The Vampire And His Lady (Silver Hills #2)

Chapter 18

Diana had forgotten to bring her paintbrushes with her. Which was ridiculous really- she wasn't much of an artist within them. And she feared the look on Elisabeth's face when she told her that the gig she had so painstakingly secured for her was gone thanks to her own foolishness.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she paced the length of the Buxley Hall library, waiting to meet the master of the house and inevitably be kicked out and shouted out. Probably not in that order.

Diana tugged at her braid nervously. She'd spent so long preparing for this job; she'd even brought what she believed to be respectable clothes, but the blouse and skirt just made her look stuffy. They'd all laugh at her anyway. The artist who'd forgotten her paintbrushes.

"Are you Miss Thorpe?" A voice asked. It was masculine- as she'd expected- but young- which was completely unexpected.

When she turned around she had to blink a few times to ensure it wasn't a mirage. Everyone knew that the Buxley family had a son, but she hadn't thought he would be so...

Handsome. Charming. Smiling at her like he liked her when he didn't even know her.

Diana swallowed down her nerves. "Yes. You must be Henry?"

He nodded and strode forward to shake her hand, golden hair shining in the sunlight. His voice was clipped and elegant, like someone straight from an Austen novel. Diana felt hot under the collar- trying to admit that she couldn't do the painting she was being paid for would only be worse in his presence.

"I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news," she mumbled out, tugging her braid harder than before. Henry watched her do this with a frown.

"Oh dear! Nothing too unfortunate, I hope?"

Her lips quivered slightly, a stupid thing to do because he instantly caught it. "Uh oh!" He held his arms out as if he needed to catch something. "How bad?"

"I..." she struggled to get the words out. "I seem to have left my paintbrushes at home."

Henry burst out laughing. His face went bright red with the force of his choked cried of glee. "You are a card," he managed to get out between gasps of breath. "Paintbrushes!" He clutched his side.

That irritated Diana a little- it truly had concerned her! She knew what these rich people were like, and she desperately needed the money for this summer when she was to go to Silver Hills with her cousin.

"It mattered to me!" She declared indignantly. "And besides, I can't do the painting your family wanted now."

"Diana Thorpe!" He cried. "Do you really believe we don't own paintbrushes?"

She paused for a second; it was true she hadn't thought of that. And now she wanted to laugh as well. It all seemed so ridiculous.

"You must forgive me," she giggled slightly. "I have a penchant for the dramatics."

Henry grinned at her and offered out an arm. "So I see," he said. "Why don't you tell me more about that whilst I get you some brushes."

Feeling half in a dream, Diana accepted. Things like this didn't happen to her. She'd never caught the attention of boys, never mind rich attractive ones. It simply didn't happen to her.

At least until she met Henry Buxley.

~

Diana startled awake for a second, feeling a throbbing pain everywhere in her body. From somewhere close by she could hear the soft whimper of a wolf. Out of the periphery of her vision she saw marble buildings and golden curls. And then the darkness descended again.