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Chapter 13
Carl had been invited into the mansion after he had lay huddled on the steps apparently too frightened to move when he heard the explosions of Marian's spells from within the house. When Marian had greeted him with a polite air at the doorway Carl looked as though he was being asked for tea and biscuits with a dragon. It had took a lot of convincing on Van Helsing's part to bring the young friar into the house where he was at last free of the horrendous storm. Carl stood in a shivering lump in the entrance handle, forming a puddle beneath his drenched form. Marian, now apparently not in the mood to blast the pair into oblivion had kindly directed Carl to one of the bathrooms (one that was recently used, apparently the others had turned grimy and rusty,) and suggested he take a warm bath to warm himself up.
Whilst Carl was busy, Van Helsing and Marian walked through the dimly lit corridors of the mansion, a vague tour of her rundown home.
"This place used to be beautiful," she said sadly to Van Helsing as she paused against a dusty looking mirror that was cracked down the centre. She slowly ran her finger down the split, which distorted her reflection into two halves, "But because of the rumors about this place, no one wanted to work here to help it remain in good condition, so I had to try and keep it running myself. The only parts that haven't fallen into ruin are the rooms I use frequently. This area is just desolate.." she slowly gestured across the dusty corridor.
Cobwebs hung mysteriously off the lit lamps and fluttered gently as if in passing breeze. All the priceless ornaments and paintings that filled the corridor had fallen in disrepair and were coated with the fallen dust of many years. Van Helsing slowly led his eyes across the sorry sight, slowly looking up to see a portrait on the wall masked by a thick sheet of cobwebs. A small space left enough to see the tender brown eyes of the figure in the painting. A jarring sensation clenched his stomach as his eyes froze on the small exposed artwork. He recognized those eyes..
But his attention was caught when he heard Marian give a faint, "Oh!" of surprise. He quickly looked round at her, and saw her staring off down the corridor. Tentatively his gaze followed her and he made a sudden step backwards at the sight he saw. A tall pearly white figure was watching him morosely from the end of the corridor. It was clearly a woman, but she couldn't be real. He could see the window behind her through her abdomen! She was dressed in clothes seemingly from the 17th century. A long velvet gown, as white and a ghostly looking as the rest of her hung down to the floor and puffed out with it's design. Small narrow waist was fastened up in a tight fitting corset that was tipped with a neat square neckline. Her hands were clasped elegantly in front of her as she surveyed Van Helsing with a small interest.
"Am I seein' things?" whispered Van Helsing quietly to Marian.
Marian looked round at him and gave a gentle chuckle, "No.. meet my only other resident, other than spiders. Countess Jocelyn Dracula. My great great great grandmother."
Van Helsing quickly looked at the ghost in clear surprise, "Dracula? The son of the Devil - Dracula?"
"What else!" howled Jocelyn tearfully, "My husband is indeed the infamous Count Dracula, the one terrorizing Europe and beyond!"
"It's a touchy subject," murmured Marian unnecessarily, for tears had started trickling down Jocelyn's pale semi-transparent face as she wailed in anguish. "Come, it is better to leave her be." She took a firm hold on Van Helsing's upper arm and led him swiftly out of the corridor as Jocelyn morosely glided away through the walls, still weeping sorrowfully.
As they were walking, once out of earshot of the ghost, Van Helsing looked cautiously down at Marian, "She was married to Count Dracula?"
"Count Dracula the human, not after he was murdered and became a vampire."
"But.. why is she a ghost? How come she hasn't passed on into the afterlife?"
Marian issued a slow shrug as she walked, "I don't know really. From what she's said, she was really distraught after Vladius Dracula was killed and it didn't help that their daughter, Emmeline, had already run away from their home after something bad happened. I don't know what though, she's never told me."
Marian had come to a halt in one of the fresher corridors of the mansion. With its lit lamps and clean area, it was apparent this was the part of the building she lived in. Van Helsing paused alongside her, clearly in thought. "Wait a minute, if she is your great – "
"Great great great grandmother, yes."
".. then doesn't that make you a descendant of Vladius Dracula?"
Marian couldn't help but roll her eyes slowly, "Oh, glad you could catch on there, Mr. Van Helsing."
For the first time, Van Helsing actually felt a pang of guilt about his murder of the notorious vampire, "I killed him," he said quietly as he looked at her face concernedly, "It was one of my jobs.. just like I was told to kill you."
But Marian just leant against the wall slowly and shrugged her shoulders slowly, "I really don't care that he's gone for good," she said. "He died a long time ago and should have stayed dead. The creature that was fighting in Transylvania was no ancestor of mine. He was evil through and through. That was not the real Vladius. I still don't understand how the Dracula family got so caught up in troubles, though. They were really respected here. I don't know what made their daughter run away, I don't know who murdered Vladius and I still don't know what he did that made him want to be resurrected as something so unholy."
"Apparently he made some sort of deal with the Devil," said Van Helsing quietly, "To be cursed as a vampire in exchange for an immortal life as a winged beast."
"But one of the things I have never known.. is why he wanted to do that? Why was he so desperate to become immortal? It can't have been for Jocelyn, because she died soon after his death, and their daughter wanted nothing more to do with her parents. He had nothing on Earth to come back for. But there must have been something he wanted to desperately.." But Marian sighed quietly and shook her head, "But that was hundreds of years ago. We've got troubles of our own now. We need to see what's happening in the woods."
"We?"
"Well.." said Marian with a crooked smile, "You need my help, don't you?" She slowly leant round him and turned the doorknob of the door besides them, "So, I assume you'll be sticking around for a while.. Mr. Van Helsing." The door was slowly pushed open and a bedroom came into view. Van Helsing slowly turned his gaze from it and at Marian, who was walking down the corridor and away.
"And my cure?"
"Well, we need to find the gypsies for that.."
There was no doubt that being in a manor had it's advantages. Once undressed, Van Helsing's place of sleep was nothing but a fine four-poster bed of a most luxurious material. Large and soft, Van Helsing was practically asleep before his head had hit the pillow. Unfortunately, sleep was never all that pleasant for Van Helsing, for nightmares usually plagued his slumber. However, tonight, his dreams were taking a different turn..
It was a bright warm day and the crowded streets of London bustled with early morning activity. Van Helsing meandered his way through the busy crowds, a scroll clasped in a sweaty blackened hand. As he fought his way through the passerby's, someone else was doing just the same and he felt a sudden collision that caused whoever he had bumped into to fall over. He saw a flash of petticoats as a young woman collapsed backwards onto the cobbles with an alarmed cry. Van Helsing yanked out his hands to grab hers and stop her hitting the dirty road in time. As he pulled the woman upright he quickly stared at her.
"Miss Dracula!"
The woman looked up at him slowly, blinking in surprise before she gave a slow smile that caused her soft brown eyes to sparkle, "Gabriel, where are you off to in a hurry?" She gently straightened herself, standing elegantly in a long attractive dress with a hat tied by ribbon below her chin. Her dark hair was set in elaborate curls against the back of her head and her hands were tipped in pristine white gloves.
Van Helsing uselessly brushed at his dirty work clothes, which were torn and burnt in several places due to his profession. "Count Dracula has expressed wishes for a sword, my lady. My boss has sent me there now to see him."
"Oh, father will be pleased about the quick response."
"But, Miss Dracula, why are you out so early.. and by yourself?" Van Helsing suddenly stopped and bowed his head, "Apologies for my questions, Miss Dracula."
But she merely smiled and shook her head, "I was coming to see you actually."
He looked surprised, "See me?"
"Well, one must have some sort of social life, Gabriel."
Van Helsing suppressed a laugh, "The daughter of a Count having a social life with a mere Blacksmith."
"Whilst my father uses his superiority at every possible moment, I do not."
"Of course not, Miss Dracula."
"And do stop with the formalities. Just call me Emmeline."
"If you say so, miss."
Emmeline smiled gently as she nodded her head at him, "Well, I better not keep you from my father any longer. Come, I'll walk to the manor with you."
Van Helsing couldn't help but smile at her words and he nodded quickly in response, "Of course," he answered quietly, quickly moving alongside her as the pair set off through the street together.
Please review the chapter! Quite a lot of story plot revealed here. Hope it has got you thinking!
