Disclaimer: I only own Dawn Hollytree.
Chapter 1
A scream rang out through the city. Everyone pricked up their ears and looked. One woman miles away set down her book and looked out of the window. She saw the night, but nothing else. She sighed in frustration it had struck again. She knew its aura; God only knew how they were going to defeat it. The woman picked up her books and began to read again, although her mind wandered elsewhere, and she seemingly never turned a page. Eventually the idea hit her, and she stood, snapping the book shut a small triumphant smile on her face.
"God will provide the answers." She said, taking a pen and paper before beginning to write.
A few weeks later the monk, sorry Friar Carl was searching out his old friend Van Helsing. In his hand he had a letter, a very important one at that, and it was imperative. The letter had come from one of the most important men in all England, and it was involving a problem that had only just reached the ears of the Vatican, and it worried them. There were cries that this was another Ripper case, but others knew better.
"Van Helsing, Van Helsing." Carl cried as he spotted his friend.
"What is it now?" Van Helsing grumbled.
"Well you know you haven't been anywhere since Transylvania, and the others say that you have to do this." Carl panted.
"Carl, cut to the chase." Came Van Helsing's grumpy reply.
"Well they want you and I to go to London to investigate the new murders, and one of the most imminent Lords of England, or rather his daughter now he's gone, will provide for our stay." Carl managed to get out.
"Gone?" Van Helsing asked.
"It says here he was killed whilst trying to discover what did this." Carl read.
"They know its not a who." Van Helsing stated.
"Yes well, it has been said that this lady has…unusual powers." Carl stepped around delicately.
"Well this should make for more fun, Carl; I'll need you with me for research." Van Helsing called back.
A few weeks later saw two men walking horses up a gravel driveway. They had been admitted, after much sniffing and being looked down by some valet or other. In the end it took the letter from the lady herself to admit them, although there was still a little unease on the part of the valet. The horses were soon taken away to be stabled, and Van Helsing walked up to the front door of the fine mansion. Carl was a little overawed by it, having never been in one before, but he coped well.
"Gentlemen, if you would wait but a moment, the lady will be down…" Yet another Valet began, before Van Helsing pushed past him.
"Van Helsing, if you would be so kind as to wipe your feet, my housekeeper will not appreciate you tracking mud onto her nice clean carpets." A ghostly female voice came wafting through the house, before adding, "Gentleman welcome to my home, Manfred if you would take them through to the library, and tell Mary that I am to breakfast there today."
"Gentlemen, follow me please." The valet indicated that Van Helsing and Carl follow him.
The two were conducted in to the library, which Carl was obviously awed at. It was a large room, filled with tomes, and ladders were scattered all over the rooms. There was a single desk, but plenty of chairs, and the valet pulled up two chairs to the desk, bidding the gentlemen to sit. Everything in this room was in deep reds or mahogany wood. Carl got up to look around the library, and wasn't even disturbed when a maid brought in a tray full of fruit and toast and other delights. Hidden occasionally by the bookshelves would be a small iron brazier, with new electric lights fitted for light.
"I am sorry that I could not come down to meet you gentlemen." The same female voice from earlier startled Carl into dropping the book he was holding.
A lady had entered the library, and there seemed to be nothing unusual about her. She wasn't petite, but neither was she tall. She had a willowy figure, and a graceful way of walking. Her dress was of black and white vertical stripes, with a black underskirt. The neckline was square, edged with lace, and showed off just the suggestion of a chest. The sleeves ended three quarters of the way down her arm, and were edged in the same black lace as the neckline and the bodice, which fell to a point over the underskirt. Her deep red hair had been piled on her head in a fashionable bun, with curls escaping to fall around her face. Around her neck was a single tear shaped diamond pendant, hung in silver.
"I'm so sorry, Lady Dawn." Carl stammered, trying to pick up the book.
"I don't mind. You can read that later if you want, indeed, my father's library is quite open to you." Dawn smiled as she seated herself behind the desk.
"I must ask for more details, since you have brought us this far with only rumours." Van Helsing spoke from his chair.
"Indeed, although I suppose you've already heard those rumours." Dawn poured herself a steaming drink, "Tea, coffee or hot chocolate?" Dawn asked Carl and Van Helsing.
"Coffee." Dawn nodded at Van Helsing.
"Carl?" She asked.
"Could I try just a small drop of hot chocolate?" Carl asked.
"Of course, being a friar you mustn't have tried it before no?" Dawn asked as she poured another drink.
"Thank you." Both Carl and Van Helsing said as they took the cups offered to them.
"You'll have to excuse me as I haven't yet eaten, but I can still discuss business." Dawn took a red apple and a knife from the tray.
"So why are we here?" Van Helsing asked.
"You no doubt have heard of the murders that have been going on recently." Dawn spoke to Van Helsing, before she turned to see Carl eyeing the breakfast tray, "Help yourself, you too." She added to Van Helsing.
"And these murders had your father worried why?" Van Helsing asked.
"Because they resembled Jack the Rippers, although after it disembodied the people it ate their innards." Dawn added, making Carl place the piece of toast he was eating down.
"So, why all the worry, find the monster, kill it." Van Helsing stated.
"Its not that simple, this monster as you put it has been summoned, my father has a book on it in the library here, I remember reading it as a child. If you know what we are dealing with Van Helsing, then by all means go out and deal with it." Dawn looked directly at Van Helsing, a challenge in her eyes.
"But why haven't you dealt with it, it's your family's problem?" Carl prompted, making Van Helsing spin in confusion.
"My family have had, unusual powers for generations, our servants also have these powers, or resilience to them. My family have used these powers to protect the people of the world for generations, so we must be able to move around the world at will. Hence the great land ownership and power amongst myself and my relatives. But my family work behind the scenes very much, and this is in the limelight, and I do not wish to step forward to be pronounced as a heretic. God gave these powers to my ancestors the power to protect his people, which is what we do daily." Dawn explained.
"So you brought in someone would could deal with the public?" Carl asked.
"Yes, and to ask for your help, my uncles are all abroad sorting out problems, and they cannot come home yet." Dawn added.
"So you live in England all the time then, to protect?" Carl asked.
"Good heavens, no!" Dawn exclaimed, "There is a whole world full of people unable to protect themselves, so my family must protect them." She added slightly more quietly.
"It sounds like a curse." Van Helsing stated.
"Is not your life a curse Van Helsing?" Dawn asked bitterly.
After that silence descended over the dining room, as Dawn carried on eating his breakfast, and Carl joined her, having found his appetite again. Everyone was lost in his or her own thoughts. Dawn was wondering if perhaps she had done the right thing in asking for help. Her family were proud, and would hate to admit if they made a mistake. She just hoped her uncles had known what they were doing when they said that Van Helsing would help. They had fought with him years before, they said, and they said that he was good.
"Please miss, the morning post's come." A maid came in.
"Thank you, please can you bring it up?" Dawn asked.
The maid curtsied and left and soon came back with a small pile of letter for Dawn. She shuffled through them, and smiled when she found the one she wanted, throwing the rest down on the table to wait for later. She flipped it over to see her family's Italian crest. She had written to him saying she had taken his advice in soliciting the help of the infamous Van Helsing. She opened it to look on her dear uncle's hand.
My dearest niece,
I am so glad you solicited the help of Van Helsing. I hope he came with his friar friend, who is invaluable when one wants research done, and he will no doubt be enamoured by your father's impressive collection of books.
That is not what I must warn you. I know you have always been headstrong, but perhaps being left alone in the house with two men and only servants to accompany you will spoil your reputation. As a result I am sending down your cousin. And my last warning dear, is be careful of Van Helsing. He has a tendency to deal with things that are not totally on the right side of the law.
Your caring Uncle
Arthur
Dawn sighed as she read the part about her cousin. Her cousin who was coming, Cordelia she guessed, was a tiresome thing, who didn't worry one jot about her heritage; she just worried about all the things which normal girls worried about. Dawn being her father's only heir had to learn about her heritage and power, and learn how to use and control them. Her cousin would not wish for her to do any kind of investigative work, she would want to talk and go about town, which Dawn knew would cost lives.
"You seem slightly put out by the post this morning Miss." The housekeeper was dealing with the breakfast tray.
"Yes, read this." Dawn handed the letter over.
"Well that is good news, you haven't seen hide nor hair of your family since your father's funeral, God bless his soul. And you haven't helped, turning into a recluse. Now what with these sirs and your cousin we shall have a right lively house." The housekeeper chattered, ignoring Dawn's look of annoyance.
"That will be all." Dawn growled waving her hand dismissing the servant without a backwards glance.
"Cousin?" Van Helsing asked amused.
"My uncle thinks my having you here is compromising my reputation." Dawn answered delicately.
"Carl isn't." Van Helsing nodded to the friar.
"I know Carl isn't, Carl's a friar." Dawn agreed.
"How did you know I was a friar?" Carl asked.
"My uncle mentioned it in his letter." Dawn nodded, "Now if you will excuse me gentlemen we have work to do." Dawn stood.
"We have work?" Van Helsing asked.
"Of course, now you Van Helsing, shall go and enquire about the latest murders, and get the case files my father ordered, along with the new ones, this note will allow you to get copies of them, although we shall have to wait a few days for the copies to be made." Van Helsing nodded and walked off.
"What about us?" Carl asked.
"We are going looking for books." Dawn smiled friendly, indicating the library.
Author's note: Here we are, just some random idea I had, hope you all like it. I don't know if its going to be a romance, you can review me with your ideas if you want, I don't mind. I would also appreciate reviews as to whether or not you think this idea would work as a series of a few stories.