Only my new found friendships give me true solace.

Percy sometimes calls in the early evening and Csilla acts as our hostess. I enjoy his even temperament and he reminds me so much of my father that we discussed our family histories one night. It is possible we are distant cousins. It feels lovely to speak and spend time with someone from my own country. Though Brice is from England, he is a servant, and therefore I cannot truly form a friendship with him. I often think how lonely he must be.

“Will I ever meet your husband?” Percy inquired on the night of our first excursion without the wildly flirtatious Csilla. The baroness was occupied with another conquest and we were alone.

I hesitated in my step as we walked into a cafe we had discovered that serves proper English tea. It is close to the Danube and near the heart of the city. Carriages rattled past us carrying their charges to other exciting locations and people flowed along the walks. Adem followed behind us, his dark eyes ever-watchful of any dangers.

“I should think so,” I lied. “He is quite busy, so I am not certain when that shall be.”

Tucking his warm hand under my elbow, Percy said, “I would think he would not wish to be far from you.”

I floundered, unable to find the words to answer.

Once inside the cafe, we were escorted to a neat little table and Percy immediately ordered tea for both of us. Adem sat down at a table near us and ordered coffee. I set my small purse on my lap and raised my fan to stir the warm air into a gentle breeze. Percy’s bright blue eyes gazed at me speculatively and I arched a brow.

“I was just wondering if our friendship and appearances in public together without a proper escort might tarnish your reputation.”

I shrugged. “We have Adem with us and my reputation is already scandalous due to my marriage.”

“Count Dracula is definitely a man of intrigue from all I have heard.” Percy sat back in his chair, trying to find a comfortable position, and regarded me with some concern.

“He is a very enigmatic man.” I fluttered my fan before my face, trying to hide my agitation. “Besides, even if the Baroness joined us, tongues would still drip with gossip.”

“She does seem a bit...lively.” Percy grinned, flashing his white teeth. I knew from Csilla’s grousing that Percy had rebuffed her advances on more than one occasion.

“Yes, she is that. And more.” I sighed a little, the ostrich feathers from my fan brushing my cheek lightly.

“How did you come to know her?”

“She is a dear friend of my husband. When I first visited Buda, my family and I attended one of her parties. My husband said it was there that he first saw me and decided I must marry him.” I attempted to keep my anger from my tone, but there must have been a sharp cut to my words for Percy leaned toward me, his expression curious. I faltered for a moment, then continued. “I never wanted to marry and I fought savagely with my parents when they proposed we accept his invitation to visit his country home.”

“Why would you not wish to marry?” Percy’s countenance was perplexed by the concept. “Certainly you wanted a husband to care for you.”

I pursed my lips slightly, averting my face from his speculative gaze. At last, I said, “No. I did not. I wanted to choose my own way in life and not be hindered by marriage. I was adamant.”

“Yet, you are Countess Dracula.”

“Yes, I am. My family was killed during our journey to Vlad’s home.” My voice grew lower and slower as I weighed each word carefully before stringing it into my story. “He brought me into his home and cared for me as I recovered from the tragedy of their deaths and my own wounds.”

“And you grew to love him.” Percy grinned. “And therefore you did marry.”

“Yes,” I answered, the lie not coming easily.

His smile diminished. “You did not marry for love, did you? Was it gratitude?”

“Let us not fool ourselves. Not many people actually marry for love, do they? They marry out of obligation. We are told we must marry for it is right and proper and therefore, we do. But how many truly marry for love?” I hated the bitter taste in my mouth and the coldness in my soul, but I knew my words were true. “Of all the marriages I witnessed during my life, only one was for love: my father and mother. And they suffered for it. Mother was Northern Italian and a scandal. She was much younger than he was and a foreigner. He did not care, but people were so cruel to her.”

“Now I understand your support of Laura’s vow to never marry.”

I saw the sorrow in his face and immediately regretted my angry outburst. “Forgive me, Percy. I forgot. You did marry for love, didn’t you?”

“I did. I loved Abigail from the moment I saw her. I wooed her and she did marry me.” His smile was strangely bittersweet and it made my heart ache for him.

“Is it hard to be away from her?”

“Very much so. Very hard.” He fell into silence as our tea was brought to the table. I poured for both of us, enjoying the rich fragrance of the freshly brewed tea. As he scooped a spoonful of sugar into his cup, he appeared withdrawn and thoughtful. He poured a bit of milk into his tea, a little sloshing onto the saucer but he didn’t seem to notice. “I miss my wife. I miss England. But the life I shared with her is now gone. She died in childbirth.”

“Oh, Percy!” I clutched my hands together beneath my chin, horrified by his words.

“I did marry for love, Countess,” he said somberly. “And I lost her. I do understand your sentiments. I have witnessed the bartering and trading of young women my whole life, but I truly did love my wife. And I can never return to her. She is gone. I find it sad and somewhat ironic that I cannot see my beloved wife in this life, while you appear to hope that your do not see your husband.”

“Do not think me a cruel person!” I reached across the table on impulse and gripped his hand. “Please, Percy. I do love. I love someone madly. With all my heart. But it was my misfortune to meet him after my marriage.” The words came pouring out of my mouth and though I knew I should be cautious, I plunged onward. “I cannot be with the one I love either. He is far away from here and I fear I should never see him again. And though my husband has provided for me and I do believe he loves me, I can never love him with a pure heart.”

Percy squeezed my hand gently before releasing it. “I am not one to judge you. I cannot. I have committed my share of sins in this life. I am saddened by the news that your marriage is not all it should be.”

“I am not unhappy,” I assured him. And it was the truth. With Vlad entombed, I was much happier now that I did not live in fear of his violence and cruelty.

“But this is not the life you would have chosen for yourself,” he finished for me.

“Yes. That is it exactly.”

“You are far too young to be so jaded.” He stirred his tea with a delicate silver spoon, the steam swirling about his hand.

“I am nineteen,” I said, a bit defensively.

He laughed with amusement. “As I said, far too young. Of course, I am an old man of forty-eight. I am old enough to be your father.”

“Father was much older than you.” I grinned at Percy. “He was almost sixty when he was...when he died.”

“I suppose we could avoid scandal by saying I am your uncle.”

Giggling, I pretended to sip my tea.

Percy glanced about the cafe, observing the other customers with some amusement. “I wonder what others think of us as we sit here speaking in English. I see them stealing glances our way.”

“Most likely that we are related and tourists.”

His keen blue eyes returned to regard me and he smiled slightly. “Most likely that is true. What does the baroness think of my visits?”

“That I am bedding you, of course.” I giggled and blushed slightly.

Percy chuckled and shook his head. “Of course. Of course!”

“My father would be horrified by the way I am speaking to you. I do apologize if I am too blunt.”

“I find it rather refreshing. Abigail tended to say exactly what she was thinking, with little consideration if it was proper or not. I liked that about her.”

“I think I would have liked her very, very much.”

Percy turned his head to look across the room once again. “I believe we are garnering some attention though. Or perhaps it is you with your fabulous ruby hair, aquamarine eyes, and pearl skin.”

“You sound like a merchant describing his wares,” I admonished him.

Leaning one elbow on the table, he inclined his head toward me. “There is a young woman in the far corner who is completely enraptured by you. She has been watching you for the last few minutes.”

“Are you certain it is not you that has drawn her attention?”

“Oh, no. It is you.”

Turning my head, I gazed across the room. Percy was not telling tales. A young woman was openly staring at me from the table in the corner. Petite, graceful, and lovely, she had thick dark brown hair drawn into a fashionable style and large, heavily fringed eyes. My keen eyesight sharpened as I studied her and she smiled ever so slightly. Shifting in her chair, her green satin gown rustled around her ankles and her eyes gazed steadily into mine. I was surprised to realize one was blue and the other green.