Bonner: The Loner

The direct continuation of The Prodigy

By Atonia Walpole

(Picture creations also by Atonia)

Chapter 1

The door unlocked easily at his touch and he silently closed it behind him. They were all gone now but some essence still remained. Stephen Bonner walked into the drawing room and moved to the piano. He laid his hand on the lid which was closed, closed on the music that had filled the room. A candle stub still remained in a silver holder. He blew on it lightly and a flame came to life.

He looked into the flame for a moment then turned toward the hallway. Up the stairs he went, making not a sound on the steps. He was drawn to William Cornith’s room and standing in the doorway his heart began to beat a little faster. Here…here is where it happened. So much had happened in this room and recently. Even now he could detect the blood scent. William had prevailed after all. But of course there was never a doubt. There were three more of his kind now.

He’d been in the theater when Robert Downing gave his concert and he’d recognized him as a vampire. The young man had departed with William. He’d seen them go. And now Jameson and Jane were also gone. It saddened him that they’d gone. There was some comfort in knowing they were in the city. They did not socialize. He was not a part of their family although he’d known William since he first came to London, a young vampire unsure of himself and of his power. There’d been no one to guide him. They were together long enough for William to find his place. A short time really for he was a titled young man and had acquired the art of keeping himself as humanlike as possible.

Bonner did not associate with mortals. He detested them but they were necessary for life. He left William’s room, closing the door behind him, and walked down the hall to Jameson’s room. Inhaling deeply…yes, still his human scent permeated the room. It would eventually fade away for no human would ever occupy that room again. He felt an unaccustomed pain in his chest for the young man he’d loved.

He closed the door and blew out the candle.

Stephen spent the better part of his evenings and nights walking the streets of London. He attended all the theater productions, the concerts and ballets. He had a secret way of slipping in after the lights went down and looked for an empty box or a seat in the back where he would sit undetected and enjoy the performances. He went to the museums and art shows but only after the patrons had departed. He fed his senses in this manner. He loved music and beautiful things.

Arriving back at his house, he went about lighting candles. His faithful servant Didi saw to the fires and to his comfort. New books had arrived that afternoon and they were stacked on a table by his chair. Didi was a mortal that Stephen found when he was a boy of ten. He’d brought him home and given him shelter from the streets where he’d been living. Didi knew what Bonner was but, vampire or not, he’d been generous with him and given him a life he might not have had but for his rescue. Didi was now forty-seven years old with his legs bent from rickets when he was a small boy. He kept house for Stephen.

Stephen Bonner was not his real name. It was one he’d picked up from someone long ago, an Englishman on a working holiday in Florence, Italy. He was born in Rome in 1440 and spent some of his youth there before moving to Florence with his family. He was a son of Giuiliano Medici of the powerful family that ruled Florence. He was illegitimate and so was his younger brother, who later became Pope Clement VII. His real name was Piero di Giuiliano de`Medici.

He’d been schooled in the arts from an early age and was destined for the church. But something happened to him at the age of 31 that forever banned him from his home and family. He’d gone with an aged priest to perform an exorcism. During the ritual the old priest’s heart gave way, leaving Piero to face the demon alone and the demon manifested itself into a vampire and attacked him. He fought it with words and his hands and body but he was overcome. He sickened and died but the night before he was to be entombed with his father his casket was opened for his Bishop. He died on the spot after seeing him alive and rising from the casket.

All traces of his life were then obliterated by his family. He had no choice but to leave Florence. He went to Rome for awhile and then began his wanderings. Many decades later he returned to Florence under an assumed name. He would assume many in the years to come. He still called Florence home and visited frequently but he maintained his residence in London. The residence actually did belong to Stephen Bonner, the Englishman who happened to meet Piero Medici in Florence.

At that time, Piero was still intermingling with humans. He was a frequent visitor to Bonner’s rooms. Bonner did not know exactly what he was, only that he was…different and beautiful and he desired him. Unfortunately what he got wasn’t quite what he was expecting. Piero assumed his identity and traveled to London.

Below is a portrait that was painted by Bronzino of Piero. It was given to Stephen Bonner as a gift.  Piero collected it after Bonner was finished and brought it to London with him.

The portrait was painted sixty years after his death. He wears the clothing of a student. In the early years he often changed his appearance, especially when he was in Florence. The Medici family was still in power and his resemblance to them was marked. In this portrait he was clean shaven and looks remarkably like his father. That was one reason he kept the portrait. The other was so that he might look upon himself from time to time. His reflection was not visible in a mirror or other reflecting substances.

Both of his parents died when he was a young boy. His father met his end in the Duomo during the war with Venice. He was taken to a monastery and lived with the brethren for a few years before being sent to Rome with his brother.  He became a priest, but without ambition to further his position, he was appointed to Florence. His younger brother removed to the papal estates and his destiny was in motion.

When he first emerged as a vampire he thought he’d been cursed and he fled to Rome to seek his brother’s help. He was cast out as the devil’s own.  He fell in with other creatures of the night and once sought the help of a sorcerer.  Finally he accepted his immortal condition. He returned to Florence determined to gain the monetary inheritance he was due. He acquired it by his own means.

Unlike William Cornith, he never went down for a long sleep. He traveled all over the world. From time to time he took mortal companions until they succumbed to him. He’d seen the warring world and despaired of it. Only once did he try and keep his companion, a young French soldier he'd found wounded and taken home. At first he had ulterior motives but he came to love the man and tended to him until his wounds healed. By then the young man knew him for what he was and had fallen under his spell.

Piero made him a vampire and he was his companion for nearly seventy-five years until he was destroyed by another of his kind in Constantinople. He’d gone out alone where he shouldn’t have. Bonner became enraged and destroyed all the vampires in Constantinople one by one.

After a brief stay in France, he returned to Florence and met Stephen Bonner. Years later he was still Stephen Bonner when in England. He had a villa outside of Florence, a chateau in France and the house in London. These residences were the ones he’d kept and the ones he would go back to.

He settled by the fire and picked up the new books, but his mind was still with the Corniths. He had, in his way, loved both William and Jameson. He was apart from them, separated by some invisible wall that kept vampires from different sets from coming together. William had once placed Jameson under his watchful eye and he had cared for him during his first tour. Jameson had no idea the lengths he'd gone to protect him. That was all over now, past history. But what was history? It was only yesterday in the scheme of things.

William had a new protégé and he was interested to see what the young man had in him. Could he be another Jameson Cornith? As if there could be another…yet he would bear watching. His servant came in with another log for the fire.

“Didi…get us to Paris.”

“Yes, Sir. Have you a time you’d like to go?”

“When it might be convenient for me to travel. I’ll leave it to you to make the arrangements.”

He would go in his traveling trunk, something he had made in China a long time ago. It was lightweight and even with his weight inside it would be manageable for one man to handle as it was equipped with wheels on one end. Didi handled it now but there had been others he trusted.

He sighed and looked down at his book. It was a contemporary work by Anthony Trollope and he had another by Henry James. He would read until nearly dawn and then take himself up to his room. It was a bedroom like any other but the adjoining dressing room was where he slept during the daylight hours. There were no windows and once the door was firmly closed and locked from the inside, he was safe. He lay down in the narrow bed, pulled the curtains closed around him and slept.

Chapter 2

How Paris has changed since I was last here with Jameson. I suppose that is a misstatement. He did not know I was here. Didi has obtained rooms in Les Meurice, a fine old hotel. I arrived mid afternoon and have only now climbed from my trunk. There are street lights and much traffic abroad tonight. I can feel the excitement of the city even here behind my window.

I’m on the streets now and am interested in seeing the construction of the tower. I’ve read and listened to conversations about it. Eiffel has designed a monstrosity, or so I’ve been led to believe. It is the dining hour and the restaurants are full. The smell of roasted meat nearly makes me sick. I cannot abide the smell of cooked food. But scent of, say, a pear or an apple…I do like to inhale, and spices such as cinnamon and clove.

Didi has a ticket for me to see Robert Downing with the Paris symphony. It will be late when he plays and I have no inclination to sit among the citizens of this city until he takes the stage. And so I walk and take in the changes that the last hundred years have brought.

There, rising to a second level is the tower. I’ve seen sketches of the tower as a finished monument but the size and scale of it amaze me. It will swallow the city up with its size. I must agree with its detractors.

In the theater I spot the Paris vampires. They travel in a group and have a box to themselves. How jolly they seem but, then, they always were. I see Vivian is back in Paris…but she would be. William is here. Their faces are powered and rouged. There appear to be six of them tonight. They know I am here. I am not so powerful but they know me and keep their distance. I have a reputation amongst our kind since Constantinople.  I mean them no harm and for the most part they are a harmless group except when they are hungry. William is not with them. He is down in the midst of the audience. I see him now, his fine head.  He knows I’m here somewhere behind him and I am eight rows to the rear of him against the wall. If he wants contact with me he will make the move for I will not.

I do not want to insert myself into the Cornith family. I know them well and two more different men I have never met. William keeps himself in check and only occasionally will he let down that curtain and let you see what lies beneath. He is a gentleman and it is bred into him. Even after all that has happened to him, he remains true to himself. Jameson is a wild card and one that needs checking. I hope this woman he has now, Jane, will keep him in hand. He is charismatic and talented and beautiful but he cares for nothing except William and Jane.

This young man who is about to take the stage is a mystery. Talented, yes, but I do not know him. William keeps him close to his vest. Perhaps we may see something of him tonight through his music. I understand he has the gift.

The music begins and I am literally on the edge of my seat, not knowing when or where it will take me. He is lovely to look at. His hair glows softly sliver in the light and he’s dressed in a dark blue suit of velvet with silver buttons. It almost has a military look about it but his clothes are molded to his lithe body. His eyes are brilliantly blue and behind him hang the soft silk draperies. Oh, yes, William, you have displayed him perfectly. Everyone will want him…everyone.

I shake my head, trying to dislodge Jameson and the music he played. This is lighter, almost laughing one minute and then emotional. He takes you from one spectrum to the other. Yes…yes and with that touch of violence along the edge. Don’t get too close to me, it says.

I stand and applaud with the rest of the audience and then quickly make my exit before the lights come up.  He does have the gift and I can see why William has taken him on. Since the orchestra accompanied him I am assuming the young sprout has written down his music. Different, of course, from the way Jameson played. He played from his heart, his soul, and you knew exactly where he was when he played. He improvised alone on the stage. This young man may yet do the same

I stand in the shadows waiting for them to emerge from the theater. I know what door they will exit. The Paris vampires passed by me a little while ago. Silently they looked in my direction and then hurried past.

Now they come but, alas, they are not alone. William has guards. This puzzles me for I cannot imagine anyone would threaten Robert. Their carriage is coming now through the alley. William senses I am here and our eyes meet. I nod in his direction. He hesitates, wanting to approach me but he does not. The carriage is here and they are aboard now. I leave quickly.

I have seen what I came to see and I doubt I will get any closer to Robert Downing. William will see to that. A shame, really. I would like to know him for my own satisfaction, to know if the young man is literate, if he has any conversation or any interests outside of his music. Somehow I doubt he does or is allowed to at present. Probably just as well.

I will enjoy the evening and later I will hunt.

I’ve made a kill and disposed of the body but I am being followed. Light footsteps and a small vampire. I cannot read this creature; I only know it is female. Female and one I do not know. I step beneath the arches and wait. Now she is confused…what sort of vampire might this be? She has found me and is uncertain as she waits in the shadows.

I present myself.  “Who are you and why do you follow me?”

She turns to run but I have her now by the arms, a small thing and young. I ask again, this time in French.

“Twyla, my name is Twyla. Please…do not harm me.”

“Why would I harm you unless you mean to do me some mischief?”

“No, no, monsieur."  I let her go. “I do not know you but I know you are not one of them.”

“Them who?”

“Vivian’s party."

“I am no one’s party. Do you fear them?”

“Yes. They mean to do something to me. I am a mistake, I think.”

“A mistake?”

“Yes, Monsieur. I am not supposed to be alive.”

“Who made you?”

“Monsieur Vido.”

“When?”

“Only a few weeks ago. I went to a house party with Monsieur Vido…out in the country somewhere. I really do not know why I went…he asked me to and I couldn’t think.”

“Were you a vampire then?”

“No, no, I was not. He is Claude Vido. Do you know him?”

“I know who he is; he’s one of Madam Vivian’s pets. You went to a house party with him and what…things got out of hand?”

“I think so, yes.”

“It happens. What do you want with me?”

“I don’t know, truly I don’t. I saw you take the man and I followed you.”

“Do I need to see you home?”

“I…I don’t have a home anymore. I lived with my brother and his wife. I cannot go back there now.”

“Where have you been sleeping?”

“Down in the underground. I hide myself these last two weeks.”

I understood why she has sought me. She wants my protection. “What of this Vido?”

“He was going to hide my body when I woke. He tried to kill me and failed. I ran away from the house and back to Paris.”

“Well, you’d better seek your underground again. I cannot help you.” I did not want to help her.

“Please…please, I don’t know what to do. I cannot live like this. Can you kill me?”

I looked at her a moment. She looked ragged and dirty but there was beauty in her face. “How old are you?”

“Seventeen years…just.”

Too young for the life she had to live, especially alone. I don’t know why I did it. Perhaps it was seeing William with Robert. I certainly did not need her but she certainly needed me and what I could offer. I agreed to take her with the thought that I could destroy her if she became a problem. I could destroy her now and she would welcome it.

“Come with me.”

I took her back to the hotel and up the side to my balcony. There I found Didi asleep on the bed in my room. I roused him up.

“Didi, I have found this…lost child. She needs a bath and some suitable clothing.” I handed him a purse. I think we shall travel to the chateau tomorrow night if you can make travel arrangements. Hire a carriage to take us there. I looked at the waif. “A bath first.”

“Oh, Monsieur, I thank you, I thank you!” She grabbed my hand and began kissing it. I withdrew it.

“Do not…don’t touch me.” I am rarely touched anymore. I cannot begin to tell you how her lips felt on the skin of my hand. I already see this is going to be an upsetting experience for me. The sooner I am rid of her the better.

The first problem came at dawn. I was preparing to go into my trunk and the question arose as to what to do with her. Didi suggested the wardrobe. We turned it to face the wall and put her inside, covering the whole thing with blankets from the bedding. She is a small thing and I could have accommodated her in my trunk…but I didn’t. Such close contact is just not possible.

Chapter 3

Chateau du Lac is located about five miles outside of Paris. The chateau itself is walled and gated. It was once part of a large estate. Ten wooded acres of land surround the house. It is private and kept in reasonable condition by a series of tenants who live in the gate house. The house once belonged to a man by the name of Richard Bressard, who was a young soldier wounded in battle. He was the heir of the estate. Bonner assumed his name and claimed the estate after his death in Constantinople. All this happened many years ago. In the last hundred years he had visited the chateau only twice.

Didi stopped at the gate house and spoke to the tenant to let him know Monsieur Bressard was in residence. It was assumed that Monsieur Bressard lived abroad and although the tenant was curious, he did not approach the carriage. He was in no danger from Bonner but his appearance might have given the man cause to wonder. Seated beside Bonner was the young woman, Twyla.

Twyla attached herself to Bonner. She saw him as wise and someone who could protect her and keep her safe. He was an attractive man, just under six feet tall with brilliant green eyes and dark hair. He fed when necessary and did not try to keep color in his face. He reminded her of a marble statue come to life. He had a dark beard that covered his cheeks and chin. The beard was the result of two days he’d spent trying to exorcise the demon before he succumbed. He wore his hair combed straight back and it curled around his neck.

Twyla kept silent and tried to make herself as invisible as possible. She knew he did not want her and she wondered why he had taken her with him. He ignored her on the ride out to the chateau. His man, Didi, had provided her with a valise full of clothing and for that she was grateful. When they arrived she followed Bonner into the large drawing room. Everything was covered in dusty dust sheets that were crumbling with age. Finally she mustered some courage.

“Monsieur, do you plan to leave me here?”

Bonner pulled a sheet from a chair. “I hadn’t thought of what to do with you yet.” In truth he hadn’t given her much thought at all. He turned now and looked at her in the candle light. Masses of dark waving hair framed her heart-shaped face. Her eyes shone amber in the light. She was a pretty little thing and still very humanlike. “What would you like for me to do with you?”

“I do not wish to be left alone.”

“You think to stay with me? I am a solitary figure, Twyla, and do not need your company.”

“That may be true but I am in need of yours. I do not even know your name.”

“My name is of little importance. It depends on where I am at the moment…I have several.”

“Which one may I use?”

He glared at her and did not answer for a moment. For some reason he did not want Richard’s name coming from her lips. “Stephen Bonner is the name I use in England. I will be returning there soon.”

“Without me?”

“Most assuredly."

“But…I don’t know what to do! Please, let me remain with you. I promise not to be a nuisance. I will be silent and you will not even know I am there.”

Bonner dusted off the chair with a pocket cloth and sat down, giving her his full attention. What would he do with her if he kept her? He could treat her as his ward, dress her in pretty things, giver her all the baubles a girl of her age would love. He could see to her education if she had a mind for it.

“Do you have any particular talent? Do you play or sing?” She might be amusing, he thought.

“I paint and also I sing.”

“If I decided to keep you…and I say IF…then what can you offer in return for all that I might bestow on you?”

“My loyalty, Monsieur, and…my love.”

“Your love does not concern me but I would require loyalty.”

“Why does love not concern you? I think you would be easy to love.”

“Do not make such ridiculous statements. I would require that you not make ridiculous statements. It is better to be silent.”

“Yes, Monsieur Bonner, as you wish.” She responded quietly to his outburst.”

Agitated, now he rose and left her alone in the roomful of ghostly furniture. Twyla walked around uncovering the sofas and chairs and tables. It all needed a good cleaning and she wondered if he had servants other than Didi. Didi was carrying their luggage up the stairs. He was a strange-looking man with bowed legs and tremendous upper body strength. He was human…a human servant for a vampire. How was it that he stayed alive?

She sighed and brushed the dust from her new skirt. It was better than the catacombs beneath Paris but she was uneasy with Bonner.

“What shall I do with Mademoiselle’s things?” Didi asked.

Bonner dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “Find her a room. I do not care.” He was regretting his decision to bring her out to the chateau. He should have left her to her own devices or her destruction. Love…what was she talking about? The stupidity of the young. He tossed a book on the table in his room. She wouldn’t know what love was…seventeen years…and who was this brother who let her attend a house party for vampires? Stupid-worthless-blind-humans.

He threw his cloak around his shoulders and went down the back stairs. Outside in what was once a formal garden, he wandered about until his temper cooled. He became aware of the scent, sweet scent of roses and when he looked about him he was surrounded by roses run rampant with time.  The canes lay on the ground, heavy with blooms. Such beauty…he picked one and then another, holding them to his face…roses, how could there still be roses here? Forgotten and neglected and unnoticed in their blooming. The pathway was covered in petals where the roses did not fall and lay on the ground. How long had it been since he’d had roses? He couldn’t remember for they were not in bloom the last time he’d been at the chateau fifty years past. He scooped up a handful of petals and threw them into the air where they fell upon him like rain.

Standing on the balcony of her room she looked down into the garden and saw him in the roses. What manner of man was he?

They were in the chateau for two days when a carriage arrived.

Didi showed the gentlemen into the drawing room and went to find his master. “Cornith, Sir.”

“Cornith?”

“William and his young man.”

Bonner thought this highly unusual and came down the stairs to meet with them. “William, how good to see you.” He walked straight to him and kissed him on the lips.

“Stephen.” Williams’s warm look said he was glad to see him, too.

Standing behind him was Robert Downing. “Robert, this is Stephen Bonner.”

Robert stepped forward and bowed slightly. He did not offer his hand. His hands were his gift and he protected them.

Bonner looked into the young man’s eyes. Yes, he was a lovely thing and what a pretty couple they made. ‘Welcome to Chateau de Lac.”

“I hoped you’d be here. When I checked the hotel they said you’d left.”

“Please come in and sit. What brings you here, William?”

“You were not long in Paris, Stephen. There is something afoot there. I had a visit from Vivian about a month ago. You know her parties draw many of our kind. There are some young rogues who have taken advantage of her hospitality. Some dreadful things have happened. Suzette Cardin has killed her maker and aligned herself with Claude Vido. Claude, according to Vivian, is responsible for bringing these rogues into her house. They have threatened her and she’s fled to the country, leaving them her townhouse.”

“I saw her and her…pets at the concert.”

“It’s only last night that she fled, taking her trusted friends with her. They brought mortals to a party and killed them there. You know she does not allow such things. I had hoped to spend another few months in Paris but now I see it is not worth the risk to Robert. He has received a letter inviting him to her residence. Vivian did not send it.”

Bonner looked at Robert for a moment and then spoke to William. “Have you come to warn me or to ask for my assistance in some manner?”

“Robert has one more concert tomorrow night. I’ve cancelled the rest. I wonder if you might attend. They fear you.”

“Vivian’s lot fears me but I do not know these rogues, as you call them. Where are they from?”

“Everywhere. Evidently Vido was in Italy and Germany and made friends. They’ve now come to Paris to join with him.” William’s attention was drawn to the doorway where he saw a lovely young woman. “You have a guest.”

Bonner let out a breath and glanced around. “You may as well come in, Twyla. Yes, this is Twyla and she is a victim of Claude Vido. Lured to a house party given by Vivian by the same Vido. He left her for dead but as he tried to dispose of her body she woke. He tried to kill her. I found her on the streets in Paris and have offered her shelter. She’s little more than a child…I couldn’t leave her.”

William tilted his head and looked at Bonner for a moment. This was very unusual for him to do such a thing. “That’s very generous of you, Stephen. So, you are already aware of the danger.”

“I would say no to that. I was only aware of the danger to Twyla.”

“My name is William Cornith and this is Robert Downing.”

Twyla nodded her head and sat down near Bonner. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”  She looked shyly at Robert. “You’re the pianist.”

“Yes, the piano player.” He smiled, lighting up his pale sapphire eyes. He was dressed entirely in black, relieved by a white silk scarf at his neck. It emphasized his paleness and the slight blush to his lips.

It was the first time Bonner had heard him speak. His French was wanting but his voice was soft and low.

“William must be extremely proud of you, Robert. You are truly gifted.”

“Thank you. It was their gift to me. I was but a student of piano.”

“He was Jameson’s pupil for awhile.”

“Was he? How interesting that you now have him. Where is Jameson?”

“He is at Cornagaugh the last I heard.”

“You made him, didn’t you?”

William hesitated a moment. “I did…yes. We both made Robert.”

“It must have been quite a night.”

William shifted in his seat. He did not want to talk about the making of vampires. He looked at Twyla. “This Vido made you?”

“Yes, I didn’t know what was happening. It was a mistake, his mistake, and he tried to kill me.”

“So you’ve said, Twyla.” Bonner glanced at her. “I will come to Paris for Robert’s last concert there. Where is it to be held?”

“In the new symphony hall. Rue de Rivage. He has the stage for the entire performance. When it is finished, we will leave Paris by coach. I only ask your presence to deter any attacks should they be planned.”

“I see, and if my presence is not enough?”

“Whatever must be done. I will not see him harmed.”

“You never had need to fear for Jameson, did you?”

“When I was with him here he was a vampire and well able to take care of himself. Robert is different and though I know he has some powers, he is young and untried.”

“When I was with Jameson in Paris…well, he did not know I was here. He was with his friends and quite safe because the word was out that I was his protector.”

“I am grateful for the time you spent with him.”

“So am I, grateful to you for that time, especially in Italy. Where are you going when you leave Paris?”

“To Venice.”

Bonner smiled. “You will enjoy it.”

Chapter 4

“You know Jameson Cornith?” Twyla asked after William and Robert departed.

“Yes.”

“I’m still trying to get used to this…life. I thought Jameson died about a hundred years ago.”

“He did but by some miracle he was reborn. Now…now he will never die.”

“How old are you, Monsieur Bonner?”

“Thirty-one, but I have lived for 410 years.”

“Oh!” Her hand went to her mouth.

“Let me see your teeth.”

She was embarrassed by her incisors. She’d always had such a nice smile; everyone had told her so. Bonner lifted her chin  and her lip. “You have not fed tonight. A young vampire needs to feed regularly.”

“I…I find it…disgusting.”

“That will pass. It does you no good to starve yourself. You’ll lose your pretty face.” His eyes moved up to hers for a second before he dropped his hand and moved away from her. “I will go with you tonight.”

Relief spread over her.

Bonner intended to leave her at the chateau while he went into Paris. He came out dressed in his formal attire to find her also dressed formally.

“You are to stay here…out of danger.” He went down the stairs and into the front hall.

“No…no, please, may I go with you?”

“Twyla, it irritates me so for you to beg and plead. I have said no with reason.”

Didi brought the carriage from the gate house stables and pulled up in front of the door. Twyla watched Bonner climb into the carriage and leave down the drive. He was on the road when she jumped onto the top of the carriage and leaned upside down looking into the window at him.

“The devil with you! Didi…stop the carriage!” he called out. He was not pleased when he opened the door for her. “You disobey me and that I will not tolerate.”

She settled into the seat and righted her bonnet. “There are four of us now against the rogues.”

He would not look at her. “Five…William’s man, Morvan, will be there.”

Bonner took his usual place in the back of the theater and Twyla made herself as small as possible beside him. He was still angry with her but now that they were in the theater his thoughts went elsewhere. William was not in the audience and the Paris vampires were not in attendance. There were others that he detected around the theater. Some were on the floor seats and others were in boxes or on the upper level above him. He counted seven. They would detect him and Twyla, too, of course, and he realized Twyla would be in as much danger as Robert. He couldn’t figure out what they wanted with Robert unless it was to try and destroy him for their own amusement. They were a nasty lot, drunk with power and lust.

The concert was much better than the last one he attended. The young man’s music was full and violent and only briefly falling into wistfulness. The string section was trying to stay with him but this was unwritten music he was playing tonight. He could very well be another Jameson Cornith, if he lived.

He played longer than his program listed. Perhaps he was trying to ward off the inevitable.  He had to feel the same vibrations that Bonner felt. When Robert finally finished, he stood up and bowed and simply disappeared from the stage…at least that’s what it appeared to the audience, who were still on their feet applauding and calling for encore.

“Stay with me if you can,” Bonner whispered to  Twyla. He moved  with hardly a blur and was backstage. Morvan had the carriage waiting at the door and came inside to see to William’s exit.  William was always his charge.

“Where are the guards?” William asked, turning around.

“Dead…likely,” Bonner replied.

“We’ll never make it.” William looked at Morvan.

Out of the corner of his eye Bonner detected a movement and sensed a presence. He turned and in an instant attacked the vampire, tearing his throat apart and setting him afire with a look.

“This way! We can get out this way.” Twyla tugged at  his arm. “The underground, down in the catacombs.” She knew the labyrinth beneath the streets.

Behind the stage they descended the steps.

 (Hartman)

William and Bonner followed Twyla and Robert with Morvan behind them carrying a small lantern. Twyla raced along in front with Robert close behind her.

“Don’t get too far ahead,” William cautioned. “Douse that light,” he said to Morvan. Already he could sense they were not alone in the catacombs.

It was eerie and dark. Their keen eyes allowed them to see in the darkness like a cat. Robert bumped into Twyla and she took his hand. “Stay with me,” she whispered. “I’ll get you out of here.”

“You know your way around?” he asked.

“I had to live down here for two weeks.”

“Shh!” Bonner tried to quiet the young ones.

The confrontation came quickly. Claude Vido had five vampires with him, some in front of the group and some behind him. He wanted to talk and brag about what he was going to do to them. Bonner set him afire and then ripped off his head without a word. He then went after another. William and Morvan fought the vicious rogues while in front of them Twyla jumped on the back of one and went for his throat.  Robert found his powers at last. His great strength was more than his opponent's and he flung him against the wall, bashing his head in.

The fight lasted twenty minutes. The bodies of the vampires were burned and the smoke attracted attention. They were forced to flee again. Police with lanterns were in the catacombs, having been called by someone at the theater after they were seen running from an assailant down the steps.

They came out by the river; wet and bloody they staggered out. William embraced Robert and asked about his condition.

Twyla sat down on the river bank and rested her head on her knees. She was scratched and bitten but otherwise all right. Bonner looked for her. He was bloodied but most of it was not his. He reached down and picked her up and carried her to the water’s edge. There he scooped water and washed her face.

“You were very brave, little one.”

She put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. He carried her up to the street and to the park where he found a place to set her down. He then went for a victim to feed her and himself.

William found them in the park and sat down in the grass. “Morvan’s gone for the carriage…he’ll find Didi for you. Stephen, I don’t know how to thank you. You see why I was afraid for Robert.”

“It wasn’t just Robert they were after. They wanted you, too. They wanted to rule Paris. Now they can rule hell, if there is such a place. Are you all right?”

“Mauled about a little.”

“Did you see Robert fight? You said he was untried…he’s tried now and I don’t think you have to worry about protecting him,” Twyla said to William.

Robert was lying on his back in the grass, trying to come to terms with what had happened. He looked at his bloodied hands and flexed his fingers. He’d come through it with little more than a few scratches. He reached over for William’s hand. William needed attention.

“Do you want to come out to the chateau to lick your wounds?” Bonner asked William.

“Would you mind it? We were to leave tonight but I think a couple of days would be best.”

Morvan arrived with Didi, who ran over to Bonner. “Are you all right, Sir? I heard it was a terrible fight. The police are looking for someone. Don’t know who they’re looking for but rumor is Robert Downing is dead. They found the burnt corpses and assumed the worst.”

Bonner looked at William. “You’ll have phoenix to promote in Venice.”

“Questions will be asked, questions we cannot answer. We will wait…perhaps go home to Cornagaugh for awhile until the rumors die away.”

Tucked up beside Bonner in the carriage, Twyla thought about his tenderness  in the park, the way he’d bathed her face and held her.  He was himself again, remote and contained but she’d had a glimpse of another side of him. He did not hate her.

At the chateau they bathed and had their wounds attended to by Didi.  Twyla with her marks tended, watched Didi as he cleaned and wrapped a bandage around Bonner’s neck. He’d stripped to his waist. She looked at his body and met his eyes for a moment. He told her nothing with his look. She felt the weight of it and looked away.

William and Bonner later stepped outside under the arches. They kissed and then drew apart. “I’ve never known you to have a woman about you, Stephen.”

“She is not a woman and is not about me. She is a child.”

“How old a child is she?”

“Seventeen.”

“Not so much a child anymore. Robert is only twenty.”

“He’s a beautiful lad.”

“Yes.”

“Do you love him?”

“Yes.”

“Over Jameson?”

“No.”

“I’ve decided to keep Twyla. I’ll take her to London and then begin her education. I may be able to make something of her.”

A companion, William thought but did not voice the word. “Your reputation will grow after tonight’s work.”

“There is no one left to tell the tale except you.”

“Not I. Vivian will know.”

“I was not alone in the catacombs. You play yourself down, William, but you are a force to be reckoned with.”

“Only when threatened." He kissed Bonner again and went back inside to find Robert.

Bonner smiled to himself and caught the scent of roses again in the air. William had nothing to fear from him for Robert. Given a choice, he’d take William but that wasn’t going to happen. That would never happen.

Chapter 5

I take myself down to my own catacombs beneath the chateau and find my sleeping place. It’s an old storeroom with a heavy oaken door.  It has been an eventful night and I am weary. The rest can find their own places for the night. They are well versed in our ways. I think of William and his Robert. I wonder if he sleeps with him. I’ve never known William to take a man before, other than Jameson. Something has changed with him. I knew it in London when he gave his throat up to me. He’s never done that before.

The door opens and I am up. It is Twyla wanting to sleep in my chamber. It is a small space, no more than 8x6 if that. She lies down against the wall away from me.  I let her sleep there. She has proven herself tonight…poor wounded creature.

I have made a decision to leave. There is no reason for me to remain here other than to play host and that they do not need. William says they will leave tomorrow night. He’s going onto Venice instead of home to Cornagaugh. I am through with Paris for awhile and long for my home in London, where I am settled. I offered William Twyla and he accepted but she refuses to go with him. I am bound to keep her now.

Didi has our carriage and is loading our luggage and my trunk. It will take us 36 hours to get to the coast. We will go aboard ship in my trunk, Twyla and I. She is small and would fit in my pocket.

“Good bye, William. I wish you and Robert the best of luck in Venice.” He is free with his kisses. William has always been very affectionate. I get a kiss from Rober, too. Sweet…so sweet. Twyla is kissed and we are in the carriage. She has rugs about her for she is cold. She has not fed tonight. I do not need it as often as I once did. I tend to forget about her and her young vampire appetite. We will stop on the outskirts of Pairs for her to satisfy her hunger.

There is nothing savage about her.  How delicately she feeds after I have entranced her victim. She never kills except in the catacombs. She was like a little tiger cub. She is unusually quiet and after a while the reason becomes verbal.

“You tried to give me away.”

“I thought you might be happier with someone more your own age to converse with. You got on with Robert, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I think he’s nice. I like William too, but…I belong to you, Monsieur Bonner. I feel it inside of me. I know you had no hand in making me a vampire. I still feel as though I belong to you. I am sorry but there is no one else for me. You do not want me, I know.”

I was of two minds about her. I certainly did not want her or need her. If she disappeared today, well, I might think of her again.  I see that look in her eyes and I think she mistakes me for someone else. I know she was ill used by Vido. She has a woman’s body and her womanly desires have been awakened however harshly. I do not desire her.

I’ll make a pet of her, be her tutor and introduce her to the finer things of life. She is lovely and that is to her advantage. Had she been an ugly piece I would never have taken her from the streets.

“Do not fret over it. I have accepted the fact that you are mine.”

Once we reached London I gave her a room and vowed to furnish it in a more feminine manner. I set Didi to boarding up the window in her dressing room. This would serve as her sleeping place. There was only a long bench in there and I took the mattress from her bed and lay it on the floor. A proper bed would be built into the wall for her. She seemed pleased and impressed with the house that was to be her home. The ground floor rooms belong to Didi. He has a small kitchen, lounge and bedroom. She asked me about Didi.

“I found him beaten and raw when he was a young boy of ten. It was well after midnight and he was sitting in the gutter crying. I brought him home, unsure of his fate at the time but after I heard his story I decided not to kill him. I told him what I would expect of him and in return what I would offer him. I told him what I was and that he needn’t fear me as long as he did what he was told. He’s been with me ever since…some thirty-seven years.”

She looked at me strangely. I have no idea what goes on in her little head. She has already learned to block her thoughts from me.

“I have painted her portrait and given her color where she has none in her cheeks. She cannot see her reflection and it distresses her. There were no mirrors in the house except in her room. I’ve had them taken away. This is how she appears to me with her sad eyes. I wish I could take that sadness away from her and I’ve tried. She has a new room outfitted especially for her. She has a new wardrobe and all the latest games and books suitable for one her age. I take her out at night to the latest plays and concerts. I’ve taken her to the ballet and to the museum.

I’m furthering her education in my library. She is required to read each day. She plays the piano and harp and has a lovely singing voice.  Still there is that sadness about her. We’ve been home now for eight months.

“Twyla, what is it you want? I feel you are not happy here. Do you wish to return to Paris? Is it your family or your old life that you miss?”

She sighs, “Sometimes I think about my old life and wonder what I might be doing now.” She laughs a little, “I would probably be looking for a husband. I do not wish to return to Paris, Monsieur Bonner. You have given me everything, everything. I do not deserve so much.”

“Is it because you are a vampire?”

“No, that is my life now.”

“Perhaps you have regrets…perhaps you should have gone with William and Robert?”

She looks at me earnestly. “I have only one regret, Monsieur, and that is that you do not love me.”

I hadn’t expected that. It sends me from my chair and to the fire. I thought we’d gotten past that initial infatuation she had with me. Love her? I poke at the fire viciously. Had I not given her everything a girl her age could possibly want? I cared for her, saw to her needs. Why, she was hardly recognizable from the waif I’d taken from the streets in Paris. She is a young woman of obvious breeding.

“I am afraid you ask something of me that I am incapable of giving.”

“Would you rather have Robert than me?”

I give the fire another poke and return the poker to its resting place. Robert with his slim body and arresting eyes…have him? Oh, I would love to have him but not…not to keep. This realization just hits me. No…if I were to keep, and have done so, Twyla would be my choice. There is too much public adoration of Robert. He is not a private person and I am.

“No,” I say with perfectly honesty. “I would not want him as I have you.”

She sits at her harp and plucks a few haunting strings. “You won’t have me,” she says quietly, still plucking. “Am I so ugly to you? Is it because I am female?”

I have been with women. It has nothing to do with her sex. I prefer men for the very reason she is now questioning me. They come without the emotional baggage she has brought out in the open. Why does it have to be called love? Love her…I care for her…I’ve become…used to her and would miss her if she went away.

She isn’t going away…she is here…with me and by my side most evenings. “I am sorry, Twyla, if I am not what you need.”

“You are what I need. You will not give yourself to me. You have given everything but the one thing I desire most and that is you. So, I think there must be some reason for it. I am not attractive to you or perhaps it is that you prefer men. I cannot change from what I am. If I could, I would just…for you. I appreciate all you have done for me and have so generously given to me. I have nothing to give you in return except my love and my loyalty to you. Somehow they are intertwined and I give you one with the other. I will never leave you unless you cast me out and forbid me to come around you. If such a thing would happen I would die. I would shut myself up somewhere and starve.”

Now her most important weapon is out. She cries bloody tears. What am I to do? I give her my handkerchief to wipe her eyes and I tell myself, this little creature is crying for you because she loves you. Have you no heart left? My heart has grown as cold as I am. I have lived too long and had it broken too many times.  I take the handkerchief from her hands and wipe her eyes…that is not enough. I pull her to her feet and cleanse her eyes with my tongue. I have not held her this way…I do not…touch her nor allow her to touch me…until now.

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