Page 72 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part One

It was my fault for entering into a rankle contest in which I was clearly outranked. I gave him my best pretend smile. “You’re welcome, Jarvis. My title can be understandably confusing. In the future, please call me Magistrate or Ms. Hayworth.”

I didn’t want a reply and didn’t wait for one, but instead went to work unhooking the clasps on my jacket without giving him another glance. As soon as we’d removed our ritzy outerwear and handed them over,

“Is that the Tiffany Diamond?” Esme spoke first.

I couldn’t help preening a little. “Not the real one. But you know, I’m just as happy with… No. Correction. I’m happier with this one. Looks great with the dress, doesn’t it?”

Yes, I was fishing for compliments.

“It does, but the weight of it is pulling on your left shoulder seam a little. You also have some darkness under your eyes. Was that intentional? I can never tell with modern women.”

Doing my best to ignore that, which is something one must do if one is to be friends with Esme, I said, “Now you,” with an extra vein of brightness in my tone.

Esme was wearing a midnight-blue satin slip-style long dress that was simple as could be and perfectly draped, not too tight, not too loose. I would typically say it’s the sort of thing that no one over a size two should wear because the fabric gives three ripples and a shake for every tiny movement, but it was stunning on Esmerelda. The dark dress with her dark hair and pale eyes seemed made to go with blood-red lipstick, blood-red nails and midnight-blue eye shadow accented with silver glittery shimmer. Taken together, the overall impression said vampire.

Not just any vampire. Gorgeous come-hither vampiress!

“Yes?” She’d waited long enough to hear my thoughts.

“One word. Showstopping.”

Esme’s smile was radiant. Typically, grins don’t look good with red lipstick because the red color makes teeth appear yellower. No worries for Esmerelda. Her teeth were as white as if she’d had every tooth veneered with the whitest shade possible.

“And,” I went on, “it’s a shame Kagan isn’t here to appreciate the makeover.”

She sniffed elegantly, placed her hand in the crook of my arm, and said, “You’re probably no good at sex, but you are more fun. Do not tell him I said that.”

I laughed softly. “Thank you. And your secret is safe. Shall we?”

Once said, I realized that my new life was giving me the opportunity to act out all my fantasies. I wondered why I hadn’t seen it before. Who says, “Shall we?” No one other than British aristocrats who’d been called to formal dinner by the butler. I know this because I’d watched enough of those black and white movies from the thirties to absorb what upper-crust glamor looks like.

Even if I’d never been to Weir Manor before, the sounds of conversation over live piano music would have guided me to the drawing room. It wasn’t far, but far enough for me to formulate a plan. I separated myself from Esme.

“You know, we should each get to make an entrance. Why diminish the wow factor by half?”

She blinked rapidly a few times, smiled, then mocked me by saying, “Totally.”

“Okay. I’ll go first.”

“Wait a minute!”

“Too slow. No go.”

“Please. No more stupid expressions for me to try to catalog and remember.”

I laughed. “Wait three minutes. Then it’ll be your turn.”

The room was already populated with my friends and neighbors. That could only mean they were early, or I was late. I stepped inside the threshold of the center pair of three French doors.

John David had spent the year taking a graduate degree in hosting through self-education and was now giving a master class. He advanced with a large smile and open arms. As much as I appreciated the appreciation, when John David smiled a little too broadly, I could see the points of fangs. That undid all the effort I put in trying to forget that he was a vampire.

“Rita. You’re a vision.”

It seemed lame to say, “So are you”, but truly. John David knew how to wear a tux and looked like he invented the idea. It struck me that could be literally true for all I knew.

“And you, sir, as always.” I curtsied just enough to get a tiny giggle from our resident gentleman vampire.

That was followed by the crowd wanting to see the brooch up close. I was relieved to see the town had forgiven me for the werewolf incident.

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