Chapter 18 – Replaced
~~~~Winter 1883~~~~
Helen laughed at John's story that he was telling to a group of guests.
She hadn't had a Christmas party for a long time and John was being the perfect co-host.
Her skills in psychiatry and medicine had helped him through his rough patch and he was better than ever. He told stories, sang songs, shared in a brandy with James, shook hands with everyone in the room, and even took the time to get her a glass of punch.
Her eyes hadn't left him all evening.
"You've been distracted all evening," said James behind her. "I'm going to assume that a certain friend of ours has captivated your attention."
"Not captivated, I'm just keeping an eye on him, he hasn't had a lot of social interaction since he's been sick," she defended, sipping her punch.
"And you have been watching him like a hawk watches a fish," he laughed.
"Have not!" she crossed her arms.
"It's not my place to say anything, just observing," he gave her a hint of a smile before walking off and joining into another discussion.
"Oh, Helen," came a voice behind her.
"Oh Mrs. Pembroke, how lovely to see you," the woman and old friend of the family, Helen had known her since she was a baby.
"Girl, you call me Nanny, you hear, I'll have none of this formality, not when I changed your diapers as a wee babe," Mrs. Pembroke wagged her finger at Helen.
"Of course," Helen smiled.
"I've been looking around all night but I haven't seen your little foreign friend, Tesla, was that his name? Every Christmas party for the last decade it seems had that young man in attendance," Nanny took Helens hand gently.
"Yes, well, he's somewhere, off on his own," shrugged Helen; Nikola was the last thing she wanted to think about right now.
"Shame, you two were quite the pair, I thought for sure you'd have his ring on your finger by now," Nanny looked at Helen's bare hand.
"We were never like that, Nanny, just friends," Helen sighed.
"You could've fooled me, I've seen man star-crossed lovers in my day, but none as much as you and that man," she let out a small chuckle. "I would so love to see my girl married before they lay me into the ground, you're like a granddaughter to me, Helen."
"And you've been even more to me," Helen looked at the elderly woman tenderly. "But I'm afraid Nikola will not be the one putting rings on this finger, his first love is his inventions."
"Well, there is that other young man whose been waiting on you all evening, Montague Druitt, he's a perfect gentleman, any father would gladly call him son," Nanny smiled sweetly.
"He is, we've been good friends for years, he has many admirable qualities," Helen's eyes trailed to John.
"Oh, I see," said the old woman, quirking her brow slightly before patting Helen's hand and walking away to talk to another guest at the party.
"Keeping up with the daily gossip?" John came up behind her, startling her slightly.
"Oh…uh, no, Mrs. Pembroke and I were just talking, she helped my father raise me, she's a lovely and wonderful woman," Helen smiled slightly.
"I'm sure she is," John said with a small grin.
He looked at some couples dancing and he smiled.
"Care for a dance, Helen?" he gestured to the other couples.
"Aren't you tired, I haven't seen you sit down all night," she teased.
"I can rest later, there are more pressing issues, like I haven't seen you dance all evening, that is much more serious," he grinned wider and took her hand.
"Just one," she sighed putting her glass down and allowing him to lead her in the gentle sway of the music.
She rested her head on his shoulder, letting her eyes slip close.
"It feels like we haven't danced in ages," he said quietly.
"We haven't, you've been sick," she said just as low. "Not like we danced a lot beforehand."
"We've danced a bit," he said softly.
"A few steps, I don't think we've ever had time to do a full dance, I don't think it counts," she muttered.
"Then lets change that," he took her hand and spun her around.
Helen laughed slightly as she twirled around the tall man.
She eventually lost herself, for a moment at least, in the arms of the Montague, finally enjoying herself in a way she hadn't in a long time.
But suddenly she was pulled back to reality by a soft tap on her shoulder.
"Ma'am, there is a gentleman at the door for you," says her butler.
"Who?" she asked.
"He did not say, all he said is that he needed to speak with you immediately, I showed him to the study," said the butler, bowing slightly before returning to his duties.
Helen looked at John.
"I'm sorry, I must see to this," she looked at him with apology.
"Let me come with you," he said.
"No, it would be horrible form if both hosts of this party disappeared, I'll be back," she bowed slightly before exiting the ballroom heading to the study.
She entered the study and saw it was empty, a deep swarm of confusion hitting her.
"I didn't think you'd leave the party," came a familiar voice behind her.
She spun around as he closed the door to the study.
"I was so sure you would make me wait, or turn me away," the familiar grin peeked from under a black fedora.
"You," she gasped out.
"Hello Helen," he stepped closer to her and she brought a hand around fast and a loud smack resounded in the room.
"You bastard!" she cried.
"Lovely to see you too," muttered Nikola, rubbing his sore cheek.
"How dare you show up unannounced like this? After what you've done!" she smacked his chest this time.
"What did I do?" he started to back away from her aggression.
"What did you do? You run away to Budapest not even a goodbye, just a mailing address and a simple sorry! You call me all the way to Paris to show me your invention, refuse to come home, ruin one of my dresses, don't write, not a word in almost over a year, I think you're dead, and then you waltz back in here like you just came back from a nightly stroll, like nothing has changed! You bastard!"
Her hand connected with his face again.
"I did pay for your fare home," he dodged her hand and hid behind the bookcase.
"Why are you here?" she yelled.
"To see you! To give you a proper apology for not writing! Anything as long as it will keep you from hitting me again!"
Helen let out a frustrated screech and chased after him, ready to kick, beat and slap him until he was a pile of black and blue goo on the floor.
"I hate you!" she threw a book at him.
"Helen, if you would let me explain!" he yelped as she tossed another book at his head.
"Explain what? How selfish you've been these last 3 years? How you've abandoned everyone who cares for you to chase some whim? How you haven't written, haven't sent any message of any kind, have missed christmases, birthdays, special events? Did you even stop once to consider how that would make us feel, how that would make me feel?" she threw another book at him.
"I'm back now!" he cried.
She growled and tossed another book.
"Talk now, or leave!" she snarled.
"Fine! I was in Strassbourg and I –"
"Wait, Strassbourg? What about Paris?" she asked.
"I finished my job for them and they stiffed me, so I left, I lost my tail in the process and I've been hiding out in Strassbourg for the last 8 months, there I managed to rebuild my machine, my glorious machine! When I was sure I was not being followed anymore I packed up my invention and made my way back here, knowing that whoever was after me wouldn't be led here! Helen, what you call my selfish actions was only to protect you and your work, your father's work!" he pleaded with her and she lowered the book in her hand.
"What do you mean?" she looked at him cautiously.
"Helen, as much as I am brilliant, those goons didn't show up until I became a vampire, now excuse me in thinking that if a vampire interests these vultures leading them to a treasure trove of abnormals would set their mouths drooling," he stepped to her.
"I knew I had to lose them before coming back to London, Helen, I just didn't think you'd understand," he looked down at his hands.
"How? How could I not?...I was so angry with you Nikola, I hated you, if you would've just been honest with me…"
"I didn't want to worry you, I wanted you to be safe, and knowing you if I was in danger you would try to help," he lifted his eyes.
"You're damn right I would!" she bit at him.
"Forgive me, Helen, but I didn't want you in that kind of position, I got rid of them on my own, I hold no regret for what I've done," he took her hands. "Please don't be angry with me, Helen."
He lightly kissed the tops of her knuckles.
Helen yanked her hands out of his.
"You are far from receiving my forgiveness," Helen said coldly.
"Nikola?" came John's voice.
"Ah, I see the welcome wagon has arrived," said Nikola bitterly.
"Not now, John, please, go back to the party," she looked at him and he nodded.
"Just, call if I can be of any assistance," he bowed his head and went back out the door.
Helen turned her gaze back to Nikola, his face had changed, from his soft gentle features to a sharper tone.
"What is this?" he looked at her like she had betrayed him.
"It's just John, you haven't forgotten, have you," she teased with just as much bitterness.
"Don't give me that, I saw the way you looked at him!" he growled.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" she glared at him.
"Is he the one hat you sit in front of the fire with now? Does he accompany you on walks? Is that it now?" he glared even harder.
"What in heavens do you mean?" she cried.
"You've replaced me!" he looked at the space John had occupied.
"I have not! You are being petty and ridiculous," she was through talking with Nikola so she headed to the door.
"Don't lie to me, Helen!" he was by her in the blink of an eye and her had her pinned to the wall next to the doorframe.
"Is he your best friend now?" Nikola's demeanor shifted again, from the dark betrayal to sad eyes, like a child.
"Of your current actions of late, yes, he is. He has been with me through all of it, everything you put me through he was there! You abandoned all of us, Nikola! Me especially! You were my closest friend for years loner than any of them and you left! Just like that! He stayed, and unlike you, he will always stay!" she pushed him away from her and left the study.
John, who had been waiting outside diligently watched her walk out, noticing how upset she was made his blood boil and he walked in and grabbed the Serbian by the throat.
"What did you say to her?" he growled.
"The affairs between me and Helen are none of you business, Druitt!" spat Nikola, choking slightly at the man's strong grip.
"She doesn't need this from you, Tesla! You should leave now before you cause any more trouble!"
"I won't step a foot unless at Helen's request, this is her home and she has not thrown me out yet!" Nikola kicked the man in the chest and the grip on his throat loosened. "I suggest you get back to your party, it's quite rude for the host to abandon his guests so early in the evening.
Nikola straightened himself, glaring at John bitterly.
"I suggest you run back to Paris, or wherever you came from and you stay away from Helen, old boy," John towered over him menacingly, whispering calmly, enough to want to send shivers up any lesser man's spine.
"Do you intend to you your gift and send me there yourself?" challenged Nikola and John's resolved weakened a fraction. He was trying to use it as little as possible since his illness.
"Stay away, Nikola, you hurt her once before, I won't let you get away with it again," with that John turned on his heel and out of the study to find Helen and return both of them to the party.
Nikola just stood, still as a statue in the study.
Had it been a mistake to return to the people he had abandoned?
Had he truly been replaced?