146 Distant air
Eve lost interest in what the merchants were selling. She wasn’t sure how to feel about her friend drinking an imprisoned mermaid’s blood. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard someone interrupt it.
“Ms. Barlow, is that you? I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
Both Eve and Rosetta turned and saw Lady Marceline standing in front of them with a polite smile. The lady wore a maroon dress and the same coloured side hat on her head.
“Are you doing alright? I heard that you were sick which is why we haven’t seen you at the mansion. But it seems like you are doing far better in health than I imagined,” said Lady Marceline in concern, while quickly skimming Eve and the vampiress who stood next to the human.
“I am doing better now,” Eve offered a slight bow to the lady. Rosetta felt like she had seen this vampiress before, but she wasn’t sure where.
Marceline then turned to Rosetta, noticing her wearing an expensive dress and said, “I don’t think we have met before. I am Marceline Moriarty.”
Rosetta, who was about to introduce herself, her face turned sour at the mention of the name Moriarty. She turned to Eve and said, “I will be in the food stall.” She left without sharing a single word with Marceline, who turned annoyed for being ignored so blatantly.
When Eve turned to look at Marceline, Eve apologised, “Miss Hooke is socially awkward, please don’t pay a mind to it.”
“I wouldn’t,” replied Marceline with the same gentle smile, “I have other things to think about than worry about such silly things.” The vampiress didn’t understand how this human knew the Marquee’s daughter.
“Are you here by yourself? You could join us,” Eve offered Marceline. But to the vampiress, it was beneath her to be seen walking with a human in a town like Hollow Valley. Though she would like to know the Marquee’s daughter closely as it would expand her connections.
Marceline smiled at Eve like an angel blessing her. She said, “I would love it, but I came here with my family. You will have to excuse me, Ms. Barlow.”
“That’s perfectly fine, Lady Marceline,” Eve politely bowed, watching the vampiress disappear in the crowd of people. Did she say, family? Did that mean Vincent was here too?
Eve’s eyes roamed through the crowd. It had been a while since she had stepped out of Meadow, and being surrounded by vampires and werewolves turned her slightly anxious. When she turned around, her back hit someone. She quickly apologised, “Pardon me.”
“You will always be pardoned,” came the familiar voice and Eve turned on her heel. She came face to face with Noah, who offered her a smile. “I wasn’t sure if it was you. Good evening, Genevieve.”
“Good evening, Noah. It seems like everyone has today to enjoy the Carnival celebration,” said Eve, while Noah looked at her face. The swelling on her face had disappeared, except for the mark on her forehead, which was hidden behind her bangs of hair. “I got your flowers today. Thank you for sending them.”
Noah smiled before asking her, “How are you doing?”
“All good now. I have been busy eating and sleeping. Resting mostly,” replied Eve and she added with a lowered voice, “The council dropped all charges against me.”
He nodded, “I heard about it. I am glad they did. Are you here with your family?”
Eve shook her head and turned to look in the direction where Rosetta now stood in front of a food stall. She said, “With my friend there. How about you?”
At the same time, the woman with black netted hat walked towards them and stopped next to Noah. The young woman looked at Noah and said, “Duke Noah, I want your opinion on an item I want to buy if you don’t mind. The man says it’s genuine pearls, and I am unsure of how it looks around my neck.”
Noticing Eve, the woman asked, “Pardon me, did I interrupt something?” Curiously looking at the human.
Noah introduced the two women, “This is my friend, Miss Genevieve Barlow. And Genevieve, this is Anaya Chambers, a close family acquaintance from Knightwell.”
Both the women offered a polite bow to each other. Lady Anaya said with a smile, “I didn’t know the Duke had friends, considering how busy he often is said to be.”
“Genevieve and I have known each other before I took the position of Duke. You would be surprised to know that she’s a governess,” Noah praised Eve. Lady Anaya’s eyebrows slightly raised while looking at the human.
“You must be held in high regard by Noah, considering how he enjoys the company of the literate, and women don’t spend much time with books as much as they do with their nails or skin,” Lady Anaya laughed, and there was something delicate in the way she carried herself. She said, “As you are his friend, we should spend time together. I would like to know more about the Duke.”
“Whatever you need to know, you can ask me, Lady Anaya. There’s no need to bother Genevieve,” stated Noah.
“Everyone has different sides with different people, don’t you agree, Lady Genevieve?” Lady Anaya asked Eve.
“They do,” replied Eve, and by the woman’s words, she could only guess that the lady was trying to gain the Duke’s attention.
“I mean we have known each other for some time now, but I still don’t know much about you. Even though our families want us engaged, I still want to know a little more than what others know,” Lady Anaya smiled at Noah.
It wasn’t just trying for attention or affection. The Duke and the lady were going to be engaged and later married, thought Eve. It took a couple of seconds for the information to sink into her mind.
Eve’s eyes met Noah’s, who looked back at her with the calmness she was used to. But something was different there. An air or look of unfamiliarness in the man. She wondered if it was because he had told her clearly about what he was, but then it would have to be her to appear distant, she thought in her mind.
Lady Anaya turned to Noah and said, “Can you please come take a look at the pearl necklace?”
Noah said, “Alright. Give me a minute.”
“I will be there at the stall,” the woman let him know, and then turned to Eve and said, “It was nice meeting you,” offering a bow, she left.
Eve offered a smile to Noah and said, “She appears to be nice.”
“She is,” nodded Noah, even though he hadn’t paid much attention to the lady he had come here with. “Compared to most she’s more level-headed, which makes it bearable to play host in the town.”
“I see,” replied Eve. Neither of the two dwelled further into what Lady Anaya said.
Noah said to her, “It’s good to see you back on your feet, and out of trouble. Let me know if you need any help.”
Eve nodded, “I will, thank you.”
“I should get going. I will see you around,” Noah offered her a slight bow, and Eve did the same, watching him walk away from her and to the stall where Lady Anaya stood with a pearl necklace in her hand.
Eve looked at Noah and the young lady he was with, while she stood at a distance. Duke, Marquee, Earl or a Viscount weren’t meant for women like her. The lady was beautiful and seemed quite taken by Duke Noah’s presence.
“Stare a little more and you might succeed in making a hole.”
Eve closed her eyes before opening and saying, “I wasn’t planning on making a hole.”
Vincent, who stood behind her, stepped to the side and Eve turned herself to meet his gaze. He had a wicked smile on his lips, his eyes holding mirth and he said, “You have been standing at the same place for… one minute, forty-eight–No, fifty-seven seconds.”
“Good evening, Master Vincent. You seem to have a lot of time on your hands, and bored enough to count to the seconds,” Eve replied.
“I was worried if you had a muscle cramp. I have heard women of your age with not enough exercise in the bedroom can sometimes turn rusted,” stated Vincent, throwing something edible in his mouth and biting it.
“I am twenty-four, not forty-two,” Eve reminded the shameless vampire. She couldn’t even ask if he had no shame after he had sucked her blood from her neck. Remembering it brought goosebumps to her skin and she pulled the sleeves of her dress to her wrist.
“Not in two months,” Vincent reminded her before smiling wide. “Your file had all the information. Actually most, considering it didn’t have the detail that you don’t like eating fish. Fancy seeing you here.”
“I am here with a friend,” answered Eve, and when she looked at the food stall, the vampiress had disappeared. Where did she go?
Eve sighed. She would need to look for Rosetta, as she couldn’t find the vampiress from where she stood. Her eyes fell on the Duke, who finally left the stall after buying something, which she could only guess was a pearl necklace.
Vincent noticed Eve’s expression and patted her back, “Unrequited love hurts.”
Eve gave him a blank look. She said, “It seems like you have experience in it.”
Vincent snorted, his eyes narrowing at Eve and said, “There’s no woman who is fortunate enough to make me have unrequited feelings for her.”