The minute I met Marcus Merton I knew exactly what he was, and judging by the strength of his hand shake he was aware of me as well. This was a complication I had hoped would not occur; and I hated having an activated werewolf around Caroline and Rebekah. Introductions continued and as soon as Rebekah was introduced to him she gave me an alarmed look and I knew that she could smell him as well. Werewolves had a certain smell; whether it was their blood or their general essence we did not know; but they radiated a woodsy aroma that was hard to ignore. Witches too had their own scent, though much fainter and much more pleasant and a bit spicy; Gloria had been able to mask hers for so long with scented soaps and water. I had managed to avoid him all afternoon, and I had been able to actually enjoy myself in the simple human affair, until the stone hunt.
I had lost sight of Marcus as soon as the hunt started, after having kept a close eye on him through every other activity. I started walking deeper into the forest, careful not to be seen by the scrambling children.
"I wasn't aware that a vampire had taken residence next door" a gravelly voice said a few yards ahead of me as Marcus stepped out from behind a tree
"I wasn't aware there was already a werewolf family in residence" I say calmly, leaning against a tree next to me and crossing my arms. I was not intimidated by this baby wolf, but I was hesitant to provoke him.
"And I'm sure you know how… territorial werewolves can be"
"I was under the impression I was staying on Forbes territory" and he growled slightly.
"Be that as it may vampire, you will keep to that land. I will not tolerate you roaming the grounds around my estate or you and your disgusting vampire friend coming near any members of my family" I had to suppress a chuckle at the thought of him 'allowing' any behavior of mine, but that amusement turned to anger at his description of Rebekah.
"It is quite fortunate that Rebekah, my little sister, did not hear that insult. She can get very violent when she is angry" I said calmly, trying to tamper down my anger at his tone and his words.
"Oh Elijah you make me sound so petty" Rebekah said after she came to a quick stop from running by my side.
"Simply warning the young wolf of your temper sister" I smile, but the warning in my smile was pointed at Rebekah, telling her to behave herself.
"Young wolf? I am 22 years of age and I have been a wolf for over five years now. I know how powerful I am" he warned, and Rebekah couldn't hold in her snort of derision. "You dare to mock me?" he yelled
"Mr. Merton do not make the mistake of assuming that you can overpower us… My sister and I are two of the oldest vampires in history. Originals. Your bite is neither lethal right now nor has the ability to harm us when it is, and your strength is no match for ours." at last that seemed to give him pause
"So you are going to kill me?"
"As much fun as that would be… no dear" Rebekah said with a pout
"What then?"
"This is all very simple Mr. Merton. For as long as my sister and I are in residence at the Forbes estate you will neither reveal our secret nor attack anyone on the premises. In return my sister and I will not reveal your secret and we shall leave you and your family in peace when we depart"
"Why do you want your secret kept so badly anyway? Aren't you compelling the entire family as it is?"
"Not that it is any of your business, but no we are not. Now do we have an agreement?" I said, my tone getting more strained as my annoyance grew.
"Alright yes… yes we have an agreement" he said after a moment of contemplation, and he didn't seem happy about it. I have never understood the werewolf's propensity for violence and conflict.
"Good" I nodded and turned and sped back to the party, collecting a few stones on the way that were deeper into the trees. I saw Caroline flash me a confused face so I knew that my absence had been noticed. I smiled and carried on as if I was looking for more stones.
Throughout the rest of that day I continued to keep an eye on Marcus, but since his lapse in temper after the tug-of-war he had been on his best behavior. I couldn't say the same for myself.
Being alone with Caroline in that bedchamber, thinking about seeing Simon's arms around her earlier during the race, something overtook me. I prided myself on being always in control and poised, but she did something to me, even when she didn't mean to. I seemed to be experiencing a lot of those instances lately… It wasn't like me. I hadn't acted like this since I was human… getting excited over the thought of seeing her, thinking about her when she wasn't near, and not being able to stop myself when she was. But it was more than feelings of lust. I hadn't had a friend outside of my siblings in over 100 years, and never one that knew me as she did, or that made me feel the things that she did. And she never ceased to impress me, her kindness and her intelligence, and her surprising bouts of feistiness weren't unwelcome either.
At dinner that night we were joined by the Merton siblings. I found myself sitting on Williams left side with Jasper on my other side. I had no fear of discovery from him, as he wasn't activated yet, and I found him to be excellent company; creative, enthusiastic and sweet and very interested in William and me discussing trade.
"Are you considering trade as a future occupation boy?" William asked after Jasper made a rather intelligent point.
"Yes sir I am. I want to travel the world"
"Oh it is not all fun and games son. Trading is a big responsibility; you are responsible for the ships and the crew that travel those dangerous waters under your orders"
"I know sir. I would want to learn as I went and be part of a trading ship for a few years, earning my keep"
"Oh that sounds so exciting Jasper!" Caroline said as she sat across the table from him
"But don't be absurd brother," Marcus joined in from further down the table where he sat beside Margaret, "there will be no need to work your way up any ranks when uncle and father can buy you your own venture and charter"
"But I would not want to do it like that brother. I would want to know what I am doing and be confident in my decisions"
"We would hire a manager and an adviser of course" Marcus scoffed, taking a gulp of wine
"Where is the adventure in that?" Caroline laughed and smiled at Jasper, two kindred spirits.
"Wealth can open many doors Caroline, as can influence and power. Why should young Jasper need to toil and sweat for things that would take him years to earn when all it would take is his uncles signature to-" Margaret said, tone arrogant, as if it were her own uncle that were a Duke.
"Because it is what he wants-"
"What he wants is irrelevant Caroline. We must do as we are bid" she said primly
"Anyway, Lord William, what exotic products have you brought back lately from your ships travels?" Rebekah said with a smile, a question meant to dissipate the tension at the table. Together William and I did our best to paint lavish pictures and answer all questions and to keep Caroline and Margaret from bickering.
After dinner we bid goodbye to the Merton's, but not before Caroline's mother secured their attendance at a Harvest Ball they were hosting at the end of the month.
"We would be honored to attend Lady Forbes, thank you for your gracious invitation." Marcus simpered as he kissed her hand
"Oh you are quite welcome Marcus. And be sure to tell your parents that they are more than welcome as well." And I paused to listen carefully, having a more experienced werewolf at the estate so close to a full moon would not bode well.
"Unfortunately my father will be at court until November, but I am sure my mother would love to attend"
"Excellent, then we shall see you all then" and then after the final goodbyes they were finally gone. There was a time for conversation and refreshments in the sitting room before, one by one, people drifted up to bed. Cynthia was the first to retire, followed closely by Simon. After another short while Margaret begged off and surprisingly Rebekah was right behind her. I thought it strange that Rebekah would be acting so friendly as the two walked up the stairs together, but my suspicions were confirmed when I heard a slight struggle at the top of the stairs and then heard only one door close.
"You will not scream and you will not make a sound unless I ask you a question, do you understand?" I heard her compelling Margaret. I tensed, I desperately wanted to get upstairs and stop this but William and Caroline and I were in the middle of a conversation.
"I understand" Margaret mumbled in return
"Good… Now, why are you always so mean to Caroline? I thought she was your oldest friend?"
"Caroline is my oldest friend, but she has everything I want"
"Like what?"
"Like a boy that wants to marry her and parents who love her"
"Why is it so important for you to marry someone right away?"
"Because in Italy I was almost ruined by a boy that I thought loved me. He worked under my father and he wanted to advance his station. My parents came back to London with a threat: I need to find a husband before the year is out or I will be locked away in a convent or worse… married to a decrepit old man"
"Oh…", and Rebekah and I were both in shock. Margaret wasn't being mean to Caroline of her own accord- well not entirely, she was doing it because she was scared. Not that it excused her behavior, but it did help to explain it. "Well regardless… You will stop being so nasty to Caroline. She is your friend and you know she would want to help you. And you will know that Caroline has absolutely no interest in Simon Knightsly"
"Caroline is my friend and has no interest in Simon Knightsly"
"Good. Now you will return to your chamber and you will forget that we had this conversation, but you will be kinder to Caroline."
"I will be kinder to Caroline" and then I heard feet shuffling and I assumed Rebekah allowed Margaret to leave. I wanted to be angry with my sister for going against my direct orders, but I couldn't argue with her methods. She didn't maim or kill the girl.
"Elijah?" Caroline asked, and I got the impression she had called me a few times
"Oh I apologize, I fear I may be more tired than I realized" I smiled
"That is alright my boy, you should be off to bed. Tomorrow we will travel down to the docks to talk with the captain before he leaves for Scotland"
"I thought he was going to India?" Caroline asked
"Sweetheart I have many captains in my employment. I recently acquired a new young captain, very promising, and I am sending him to retrieve furs from Scotland as a test of his skills."
"Oh, I see"
"Yes now off to bed. You should retire as well dear, today was a very impressive show of your hostess skills and your mother and I are very proud"
"Oh father, stop it" but she was grinning from ear to ear. I knew that she wanted freedom from her parents and that she wanted adventure, but she was still a young girl that craved her parent's approval.
I wasn't there the next day when Margaret left, but Rebekah told me that she hugged Caroline goodbye, much to everyone's surprise, and Caroline's mother made sure to invite Margaret to the Harvest Ball as well.
"It is shaping up to be quite the entertainment" she snorted as we walked from the gardens back to the estate.
"Speaking of entertainment… Rebekah, you promised me that you would not compel any of them while they were here"
"That is actually not true brother… I promised that I would not compel Simon Knightsly, and I have not. I just- I couldn't take the bickering! And I overheard her badmouthing Caroline to Marcus Merton and one of the Vicar's sons earlier today. What I wanted to do was throttle the little bitch but instead I showed great restraint and I got to the heart of the problem" she said triumphantly
"That you did" I smiled
"You're not mad?" she said, her tone surprised
"No, you did it out of affection for Caroline"
"I have grown to love the little peach" she smiled
"There is a lot to love…" I say quietly and begin to walk in the direction of the study when we walked through the entryway of the house.
"That there is brother" she mumbled as I continue to walk away, I turn back for a moment to see her smiling.