We made sure the towns people saw a lot of women walk into the shop to work. All the females living in the cavern worked in the dress shop and took turns. The Councilwoman wanted at least fifteen to twenty women working each day. We closed on Sundays like the rest of the shoppes.
One Sunday we were in our quarters having our evening meal when Councilwoman Cleo and Councilman Klaus came in.
"Good evening." Councilman Klaus nodded to us. "Cleo and I have been talking about the dress shoppe. We think we should expand it to all of our community. It will give us a good reason to travel often and move around without raising any suspicions."
"Yes Sir that is a very good idea." Shaun agreed.
"When it is our turn to move out of the cavern we will set up a number of shoppes. This way our people will have a place to come if need be."
"Yes Sir." We said together.
"Now we will need a name for the shoppes something our people will recognise as belonging to the community."
"Um Sir." I whispered.
"Yes Kylie." Councilman Klaus said.
"Perhaps we could use one of Colleen's sketches with a name."
"It is an idea Kylie. We will take it into consideration." He said.
"Maybe Cleo's Ladies. Sir and the intials CL as a brand." Colleen said.
"Yes Colleen, that is also a good idea." He smiled.
They stood up. "Thank you for your input."
"Good Night."
We bowed to them as they left.
The next day there was a group of ladies waiting to have their dresses fitted. They were talking about a book they had all read.
"Would it not be wonderful if the Count could come here and sweep us off our feet." One of the ladies sighed.
"Yes it would Ursula. He sounds like the perfect gentleman except for the bitting on the neck part."
"Oh Genia." Ursula laughed.
Some of us stopped sewing for a brief second glancing at each other.
"Do you think any of it is real, Ursula?"
"No of course not, we would have heard of them by now."
Coucilwoman Cleo coughed quietly. The two ladies looked up. "You are next Miss Appleby and Lady Byng." The ladies walked to the fitting room in the back of the shop. "Besides Genia you would miss the sun."
"What are you talking about?" Her friend asked confused.
"If you want to be like the Count you would not be able to go out in the sun. You would burn up." Ursula told her.
"No I do not want to be like him. I just want to meet him." Genia said. "I do not want to have to bite people on the neck."
We listened carefully to the Ladies. They started discribing the Count with dreamy eyes, white skin, black hair. Acts like the perfect gentleman.
Genia giggled. "What is so funny?" Ursula asked.
"I was just thinking how awkward it would be to sleep with the Count."
"What do you mean? Oh thats right. He sleeps in a coffin."
We could see Councilwoman Cleo shaking her head. That night when we returned to the cavern the Council held a meeting.
"It seems," Councilwoman Cleo said, "That there is a popular book that mortals are reading and it is about a vampire." Some of the audience gasped. "Most of what it says is inactrite but one thing is white skin. We are going to have to find some kind of cosmetic to cover up our skin. I am going to ask Colleen and Gen to look for some in the local shoppes." We nodded in agreement. "And if any of you have some other ideas please come to me."
