Allure Of The Night

Music Recommendation: Gerda- Alexandre Desplat

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When there were still fifteen minutes left, before the clock struck six, Eve had dressed in the grey gown-like dress.

Though the outer layer of her dress was full-sleeved and high collared, that removed the need for her to wear any jewellery. At the same time, the dress was translucent that hugged her body, letting one see the corset that she wore. Little flower-like patterns were spread on the material. A line of buttons ran at the back of her dress. The gown’s skirt flowed seamlessly and dusted against the ground without letting it drag.

Her lips were tinted pink, and her eyebrows had been slightly darkened with the help of the charcoal. Her cheeks held a faint rosy colour that didn’t overwhelm her existing appearance.

Her hair had been tied at the back with a simple yet fluffy lower bun, while pieces of her hair were pulled out from both sides, curling it a little before letting it rest against her temples. Two more pieces of her hair had been pulled out from her bun to let it hang before a red rosebud was pushed to the side.

Soon Vincent’s carriage pulled over in front of Dawson’s residence, and Eugene, who caught sight of it, informed, “Miss Eve! The carriage is here!”

Eve picked up her coat and wore it around her body before tying the knot around her waist to keep it firm.

Their next-door neighbour, Mrs. Edwards, had invited Mrs. Humphrey to come over to her house for tea when they caught sight of the magnificent carriage.

Mrs. Humphrey inquired in curiosity, “Whose carriage is that?”

“Probably Genevieve’s employer’s carriage. The carriage that came to drop her in the afternoon was different,” stated Mrs. Edwards, and Mrs. Humphreys’ eyes narrowed while looking at the carriage and then at Dawson’s house. “And here I thought the local carriages had stopped working and I wouldn’t have to hear the sound of the wheel,” she laughed.

“Two different carriages,” murmured Mrs. Humphrey.

When Eve stepped out of her house, the two nosey women’s mouths fell open on seeing the beautiful young woman walk from the patio of her house towards the carriage.

“Her employer must be trying to woo her because of her beauty,” Mrs. Edwards stated while blinking away the shock from the sight in front of her. “She looks beautiful, doesn’t she? Far beautiful that she normally does.”

Mrs. Humphrey’s eyes narrowed, and she replied, “Vampires or werewolves of elites, don’t look for partners in a town like Meadow. To them we are poor. He isn’t wooing her,” she softly harrumphed.

“What do you mean?” Asked the other woman with interest.

Mrs. Humphrey watched the coachman pull the carriage door open for Eve before the young woman climbed inside the carriage and left the place in it. She turned away from the window while Mrs. Edwards followed Mrs. Humphrey, who went back and sat in the chair. She said,

“You know what I am saying. Didn’t you say that it was only recently that they called the carpenter and painter for their house? To fix a house of that size, you need a large sum of money, and if I am not wrong Genevieve is the only one working? I don’t think Aubrey’s husband left her a fortune and she was waiting until now to do it.”

“Didn’t you hear her say that her employer is a generous man who pays her decent wages?” Mrs. Edwards knit her eyebrows in question.

“That is an obvious lie,” Mrs. Humphrey didn’t believe it and crossed her legs before picking up the teacup in her hand. She took a sip from it and said, “My son Patrick is in a much better position than Genevieve, who is just a governess. I know how much money my son earns, and it’s impossible she would have earned so much in such a short period of time.”

Silence filled the room before Mrs. Edwards’s eyes widened in realisation, and she said in shock, “Don’t tell me that Genevieve is earning money in an immoral way.”

​Mrs. Humphrey didn’t remark on it, but her thoughts had been delivered to Mrs. Edwards.

Far away from Meadow, in the Moriarty mansion, Vincent stood in the gallery of his room, drinking the last sips of whiskey from the glass that he held. He wore a striking red shirt with black trousers and coat. One side of his silver hair was left dishevelled, while the other side of his hair was pushed backwards.

Alfie appeared at the gallery and picked up the empty glass that Vincent had placed on the edge of the gallery’s railing.

“I have finished delivering the parchments that you asked me to send, Master Vincent. Lady Marceline hasn’t returned to the mansion yet, Master.”

Vincent questioned the butler, “Did she mention where she was going?”

Alfie shook his head, “She didn’t. She was very upset today.”

“She’ll get over it,” replied Vincent, while his eyes watched the path outside the mansion with some townsfolk walking up and down while a few carriages moved past his view. “Maybe next time she will stop hovering too much around the governess and will remember to keep her distance.”

Every time Marceline moved closer to someone, it was always for her selfish reasons, which Vincent was aware of. And it never went well for the other person.

“Do you think she will try to harm Ms. Barlow for using her carriage?” Alfie asked his master because Lady Marceline liked taking her revenge and never held back from doing it.

Vincent hummed in response before he said, “Is Marceline petty? Yes. Is she brainless? No. She won’t do something so direct, when I have warned her and let us hope the governess is smart to avoid her.”

Alfie nodded in agreement. Compared to the other governesses, the butler liked the current governess of Miss Allie as he had noticed Ms. Barlow put Miss Allie at ease around her.

“Let us hope that Ms. Barlow has dressed up suitably for the soiree and not like she’s other times,” Vincent murmured, which the butler didn’t catch.

He caught sight of Marceline’s carriage entering through the gates. At the same time, from the left side of the road, he saw his own carriage that headed towards the mansion. Stepping away from the gallery, he made his way down.

When Marceline’s carriage stopped in front of the mansion’s entrance, one of the servants quickly opened the door for the lady.

Vincent, who walked through the long hallways, caught sight of his sister quickly walking from the entrance while refusing the servant who came to take her coat. Marceline looked slightly annoyed but offered him a small bow, ready to walk past him.

A sly smile appeared on Vincent’s lips. He remarked, “You reek of dogs.”

Marceline paused her footsteps and glared at her brother, “I went to see one.”

Alfie, who had followed Vincent with his long coat, noticed Vincent stretch his hand, and he helped his master wear it. Vincent’s lips twisted at his sister’s words, and he responded,

“Mm, don’t forget, sister. There’s a thin line between cute and creepy.”

The vampiress’s eyes narrowed at her brother, “What are you trying to imply?”

Vincent knew she understood his meaning and didn’t feel like clarifying it. He said, “Take a bath unless you want to disappoint your beloved mother by letting her know where you were. I have somewhere important to be, talk to you later?” He offered her a bright smile before walking past her and stepping out of the mansion.

Vincent could feel Marceline drilling holes on his back, but his skin was too thick to be bothered about. He walked towards his carriage, which had stopped behind the carriage his sister had used.

Briggs bowed his head next to the carriage with the door open, waiting for Vincent to enter. On coming near and ready to climb inside the carriage, Vincent saw Eve sitting with a brown coat, and their eyes met.

Though Vincent was always well-dressed, Eve felt like the man held a different air around him this evening. His coppery-red eyes contrasted even with the inky red shirt he wore. Eve’s eyes fell on the two unbuttoned buttons on top of his shirt, which revealed his firm and smooth chest.

The vampire was dressed in a sexually appealing manner and wore a sly smile on his lips as if he caught her eyes wandering.