Tale of a Vampire

Chapter 68

The train stopped at 4.30 sharp. James and Diana got out to find a foreign environment. They both looked around. It was only a train station but everything in it was already different. First thing that caught their attention was people's accent. Diana smiled. The northern accent always made her smile.

"Me lady..." Said James imitating their tone and giving her his arm. She cracked a laughter but accepted his gesture.

They started walking outside. Ralph should be there waiting. The man was standing near a carriage. Hands behind his back and he bowed when he saw them. The night was cold and extremely humid. The floor was soaked, and she concluded it must have been raining all night. The air was clouded with steam coming out of the industries' chimneys. Manchester was and industrial city. Grey... nothing that they could compare to London. They looked at each other a little disgusted. They both shrugged.

"I guess we must get used to it first." Diana said knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"This place looks terrible." James said almost hopeless.

Diana refrained from saying the worst was yet to come. The house where they were going to stay should be falling apart. No one inhabited it for years. It had been abandoned. James was used to the comfort and luxury of his previous house and truth be said so was she. She has always lived in the same places he did and then, when married to Jack, it was the same for his family was rich.

"My lord." Ralph bowed again when they got near him. "I have this carriage waiting for you."

"Thank you Ralph." James said.

"How was the trip?" Diana asked while James helped her inside the carriage. The coacher looked at them by the corner of his eyes suspicious or maybe just in a bad mood for he had been forced to work at that hours.

"Quite calm my lady." Ralph answered with a smile.

"Is everything ready?" The man asked with his northern accent. His voice mirroring the annoyance visible on his face. James curled an eyebrow for he didn't like people to speak at him like that.

"Is there anything wrong?" He asked cordially but with a certain warning tone about the man's bad posture.

"No sir." The man answered lowering his head.

"I thought so." He said.

Soon the carriage began its way. They didn't have much time until dawn, maybe two hours but that should be enough. Ralph was sat by Diana's side and James in front of her. He scrutinized her face as Ralph described her the house. There was horror on it and it almost made him laugh but he was going to live there as well. The thought of what he was putting her through corroded his mind a little more. Diana was going to live in a rotten place with no conditions because of him and so would Megan. How he hated himself that moment. Still, at the same time, as he watched her perfect lines he knew he didn't want to be without her.

"We will try to make it better." She said then decided.

"We cleaned the basement." Ralph said.

"It's ok." She added almost faintly. James wanted to say something, but he remained silent.

For the rest of the way they looked outside trying to watch the view. There was no light, everything was dark. The only thing they could see was some big shadows ahead and they both concluded that must have been forest and far ahead the mountains.

"Is there a village near?" Diana then asked knowing they were straying far from the big city.

"Yes. It's a couple of miles from the house. Your aunt lived quite isolated my lady."