Nine Shillings

Quiet Afternoons

London - 1842

'If you say you're not worth it, I'll be forced to do something unspeakable down here,' I said without raising my head from Bran's stomach.

'What?' he asked.

'I haven't decided yet,' I replied. 'It'll be dreadful, you'll love it.'

Bran chuckled and turned over the newspaper resting on his bent legs. Veronica and Josef had taken the children to learn about trees in winter so we had a quiet afternoon to check the papers for news of the murderer and get in a little uninterrupted cuddling. There hadn't been a whisper of the murderer since the death of Sarah Toby and the lack of new material was boring the news folk. Somehow, I didn't think it would stay quiet, they'd already killed one innocent and I'd seen people tumble down that slope. I'd killed people who had.

He sighed. 'I shouldn't have got angry with Josef.'

'You had every right to get angry with him.' I played my fingers along the waist of Bran's trousers. 'Josef made the mistake, not you.' I blew out a breath. 'He meant well though.'

Bran chuckled, faintly. 'He always does. He tries to hide it but he's got a good heart. I always loved that about him.'

The doorbell rang.

I looked towards it, fangs already out.

'It's alright. Mrs Stapleton will get it,' Bran murmured, playing his fingers through my hair.

'Oh, you want me to stay here, do you?' I grinned and tossed the newspaper aside. 'Research break.' I kissed him.

'What do you think you're doing?' Mrs Stapleton said in the stern voice she used when she caught me up to no good.

I broke the kiss.

'Mr O'Connor –'

'He'll see me, little girl,' a woman said over Mrs Stapleton.

Bran disentangled himself from me, got off the bed and pulled his shirt on. 'It's Elizabeth.'

'Where are you hiding, Brandon?' Elizabeth called.

'Mr O'Connor isn't here,' Mrs Stapleton said.

'Of course, he is. He's getting his money's worth out of that nice young vagina.'

'Madam!'

'Oh, shut up, you're too young to be a prude. Or has your womb shrivelled from lack of use?' Elizabeth sneered. 'Do I have to come up and fetch you, Brandon?'

I grabbed my pendant from the bedside cabinet and my skin itched as the illusion settled over me to hide my scars. Veronica hadn't told her mother I was a vampire; my scars would give it away and I preferred to keep the deck loaded. 'You shagged that?'

Bran tucked his shirt in. 'It was... I was different.'

I cupped his face and kissed him softly. 'She has no power over you, chuckaboo. I'm right behind you.'

'What's the matter, Brandon?' Elizabeth called. 'All tied up?'

I held Bran's hand and let him lead me down the stairs. Mrs Stapleton was at the bottom, hands clasped in front of her, and her head bowed like a chastised child. I stayed behind Bran but put myself between Mrs Stapleton and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was beautiful. Josef had implied she'd lost it, she must've been stunning in her youth.

'Have you found yourself a sweet little girl to defile and you're trying to be her bit of rough?' she asked.

'You're disgusting,' he said.

'I do like the stubble.' She touched his cheek.

He jerked away and bumped into me then glanced at me. I rubbed his hand with my thumb.