Page 34 of Vampire's Breath

“In Lady Isobel’s journal, she wrote about the Marquess of Dún Na Farraige, Lord Lorcan O’Cillian. She also insisted she killed a vampire.”

Rory’s smile widened. “They enjoy their family names in the Clan O’Cillian.”

She pulled in a breath and stood. “I should let you get settled. You recall where I told you the drawing room was on the floor below us?”

I nodded.

“There will be tea there in about an hour. Cormac usually eats soon after we land. And the chef here makes food that is to die for.”

“I thought you said the staff had been given time off?”

The sun shifted on the floor, playing with the shadows.

“The kitchen here is also open for the corporate staff. It is just the household staff who have time off.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Right, the corporate staff who work next door for the company the O’Cillians own?”

“That’s right.”

“What’s the company called?”

Aurora smiled, her voice light. “Dún Na Farraige Estates Incorporated.”

My heart skipped a beat. Vampires weren’t real. This was all just a coincidence, wasn’t it? Yet the name tugged at something deep within me, something that insisted there was more. But why wouldn’t the O’Cillians use the name Dún Na Farraige? After all, it was only normal to remain associated with a title like that, wasn’t it?

Briar

The cars outside my bedroom woke me up. The London street was noisier than my home in the middle of the garden center. In the distance, a horn blared as a draft of city air with the faint hint of exhaust seeped through the old windowpanes, so different from the lavender and jasmine that usually greeted me in the morning. Light danced on the floor through a crack in the curtains.

For the past few days, Rory and I had toured London. She showed me some of the tourist sights I had been interested in since I was here, and she kept me occupied because we couldn’t get a reading room reservation at the National Archives right away. Lorcan joined us periodically, always keeping to himself but moving next to me like a protective shadow whenever wewere together. Cormac appeared to work all the time. I usually only saw him for meals in the drawing room.

I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest, digging the heels of my palms into my eyes. A thrill went through my chest, causing me to squeeze my shoulders close to my ears with excitement as I looked around the room again. The dusty rose walls with white trim buoyed my hopes for what the day would hold, a thought so invigorating I struggled to contain my grin. Our reservation for the reading room was at nine o’clock when they opened. I glanced at my phone sitting on the nightstand—7:00 a.m. For the first time since I arrived, I hadn’t slept through breakfast.

I sprang from the bed and padded across the plush gray rug under my feet to the bathroom for the morning routine: use the toilet, brush my teeth and hair, finally deciding to leave it long and bouncy. After returning to the wardrobe, I opened the doors to reveal the drawers inside and my few hanging items nestled among the clothes that had already been there. Rory had been right—I wouldn’t have needed to pack. I smiled at the thought of her easy confidence, happy to have her show me around.

I selected a pair of pants and a button-down shirt that hung gracefully over the waistband. I snagged my phone and key card from the nightstand and wandered toward the drawing room. If no one was there, I could at least peruse the books in the family library. The thought of going to the art gallery flitted through my mind, but I dismissed it, not wanting to know what treasures I would find there.

As I trotted down the stairs to the second floor, I texted Amy.Off to the archives today. How is everything at home?

The narrow hall with its high ceilings and off-white walls stretched before me. I glided past the bedrooms, pausing briefly outside Lorcan’s door and wondering if I should knock and let him know I was awake. I abandoned the idea and continued toward the drawing room. A smile played on my lips as I enteredthrough the French doors. Each time I did, I noticed something new. There was so much to take in.

The morning sun sparkled through the wall of windows at the far end of the room. Heavy emerald-green drapes lined each of them, complementing the mint-green walls with their white decorative trim. A chandelier that appeared to be made only of glass hung from a ceiling rose. Under the window and to the left, an assortment of art deco-inspired chairs and sofas provided a comfortable resting place; a buffet toward the front of the room was stocked full of assorted pastries and drinks.

To the right, Lorcan sat at the table with a cup of tea in hand. In front of him lay the saucer to accompany his cup and a mess of scattered papers. He sat there like he belonged in this room. The calm serenity on his face as he looked at the documents was as unreadable as ever. My heart fluttered as his gaze lifted to meet mine. Would I ever understand him?

The corners of his lips turned up as his shoulders softened. That smile was subtle and disarming, enough to make my pulse quicken despite myself.

“Good morning,” he said. “Help yourself.” He gestured to the buffet, holding the teacup with an elegance I could never master. His fingers looked like they barely gripped the handle, soft and gentle with the fragile piece. A fancy urn sat at the end of the buffet with several loose-leaf teas in glass jars and tiny teapots lined up like soldiers going into a battle against sleep.

I turned back to the assortment, a knot tightening in my stomach as I stared, bewildered. It was quite different from the cup of coffee I had grabbed while out and about with Rory the past few days. There was a soft rustle as Lorcan moved to stand behind me. His hand touched the small of my back, sending a thrill up my spine, and I struggled not to smile. “It isn’t that different from home.” His voice was gentle but had a lilt ofamusement. “Put some tea in the teapot and fill it with water from the samovar—”

“The what?”

“The urn-looking thing. Take that to the table, then grab whatever pastry you want. Dani will be back in a few minutes with a plate for me. She’ll get whatever you want from downstairs.”

I found his gaze with mine and batted my lashes. “Including coffee?”

Lorcan made a face at me that turned into a smile. “Including coffee.”

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