So, fanfiction would not let me post any of my chapters, I don't understand why but I am in the process of figuring out how to get this to work for me. I am so very sorry for the long wait! This might come out a little odd looking because I had to go through a paint doc. To get this to publish...
Chapter 6
Klaus had met the fair countess not more than a fortnight prior but news of the many lined up to get at her hand was quickly becoming more than just a rumor. He watched in secret as she would shut the door on just about any man who called on her, and laughed when she would throw the letters of (presumably) love and adoration into the fire.
It was his turn now, he was getting hungry and the other painted peacocks couldn't sustain his need for something more. He needed to play it safe. There was a lot at risk if he killed her. It was during his musing that he felt a hand grasp his arm lightly.
"If you are going to stand across the street, you might as well come inside. People will talk seeing you standing there in the shade each night."
Caroline pulled him in the direction of the house and then inside the sitting room off the main hall. Her smile was politely hiding behind her hand, but the mirth in her eyes was unavoidable.
"May I ask what was the reason for the nightly visits to such a lovely side street sir?" Caroline was doing everything she could to remain calm and composed, she could see the shock on his face for so outright the mockery she was instilling upon him.
"Excuse me countess, but is it not a sign of vulgarity the way you go about, making fun and laughing at a man with whom you are not well acquainted?"
At this Caroline went solemn, everything about her became rigid and on guard. This was indeed her greatest weakness, her outright vocalization on how she felt in that moment had indeed gotten her into quite a bit of mischief and trouble in the past.
"You will forgive me my lord, nothing was meant by it and" She stopped, the man was smiling! What a small and insignificant change to his face it was but seeing that she had known him for a little and had such fun with him at the party not long before, it was a telling sign.
"You! Oh, you actually had me worried that I had somehow caused offense! That is a cruel trick you played sir."
"Lady Forbes, I am offended. The fact that you were spying upon my person while I was upon your suitors is something I did not expect to happen. I did congratulate myself a fair amount of times for the outstanding use of shadows and corners in my ability. Yet here you are sitting before me, a laugh in your voice for the reason of knowing where I have been all this time. I think it is you who is playing at some foul trick."
The bell was rung and tea was delivered to the sitting room along with light snacks and delicate cakes.
"I do hope that I will not have the discomfort of having to throw you out of my house tonight."
"Do not forget the slamming of the door as well." Klaus quipped.
"Ah yes how could I forget my favorite part. But in all seriousness now, am I to have to listen to another ridiculous proposal of love and what you could do for me to make me happy. I am a little tired of it all, the ingenuity is becoming a bit lax."
"A proposal was not in my plans for tonight but I can rearrange my schedule and create something to amaze." Taking the offered tea cup from her and adding in some cream he proceeded to take a few of the snacks and wait for her smile to calm a bit before continuing. Clearing his throat, he started again.
"My dearest Caroline, I have come to you with the sole purpose of making you my wife, once we are married you will not have to do anything but bear children and stay at home doing absolutely nothing with your life. You will do everything that I require from you and all of your fortune will no longer be in your control, all in all you will be nothing but a slave to my every whim. Please inform me of the date that we can announce ourselves."
Klaus's face was completely blank through the whole of the speech, nothing was to be given away at how much fun it was to finally meet a person whose idea of entertainment was so closely related to his own sense of morbid and uncouth word play. He watched her face as it went from amusement to a withering glare and felt all the better for it.
"Your humor is something of legend sir, I wish to write down that little speech to put it into a book for publish. Maybe I will call it the unknown truth of marriage for the young female."
"I do believe that there are few who would find that to be as amusing as we seem to find it."
Klaus stayed until all the tea was drunk and the food was eaten. It was hours until the clock struck that the morning had in fact begun and the new day started. Caroline bid him a good morning and decided it was far past time for her to get some sleep. Leaving a lunch invitation open for him if he would like to call upon her tomorrow.
"I will accept your invitation; would you like to take a picnic in the lake district? The weather has been such a way that I feel it would be most enjoyable."
Caroline thought for only a moment and eagerly accepted his plans for later in the day. For now, she told him once again her need for sleep, else she slumber where she stood. And what a sight that would make for the neighbors to gossip about.
"Till later then love, may you have a restful peace."
Klaus slipped away from the home and quietly moved to the tree next to the servant's quarters. He waited for all noise in the house to cease before climbing up the tree to get to the second floor. The window was open to allow the cool night air to make its way into the warm house bringing relief to the persons sleeping.
He moved gracefully, sliding in from the outside tree he stalked like a panther down the hall awaiting its prey. Finally, he found her room. A candle was still lit on the far corner table away from the bed. Each wall was covered in framed paintings, and photos. Two large wardrobes flanked the main doors, a standing mirror not too far away from the vanity station stood to the right of the bed along with the changing screen. The balcony door was open and the curtains fluttered minutely each time a small breeze moved into the room.
Her bed was facing the balcony, allowing for the view of the land to be seen when sitting up. Klaus crept to the side of her bed, minding the small table next to it. He had blown out the candle on the way to stop any fire that might have been and to create more darkness to reside inside.
Klaus was now standing over her lithe frame. He was ready to dispose of her but hesitated, why did he allow himself the time to think of her before this. It was his plan to make her his next meal.
It was the plan to make it so he could gain access to her home by getting her to give him permission inside. It was time, he was hungry and she was perfect…she was perfect, the one thing that he had been waiting for in a woman was right in front of him.
Caroline was something he had never found before sure, he met a fair number of women who could give him a few witty remarks, but they soon lost the ability too quickly. And there were still more who could laugh at his dark humor and find some entertainment from it, however, like all the others, they too did not completely understand him or his mind.
Then there was Caroline. Countess Forbes of Avignon. What a title, what a name, what a woman. Not only did she delivery a witty remark, she also had the intelligence to add more to the conversation, telling you in no uncertain terms how she felt on matters that men would ignore a woman's opinion of. Her amusement at his humor was not only taken but she bubbled with laughter and was able to send him into fits with her own.
So now he just stood there hovering above her bed and not knowing what to do in a situation as this, it had never occurred to him that he could feel such human emotions any more. What was he to do? Klaus was always one to boast at his inability to be so nonsensical when it came to the need for company in his eternal life, he had his family and that was all that mattered. He watched as his brethren change the ones they loved only for a century later to leave them and move onto the next soul who showed a small fancy.
Caroline was something that would take further involvement before he could come up with an answer as to what his next move was going to be.
"Good night sweet girl, know that you are safe from me for now. I will not harm a hair on that beautiful head of yours until your charms no have a hold on me."
Caroline rolled over in the bed, exposing the soft skin of her thigh where the nightgown rode up. He moved his knuckles softly over the skin there before rearranging her night clothes back into place, then the light cotton sheet. He left the room once more and back out the window and down the tree. He was in need of some sleep and had a long day ahead of him to understand the girls character, was it also going to fall apart like all the rest? Or is she truly the diamond amongst the coal of her peers?
It was midafternoon by the time Klaus came back to the house he had left not hours before, a large basket in hand. The door was opened for him by a young woman he had seen briefly the previous night.
"I was looking for your mistress. I have come to collect her; would you mind letter her know the lord Michaelson is here?"
The young woman smiled and ushered him into the hallway to sit and wait for the lady to finish getting dressed.
"Pray, young girl, what is your name?"
She smiled and curtsied for him "Bonnie my lord."
"Bonnie, what a lovely name. Thank you"
Bonnie curtseyed again. Her short mousey brown hair bobbed a little while doing so, she was a very short girl, abnormally so. Her face showed a woman in her twenties while her body was that of a teen. The two were forced into conversation while waiting for the lady to be finished and come down the stairs. Klaus found her speech patterns to be clashing between one of an uneducated girl to that of a noble in high society. It was not an annoying feature, but instead seemed to add to her quirks, a hidden intelligence was peeking out the longer they sat.
"I am sorry to make you wait such a time my lord Michaelson, I do hope you and my dear Bonnie were able to be kept in entertainment."
"Countess Forbes, I assure you that I have not been waiting long. Your handmaiden was all loveliness in her ability to keep me informed of the latest. May I say before too long a pause how handsome you look today in that dress."
It was true, Countess Forbes came down the grand staircase wrapped in the most decadent silks in varying colors of blue, her long curled blonde hair was intricately placed on top her head, while a few traitorous curls fell around framing her face, which had a beaming smile placed upon it.
Klaus appraised her once more with his eyes, and offered to hold the door for her. She was just about to step out when she heard Bonnie calling for her hasty return.
"Your wine my lady! I had forgotten in all the conversation that was had to bring you your wine."
Bonnie came rushing out with a large bottle of red wine, handing it to Lord Michaelson to add to the bag he brought, along with two glasses. She bowed to them both and continued to offer her apologies on her forgetfulness and how she always seemed to cause the lady such embarrassment, why she kept her around was a mystery and that the two should enjoy the day, it looked like it will be constant with how the previous week had been. All of this was said in such a pace that made it difficult for even Klaus to follow. Caroline seemed to have an abundance of patience for the woman and knew to wait for the talking to be over before she said a quick.
"Bonnie do not concern yourself on such matters, it all but escaped my mind as well. You are a lovely companion and could not find another to replace you. You are your own person who has faults like the rest of us. I am forever indebted to you for your friendship and compassion."
A slight hug was given and Bonnie seemed back to her own self. The two of them continued to walk for some time, Caroline always asking on whether or not the bag was too heavy and if she could help him, while he merely laughed at the idea that something like this could be too heavy for him to handle.
They finally got to the lake after a few hours walking and decided on a plot of grass where they would hold their small lunch date. Many other people seemed to have thought the same as them, for couples and parties were scattered around the grounds, some even taking a swim in the refreshing waters of the lake.
Klaus had found a place shaded by a large oak tree off to the side where the merriment could be seen and heard but not close enough to intrude on their privacy. The two ate and talked for hours, it seemed as if they were in their own world. The more they got to know each other without the prying eyes of all walks of society on them, they could relax and enjoy each other with earnest. It became far harder for him to think about killing her, instead he was plotting ideas on how to keep her to himself. Not out of some ridiculous notion of love, but instead out of the need for a companion whose ideals and liveliness could match his own.
It was late in the evening before either of then saw fit for them to leave the company of the other, the day was far too great and the forlorn expression upon her face told him that his company was enjoyed just as much as hers.
The walk back to the Countess' home was drawn out as much as possible. Due to the darkness that came from the lateness of the time Caroline began to lean on Klaus heavily. She was constantly stumbling, each time cursing softy under her breath, each time while Klaus would laugh and blame the four glasses of wine she had consumed that day, and she would be quick to offer a sarcastic quip back to him about his rudeness in mocking her.
"I am not a drunkard sir Michaelson."
"Klaus, please. We are far too well acquainted to be relying on such social mannerisms as that, Caroline."
Caroline went to swat his chest but instead of her hand landing on the solid form of him, she was met with air, losing her balance from the projected target being gone she tumbled into a bed of flowers on the side of the road.
"My dear Caroline, you seem to have ruined a perfectly lovely bed of petunias" He laughed.
"Compose yourself and help me up!" she scolded, her anger never once meeting her eyes and Klaus knew she was not actually angry with him for his jubilance in her struggle.
"Lovely Petunia, allow me to hold you on my arm the rest of the way back to Filgrone Park in order to keep you from making any more attempts at the murder of other such flowers and your own safety."
"What did you just call me?"
"Do not bother yourself with it." He dismissed.
Klaus wrapped her arm around his own and proceeded to walk down the lane. Another hour later found the couple standing just outside the gardens of the estate. The lamp post outside cast a yellow hue upon anything and everything in its vicinity. Caroline's platinum hair turned a light shade of burnt gold while Klaus's shown the red that highlighted when in the sun.
"I thank you for taking me out today and giving me such a diverting time. I do appreciate your friendship."
"It was a wonderful thing to pass a day in constant pleasure. Allow me to ask to call on you again in the future for another day trip."
Caroline ensured him that any time he would wish to call on her would be warmly welcomed and awaited. They said their goodbye's once more, each giving another pleasantry and ending with the hint of a kiss upon her hand. Bonnie had waited for Caroline to get back with a snack of fruits, cheese, and cold meats.
"I take it that your day went well? I did not expect you to be gone till such a time of night, you had me in a fit state a worry."
"Yes, it was a wonderful day. Oh, Bonnie how we talked! There was so much to say, we laughed and were perfectly happy. Until the evening."
The look on Caroline's face was an odd mixture of embarrassment and mirth.
"It was becoming so dark that I could scarcely see the road in front of me. I ended up lying in a bed of petunia's! I was in such a state of embarrassment!"
At the end of the story Bonnie was in such a fit of hysterics she was finding it incredibly difficult to take air into her aching lungs, her eyes tearing up with the exertion from all the laughing she was doing.
"You are going to wake the house with all that noise!" Caroline hissed, she was mortified by the incident and her flamed cheeks continued to get redder each time Bonnie gasped.
Thank you all for your patience. Finals are over and I am back to writing! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did, I think the sass that Caroline has is starting to really show. As always reviews are appreciated but not forced. Have a wonderful week!
Evander
