“He’s out back talking to some of the soldiers.”
“So he’s at home, basically.”
She chuckled. “Seems so.” Mary helped me with the stockings, a shift, and then the corset stays… which I cursed soundly in my mind. Why did women have to bind themselves up like this? It was uncomfortable and aggravating. She adjusted my suit beneath my undergarments and looked to the bed where my holster and stakes lay. “You wearin’ those?”
“I have to.”
Mary eyeballed them warily. She must have known what they were for, but instead of offering her opinion, she held the dress up while I dove inside. Then, she brushed my hair out and braided thick sections, pinning them in whorls at the base of my neck. “You look beautiful,” she said quietly. “You know, I had a daughter once.”
Had?
The question must have been written on my face.
“She died. Wasn’t much older than you.”
“By violence?” I croaked.
She shook her head. “Thank God, no. She caught a fever and couldn’t fight it.”
“I’m sorry, Mary.”
“Me too,” she agreed. “Mamas should never have to bury their children. It ain’t natural.”
I could tell the loss of Mary’s daughter left a void nothing could fill. She would undoubtedly miss her the rest of her life. And while the sharpness wasn’t constant, every so often it would rear its head and remind her of what was lost.
I offered quietly, “My mother was killed. I watched it happen.” Her brows furrowed, and then her eyes flicked to my stakes again in sudden understanding. I nodded. “That’s why I have to carry them. A vampire killed her.”
Mary swallowed thickly. “I don’t mean you no harm.”
“I know you don’t, Mary. You’ve been nothing but kind to me.”
“Asa told me to make sure you were comfortable.”
Was she only being nice because he ordered her to, as her sire?
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” I couldn’t help the bitterness in my tone.
She inclined her head and made her way to the door, pausing with her fingers on the handle. “Watch the Brigadier General. Wine makes him think he owns the world and everybody in it.”
I inclined my head. “I will. Thanks.”
Asa told his sire to make me comfortable. I’d talked to her more than almost anyone in this time. Was she telling him everything I said? Was he using Mary to spy on me?
Hearty laughter came from downstairs. I took the knife hidden in the wardrobe and made a slit in my skirt where my holster would be on my thigh, the small slit hid among the fabric’s dark folds.
Slipping the knife back into its hiding place, I noticed something glinting in the corner. I pulled a silver pocket watch from the tiny crevice, realizing it must have been Enoch’s. I tucked it into my cleavage since this dress didn’t have pockets, and situated Maru’s letter between my leg and holster, making sure it was tight and wouldn’t slip out.
I stepped out of my room and made my way downstairs, noting it was full of men, all wearing variations of dark blue coats on top of white shirts and breeches. Most held their hats, though some had abandoned them near the door. The hats were tri-corn, reminiscent of the ones pirates wore.
I didn’t know what was wrong with me. The sun was beginning to set. Warm, orange-yellow light spilled in through the windows facing the west. Everyone was laughing and conversations seemed light and carefree, but a feeling of dread coiled in my stomach.
I found Enoch in the dining room, sitting with Asa and Terah like kings and queens. The table was covered with creamy linens, the fabric laden with platters and trays of every finger-food imaginable. Small cakes surrounded candied fruit. Roasted potatoes and carrots encircled a long platter with a carved, roasted pig.
Enoch was laughing, relaxed. Until he saw me.
He stood abruptly, eyes locked on mine, and crossed the room. Standing in front of me, I worried he was still mad at me for baptizing his sister. But as soon as the corners of his mouth turned upward and he released a pent-up breath, I was able to finally breathe.
“You are stunning,” he complimented, taking my hand. He raised it to his lips and placed a kiss over my tech. My heart galloped. The room, I realized, had gone quiet, and when I looked around, every eye was on us.
“Enoch,” a loud voice boomed as a man wearing a tragically curled, powdered wig clapped him on the back. “You didn’t tell me we would be entertaining angels on this glorious evening.”
Enoch released my hand only for this guy to claim it and plant a gross, juicy kiss over the spot Enoch had claimed. I pulled my hand away quickly, fighting the urge to wipe his saliva on my gown. Gross.
“Eve, may I introduce you to Brigadier General Robert Benjamin. Robert, this is Eve.”
“Eve,” the soldier simpered, his eyes raking over my breasts.
Again, gross.
“You say you’re trekking to St. Augustine? How do you expect to avoid the British when they own the colony? I wouldn’t expect them to offer a warm welcome,” Enoch interrupted, refocusing Benjamin’s attention away from my chest.
Titus laughed under his breath from the corner. I took my chance to escape, making my way to him. “Nice cravat,” I snarked. “You gonna make that a fashion trend when we get back?”
“Not on your life.”
“Have you already eaten?” I asked.
“Sorry,” he winced. “You were doing the girly thing and taking forever, so I ate without you.” I elbowed him as we looked out over the crowd. “You still want to jump? We could go tonight.”
“Where would we jump from?” I asked conversationally.
“The ceilings on this floor and the second are higher than most, and the roof is pitched in places. I think if we got to the highest point, it would be high enough.”
“You think? If you’re wrong, we splatter onto the ground and don’t make it home… ever.”
“The suit would heal us, and then we could find someplace taller next time,” he disregarded my comment as if I were silly.
“Not sure I want to risk that,” I said. I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d survive another landing, let alone two. The pressure in my head continued to build to an excruciating level.
“These three seem to be important in every time,” Titus noted dryly. “They have their fingers on the pulse of the influential.”
“They’re rich, and that’s all influential people care about: money, favors, and what someone can do for them.”
Titus nodded in agreement. “Benjamin is a dick.”
“I know. He just slobbered all over my hand.”
Titus clutched his chest. “I’m offended. He only shook mine.”
I slapped him playfully.
The rays of warm sunlight evaporated as the sun sank below the horizon. Titus noticed the dimming in the room. “Where do you think Abram is?”
“I’m not sure. I hope he’s still running from the sires we didn’t stake.”
“He’s strong now, stronger than anyone he sires. I think every generation is weaker than the one before it. That’s why Mary can cover up and be in the sun, but the vamps in our time would burn to death, covered or not.” Titus’s eyes kept flicking to Terah.