.
"But they won't believe that you're the same person surely? Humans may be a little gullible, but they're not that stupid."
Lorena sighed again and looked at Li Cheng with raised eyebrows. "He's very young, and I'm afraid I don't let him out much!" she said with a lascivious smile. She turned to me and explained in a patient tone "I have forged papers identifying me as Lorena Krisyki's granddaughter. Her favourite granddaughter, who was named after her and has inherited all her property."
She stood up "Well, I suppose we should arrange a meeting at the Legation then, will that be difficult?"
"Not at all" said Li Cheng "In fact I have already put the arrangements in place. We can see the American representative tomorrow evening." He smiled blandly at Lorena, who looked slightly annoyed at having her decisions pre-empted in this manner, but she smiled graciously back and said "It's getting late, we should retire for the day."
Li Cheng turned to the two girls, "show William and Lorena to their room would you my dears?"
The two girls Jiao and Li Fei jumped up immediately and came over to us. Jiao smiled at me and took my hand gently.
"Come" she said, pulling my hand.
I nodded to Li Cheng and followed Jiao out of the room and down the corridor outside. She was small and plump with bright green eyes and glossy black hair tied back in two long plaits.
"Do you speak English?" I asked her as we walked ahead of Lorena and Li Fei.
"Little" she said shyly. "Li Cheng teach. Lian better, speak English good."
"Who is Lian?" I asked.
"You see, before" she said "Lotus Blossom!"
I remembered the stunning woman who had opened the doors for us when we arrived.
So, she spoke good English did she. I smiled to myself. I would have to be very careful, I had learned that Lorena hated me to show any interest in other women. It could be very dangerous for poor Lotus if Lorena thought that I was attracted to her. I was woken from my pleasant musing by Jiao stopping in the corridor. She gestured to what appeared to be a small store room just off the kitchens. Lorena and I entered and Li Fei crouched down before an embroidered rug on the floor. She rolled it back to reveal a large trapdoor which she raised and beckoned us forward. I looked down to see a flight of stone steps leading down into a spacious cellar.
Jiao and Li Fei went down the steps ahead of us and Lorena and I followed, coming out into a cool dry area with numerous sacks piled up against the far wall. I saw sacks of rice and onions before I noticed Jiao pointing to a door in the wall to the right. Lorena opened the door to reveal a comfortably appointed room containing a large bed and two couches. There was a thick carpet on the stone floor and various silk hangings around the walls. Two elaborate lamps in the shape of bronze dragons stood on a carved wooden sideboard and shed a soft warm light over the room. In all the place was so charmingly decorated that it took a moment to realise that we were underground and there were no windows.
Jaio and Li Fei bowed deeply and then turned and left, closing the door behind them.
"Who are they exactly?" I asked, puzzled.
"They're some of Li Cheng's concubines" she said, in a matter of fact tone.
I have to admit that I was shocked. "They live here with him? They know what he is?"
"Well of course they do!" she laughed. "He has always lived this way, all wealthy Chinese have a number of concubines."
"But if they know that he is vampire, why don't they run away?" I asked, confused "He seems to have no guards."
"Why would they?" she asked. "He's rich and influential, he takes care of them, feeds them well, they live in a charming house with everything they could possibly want. When they grow too old to interest him he will arrange a good marriage for them. Besides, where would they go? Back to their families? To work themselves to death in the fields?"
"And they keep his existence secret? Surely they could go to the authorities?"
She sat down on the bed and looked up at me. "You don't understand William. This is a different world. Slavery may have been abolished in America, but America is not the whole world, far from it! They belong to him, like his clothes and his furniture and his horses. If they were to run to the authorities they wouldn't be believed, they would just be flogged and brought back. Besides, they like him! They are well treated and all he requires from them is blood and sex!" She smiled at me "Believe me, it's an easier life than most Chinese peasant girls!" She kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bed. "I've had enough of your questions for one night."
I took off my clothes thoughtfully, pulled on a pair of thin silk trousers and lay down on the bed next to her. As the dawn pulled me under all I could see was a pair of dark, almond shaped eyes in a pale, oval face.
I dreamed of her. I dreamed that she was there with me, sitting beside me on the bed. I kissed her gently and pulled her into my arms. I could smell the scent of sandalwood on her skin and hear the rustle of silk as her robe slipped from her shoulders and and pooled on the floor at her feet. She reached forward, placed her hand on my bare shoulder and began to shake me gently.
"William San!" she shook me a little harder, "wake up William San!"
I opened my eyes to see her pale oval face looking down at me, framed with a curtain of glossy black hair.
"You are awake now?" she asked quietly.
"Am I?" I asked. For a moment I wondered if I was still dreaming but she was still fully clothed, so it seemed unlikely. I sat up.
"What are you doing here Lotus?" I asked.
She smiled at me and drew the top of her robe apart, baring her long pale neck and leaned towards me. "Are you hungry William San?" she whispered.
"Are you sure I'm awake?" I asked. I leaned over and nuzzled gently at her throat, she smelled faintly of sandalwood, just as I had imagined. I pulled back and looked at her. "Why would you do this Lotus?" I asked.
She gazed at me innocently. "I want to help you William San" she said, "and in return, I hope you will help me."
"Ah!...I knew there had to be a catch. I sat back and looked into her lovely eyes. "And what exactly would I be expected to do for you?"
"It is nothing, really..." she said, leaning forward and brushing her soft lips against mine. "You go, tomorrow, with Li Cheng to Peking, to the Legation, yes?" I closed my mouth over hers and slipped my hand behind her head, pulling her closer.
"Mmm..." I said softly.
"I want you to persuade him to take me with you, to practice my English!" she murmured.
"Well...I'll try, but I can't guarantee that he will agree."
"Thank you William San," she whispered, and she laid her head back over my arm, her hair flowing down over my hand to brush the bedcovers. I placed my mouth on her throat and kissed her gently, licking the spot where I knew the vein flowed under the porcelain skin. I bit carefully into her flesh, just a nip, enough to break the skin, no more. I placed my mouth over the little wounds and took a mouthful or two of her blood. It tasted rich and sweet and I pulled back with an effort.
She stood up and pulled her robe closed. Giving me another little smile she slipped out of the door like a shadow, leaving me wondering if I had dreamed the whole episode. I ran my tongue over my lips and tasted her sweet blood, no...that had not been a dream. I lay back down and slipped back into the deep sleep.
When I woke the next evening Lorena was already gone. I got up and dressed and hurried up the stairs to the large lounge we had sat in the previous night. Lorena was there with Li Cheng.
"I will accompany you of course" he was saying as I walked in, "we will both need to sign the transfer documents."
I noticed Lotus sitting quietly on a chair by the window and took a deep breath.
"Good evening Li Cheng," I said politely. He gave me a little bow and said We are just waiting for the carriage to be brought round, then we can leave."
"You won't need me for your business will you?" I asked.
"Don't think you're going to stay here!" said Lorena sharply. "I want you where I can keep an eye on you."
"Oh, I have no intention of being left behind I assure you!" I said, equally sharply. "I was just wondering...if Li Cheng will be needed to conduct your business, could someone else accompany me to translate for me? I would like to see something of the city and neither Jiao nor Li Fei's English is really that good...?
Li Cheng turned to Lotus, "You will accompany us Lotus, to translate for Mr Compton."
She stood up gracefully and smiled at me. "Of course, it will be my pleasure!"
Half an hour later we were sitting in the corner of the US Legation, quietly listening to a British Army Officer pacing up and down the office, blustering to an American official about the threat from the Boxers.
"Bad business! delays! no experience! endless talks! can't have it! treacherous! audience tomorrow! Prince Tuan! hope he speaks English!"
"Well that would make one of you" I thought.
After a few more minutes they left and a middle aged man emerged from the inner office and looked around.
"Excuse me, would you be Miss Krisyki?" he asked, smiling down at Lorena.
"That's right, and this is my colleague Li Cheng" She held out her gloved hand and the man shook it gently. "Morrison" he said "Attaché to the American ambassador. Please come this way." He escorted Lorena and Li Cheng into the inner office leaving Lotus and I sitting on the bench.
I turned to her and saw that she was apparently gazing out of the main door into the dusty street outside. On closer inspection I realised that she was looking at a Chinese soldier stationed at the doors to the Legation. A man in a uniform which Li Cheng had described to us as that of a Banner Captain in the Imperial Army. We had passed a number of Imperial soldiers on the way in to Peking. A fact which appeared to worry him considerably.
I watched her for a few moments and noticed that she did not once take her eyes off the Bannerman. I smiled to myself, "practice her English" indeed! I looked up just as the soldier seemed to feel her eyes on him and looked round. His lips curled up in a little smile as he saw her and then he noticed me. His mouth fell open in surprise and I have no doubt that mine did too. He was the soldier I had met in the alley in Shanghai...Jung Lu!
