The Butler did it
Countess Bloodworth moved closer to the body, and then smiled superiorly. “Really, Miss Grimm, such drama, such flare. Have you though of being on the stage? How can you say that is a vampire bite? Have you ever seen one?
Faye looked at her suspiciously. The Countess either didn’t believe her theory or was trying to divert the others. If the Countess last name hadn’t been Bloodworth, Faye might have thought she was the vampire. But no self-respecting vampire would have a name like Bloodworth. It would be a dead giveaway.
“Yes, I have seen a vampire bite before,” Faye replied, her blue eyes flashing. “In Bavaria, where both my sister, Greta, and I have encountered a few. She barely got away with her life as did I.”
Before more heated words could be exchanged, Baroness White gasped, “A vampire! The Marquis of Greenoaks, be damned!”
“Edna!” Baron White said. “That’s no way for a Baroness to speak!”
“Oh, dear, don’t you see,” Baroness White remarked, smiling. “Everyone will want to come to our house parties now. We have a vampire!”
“Oh goody,” Colonel Pepper remarked sarcastically. For once Faye was in complete agreement with the military man.
Several hours later, Faye managed to sneak away from the manor house to hunt the vampire. Now, she was standing in the dank mausoleum with only a candle for light, watching the flickering of the shadows upon the walls. The White’s family crypt was definitely creepy. Still, she had to be here. This had to be the place where the vampire would come home to roost, to hide in one of the family coffins, escaping sunrise.
Suddenly, a slight noise caught her attention. Stake in hand, she turned. Shocked, she gasped, “You?” He couldn’t be the vampire. She had seen Sir Redding in the light of day.
He smiled, his white teeth gleaming. “Expecting someone else?” He stalked closer, his movements smooth and strong. “My, my what an unusual place for an assignation. A mausoleum. I guess you aren’t one for roses and picnics then? Didn’t anyone ever tell you that haunting crypts is for ghosts and other dangerous creatures?”
Faye grimaced, her brow furrowed. “What are you doing here?” Had he followed her here? Did he think she needed help or could it be that he might find her attractive? The novel thought sent pink to her cheeks. He was too handsome for a lady with a limp, a lady who came from a bevy of beautiful sisters and she was the least prettiest of them all.
“I could ask the same of you. But I don’t need to do that, do I?” He asked as he stepped in front of her. “You’re hunting the vampire,” he remarked as he fingered the stake in her hand. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that vampire slaying is deadly.”?
“He’s killed once. He’ll kill again.”
“He?”
“The vampire.”
“You are sure it’s a male?” He smiled wickedly as he asked the question.
“Of course,” Faye said impatiently.
“You’re wrong. Your vampire is Countess Bloodworth.”
“It can’t be her, not with that last name.”
“Hiding in plain sight. She’s genius that way.” Danger radiated from Sir Redding as she looked up at his darkly handsome face.
“How do you know?” Faye asked warily, watching as his gray eyes seemed to deepen and his teeth seemed to glow in the light of the candle. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something was wrong….deadly wrong.
He removed the stake from her suddenly trembling fingers as he leaned closer. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that standing in a crypt in the dead of night with a man might be dangerous?” He laughed, the sound deep and rather wicked. “Especially me.” He tossed the stake aside as he pulled her into his arms. “You came looking for a vampire, but you got so much more.”
She swallowed hard, her heart racing as she watched his jaw elongate and his hair start to pour from his skin. Laughing he threw back his head and howled.
