Evaline | L. Lioncourt ✔

[24] Concern

Evaline's fingers pressed gently at the piano keys as she tried to replicate the tune Lestat had played out to her. She could not get the notes right for she had never played before but she tried to copy how his fingers had glided gracefully over the keys, ensuing soft rhythmic music as the tips pressed down.

She closed her eyes envisioning the first time Lestat had played a song on the piano in front of her. Adagio e Cantabile. A soft haunting tune that reminded her of lost love, fragile promises and vast lonely meadows; a sense of painful solitude and then at the same time, a sinister yearning for acceptance.

The tips of her fingers lingered at the keys, pressing down out of memory, the notes pouring out somewhat similar to that tune though not quite like the original but her trance was broken when the doorbell chimed.

Her fingers came to a halt and she straightened, her eyes trailing towards the corridor at the end of which was the main door to the abode. The bell chimed again so she stood up but Lestat's words of warning echoed in her head.

He had strictly forbidden her to open the door for anyone unless it was Theresa.

So as she edged closer to the door, she first looked through the tiny hole in the wooden panel that showed her who was waiting outside.

A sigh of relief and joy escaped her as she saw it was Theresa so she unlocked the door and pulled it open to reveal herself to her friend.

Theresa's face lit up at seeing her, "Evaline..."

"Theresa, come in," she had gently taken her by the arms as she crossed the threshold and Eva closed the door behind her.

Her eyes took in the surroundings then landed upon her dear friend, her hands lingering upon her arms as she leaned back to look at her clearly. 

Eva's auburn brown hair were let down to her waist and she was wearing a very pretty dress that had an off shoulder neckline, a frilled lace was adorned on both her waist and under the neckline in the traditional way noblewomen wore. A ruffled skirt billowed out from under her waist and spread out around her magnificently.

"My dear, you look so beautiful," she breathed, gently twirling her around, "and so happy."

A light laugh resonated in the atmosphere as Eva shook her head grasping her hand in her own, "I am so happy to see you. Come in, let me show you around."

She led her inside and showed her around the house except for the cellar because that was an area restricted to Lestat only since his coffin was placed down there and he was at the moment resting inside quite alike other vampires who preferred to spend the day in the secrecy of their coffins.

At last she brought her friend back to the living room and the two sat down across from each other at the couch. Eva's hands still clasped Theresa's in her own and her eyes twinkled as she spoke, "please stay until dinner."

"I am sorry dear," she shook her head, smiling a little, "I will have to leave soon. I wished to check up on you and see how you were doing. And now I am relieved to see you so well and content."

Her smile widened, "our doors will always be open for you, Theresa, keep visiting often."

"I will try," she nodded but then asked, "where is Monsieur Lestat?"

Eva thought for a while before answering, "he had some work to tend to."

"So he is not at home?"

She considered what to tell her but a voice shook her out of her thoughts.

"Evaline, do we have a visitor?"