Bambi and the Duke

Vivian was washing her hands after the meal, taking the towel which the maid offered her, she murmured thanks, turning around to walk to have Jamien walking towards her.

"I didn't know you were a friend of Lady Eleanor," he came to stand in front of her. He looked taller than what she had first noticed. During their first encounter, Vivian hadn't registered his appearance as he wasn't someone she knew or wanted to know of. Her intention had only been to finish her exam and leave quickly that apart from his glasses and shabby clothes, she had failed to notice his red eyes.

"I didn't know you would know anyone here at all," she remarked back to see him smile. Unlike his previous nervous self, he seemed confident with his eyes kept on her unmovingly. He smiled to her in response, pushing his glasses up his nose bridge.

"Apologies for my misleading appearance. Sometimes it is better to keep a low profile than be accused of using the favors of your connection. Don't you agree, Lady Vivian?" his unnerving smile made her nod in response.

"Maybe."

"But I must say, it was a surprise to find you here you were like a little bunny who ran away last time. How did you come to acquaint with Lady Eleanor?"

"Mutual friends," she answered him, planning to leave his company and get back to the main hall, she took a step forward to hear him ask her curious,

"Were the words spoken directed to Lady Monica?"

There were a few days where she wondered if she had passed the exam by fluke before telling herself she had worked hard and had got the answers right. From a person who had passed through the exam like Jamien, she should have known he would be the first one to figure out the attack she placed on the vampiress who had badmouthed her.

"I couldn't not notice the change in her complexion. Both of you must have had some history," internally she sighed, the man had observed but to only think they had some kind of fued in the past.

"Women are petty creatures," she smiled, not letting him take a dig on what might have happened. Out of spite, she had opened her mouth not realizing the suspicion that would have raised among the people.

"That I have noticed," he smirked, with both of his hands in his trouser pockets. With his feet set in another direction, it seemed that he hadn't come this way to go to the bathroom and instead only to stroll through the corridors, "We didn't get to speak before. How has your preparation been for the second exam? It's surprising to see a woman such as yourself taking part in it."

A small frown formed on her forehead, "What do you mean?" she had come to be tired with the way everyone kept saying the same thing about how surprising it was for them to see her writing the exam.

As if sensing her judgy eyes, the man spoke wisely making sure not to offend her in any manner, "In the past few recent years, there haven't been many female candidates who came forward to write the exam. As you know, most of them aren't interested and would rather make a family and look after them. Your family must be very supportive for pushing you to take an exam not many would be willing to send their daughters."

She didn't know if she had a family but the only one she could call family was Leonard, "Yes," she answered her smile startling the man as if rays of the sun had come to pass through the window, "I must get going."

"Hmm, Lady Sheryl wants to take her to the river which is behind the mansion that contains ducks and many other creatures that she has harboured," there was evident mockery in his tone, "She would feel bad if you didn't stay for it," with those words he walked past her.

As he passed with a smile still on his lips, at those spare few seconds, she wondered what would happen if she touched him now. But wouldn't it be strange to touch a man out of nowhere which would only lead to misunderstandings. Since the time she arrived, she wanted to make contact with Eleanor but she was yet to find the right opportunity which she was trying to figure out on how to find an open window for it.

Watching over her shoulders, she saw the man had already disappeared.

It wasn't just one person but two of them she had to keep eye on until she returned back to the Carmichael mansion.

Walking back to where the group of ladies were present, she heard Lady Sheryl invite her to the back river of her mansion, "Lady Vivian, we'll be going to look at the cross ladders built to bridge the gap of the two lands that are present on the sides of the river. Join us," she proposed and Vivian smiled, giving her nod which made the human woman smile in delight.

With everyone who had moved outside, walking towards the backside of the mansion, it wasn't exactly backside when Lady Sheryl had mentioned about it. Apparently, no one had been there as the vampiress complained about the path due to the wet muddy water which slipped beneath their feet. Vivian like the rest of the women lifted the front of her skirt and after ten minutes did she come to see an intrinsic bridge that was built with the use of long wooden branches or rather the two trees roots which were long. Due to the continuous rain of Bonelake, the structure looked wet and green moss which had begun to form on it.

The bridge wasn't built too high as clear water stood still. Being built only recently the branches weren't tested for a lot of them to walk on. Vivian who had been walking behind Lady Sheryl felt the sway of the bridge as they went to cross to the other side of the land when suddenly the surface they were walking on, the branches suddenly let loose to snap and break such that both Lady Sheryl and Vivian had no time to comprehend what happened by getting thrown into the water below them.

Vivian felt water rush, her vision blurring as she tried to stand in the water. When she finally got her footing, below the slippery stones, she saw Lady Sheryl who had fallen on the other side but was safe with no visible injury. She was drenched in water from head to toe, water dripping down her face as she wiped her face with the back of her hand.

Murmurs up in the bridge could be heard, Vivian first looked up at them who stared at her as if something had happened. Confused she looked down to see the colourless water turn red around her which started to spread from where she stood.

"I think it's quite a befitting place for them," she Lady Monica comment which she covered with a cough.

"We should leave them be for some time. Stupidity can be contagious," said another woman.

In that spare moment, Vivian caught Eleanor's satisfied smirk that fell on her lips at the plight she was in. One of the vampire men who had been polite from the very beginning decided to help the women in the water by taking off his coat and walking down the stream

As the vampire walked towards Lady Sheryl as she was the closest compared to Vivian, she heard Eleanor's surprise-filled voice as she looked at a distance, "Leonard!"

Seeing him come in her view with him standing up and her in the water with her clothes wet along with herself, his eyes narrowed, "What's going on in here?" he asked coldly.

Leonard had come to pick her after noticing her absence in his home. He was so used to having her greet him every time he reached back home that he had decided to bring her back than wait for her. Like Vivian, he had seen his second cousin smiling about something when he had only arrived at the scene to see Vivian down there with possible injury as the water had turned red around her. Not waiting, he removed his coat in a swift movement throwing it on the ground before stepping down into the water which reached to his waist as he walked towards Vivian.

Not wanting him getting wet in the water, Vivian had tried walking towards him but something caused pain in her left leg that she couldn't move much. She felt her heart thud as he approached her, his expression colder than usual. Once he reached her, he picked her up with both his hands. One hand going to pick her legs while the other supported her back.

Moving out of the water he placed her down where dried leaves had gathered on the ground. Though the others could only see his back, he didn't care about their presence and pulled up her dress so that he could take a look at her leg which had clearly been cut deep. Taking his pocket kerchief, he tied it around the wound which wasn't enough as blood continued to ooze out.

Picking his coat which wasn't far from his reach, he put it around Vivian before picking her up again.

Being in the water Vivian hadn't realized the pain but now it stung. Due to the amount of blood she was losing, her legs started to feel weak.

"Leo-" Eleanor began to speak to be cut off by him sharply,

"I would ask you to refrain yourself from calling Vivian outside from now. I did not expect this from you, Eleanor," his spoke bluntly to the vampiress who looked defeated by his words. Not giving Eleanor an opportunity to speak he carried Vivian away from there.