Bambi and the Duke

It wasn't just the man grimacing but Vivian too for such a simple scene to be caused by the bee.

If her mother saw what happened, she was sure she would be scolded once she would get home, "Are you alright, Leonard?" asked a woman who had come along with the man who Vivian had just collided with. The man rubbed his chin and then narrowed his eyes at Vivian for causing trouble.

Taking two steps back this time, Vivian bowed her head again for her sudden behaviour. The damn bee! scolded Vivian in her head. If she could she would roast all of the bees so that they wouldn't attack her every time one came near her. 

"I apologize for..." for hitting your head? no no that would sound bad, thought Vivian in her head, "What just happened," she kept her voice low not wanting to attract any attention to her but the people around had already noticed and so did her family.

Her younger brother, Gregorie covered his laugh with a cough and picked up the glass of water before the girl next to him who had been talking to him on his mother's words would pick it for him.

The man just gave her a nod and then turned to speak to the woman as the vampiress who was along with him glared at her. The person whom she knocked head with had no problem so she didn't know what was the vampiress' problem. Not holding back she stared at the woman with a blank expression which she often used to annoy her mother. Knowing well, her expression got the reaction she had expected.

"What are you staring at?" asked the vampiress, her glare flaring up even more and this time Vivian gave her a confused look.

"What?"

"What are you staring at for after knocking his head," the woman moved from standing in front of the man so that she could face Vivian. Strangely this woman was a few inches taller than her.

"Eleanor," the man whom the vampiress had called Leonard warned her to not start a ruckus.

The bee had got her into trouble and what happened between her and the man was a simple knock of heads. It was as if she had stolen the man from her, was that what it was? she looked at the woman and then the man who now stared at her like the rest. 

Not holding back, Vivian asked, "And what were you doing?" 

"What was I doing?" the woman raised one of her eyebrows. 

"You were looking at me," declared Vivian for the woman to huff.

The other vampiress sized her up and down wondering who had the audacity to backtalk to her the way this little vampiress was doing, "I wasn't."

"Then how can you tell that I was staring, hmm?" Vivian held back the grin that was threatening on her lips, not knowing how long she would be able to at the amount of annoyance the woman was holding out for her. 

"This little-"

"Ladies ladies!" Jerome who had been standing a little behind Vivian stepped forward in the intention to diffuse the tension but instead it only fueled the other woman named Eleanor. 

"Even the lowly vampire has the nerve to stop. What family do you belong to?" Eleanor asked haughtily. 

Vivian wasn't happy with the way the vampiress belittled Jerome or her. She disliked the men and women who often picked on others status to only look down at them. Her parents were the same but she had turned out to be the odd one and would usually scold her younger brother if she saw him walking on their parent's footsteps. 

"Why?" asked Vivian keeping the teacup on the table so that she wouldn't put it down, "Are you planning to be a maid there?" this brought in the anger out of Eleanor, making her step forward. 

"How dare you speak to me in such tone," glared the woman

"Oh, I will dare you," Vivian knew that she was going to be more than scolded once she reached back home. Forget reaching home, she would get more than an earful once she would sit in the carriage with her parent or worse she would be disowned for behaving unladylike. But then, thought Vivian to herself, it wasn't just her was being unladylike there was one right in front of her.

"You not only hit a gentleman's head but also try to insult me," Eleanor gritted her teeth, her eyes flaring up as she spoke and if looks could kill Vivian would have been set on fire but this woman was no witch. Maybe she was, Vivian continued to talk in her mind, worse than a witch hmm.

"Excuse me, but I have already apologized and he doesn't seem to have a problem with it," the man stared at the girl who was speaking so directly with his second cousin. As beautiful as his cousin, Eleanor was with a sweet smile when her mood turned sour she intimidated woman around her but this young vampiress seemed to have no trouble holding her ground as she spoke her mind. 

She had a dainty looking face, her skin pale and smooth like a porcelain doll with her blonde hair that was left open which looked unkempt making her resemble like a bird with its feathers sticking around its face. With the way she was dressed, it didn't seem like she was from a low family but one who came from a decent family. Her eyes though red looked alive as she questioned his second cousin for remarking and getting upset when Eleanor who had left a comment about his low status. 

Her lips looked supple and pink, a thought crossing his mind on if it was as soft as it appeared to be making him want to run his tongue or better his own lips on them. Leonard shook his head to rid of his thoughts. The girl was a stranger, a woman he didn't know of and he wasn't the kind of man who slept with a woman casually. 

Unlike many other vampiress this one seemed a tad different, maybe a little wild than the rest. Her response to Eleanor in a lighter situation where he wasn't involved could have been hilarious but he being part of it, "That's enough, Eleanor. The lady has apologized. No need to create a scene," his curt words made his second cousin unhappy. Not looking at Eleanor, he looked at the lady whom he had no name of, "Please be careful with what you hold and knock milady," he bowed to receive a quick bow from her as well. 

Vivian saw the man and the woman walk across the lawn to hear Jerome speak, "You speak very well, Lady Vivian. Here I thought you are a quiet person," listening to this Vivian blushed, where her cheeks had turned red before his words. 

"Haha..." she laughed while scolding herself, the bee and the woman with the handsome man, "Let's have that tea," she said to take the kettle which the man had placed on the table. Leonard was it, thought Vivian to herself. She turned over her shoulder after she was done with the tea to look at the man who was now talking to the man who owned this mansion. 

She sipped her tea, nodding her head to what Mr Wells had to say before her eyes went to search the man again in the crowd. He had looked like any other handsome man in the room and Vivian had met plenty of them as her mother loved to have the men lined up, somewhere she met in soiree while some who came to their house to take her out. It was easy to avoid men in soiree but the tough ones were the one who stuck along with her for almost a whole day. 

"Mr. Wells," she asked him who stood with her under the apple orchard, "Are you a poor man?" her directness made him cough. Lowering the teacup he was having tea from he first stared at her and then said,

"Why the question? Do you think I am a poor man?" he asked her and the continued to speak, "Though I don't think you care much for it," he smiled down at her, "Is this about what the lady said? You shouldn't worry about it." 

"But you aren't poor," a frown settled on her face.

"I am not?" he tilted his head.

"Hmm, you built this beautiful mansion. You must be earning more than what father earns," the man burst out to laugh loudly while covering it with the back of his hand and Vivian gave him a confused look as to what was funny. Did she say something wrong? 

"Milady, have you been told that your speech is unique," Mr. Wells asked her.

Vivian gave out a wide smile, she nodded, "Many times. How do you know? We haven't met before," she questioned him. 

"You are a lovely woman, Lady Vivian," he complimented her. The unexpected compliment made her look away from him and she turned bashful, "And I am yet to receive my payment for his mansion which I will be getting after this soiree. Maybe then I will less poor."

"I see. It is a beautiful mansion you built," she complimented back at him.

He bowed at her, "It is good to hear that you liked it."

"You said you live in Bonelake, how long are you here then?" a small flash came to pass in front of her eyes as if she had already asked this question to him but this was her first time meeting Mr. Wells. 

"Yes, that's right but I have my brother here. Younger brother Elliot Wells who works for the Lord of Valeria, I will be staying here for a month before I returned back home. I wanted to go see some tourists locations before I go back, would you like to accompany me as going alone might be lonely," Vivian didn't know why she felt it be so familiar. As if this scene where they stood and were speaking, the way she held her cup close and the look in Mr. Wells eyes which held a faint amount of hope in them, it made her question if this had occurred in one of many dreams. 

Finding her a little out as she was staring at the tree, Mr. Wells called her name, "Lady Vivian?" 

"Yes. Pardon me," she apologized, "I feel a little unwell. Do you mind if I go inside and rest?" she asked him feeling it would be rude to leave him upright. 

"Would you want me to help you walk inside?" he asked her politely. 

She shook her head immediately, "Ah, no. I will be fine," giving him a small smile she bowed her head and left his side to get back inside the mansion while not making eye contact with her mother right now. The temperature inside the mansion was cooler and she looked around before going up the stairs. Staying down where there was a possibility of running over the men she had already met and the promiscuous people of the society she didn't want to meet. Running a little on the stairs, she walked when she reached the end of the stairs. 

When she looked at the floor, her eyes took in the expansive painting which was hung on the wall. They were strange pantings. One that looked like a woman peeking out of the window in a lonely dark mansion. Another one was of a church and a carriage that stood next to it on a rainy day. Getting a step closer she found two little figures in the painting who were hugging each other?

"How interesting," she murmured observing each and every painting. The one good thing about soirees was that she was allowed to explore the houses and mansion when everyone were occupied with their mindless chatter. All the houses were beautiful one after another, that she couldn't help herself but allow to explore the space. 

She walked further in, the noise of the crowd diminishing it as she left it behind not knowing what waited for her on the other side of the hallway. A smile came to form on her lips when she three full racks of book. Happily walking towards the bookshelves she went to read one title after another. Finding a book which was put the other way round she went to pull it out from the rest when someone else pulled the book on the other side for her to see Leonard.

 Both of them, caught in each other gazed stared at one another. He was a good looking man but there was this air of aloofness around him which set him apart from the rest. His features serene like a prince one would read about in storybooks. Vivan felt her heart skip a beat when she saw a faint smile on his lips and she quickly cleared her throat and stepped aside so that she could hide behind all the books from him.

Placing her hand on her chest she wondered why he smiled at her. Wasn't it a few moments ago he had stared at hard?