Dearest Lady | Nadia Petrova

Chapter One

 London, England
 June 1902

 Nadia Petrova had paced the ballroom countless times since her arrival an hour or two earlier. From what she knew of Katherine Pierce, if the woman was going to be anywhere, it would be among high society such as this. It seemed she was wrong; there wasn't one face in the room that looked familiar.

 She sighed, and thought about leaving. If Katherine wasn't there, there was really no point in staying, was there?

 But she then caught sight someone who instantly attracted her attention.

 It was a woman, who was standing alone on the opposite end of the room. She looked very apprehensive, and kept glancing at a small group of men standing together not very far from her. Nadia assumed one of those men had to be her husband or brother or some other relative.

 Nadia stepped closer. This woman looked to old to be a young girl, but she couldn't have been thirty yet. She wasn't an outright stunning beauty, but she had a pretty face. The thing that Nadia noticed the most about her was that she looked very sad. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she couldn't seem to bring herself to smile at all.

 "Good evening," Nadia said cautiously.

 The woman jumped, and looked frightened when she realized Nadia was addressing her.

 "G-good evening," she said, glancing around her nervously. "Do I know you?"

 "I don't believe so," Nadia answered. "I would have remembered meeting you." She dropped a quick curtsey. "Miss Nadia Petrova."

 "Oh. You're not English, are you?"

 "No. Bulgarian, rather. Might I know your name?"

 "Yes. Lady Lillian Blakeney." The woman gave a quick curtsey herself. "Delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Petrova."

 Nadia nodded. "I am also delighted, my lady. I assume you live in London?"

 "Yes, I do. For most of the year. Tomorrow, my husband and I will be departing for our house in Suffolk."

 "Suffolk," Nadia repeated. "I do not believe I have ever been there."

 "Oh, it's a lovely part of the country. Have you been in England long?"

 "I'm afraid not," Nadia answered. "I was here once many years ago, but I have only very recently returned to the country. There is still so much I have not seen."

 Lady Blakeney looked like she was going to say something else, but then a nervous look came across her face, and she was looking nervously at something behind Nadia.

 "Well, my lord," she said, "Will we be leaving so early?"

 "I'm afraid it may be for the best," a man's voice said from behind Nadia. "We'll be on an early train tomorrow. I see you have met someone."

 Nadia slowly turned around, and found herself face-to-face with a man who possessed a pair of eyes which could have killed with one angry look. That much she could tell from one look. This was not a man who had many happy moods.

 "This is Miss Nadia Petrova, from Bulgaria," said Lady Blakeney, as Nadia gave another curtsey. "Miss Petrova, this is my husband, Sir Stuart Blakeney."

 "Pleased to make your acquaintance," Sir Stuart said in a polite tone. "Are you enjoying London?"

 "Yes, very much," said Nadia. "I see you are leaving for the night. I will not keep you. I hope we shall meet again when you return to London, Lady Blakeney."

 Lady Blakeney nodded. "Yes. Perhaps we shall. Goodnight, Miss Petrova."

 She took her husband's arm, and they began to leave the ballroom together.

 Nadia stared at Lady Blakeney's retreating figure. What an interesting woman. Nadia didn't know what exactly it was she find interesting about her, but what an interesting woman.

 She then left the ballroom herself, and went outside. She left just in time to see the Blakeneys get in a carriage and drive away. With her vampire speed, Nadia followed closely behind them, making sure to keep them in sight.

 Nadia stopped when the carriage stopped, and watched the Blakeneys get out of the carriage and go into the house which stood before them. In the faint lamplight, Lady Blakeney no longer looked like she was trying to be happy. Now that she was away from all those people, she was letting that sadness which was lurking come out.

 Nadia took note of the address, and slipped away into the shadows.

~~~~~~

 Nadia was at the train station the next morning. She had gone to the Blakeneys' early and followed them. When she discovered the train they were boarding, she made sure to get herself a ticket for the same train.

 Soon, she would also be on her way to Suffolk.