After
hearing what's got Phillida upset, Margo and Drea agree that Andres
is making a serious mistake by asking Carley to be his bride and
queen.
"Why
do you take this as a personal insult? He is seeding his wild
oats...."
"Wild
oats? Is that what you think this is about? You old fool! Wild oats,
my ass...."
"Madam,
your guests are here are requested," the Tweedle Twin said
quietly.
"Yes,
thank you."
Phillida
turned her back on Heinrich, ignoring him as unimportant. A look of
pure loathing filled his face, which he did nothing to conceal from
Kirk and Margo. Even the Tweedle Twin said nothing to Phillida as she
continued to rant and pace. Heinrich and the twin had not been
dismissed, nor had Kirk and Margo. They weren't in a position to do
much but wait. Anything else risked incurring Phillida's full wrath,
and none of them wanted that. The silence, punctuated by her cursing,
grew long.
Hoping
to avoid a tongue lashing, Kirk cleared his throat quietly. Phillida
looked up, surprised to see him. A sort of smile flickered across her
lips and faded
"Kirk,
darling. How good to see you." She held out her hands to him,
kissing his cheeks when he took her chilly fingers in his.
Shocked
by such a friendly greeting, he merely smiled. Margo nudged him and
he spoke haltingly.
"Lovely—to
uh, see you—too, Phillida. You look radiant this evening."
At
least he was able to say this his honestly. She did look very
beautiful. She was dressed in a beaded gown of the palest gold, so
light a hue, it looked white until the light struck it. The beads
were silver, gold and vivid red depending upon the angle from which
they were viewed. Her dark hair was pulled into an elegant knot at
the back of her neck and her head was spangled with jewels that
matched the bead work. Her makeup was, as always, perfect, her
complexion cold, but flawless. She was, without doubt, the most
beautiful woman Kirk knew. Her beauty left him cold, for she was as
cruel as she was gorgeous.
"That
is a magnificent gown," Margo said, coming up beside Kirk. "You
look devastating, Philly."
She
got an equally surprising greeting from the vampire Council leader.
Phillida clung to Margo's hands desperately.
"What
am I going to do?"
"About
what? Andres?" Kirk wanted to laugh, but something about
Phillida's demeanor held him in check. "It will pass, Philly. It
always does."
"No.
This time he is serious, Kirk. He means to make her his bride. He is
planning an engagement party to be held next week. They are to be wed
in a month. On my birthday! And you can ask how I find this a
personal rebuke?" she addressed Heinrich over her shoulder.
"I
was not privy to that inf....."
"Shut
up, you idiot! Go away! When I want your sniveling, I'll send for
you." She waved her hand impatiently at him.
Heinrich
bowed and left, the look of loathing again in place as soon as
Phillida's back was turned. Kirk frowned at him, shaking his head
very slightly as Margo diverted Phillida's attention, asking about
her gown. They chatted about it for a moment. Kirk took the
opportunity to indicate to Heinrich he wished to speak to him later.
Although not close friends, they were not enemies either. Heinrich
was also a major power on the Council and someone in authority needed
to know about the trouble he and Drea were having.
"You
may go, Petrov. I shall be fine with Kirk and Margo."
"I
shall be right outside, Mistress."
He
nodded, closing the door behind him. Phillida paced, though Margo
tried repeatedly to distract her and get her to sit down. She
alternated between cursing and weeping. Kirk finally stepped in front
of her, halting her mid-stride.
"Phillida,
dear, I have never seen you so upset. You must calm down or you will
make yourself ill. Come, sit beside me and tell us all about it.
Perhaps we can talk some sense into Andres."
"Everyone
has tried!"
"Not
us," Margo said.
"Why
are you being so nice? You hate me! Both of you! Are you working for
him?" She grew suddenly suspicious.
"Don't
be silly," Margo interrupted her new rant. "We knew nothing
of this when we arrived here. We are completely in shock. As to why
we're being nice, I don't know. I hate to see anyone as upset as you
are. Perhaps it is because I have been badly hurt in my life that I
have such sympathy with you. I do know how you feel, Phillida."
The
other woman took her hands, holding desperately. "It will do no
good, but I shall tell you what I know of their meeting and
subsequent courtship. Strange things have been happening in our
community of late. Disappearances of some of our members led Andres
to go out and investigate personally. Several of our members have
pets who are models at the same agency as that girl." She said
this with such loathing, Kirk recoiled slightly from her.
"He
started going to their parties, hoping to find a lead. Several of our
people disappeared after attending the nightly soirees. At first, it
was all business. Then he met her—and it all changed. She's a
complete ninny, a girl with no morals. Do you know she slept with him
the first night they met?"
©
2019 Dellani Oakes
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