Louise A Vampire's Story (Completed/Editing)

Chapter Seventeen (Re-Edited)

In the coming month Alexandrie continued to visit Edmond and I under the pretence of catching up. Much to the distain of Francis and her granddaughters. Even when I was working at the bank, she would try to speak with me whenever I had a moment away from my clients. She would pester me with her complaints in how Edmond avoided her but never with me. I would tell her plainly that it was for the fact that Edmond would assist me with my work. Even still she did not seem happy about it.

The weather had begun to turn cold, the summer winds slowly proceeding to autumn, as more work came from that of Germany and England. When several German and English businessmen passed through Rouen, I would speak to the German's in their language, many of which were rather impressed. Making me grateful to have learned the language, though I will still slip up here or there and would cause one German man to laugh at my error before correcting my mistake. It was still a vast improvement from where I began.

As I continued with my work there was always someone who would catch my eye whenever I came to bank. It was a girl, probably no older then I. With medium brown hair in a braided bun and dark blue eyes, a book in her right hand, pencil in left, her eyes scanning the room in silence as she remained sitting in a chair before looking back to her book. She was someone I had noticed for the past week or so.

At first, I thought she was writing something, so to escape from Alexandrie's incessant yammering I had excused myself to go and speak with this girl acting as though she needed help.

"Do you need any assistance?" I asked in German only for her to respond in English.

"Oh no, I am alright. Thank you, Miss..." she trailed off when she looked at me, almost as everything had become frozen in place.

"Louise," I said in English. "Louise Bellerose."

"Thank you, Miss Bellerose, but I am fine."

"Are you waiting for someone in particular?" I asked her as I looked around, men and women alike walking past. Even with it being the evening it was still rather busy. "One of the bankers perhaps?"

"No, merely the man I work for, I am his secretary."

Rather young for that are you not? I thought to myself. But then who am I to judge such things? "Then would you at least like a drink? I could get some wine if you would prefer or..."

"Water," she said cutting me off. "Water would be fine. I am not much of a drinker."

I offered my hand towards my office to give her some place that was remotely quite as she followed. And I could not help but notice the rather annoyed stare from Alexandrie as I walked past her with the young woman.

"What is your name?" I asked her as she sat down, her head turning slightly as her eyes danced from place to place as if trying to absorb the entirety of the whole room, her book in her lap that she refused to let go.

"Anna, Madam, ," she said when I handed her a glass of water.

"Dyer," I repeated her last name. "So, you are English then?"

Anna gave a slight sheepish smile. "Half, my mother was English, and my father was French."

"Then the man you work for, would he perhaps be English?"

"No, he is from Germany."

This brought me to pause, wondering how that came about. "What made you decide to work for a businessman from Germany?"