Viscounts and Vampires

Prologue

"I don't know about this year, Charlotte," said Lydia Clawson, called Dee by most of her acquaintance. "I just don't know."

"Nonsense, Dee," replied Charlotte Quint. "You say that every year and every year we see a perfectly respectable group of young ladies."

Dee humphed. "Respectable," she echoed. "Who said anything about respectable? I want some excitement. When was the last time we had a real scandal?"

"You and your scandals. You talk about them so much, I'd be inclined to think you were involved in one yourself if I didn't know better. You were only on the market for two weeks weren't you?"

"Shush that kind of talk," Dee said, swatting Charlotte lightly on the shoulder with her fan. "I did what was expected of me, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy watching these young does have some fun."

"I doubt their mothers think the same way," Charlotte retorted as a hush fell over the assembly. Every eye turned to the entrance of the ballroom, which was being pulled open by two footmen. Through it stepped a fashionably dressed man with a pleasant enough face, but Charlotte's eyes had no sooner landed on him then they slid to the young woman on his arm. She stood a full foot shorter than him but an energy seemed to radiate from her than more than made up for the difference. She gazed deliberately around the room as they entered and scanned her eyes through the crowd. Dark brown hair was left down to spill across the collar of a white dress. Charlotte switched her gaze to Dee when she felt her ribs being poked.

"Now that is what I was talking about," Dee half whispered. "She has scandal written all over."