Oxford Blood (20 page)

Harriet listened in amazement and made her mother go over
everything again in more detail, until she almost understood.

“The downside of course was that I had to leave you with
your aunt,” Adelaide said finally, moving the conversation on.

“There’s a room on the next floor that I’ve always
designated as your room. I’ve had it redecorated every few years as your tastes
have changed and I’m always stocking it with things I think you’d like. So now,
it’s Mac lipsticks and biographies of great historical women. When you were
very young, it was full of those giant toy animals you can buy at Hamleys, and
when you were about eight, it was decorated entirely in pink with a bed in the
shape of a fairytale castle. Perhaps you could stay there tonight.

“Every so often, I thought I’d bring you to live with us, or
at least have you to stay. But every time, I lost my nerve. I couldn’t have
brought you up only seeing darkness. Plus of course, your aunt always hated me
from the moment she met me and after the crash, blamed me for your father’s
death. It was all I could do to have her allow my little visits.”

Adelaide hugged her daughter and spoke the most serious
tones she’d ever heard her use. “Please don’t ever think that either Gus or I didn’t
want you. I love you more than anyone or anything, I always have, and Gus would
have liked a child around the house. Perhaps now you’ll realise that I didn’t
abandon you, I truly had no choice.”

The love, longing, and regret were radiating off Adelaide.
She finished her little speech and said nothing more, clearly waiting for
Harriet’s reaction.

“I see,” Harriet finally managed, weakly. “I suppose that
does explain a lot.”

Harriet wanted to ask so much more. Whether Adelaide loved
Augustine. Whether she missed her father. Whether she ever regretted the choice
she’d made. She stayed silent however, unsure whether she’d be able to cope
with the answers.

“So now, let’s talk about you. How are you finding Oxford?”

Still reeling from her mother’s tale, Harriet could hardly
find the words to discuss it, but grateful for Adelaide’s honesty, she tried
her best. “Oh, I love it. It’s everything you promised. The work’s hard but
really interesting, the city and the college are beautiful beyond belief, I’ve
met some incredibly lovely people and had some fantastic nights out, as well as
fun nights in just chatting to people. I was completely exhausted by the end of
term, but I honestly don’t think there’s anything I dislike about it.”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” Adelaide said with a gentle
smile. “And what about the Cavaliers?”

Harriet wondered how much her mother had already heard. Tom
had made clear that he had been basically spying for her and it seemed likely
that other vampires kept an eye out and reported anything interesting.

“I went to their Christmas party and it was very exciting,”
she said slowly, watching her words. “I was incredibly shocked when I saw Gus
and was told the truth about the two of you, but I got over that quickly
enough.”

“I gather that you went to that party with George,” Adelaide
said.

“Yes, I did. He invited me, I went, but that’s as far as it
goes. He’s very beautiful and very charming and from what I can gather
considered very eligible in your circles, but he’s not for me.”

“But your step-father told me that you seemed very happy in
his company. Perhaps this is awkward for you to discuss with your mother, but
he told me that the two of you tasted each other’s blood. You must have been
told that there’s a great deal of significance in a vampire offering his blood
to a human.”

“I was certainly told afterwards,” Harriet said sharply. “A
little more disclosure from all of you might have made the last few weeks
easier.”

“So you accept that there is this bond between you, but deny
that it has any real meaning. Is that right?” Adelaide’s voice was taking on an
odd tone. It made Harriet feel very uncomfortable.

“So does this mean that the latest reports I’ve heard are
true? That you’ve given yourself to a vampire less than a hundred years old,
one I specifically asked to watch out for you and guide you.” Adelaide was
growing angry. “I refused to listen to those who’ve told me this. I told them
that no daughter of mine would be that stupid.”

Harriet didn’t say anything.

“Answer me Harriet. Do you now consider yourself to be in a
relationship with this Tom Flyte?”

“Yes. Yes I do.” Harriet tried to sound brave. “I’m not a
baby mother. I know that you only want what’s best for me, but I have to be
allowed to make my own decisions and if it comes to it, my own mistakes. Tom is
gorgeous and lovely and hardly without power.”

“You don’t understand,” Adelaide said sadly. “Becoming a
vampire makes you hugely strong compared to any human. But as a new vampire,
you’re very weak compared to the older ones and in deciding your place in the
hierarchy, the age and strength of your maker is all the Council really has to
go on. You don’t want to do what I say, I appreciate that, but let Tom turn you
and you’ll have to do what almost all the other vampires tell you to.

“I love you Harriet. I’m not just being some sort of Mrs
Bennett figure here – I want to see you safe and in control of your own life.
Obey me on this point, stick with George, and you’ll more or less be able to do
what you want for all time.”

Harriet listened intently, trying to give her mother the
benefit of the doubt. What she said made sense on some level, but there was no
way she was going to give up the boy she loved and give herself to someone else
just for the sake of power. Looking her mother in the eye, she firmly shook her
head.

“If only I’d been able to bring you up myself, perhaps you’d
understand a little more,” Adelaide said wistfully. “Perhaps then I wouldn’t
have to resort to these measures.”

 Adelaide stepped towards Harriet and looked at her
intently. “Give me the necklace.”

Harriet tried to keep her arms pressed firmly against her
sides, but she couldn’t stop herself from unclasping the pendant and handing it
to her mother, who put it in her handbag and locked it shut. As soon as she’d
done so, Adelaide touched Harriet lightly on the forehead and she snapped out
of her trance.

“You mesmerised me,” Harriet shrieked. “I can’t believe
you’d do that! Besides, how could you when I was wearing the necklace?”

Adelaide seemed a little embarrassed. “You still have my
photograph in there don’t you? It doesn’t work on anyone whose picture is
inside. When you were a little girl, I gave you this hoping that it would
protect you. Now I see it’s doing more harm than good. Without it you’ll no
longer be immune to our mind control and whilst so far the Cavaliers have all
been warned off, from now on I’m giving George full permission to mesmerise you
until you see sense.”

Startled and horrified, Harriet put her hand gingerly to her
neck. She rarely took the necklace off, and its absence felt odd, but not as
strange and alien as her loving mother’s cruel behaviour.

“I’m leaving,” she shouted. “I can’t believe you’d treat me
like this, that you’d encourage others to mess with my mind. Aunt Kate was
right about you.” Harriet walked quickly out of the room, half expecting her
mother to physically stop her from leaving.

“You’ll see that I was right in the end darling,” Adelaide
called after her. “Just give it time. Mothers are always right.”

***

Adelaide felt close to tears by the time Harriet had stormed
out of the house. Her daughter’s defiance, shock at her own extreme reaction
and memories of her human life conspired together to leave her feeling broken.
At least she’d managed to avoid telling Harriet who she’d killed to complete
the transformation. She’d never speak to her again if she knew the truth.

Gus walked silently into the room whilst Adelaide was lost
in her memories and worries. He could appear and disappear at will, an ability
that she was slowly gaining, but they preferred to maintain a semblance of
normality in their dealings with each other.

“You’re thinking about the past again aren’t you?” he
whispered, coming up behind her, muscles honed in the Roman legions holding her
tightly. “If there’s one thing that 2000 years have taught me it’s that you
should never dwell on what’s gone before. Don’t worry about Harriet either. She
loves you and she’ll soon get over it. Anyway, I’ve invited some of the interns
from the bank over for drinks. Shall I call for them?”

Adelaide nodded. Gus rang a bell and a few minutes later two
twenty-one year old bankers were led into the room by Gus’s PA, a Victorian
vampire named Polly who had worked for him for decades.

“I hope you’re enjoying your work,” Gus said softly to one
intern, touching her on the shoulder. She nodded nervously, looking terrified
to have been summoned into the presence of the CEO.

“Do you need any help darling?” he said, turning to
Adelaide.

She laughed. “I’m quite capable of a little light hypnosis
as you well know,” she replied. Sometimes she suspected the way that her powers
had grown so fast, surpassing vampires centuries older alarmed Gus, but most of
the time it pleased and amused him.

“Come here my dear,” she said, smiling at the remaining
intern. He was staring at her, already half entranced by her beauty and the
aura she gave off, before she’d so much as tried any mind tricks. He walked
over to her nervously.

“It’s always so lovely to meet my husband’s new recruits,”
she said huskily, lightly brushing his forehead with her fingers as she did so.
He smiled as his eyes closed firmly. Adelaide nodded at Gus, and then they both
bent their heads, biting into their respective intern’s neck with sharp fangs
and lapping at the blood that spilt out.

The blood was delectable. Adelaide felt her body go warm and
her worries fade. Everything would be fine with Harriet. She drank more than
was usual for her, keen to sooth herself. By the time she lifted her head, Gus
had already finished and was watching her with a glint in his eye. Polly led
the two dazed interns away. She turned to Gus, a little blood still on her
mouth. The blood rushing in her desiccated veins always filled her with lust.
She grabbed her maker and kissed him passionately.

PART TWO - FIRST YEAR,  HILARY
TERM

Chapter Eleven

H
arriet
travelled straight back from London, on the verge of tears all the way. Her
aunt had immediately noticed her subdued look when she’d collected her from the
station, but had mercifully not interrogated her. The following morning,
noticing that her necklace was missing, Kate had gently asked if she wanted her
old crucifix necklace back. Harriet was amazed that her aunt had kept it safe
all this time, but had gratefully accepted. The rest of the Christmas holiday
was relaxing and uneventful.

Harriet returned to Oxford on a grey, wintery day in early
January. After over a month at home, she was desperate to get back, to see her
friends, to stimulate her mind and to regain some independence.

After a few hours, the train pulled into Oxford station and
Harriet hurriedly climbed into a taxi. She smiled as the car drove through the
city centre. When the taxi drew up in front of her college, she almost sighed
out loud. Maybe she was biased, but she felt sure that it was the most
beautiful building of all.

She paid the driver and stepped into the porter’s lodge to
collect her keys. Within seconds, she saw people she knew, all of them asking
how her holidays had been and seeming excited to begin the new term.

“New Quad, Room 12. Here you go Harriet. Did you have a good
Christmas?”

She nodded at the porter. “Great thanks Mike. I’m glad to be
back though.”

“Where’s your necklace?” he said suddenly, staring hard at
her neck. “You don’t want to be taking that off.”

Harriet was bemused. What did the porter know about it all?
“It was a gift from my mother, and for some reason she wanted it back,” she
replied truthfully, keen to see what he would have to say.

“I see. You watch yourself then Miss French. We’ll all be
keeping an eye out for you, don’t you worry. Nobody gets into the college
without us knowing about it, and I do mean nobody.”

Harriet headed for her room feeling confused. Did the
porters know about the existence of vampires? They certainly seemed to know
about everything else that went on in the university.

Her room looked strange emptied of all her stuff, but
walking into it she felt a great sense of security. She quickly made herself a
cup of tea and unpacked the necessities, keen to get the place back to how it
had been all of last term. When she was satisfied, she decided to see who was
about. There was no sign of Josh – the room next door was locked, and the
absence of piano music suggested that he wasn’t hiding inside. Tom of course
would be asleep, though whether in the room downstairs or in London she wasn’t
sure. They’d spoken every few days, passionate conversations full of a longing
to see each other, but Tom had been guarded on the details of where he was
staying and when he’d be back. She’d tried not to feel too frustrated, sure
that he had his reasons. Texts quickly established that Ben and Caroline
wouldn’t be back until the following day, but that Olamide was already there
and would love to come over for a drink.

They settled down for a coffee and agreed that both their
holidays had been fun but uneventful.

“Have you done any revision for collections yet?” Olamide
asked.

Collections were exams that took place at the beginning of
each term to see how much of the previous term’s work students had learnt.
Harriet hadn’t done any work for hers so far but had a sinking feeling that Ola
was about to announce that she’d but put in several hours of revision every day
of the holidays, Christmas included.