Chapter 2 – Not So Chance Encounters
Caroline was surprised when she awoke the next morning, Andrew had strictly told her that he would join her in her bed last night. She had fallen asleep while waiting for him but he had never come. She was so happy that he had not come; maybe it meant he was finally willing to listen to her. A sting on her cheek as she smiled reminded her that Andrew did not compromise, he took what he wanted or at least what he thought he wanted.
Caroline swung her legs over the edge of the bed and walked over to her vanity. The mark on her cheek was a light purple shade and was much more prominent than she thought it would be. I must have made him very mad last night, she thought as she ran her fingers over it lightly. That should have made him even more determined to prove himself as a husband, not make him leave me alone, she considered, slipping out of her night dress and pulling on her undergarments.
A light knock on the door informed her of a visitor, "Come in Jane." She called sweetly and smiled at a red haired woman as she entered. She was 5'7, slim, and older than Caroline by nearly 5 years.
"How are you today m'lady?" She asked, not looking Caroline in the eye. Jane had been Caroline's handmaid since her marriage to Andrew began. Seven years together made the mornings and evenings run very smoothly.
"Much better than I expected." Caroline answered, raising her arms as Jane pulled the shift over her head.
"What color do you wish to wear today?" Jane asked, walking over to the large wardrobe.
"Yellow, I am in a good mood today." Caroline answered, a slightly painful smile spread on her face. She turned to look at Jane, who gasped at seeing her cheek, but didn't say a word about it.
"There was an invitation delivered this morning." Jane informed her and took the parchment out of a pocket in her dress.
Caroline opened it happily, the seal was one she knew well, "The Davies are throwing a ball in three days to celebrate the Lady Rebekah's birthday."
"I should get to work on the dress. What color are you thinking?" Jane inquired, pulling a yellow gown from the wardrobe.
"Black, I should keep up the color of mourning in such large events." Caroline answered, she was still in mourning in her heart and didn't wish to give a bad impression to society.
"I will get started immediately." Jane said as she pulled the yellow dress over Caroline's head and started tying up the strings.
Caroline did not respond right away, she was just a rush of different emotions today and could not shake the feeling that something was going to happen, something that would change everything.
Three days later Klaus watched the great double doors to his mansion with impatient eyes. It had been easy to convince his sister and brothers to throw a party, it was nearly Rebekah's birthday after all and she deserved to be shown off. Neither one had even thought of the possibility that this was all to give him a chance to seduce one remarkable woman, Caroline Edwards.
He had a plan and it was one of the most complex things he had ever come up with, and all to be with a woman. With an open invitation to the house, he was not worried about her husband at all, if needed he would simply kill the stupid man. Klaus was actually hoping it would come to that.
His eyes stilled as he heard them announced, "Lord and Lady Andrew Edwards. Lord and Lady William Forbes." His piercing blue orbs found her right away and he marveled at her beauty. Her blond locks were left to freely flow around her shoulders. Her black dress hugged her body in all the right places and the new fashion statement, the corset, only made her body more desirable. The only woman that could hold a candle to her beauty would be his sister and if Caroline had had her resources, Klaus was sure there would have been no competition at all.
She walked with the grace of someone born into money, which she was, but her eyes did not seem as posed as her body. She looked sideways at her husband, as if trying to figure out a riddle, but quickly looked away. A true smile came to her face when she spotted Rebekah walking towards them, which caused Klaus to grow confused. He listened intently to their words as Caroline exacted herself from her husband and parents.
"Caroline, I am so glad you could make it." Rebekah said, leaning in and kissing the girl on both cheeks.
"I could not miss the party of Rebekah Davies, how would I look to society then?" Caroline teased as their arms linked together.
"Oh, I do not think you would care." Rebekah answered, a content smile on her face, and that surprised Klaus even further.
"You are probably right there." Caroline replied as they started walking around the room, actually getting closer to his position on the stairway, "I am sorry I have not been so social as of late."
"After the loss you suffered it is completely understandable my friend." Rebekah assured her, "I was busy as well, there was a party to plan."
Klaus was more confused with each passing sentence. He did not think that Rebekah had any friends, especially not a human one, and they must be at least somewhat close to talk in such a familiar way.
"Yes, stranger still something happened earlier in the week…." She paused and looked around before saying, "But we should not speak of it here, too many ears."
"You are not wrong there." Rebekah agreed and then smirked up at Klaus, who was now only about ten feet away, "Allow me to introduce you to one of them. Lady Caroline Edwards, this is my brother, the Lord Niklaus Davies."
"A pleasure my lord." She said placing her hand in his and giving a perfect curtsy once he had come to join them.
"Oh, I am sure the pleasure is all mine my lady." He greeted, pulling her to her feet and giving a long lingering kiss to the back of her hand. Klaus was pleased to see a slight blush cross her cheeks, but Rebekah rudely interrupted the moment.
"Do not get ahead of yourself Nik, Caroline is a married woman." Rebekah teased and pulled Caroline away, back into the crowd and away from him.
"I do like a challenge dear sister." He said, and he knew from the look she glared at him, that she heard it loud and clear.
Caroline couldn't help glance at the Lord Niklaus every now and then, his eyes seemed to train on her and it was a bit of surprise, no one ever looked at her in such ways.
"Bekah, why does your brother keep watching me? Am I doing something wrong?" She asked her friend, doing her best to avoid going toward the area where her husband was socializing and drinking.
"Just ignore him Care, he likes looking at pretty things. Even ones he knows he can't have." Rebekah said, sending a glare at her brother, a not uncommon occurrence Caroline had noticed.
"Well, thank you for that round about compliment at least." Caroline replied with a laugh, and she finished off her glass, "I am going to get another refreshment, care to join me?"
"I would love to but I think I have to dance with a few of these young men. After all, this party is in my honor." Rebekah said, smirking as she accepted a dance offer from the son of duke.
Caroline had made it about seven feet when a voice behind her said, "May I have this dance?"
She turned around slowly, and said with a smile, "I guess you may my lord."
She placed her hand in his and he spun them onto the dance floor. His hand gracefully fell onto her waist and they moved with prefect unison to the music.
"Are you enjoying the party?" He asked, his voice low but inviting.
"Yes, it is the best I have been to in a long time my lord." Caroline answered, smiling at him as they danced.
"You and my sister seem to be rather close, I wonder why it is I have never heard her mention you before." He said, wondering if she would share with him what he was sure his sister would not.
"That would be a question for your sister." Caroline promptly answered, trying to not let her racing heart take control of her. His eyes were so inviting and the feeling of his hand on her waist was giving her butterflies.
"Do I make you nervous my lady?" He asked, his voice laced with a teasing tone.
"Which answer would please you more my lord? I have noticed your eyes following me all night, and I cannot put my finger on the reason why. I am a married woman and I do not take others into my bed. So if all you wish is to have my body, this dance will be the closest you shall ever come to it." Caroline told him, her voice full of conviction.
"You are a very unexpected, yet intriguing woman Lady Caroline. I can see why my sister wishes to keep you to herself." Klaus responded, and pulled away so he could bow as the song ended.
Caroline curtsied in return and as she stood back up said, "Thank you for the dance my lord. I very much enjoyed it." She winked at him before walking away, she tried to get her breathing under control but all she could think about was his eyes looking into hers.
Late that evening, or early that morning, as the last of the guests were leaving Rebekah stormed up to her brother, "Please do not do what I think you are going to do."
"Do tell me what you think I am planning to do dear sister." Klaus inquired, smirking at her outrage.
"Leave Caroline alone, she is much too sweet to be brought in and destroyed by our way of life." Rebekah explained, "And do not try to deny it, I saw the way you looked at her and danced with her. The latter of which did not go unnoticed by her husband, who is not an understanding man."
"I have already taken action against that fool." Klaus informed her, barely containing his anger, "How is it that you know the Lady Caroline? I have never heard you mention her and you two seemed very close."
"There are some aspects of my life that I wish to keep private from you Nik, and my relationship with Caroline is one of them. She is my dearest friend, the only one I have ever really had in almost three centuries of life. Do not take her away from me to satisfy some selfish need of yours." Rebekah demanded, her voice laced with fear that he would do just that.
"Selfish need of mine? Is not keeping her to yourself also selfish? Why not share sister?" Klaus teased, already knowing the answer.
"We do not share well Nik, neither of us do. I am asking you, please, do not do anything to harm Caroline. She lost a great deal in the plague that raged earlier in the year, she doesn't need any more drama. I want you to promise me that you will not harm her Nik." Rebekah said, half pleading, half demanding.
"I will not hurt your friend Bekah, you have my word." He told her and kissed the top of her head before walking back into the house.
Why would I ever hurt such a stunning creature? Rebekah thinks so little of me at times, and I am sure Elijah and Kol are the same way. He huffed at his thoughts, they always brought about bad moods. He just wanted his family to love him, like he felt he deserved, but that was never going to happen, he could see that now. No, if he wanted a family, he would need to make one, and he a good idea as to where to start.
Klaus knew that what he was doing was completely wrong, he should not be standing over her sleeping form, wishing to wake her and make her his in every sense of the word. He did not think she would approve of his presence though. She had very much enjoyed their dance, he could hear it in her heartbeat and the carefree smile that had graced her face. Her words had been respectful but teasing at the same time. He could tell that she had no desire to disrespect her honor by slipping into bed with him though.
Klaus stilled as she let out a pleased sigh and rolled onto her other side, now facing him and her loose blond hair covering her cheek. He gently pushed it aside, allowing him a full view of peaceful and beautiful features. His curiosity got the best of him, and he slipped inside her dream. He was pleasantly surprised that it was him she was dreaming about, and couldn't help but a change a few of the minor details.
A sharp noise as someone ran into the wall woke him from his trance and reminded him of his true purpose here tonight. A quiet voice followed the sound, "M'lord, please, allow me to assist you to bed." Klaus recognized it as the voice of the butler that opened the door for him a few days earlier.
"I do not need your assist…assist…help George!" Andrew yelled and ran into another object, "Go away!"
Klaus heard the receding footsteps of the butler as Andrew's grew closer and stopped outside the door to Caroline's chambers. A moment passed and Klaus waited on the other side of the door but Andrew's footsteps started again and he heard a door open further down the hall. Klaus smirked as he left Caroline's bedroom and slowly stalked to the door still open from where his prey had entered.
He had it all planned perfectly, an accident would befall Andrew Edwards, named for his father, and a poor excuse of a lord and husband he was. Andrew being drunk did nothing to hinder his plans, in fact, it made it all so much easier. The butler would confirm that Andrew had too much to drink and could not get to his room without running into things. Klaus regretted that he could not just tare Andrew limb from limb but that would not allow his plan to be set in motion.
"Hello Andrew." Klaus said, his voice low and menacing, the smirk still firmly on his lips.
"Lord Niklaus?" Andrew stuttered after a stumbled turn to look at the man that addressed him from the doorway. They had met briefly at the party earlier.
"Nothing personal mate, you just have something I want." Klaus said slowly, closing the door behind him and walking at a steady pace toward Andrew, making sure that his eyes started to take on their true appearance.
"I….you can have it…..whatever it is…just leave." Andrew replied, taking a step back with each word until running into the window frame.
"You do not even care what it is? Take a guess." Klaus commanded, stepping closer with a predatory pace.
"I….my money." He guessed, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
"So very wrong, mate. I want the most beautiful thing you have in your possession, though it is not really yours, as she belongs to herself." Klaus told him, now only a few feet away.
"What?" Andrew asked, his voice suddenly returned at the anger he felt for the woman in question, "You mean my wife? That is what you are after? That pain in my side is worth nothing, certainty not this amount of trouble at least." Andrew stumbled again and then said, "I remember you from the ball, my lord. You were getting much too friendly with her."
"You should be much more appreciative of what you have, I know I will be when she is mine." Klaus informed him and was now only a few inches away, his teeth itching to destroy the man's neck.
Andrew's blood was pumping so gloriously beneath the surface and he dug his teeth in, enjoying the feel of the blood as it flowed into his mouth. He drank until he could feel Andrew's pulse weaken and the man start to go limp. Klaus pulled away and Andrew slumped to the ground, holding his neck weakly.
"Unfortunately, I cannot just let you bleed to death slowly." Klaus whispered and grabbed Andrew's head forcing him to his feet before thrusting it into the banister on the bed. He allowed Andrew to limply fall to the floor, pleased that he had killed the man. He sighed as he saw the punctures on the side of Andrew's neck but figured no one would notice those or at least no one would question them.
He stopped himself from walking back into Caroline's room, the weakness he felt around her was confusing and at times frustrating. He smirked again at the thought of the dead man a few rooms away and could not wait until the sleeping woman on the other side of the door was sleeping in his bed.
AN: The support I got for this story so far as been amazing! I don't even know how to thank all of you for the kind words, so I posted this earlier than I intended. Thank you!
A special thanks to l2oonie on tumblr for the awesome cover poster for this story. It is truly amazing.
Please continue to review and leave me your thoughts on this story, I accept both the good and the bad. If you have anything you want to see, don't be afraid to tell me.