“I know,” I answered.
His hand stroked my hair, then he cradled my face as he kissed me very lovingly. “The fountain at the hotel at the base of the hill. I will be there every night at ten o’clock. Come to me when you can. ”
“I will. I promise,” I answered him.
He drew me out of the ivy, and I stood quietly as he arranged my cloak around me. I could not help but smile at him and his very stoic face suddenly smiled back at me.
“Are you truly a priest?” I finally asked.
There was pain in his eyes, and he turned his face away to hide it. “Our past is our past. Let us not speak of it. ”
“Were you?” I persisted.
Ignatius turned toward me. I saw the depth of his despair and it made me cold inside. “The past is best left to the past. ” Taking my hand, he drew me with him down the street to the gate that lead up the drive to my house.
“You know where we live?”
He pointed to the “V” with the red dragon curled around it on the gate. “Dracul. Vlad Dracula. ”
I looked down at my ring and his gaze followed.
“He puts his seal upon all he possesses. ”
“My heart is yours,” I said firmly.
With a smile, Ignatius kissed my knuckles and then released my hand. “And that, dear Glynis, is my salvation in the darkness. ”
And then he was gone.
I pouted a bit, but then I heard the sound of a carriage. I leaped over the gate and fled down the drive to the house. I was a blur of motion. By the time Vlad entered my room, I was in my bath. Magda is required to have a hot bath for me when I return from feeding. I always feel sullied by my victims and feel much better after bathing.
“How was the hunt?” Vlad sat on my bed, regarding me.
“A butcher. Quite disgusting. Oh, yes, and a whore. ”
He sniffed the air. “Ah, yes. ”
I sunk deeper into the bath and tried to look innocent.
“Glynis?”
“Yes?”
“I think we shall stay on here in Buda until we leave for England. ”
“I thought perhaps we would be returning soon to the castle. ”
“There is nothing in the castle for us. We shall stay here. Do you find this acceptable?”
“But the sisters,” I whispered.
Vlad merely shrugged.
“Vlad, the sisters,” I persisted.
“They are of no consequence,” he finally said.
I felt tears in my eyes, hot and heavy.