I rubbed my brow, nodding dismally. “He must be a good man to do this for her.”
“Just give him a chance to prove himself,” Emil urged me. “Give him a chance to show you what sort of man he truly is.”
I drew in a weary breath and rested a hand on Emil’s shoulder. “I shall trust your judgment, my dear friend, and do as you say. I will see what I can do to help them as I will try to accept what has to be.” I was consumed by my thoughts for a long moment, then I said, “But right now, I need to see her again. I cannot help but feel that all is not as it appears to be.”
“Andrew, you must accept what has happened,” my friend insisted. “That he is a good man to take her in. To love her.”
“Yes, yes,” I said dismissively. I was getting rather tired of his assertion of my sister’s new husband’s virtue. I set my jaw with determination, and said, “I definitely need to see my sister again. I am going to speak with Maria about securing a ride over to the Dracula estate.”
“If it will make you feel better, Andrew, do what you must. But, I am positive that your sister is in the care of a good man,” he persisted.
“Yes, yes, you keep saying that. Are you interested in coming with me?”
“Actually, I think I should like to sit in the garden and read. Our journey here was tedious.”
“You do look like you are in desperate need of sunlight. You look rather pale this morning,” I decided. I turned on my heel and strode quickly back up to the house. I turned to apologize to him for my abruptness and saw him standing in the shadows of a great tree, his features thoughtful, his hand pressed to his neck. He seemed lost in thought so I let him be and continued on.
Later-
I arrived at the Dracula residence just as the great yellow sun reached its pinnacle in the skies above Buda. As I stepped down from the caleche, I was mildly taken aback at the fact that scarcely any sunlight seemed to reach down to touch the imposing house. Gazing upwards, I contemplated the silent stillness that shrouded the building. The air was very still and seemed to weigh heavily upon my shoulders. It was as if the wind had fallen asleep.
As I stood uneasily on the steps of the great house, it slowly dawned on me that not one bird sang in the tall trees.
A great sense of foreboding swelled up within me.
Suddenly, the front door yawned open and a young woman emerged. The woman’s black hair was pulled back severely from her pale face and her piercing gray eyes glared down at me.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded tersely.
“My name is Earl Andrew Wright. I am here to see my sister, Lady Glynis. I mean, Countess Dracula.” I managed to choke out my sister’s new title despite my dry throat.
The woman stared at me with cold eyes for a long searing moment, then took a deep breath. “She is indisposed.”
I was slightly taken aback by the barely disguised hostility in the woman’s voice. “I would very much like to see her. I am her brother.”
“The Countess does not like to entertain during the daylight hours,” the maid insisted.
I became quickly impatient. “Listen here. I am her brother. I traveled all the way from England to see her. I demand that you go to her at once and tell her that I am here.”
The maid pursed her lips then curtly nodded her head. “Very well. Come in.”
I moved quickly up into the house before the maid could change her mind and slam the door shut on my face. As I stepped into the foyer, I was struck by how cold the house was. The maid closed the door behind me, and, eerily, the house seemed to echo with the sound of the latch catching. The foyer was extremely dark, and I felt the fine hair on my arms rising beneath my starched shirtsleeves.
“Stay here,” the maid ordered without any concern for my position as her mistresses’ brother.
I watched suspiciously as the maid climbed the stairs to the floor above. It was so cold, I found myself shivering. Silence and shadows ruled the house. Hardly a sound broke through the chilly silence. It was as if I were in a mausoleum. The cold sterility of the marble foyer made me shudder as I glanced about for a place to sit down. I spotted a high-backed chair in an alcove beneath the stairs and hastened over to it. Sitting down, I smoothed my cowlick back from my eyes and waited.
It began so slowly that at first I did not take notice. It was my feet that first turned so completely cold they went numb. Slightly put off by this strange occurrence, I tried to stamp my feet awake. It was then I felt the fine pinpricks of a thousand icy needles flowing up my legs and quickly rushing up over my back. At once, I could not move my legs.
“What on earth?” I declared in surprise.
Then the cold needle pricks rippled over my arms as I recognized I was becoming immobile. Frightened, I attempted to stand up, but already my body had become useless to me. Icy fingers trailed up my neck and over my scalp. Horrified, I felt my face harden into a mask.
Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, I was frozen to my chair, completely unable to move. I felt my throat painfully constrict and I struggled for breath. I quickly began to panic for I could not fathom what was happening to me. I tried in vain to move one hand. Casting my gaze downward, I could see my hand resting on my knee, but it would not obey my silent orders. It was as if I were encased in stone.
Hunter!
I am not sure I actually heard a spoken word, but I could swear I had heard the Count’s arrogant voice, tinged with anger, whispering just that one word in my ear. I attempted to open my mouth to call out for help, but my jaw was frozen shut.
Andrew!
Now I was certain that I had heard Glynis’ voice. Frantically, I tried to vocalize, but my mouth would not form any words.
Andrew! It is Andrew!
I was straining with such great force against whatever power had frozen by body that when I was suddenly freed, I was pitched off the chair and onto the floor. Gasping in shock, I found myself on my hands and knees staring down at my own startled reflection on the marble floor. Taking in great gasps of cold air, I tried to fathom what had just occurred. I was still kneeling on the floor when the shiny black boots and starched hem of the maid abruptly covered my reflection.
I scrambled to my feet nervously, feeling my face flush red with embarrassment and consternation.
“Countess Dracula is resting. She is very tried after last night and the doctor has ordered her to rest in bed all day. She is not to be disturbed.”
I was almost relieved to hear the curt words of the maid. I was free to escape this strange house. “Could you please tell my sister that I will return tonight? I do want to see her.”
“I will inform the Count that you will return,” the maid responded.
Once out of the house, I drew in great breaths of fresh air and rubbed my hands vigorously over my face. I am not sure what has happened to me, but it has struck terror into my soul. There is something malevolent lurking within the house and I am fairly certain, even now as I write this, that it is disguised as a man named Count Dracula.
Hurriedly, I climbed into the caleche and ordered the driver to my next destination. Sitting back, I glanced out at the house shrouded by shadows and shuddered. I want my sister to be free of that place and that horrible man.
Later -
Sir Stephen strode quickly across the marble floor, his hand held out in greeting to me. I had arrived at Sir Stephen’s offices a few minutes earlier and was relieved to see the bright sunlight pouring through the tall windows.
“Andrew, it is good to see you. I was not expecting you,” Sir Stephen said warmly as he took my hand. “My business partners have left for the day, so I am free for the afternoon if you wish a tour of the city.”
“I came on impulse with no intentions. Just merely curious to see your place of business. It is a very modern building, is it not,” I said as I admired my surroundings. I truly was not sure why I had decided to visit. I do not particularly care for Sir Stephen, but I did want to know more of Count Dracula and his dealings.
“It was built just five years ago. Mark my words, Andrew, Buda is on the verge of greatness. There is some talk of Buda someday being joined with Pesth into a great cosmopolitan city and I would not doubt if that were to happen in the next thirty years,” Sir Stephen said with great enthusiasm.
“And those who will benefit are those who are ready for change,” I said with a wry smile.
“And I am ready. Already a great many businessmen from all over the Continent are traveling here. I am quite happy to represent them in their business dealings,” Sir Stephen said smugly.
“I hear there is talk of revolution against the Hapsburg Monarchy,” I commented spontaneously as my host escorted me into a luxurious office.
“There is always talk of revolution in Hungary,” Stephen responded quickly. “As an Englishman I really do not care what fate befalls this country. One way or the other someone will need a solicitor when it is all said and done.”
“Revolution always happens when common men are treated no better than dogs,” I decided casually. “And I do not want my sister in a country that could face a revolution.”
“It will be a long time in coming. The Princes and Barons of this country are very powerful. The people beneath them obey them without question,” Sir Stephen said in a rush of words. He almost seemed desperate to put any misgivings I had about the country to rest.
I raised an eyebrow at his words, seeing a pathway into the conversation I desired to have with Stephen. “And this is how it is with Count Dracula? His servants respond without question?” I queried in a droll voice.
Stephen hesitated as he rounded his desk, glancing nervously back toward me. “Count Dracula is a great man. He comes from a very well respected family, and your sister is in very good hands, I can assure you. He will care for her with infinite generosity.” Stephen fell back into his chair and forced an anxious smile. It was obvious that he was thinking rapidly, trying to decide what to say next. “Besides, he plans to move to England soon.”
“Really?” I furrowed my brows thoughtfully. “Ah, yes, I do believe I heard him make mention of that last night.”
“Yes, yes, Count Dracula wishes to leave Hungary for England. I believe that he, too, sees the changes that are coming to Hungary. There are undercurrents of instability in the countryside where he resides. He wishes to establish himself in England before there is a possibility of collapse. As a land owner he has more to fear from any sort of revolution than I, a mere solicitor of wealthy men.” Stephen’s words were rushed, tripping off his tongue in a mad dash.
I considered Stephen’s words thoughtfully. I had mentioned revolution on a whim, remembering rumors I had heard along my journey through the lands ruled over by the Hapsburg Monarchy. I had, in passing, been mildly concerned about how the quest for independence would affect my sister, but now Stephen seemed to have seized on the concept of revolution. I could see the nervous trembling of the man’s fine long hands and it slowly dawned on me that Stephen was almost in a state of panic.
“Is the Count a wealthy man?” I asked finally.
“Oh, extremely. Very wealthy. He owns much land. In fact, he has a fine vineyard not far from the city. I could take you there,” Stephen responded. His eyelids fluttered and his long face seemed very pale.
“So, the Count wishes to move to England with my sister then,” I said in a soft voice.
“Yes, yes, and I would look over his business matters here after he left,” Stephen said.
“I think I would like to discuss this with him further. I have a great many business contacts in England and perhaps I could help him establish himself there,” I said with a bland voice, but settling a keen gaze on Stephen.
My host seemed extremely relieved at my words. “Yes, yes, Andrew, that would be excellent! You could help him with his move to that country. Socially, you could help him tremendously. That would be wonderful for you to do,” Stephen declared happily. “He would be so grateful.”