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Rhys recoiled in dread at the sound of the cellar being unlocked. But when the door opened, a most welcome scent filled the dungeon.
“Vivian?” His voice cracked with hope.
“Rhys!” She ran down the stairs and thrust her arms through the bars. Tears glistened in her grey eyes. “I thought Uncle Aldric had killed you.”
He took her hands and placed kisses all over her wrists and palms. Honestly, he did not know why Aldric hadn’t killed him yet. After Rhys had admitted guilt to all the crimes the Lord Vampire charged him with, Lord Thornton had struck him with the butt of the gun and walked out of the dungeon. The next night, Thornton had unlocked his manacles, released a live pig in the cell, and walked back out without a word.
Last night, Lord Thornton had removed the pig’s carcass and brandished Rhys’s application for citizenship, questioning him about the character flaws and disobedience outlined in the letter that John had included. A letter that was supposed to have been a recommendation rather than condemnation.
Rhys had explained his relationship with the vampire who’d made him, utterly perplexed as to why Aldric cared. But the moment Rhys asked about Vivian, Lord Thornton struck him with a backhanded slap and stormed out of his cell. There was no pig that night. Rhys had to make do with a rat that came into his cell.
Aldric had to be torturing him. That was the only explanation. To be so close to Vivian, yet never able to see or touch her again had tormented him to near madness.
Now, Vivian stood before him, and despite his ravening hunger, the temptation to kiss her was much stronger than that to bite her.
Madame Renarde tapped Vivian’s shoulder. “Move aside so I can deal with this lock.”
“I visited Emily,” Vivian said as her companion set to work.
Rhys’s chest tightened at the mention of his niece. “How is she?”
“Worried sick about you, just as I was. Uncle foreclosed on her last week.” Before Rhys could react to that dismal news, Vivian withdrew a sheet of parchment from the pocket of her cloak. “I also discovered that he’d given me the farm as my dowry, but placed in a trust so that if I do not marry, the land will become mine on my twenty-fifth birthday.”
His jaw dropped. “You own the land?”
Vivian nodded. “And then you will own it after we’re married.”
“Married?” A parade of fanciful visions of waking up beside her every evening, sharing a house, and making love to her every day marched through his mind. He couldn’t stop a smile from forming. “Are you asking for my hand?”
Vivian shook her head and returned his grin. “I am demanding it.”
The lock clicked and Madame Renarde swung the cell door open. “You’ll have to elope to Gretna Green,” the companion said. “I do not think you can acquire a special license.”
Rhys caught Vivian as she threw herself into his arms. The bloodthirst reared up, but he suppressed it with the sheer joy in holding her. When his lips touched hers, his dreary cell faded away and he was transported to heaven. Vivian returned his kiss with unchecked hunger. Her low moan was a joyous serenade. Only when he was in danger of becoming aroused in front of Madame Renarde did Rhys regain his senses. With agonizing reluctance, he broke the kiss.
“A journey to Scotland will be dangerous,” he said, trying to maintain practicality in the face of being offered his most fervent desire. “And I cannot Change you unless we find a Lord Vampire willing to legitimize me. I refuse to sentence you to life as a rogue.”
“But you must marry me!” Vivian’s pleading voice tugged at his soul. “I love you, and cannot bear living without you.”
“I love you too.” Rhys buried his face in her hair. “Which is why I cannot risk your death.”
Madame Renarde cleared her throat. “I have an idea.”
Rhys and Vivian turned to face the companion. Rhys had assumed that Lord Thornton had been able to banish Renarde’s memories. Apparently, he’d failed, but did Thornton know it hadn’t worked? If so, what were his plans for her?
“Rhys should leave for Gretna Green immediately.” Madame Renarde brought his attention back to the present. “And Vivian and I will leave separately and meet you there. You can then wed, and Vivian can return here to help your niece manage the land in your name. If her uncle still Changes her like he plans, you can write to her when you find a lord vampire to legitimize you and you can reunite then.”
Vivian nodded eagerly. “That could work.”
Rhys frowned. “But what if Thornton refuses to Change her after helping me escape?”
“Perhaps your new lord will allow you to Change her when you’re legitimized,” Madame Renarde said. “After all, she’ll be your wife.”
“What if Lord Thornton catches you and Vivian on your way to Scotland?” As tantalizing as Renarde’s plan sounded, Rhys couldn’t stop weighing the risks. “What if he kills one or both of you? It’s simply too dangerous.”
A dreaded voice sounded behind them, crushing Rhys’s spirit. “Do you truly believe that I would harm my own blood?” Aldric strode down the stairs. A longsword hung from his hip. “Though I do agree that running off to Scotland is indeed too dangerous. I won’t allow it.”
“Uncle!” Vivian leapt in front of Rhys, trying to shield him with her body, even as he moved to protect her. “Please, don’t hurt him!”
Madame Renarde moved to Rhys’s side as well. The foolhardy gesture humbled him.
Rhys pulled both women against him and faced Lord Thornton over Vivian’s shoulder. “I am not naïve enough to plead for my life, but I will plead for Vivian, and Madame Renarde, and for Emily. Please, my lord, don’t punish them for my attempted escape.”
“He didn’t try to escape!” Vivian told her uncle. “I tried to free him.”
“And I am the one who told her that Rhys was here.” Madame Renarde lifted her chin in defiance, but Rhys felt the light tremble of her shoulders. “I picked the locks, and as you overheard, he has refused to go.”
Her courage filled Rhys with wonder, but he wouldn’t allow Vivian’s loyal companion to sacrifice herself. “My lord—”
Aldric held up a hand. “God blast it all, you win!”
Rhys sucked in a breath. “I do?”
“Not you, you bloody knave. Her.” Lord Thornton pointed at Vivian and spoke to her. “If I kill this sod, you’ll hate me for eternity, as you did when you thought I’d already done the deed. I can’t leave him locked in my dungeon either. Which gives me no choice but to legitimize him, loath as I am to do.”
Was he dreaming, or was this some sort of cruel jest? Rhys knew he was gaping like a village idiot, but could not close his mouth.
Vivian wrapped her arms around Rhys’s waist as if she feared he would be torn away from her side. “Oh, Uncle Aldric, thank you!”
The Lord Vampire of Blackpool heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Even this elopement idea will work in our favor. Your father will want nothing to do with you afterward, and we won’t have to worry about London Society or my neighbors here in Blackpool any longer because they will shun you for such a scandalous thing. However, we don’t need to bother with a trip to Scotland. I will secure a special license after I legitimize your rogue.”
Rhys sank to his knees. “Thank you, my lord.”
“I don’t want your thanks,” Blackpool snarled. “I want to mitigate the damage you’ve done, and for you to stop causing me trouble.”
“You will have my utmost obedience.” For the safety of his family, marriage to the woman he loved, and citizenship, Rhys would walk over hot coals if Thornton asked him.
At the moment, Vivian’s uncle looked more like he wished to ask Rhys to throw himself off a cliff. “Now that you are no longer a prisoner, there’s no need to linger in the dungeon.” Aldric turned and waved an impatient hand at the stairwell. “Let us all go inside and have a brandy. Lord, how I wish I could drink more than a little dram.”
Still dazed, Rhys rose to his feet and clung to Vivian’s hand as they followed the Lord Vampire into the manor. The sight of the bright lanterns, plush carpets, and luxurious furnishings took Rhys aback. For a moment, he felt a twinge of the old hostility at the sight of such wealth. One of those silver candlesticks could have fed Emily and the children for nearly a year.
But Emily and the children would be comfortable now. He could hardly believe it. Rhys would at last be able to make sure of it. He didn’t know if Aldric would be generous enough to grant Vivian money as well as land for her dowry, but he did know that as a legitimate citizen of Blackpool, Lord Thornton would grant him some sort of employment.
Thornton settled them in a large sitting room full of plush sofas and overstuffed chairs. When they were seated, he rang for a servant.
“Tea, wine, or whisky?” he asked Vivian and her companion.
“Wine,” Vivian said, while Rhys and Madame Renarde opted for whisky.
When the footman arrived, Thornton entranced him with his eyes and led him to Rhys’s side. “Normally, my servants are not to be dined upon, however, you need to feed, and I do not want you to bite my niece.”
“My control is better than that, but I thank you for your generosity.” Rhys inclined his head with gratitude and carefully fed from the footman’s wrist. It was so much better than the pig and last night’s rat. Still, out of consideration, he drank as little as possible, and was careful to heal the man’s wounds with his blood. When he finished, Lord Thornton released the man and ordered their requested beverages.
While they waited, Thornton turned to Madame Renarde. “How in the name of heaven did you manage to deceive me into thinking I’d successfully banished your memories, break into my study, and discover where I was holding Rhys?”
Madame Renarde shrugged. “Old habits. I was a spy, after all, trained by Le Chevalier herself.”
“Picking the lock on your study was my idea,” Vivian said defensively. “I wanted to know if Rhys’s niece had received the money and paid the mortgage.”
Her uncle regarded her with a chiding expression. “Believe me, I know when mischief occurs in this house, whose idea it was. I was merely curious as to how your unique companion carried off such impressive feats, rather than wishing to punish her for aiding you.”
Madame Renarde spoke. “Thank you for your mercy, my lord. But I still suppose that I am now consigned to join the fold of your kind.”
“By law, you should,” Thornton said. “However, as you were able to fool me, I think it likely that you will fool other vampires. If you do wish to be Changed, you have that choice.”
“Not unless the only other choice is death,” Renarde answered. “I have transitioned from living as a man to living as a woman. I do not want to transition into a vampire as well. One double life is enough for me.”
The footman returned with the wine for Vivian and whisky for the rest.
“Thank you, Jeffries. You may retire for the remainder of the night.” When they were alone, Thornton sipped his whisky and turned to Vivian. “Before we discuss this abominable marriage, you must make a choice. Do you wish for me to Change you, or for him?” His thumb jerked back to point at Rhys as if Thornton couldn’t bear to look at him.
Vivian glanced between the two vampires before taking a sip of wine and turning back to her uncle. “I would be more powerful if you did the deed, yes?”
Rhys stiffened with hurt. He’d thought Vivian would choose him.
“Yes. I am two hundred years his senior, so that means more power.” Thornton remained expressionless.
“While I do like the idea of having power after being powerless for so long, I will opt with Rhys.” Vivian threaded her fingers through his. “I want to share a life with him, his name, and his blood.”
“So be it.” Though it could have been Rhys’s imagination, for a moment it seemed there was a glimmer of hurt in Thornton’s steely grey eyes. But when he turned to Rhys, his expression was glacial as ever. “I suppose I had better legitimize you now. Kneel before me.”
Rhys slid off the couch to his knees and faced the vampire who would be his new lord.
Thornton stood and placed his hand on Rhys’s shoulder. “I, Aldric Cadell, Viscount of Thornton and Lord Vampire of Blackpool accept you, Rhys Berwyn as one of my citizens. Do you solemnly swear to keep my secrets, and obey me for as long as you live?”
“I do so swear,” Rhys said.
Aldric bit his finger and held the bleeding digit toward him. “With my blood, your oath is sealed.”
Rhys felt a jolt of power as he tasted the Lord Vampire’s blood. Power Vivian had rejected in favor of her bond with Rhys.
With the blood oath complete, Aldric bade him to rise. “You are now a citizen of Blackpool and under my protection.” Rhys opened his mouth to give thanks, but Lord Thornton’s sinister smile gave him pause. “However, just because I’ve legitimized you and permitted you to marry and Change my niece does not mean I will not make you pay for the havoc you’ve caused.”
“My lord?” Rhys asked with foreboding.
“First, you will not be permitted to be alone with Vivian until after you’re married,” Aldric said. “Just because you’ve preempted your wedding night does not mean we shouldn’t maintain propriety.”
Madame Renarde nodded with approval as Vivian and Rhys exchanged mournful glances.
“That is reasonable.” Though he prayed the wedding would be soon. Besides, after days and nights locked in a dungeon, Rhys was content to merely be able to see Vivian and be near her.
“Second,” Lord Thornton continued, “You will remain under constant supervision as long as I deem necessary.”
Another logical decision, though Rhys knew he’d bristle at having someone breathing down his neck all the time. “With all due respect, my lord, for legitimacy, the security of my family, and having the woman I love by my side, I will endure anything.”
“I will hold you to that,” Aldric said in an ominous tone. “Now I must give you a tour of the boundaries of the territory as well as have a few more words with you in private before I show you your sleeping quarters. You may bid my niece goodnight before we depart.”
Rhys pulled Vivian into his arms. He didn’t care if Thornton objected to such intimacy. Right now, he needed the contact with her more than anything.
“I love you,” he whispered as he felt her heart beat against his. “I never imagined I could ever be so happy.”
“I love you too.” She rose up on her toes and kissed him.
As his lips melded with hers, Rhys ignored her uncle’s muffled curse. No matter what Lord Thornton put him through, Vivian was worth it.