The Vampire Duke and Natasha. The Hastings. Book 4.

Chapter 6

I sat smiling to myself at how the evening ended with no man asking papa to court me, I had succeeded in making every eligible gent avoid me like the plague and after I kneed his grace in his neither regions much to mama's chargin, I was now on the way home with mama and papa silent arguing inside the carriage with me.

"Wipe the smile off your face Natasha" my mama commented over where I sat a crooked curve upon my lips.

"Mama I am not smiling, I was thinking about life in general, you know how the rich treat the poor uneducated people out in the real world?"

"Natasha I am warning you, do not push us further" protested my agrivated father hearing the truth society never wanted to hear, let alone feel.

"But papa tis the truth, take a look outside and you'll see many girls and boys barefoot, wearing dirty clothing, Don't you care about the world in general or are you wrapped up in making me a duchess?"

Mama spluttered heaven help me when we arrive home I'll be locked away inside my room for disobedience I scoffed inside my head they can stop me but never control me.

"Enough" papa shouted inside the carriage, "apologize to your mama now or face the consequences of this terrible behavior Natasha" he seethed at me in the corner.

"I don't care about consequences papa, you can stop me going to dances for the whole season" I said glum.

"For the love of god shouted papa what have we raised, a hord of girls wilfull and disobedient" he growled over to my poor mama?

"Alexander" said mama trying to calm poor papa down sliding closer to him grasping his hand in hers "Our girls are the most beautiful of the ton and we should be proud our girls only want the best match."

"Lizzie" came his reply "I cannot do this for much longer, seeing our girls run away from what society intended for them to marry and have children."

"Hush Alexander, we have three girls married and you have an Heir in William."

"Yes William the apple of my mother's eye" he commented as if in a world of his own.

I gazed out the window seeing the blackness of the sky and stars high above sparkling down on us driving home. I saw so many people on these dirty streets homeless needing a job to earn money or die of starvation. When we did arrive home I was not waiting for the footman to open the carriage door for me, I pushed it open myself jumping down in my dainty slippers picking up the dress material stalking off in a huff leaving mama and papa alone yelling as I retreated.

Finally inside I ran up the stairs bumping into my two redheaded terror sisters Harriet and Olivia at 15 and 13 they would be next I scowled at them when passing them on the stairs.

"Whatever is the matter" asked Harry the 15 year old next in line after me?

"Nothing" I shouted moving on up to my room for some privacy.

Once inside I sagged full of relief I had silence for once.

Calling for a maid to unlace the dress from me and the corset I then told her to leave me as I had important work to do though I never told her this when she bobbed me a curtsy.

I then brushed my long pale hair up in a bun with pins. Kicking the ballgown to the side I pulled on a old dress before I reached for the hooded black cloak I wore for my homeless work. These people thought I had a hard life and poor if only they knew!

I dropped plenty of coins in my fabric purse to help these poor people live a life they were meant to have. Arguing with the parents I knew I could not venture downstairs and I made the silly decision to climb out the Window, I had done this plenty of times at age 13 when I met the vile man at night who bought the building I wanted.