For Love of a Vampire

“Jane Wells! Where are you?”I covered my ears with my hands. The old crone's screeching was enough to make me want to rip them from my head.  Mildred Elliot's squalling voice grated on my nerves like nails against a blackboard.  I’d told her so on more than one frustrated occasion.  It had little impact on the old woman, other than reinforcing her viewpoint that I was a bit “odd in the head”.  Mildred hadn't a clue what a blackboard was.  They weren't invented yet.  That came years later, around the turn of the nineteenth century, when a headmaster in Scotland named James Pilans got it into his head to frame a piece of slate for the school's use.  The screeching old crone I was fervently dodging happened to be located in England in the year seventeen-forty-five.I didn’t belong in that time or place.  I was a covert transient from the twenty-first century.  I’d traveled back in time

Isabelle's warnings were significant, but not enough to change my mind; even if Duncan was able to change hers.  It took some time before Duncan managed to convince Isabelle that our plan was a bad idea.  By the time he did, I'd already learned enough to do it on my own, if need be. Once my mind was made up, I took the time to study enough on the sly until I was able to work a spell to teleport myself through time without risking Isabelle by using her as my anchor. When no one suspected what I was up to, I did just that.  I'd cast a spell to travel back in time far enough in advance of the attack on Duncan to allow time to find him, meet him, gain his trust, and then return to the future with him before the fateful attack could take place. I was to return no later than the day before the attack.  I hadn't the skills to elongate my visit.  If we missed the opening of the portal of time, I wasn't sure I'd be able to work a new spell w

The arrival of the earl’s groom brought his request back to the forefront.  I had no choice but to comply with the summons.  I smoothed my hair under my cap as best I could and wiped my hands in the folds of my apron.  It may seem silly, but I was meeting Duncan’s father and my natural desire was to make a good impression.  Why?  I couldn’t say.  It just was.My mind whirled as I followed the young man up the wooden stairs of the tavern to the Earl’s room at the end of the hall.  I’d never been on this floor of the inn and couldn’t help feeding my curiosity a bit.  The walls were covered with flocked paper and appeared smooth and well kept.  As we progressed down the hall with its well tread-upon floorboards, I noticed the doors grew further and further apart; indicating that the rooms they led to were slightly larger and intended for their more important guests.  This made sense since the n

Having been a sufferer of acute claustrophobia for as long as I can remember, I find the black of night frighteningly confining. Since there were no night lights to ease my discomfort and it was far too dangerous -not to mention wasteful- to keep a candle going while sleeping, I had to force myself to acclimate to the darkness.  I managed, but I certainly couldn’t claim to be comfortable in it.  That was when I missed Duncan the most.  He always made me feel so safe.The following morning didn’t bring me much comfort, other than the light of day. Duncan. My heart sank at the thought of him.  I needed to know how he truly felt about me, but how?  He was in the twenty-first century going through his day without any inkling that I’d ignored his wishes and traveled back in time.To the wrong time! Worst yet, I’d done it without the aid of Isabelle.  Now that I’d learned more about the fin

My water was cold by the time we realized we’d better get me dressed and down to dinner before someone came looking for me. I shivered through my bath like a trooper and dressed as quickly as possible. It was of the utmost importance to keep Isabelle’s presence a secret.  Elizabeth proved a valuable ally in this cause.  Her admiration and reverence for Rosalie spilled onto Isabelle.  There was nothing the lady’s maid wouldn’t do to guarantee my friend’s safety.  Although grateful, I couldn’t help being a little jealous.  I got the impression that if it came to a choice between saving Isabelle or me, I’d lose.With Isabelle tucked safely away under the watchful eye of Elizabeth, I went about my daily routine as Lady Margaret while I furthered my discoveries of the type of person she was.  I learned that she’d been born into a magical family.  When I learned her parents were kin to the faeries, b