Blueblood

Story: Blueblood

Chapter 19 Sir Edwin Dunning

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Adult Readers, Sexual Situations, Sex

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Sir Edwin Dunning

It only took a few minutes before the SUV s arrived at the front of the house. When they got out, Colin had told me my mother had insisted on coming. I greeted them at the door, but I knew my mother would know I was upset. They all knew it! No, I wasn't just upset, I was pissed! As they got out and walked up, I didn't have to say a word. Willie wouldn't even look at me, but Mom looked right at me.

"Don't blame anyone about my coming, Devon." Mom said firmly. "I came on my own."

"But Mom..." I began as I was going to get her to see why she shouldn't have come.

She held her hand up to stop me. "Stop." She then folded her arms over her chest. "Why did you include me on this trip if you were going to leave me at the hotel?" She asked. "And what was I going to do when you are off in unknown danger? I would just sit there? I don't think so."

"But..." I began again.

"No!" Mom said quickly as she shook her head. "Don't blame William or Chuck, I came to be a part of this team. I am with the team." She said simply and walked on into the house.

Willie came up then and smiled at me. "Women of this generation are certainly..." he thought, "...forceful." He was about to follow her in, stopped and looked at me again. "Exciting, isn't she?" He grinned as he followed Mom in the house.

As much as I didn't like it, Mom was right. I just sighed and went inside after them. I grinned as Willie was hurrying to catch up with my mother. Any day now, he'd tell her he loved her.

We introduced our team to the three men that had greeted Colin and me.

"Edwin..." I began. "...explain Mr. Addams, please."

Edwin bowed his head as smiled. "Well, technically, he is the owner." He saw our confusion. "As far as the government can see; any legal issues or property issues go...he is the one they contact, but I still own the house." He walked over to Chuck, Shelly, and my mother. "Now, explain why I wouldn't want to consume their blood."

George smiled and raised a hand. "That would be what I give them to dissuade vampires from ingesting their blood."

Edwin nodded. "I think you did a great service in doing that." He admired. "Can we get that as well?"

George gave a little nod. "Sure." He looked curious. "But the people need to know why they're taking it. It is something they will have to take by injection."

Edwin nodded. "The ones I would give it to do know what's going on. We have a few...like Nigel, who has family members saved by other vampires and even Basil Dunning. They know there is a threat; and what that threat is." He waved again at the sitting area. "Even as a vampire, I get tired of standing." He said sitting down with a sigh. "Nigel's mother was saved from a rogue vampire. His father was grateful and as a reward for his silence, his father became employed, and it just trickled down. They are well paid."

Colin and I sat as did the others of our team. "Does that reward include becoming vampires?" Colin asked.

Edwin shook his head. "Reward as in not becoming vampires." He stressed. "This is a life I wouldn't wish for anyone. Not even an enemy."

Mom looked around the library we were in smiling. "This is most impressive. I know we're near the town of Bedale, but where exactly are we?"

Edwin smiled. "We're in Thornwood." He looked at Chuck who was looking on his tablet. "Don't bother trying to find it. This is a small-town area and not really on the maps. The house is a tourist attraction...mostly in the summer and weekends."

Colin's eyes widened. "It is? You allow strangers in here?"

Edwin nodded with a shrug. "I have to keep the lights on and staffed to keep up the property." He said logically. "We're several kilometers from the motorway. I'm down during the day, so it doesn't bother me. I have Edward to see to the house."

"So, you don't live here?" Colin asked.

Edwin gave a look that told us not to assume. "I live here." He corrected and then pointed down. He got up smiling. "To show I trust you..." he went to a set of shelves of books. What he did was...like a combination lock. He pulled one book forward slightly, then another, but you had to know which ones. He was back to another shelf and one last one. Not removing them, but just pulled forward in a particular order. When the last book was pulled, we heard a "click." The wall those shelves were on in one section sprung open slightly. He smiled as he waved to the opening. "I live...down here."

I nudged Colin lightly in the side. "I know I've seen this movie," I whispered to him.

Colin frowned. "I need to seriously monitor your viewing habits."

I grinned at him. "Okay...Dad." I kissed him quickly as Colin grunted at my comment. I rose to see where the passage went.

Edwin smiled as he pulled the shelf open more. "I'd say, ladies first, but I think I should go ahead of everyone...just in case your eyes don't adjust quickly." He said and went into the darkness.

The opening led to stone steps that went down almost immediately. It was a curved walk down that didn't require that much space behind the bookshelf. It was more than just a basement as we went down a couple of floors worth. When we got to the bottom, the passage emptied us in a very nice apartment. Carpet on the floor, nicely furnished with a couch and chair, a desk to work on with a computer, a fireplace that I realized was just below the fireplace in the library so they could use the same chimney. There was another room, I saw was a bedroom complete with a bed! A vampire that slept in a bed? However, I noticed only one bed, but there were two vampires down here at one time. I began to wonder if the bed was changed or if maybe they were more than a father and son. Then I looked at the walls. There were more books, but these were read, some looked like they were read often, like poetry and other novels.

"Edwin..." I began. "Or do I call you Sir Edwin or Sir Dunning?"

Edwin chuckled. "Call me Edwin. Even after all this time, I'm not used to the Sir stuff."

I nodded. "Forgive me...but...being what I am...I noticed something about you."

Edwin's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

"You're a big man." I began, he was not much taller than me. "Not as big as Colin, but you sort of fit the clothes you wear. I can tell you lived a hard-working life. You said you were a miner."

Edwin nodded smiling. "I was. I mined for almost twenty years." He laughed as he remembered. "It was hard work."

Colin nodded. "I don't doubt it."

"So, you were bitten as a miner?" I asked.

Edwin nodded. "It was early in the 1800s. About 1816 I believe. The vampire that bit me was living in one of the abandoned tunnels. That saved me, I believe. We were already underground, so when the sun came up, I was protected. I just remained there a while." He looked a little embarrassed. "...until the hunger came. My first meal was a dog."

Colin smiled sympathetically. "I've done that, too."

Willie chuckled. "I lived for nearly a century on rats." He shrugged as he saw Mom turn her lip up a little disgusted. "Yes, I'm not proud of that, but it did the job."

"You were in your thirties?" I asked.

Edwin nodded. "I was." He smiled. "Yes, to your next question...I had a family. My parents...well, mom died early when I was about five. My father died later as I was about turn twelve or thirteen. That's when I began working in the mines." He shook his head. "There were no child labor laws back then. You work, you got paid. Dad died like many miners that caught the coughing death from working in the mines." He frowned. "I thought that would be my case as well. I married at eighteen. We had two babies, which neither of them lived, so, no children. When I was bitten, they assumed I died in the mines." He chuckled. "Which I did, but I couldn't return to Ellie." He shrugged. "She would have been terrified if I did."

"What happened to her?" I asked.

Edwin nodded with a smile. "She was fine." He said proudly. "I was a miner, so after feeding, I went down and mined. Occasionally, I found things of value and things I found on victims. I would leave a bag of those things on her doorstep, melted down if it was jewelry. I did that until she married again and moved away."

"You were an adult when Basil Dunning adopted you," Colin said to be clear.

Edwin nodded. "I was. Illiterate and not educated at all...but Basil caught me rescuing a young woman from being fed on. It was shortly thereafter he brought me to his home. He taught me to read and write." He looked thoughtful. "I loved reading and still do."

I looked at the books on his shelves. "I see that."

"Was there another reason he did that?" George asked. "You're smart. He would have seen that. Maybe he saw nobility in you?"

"Being noble is not who you were born to," Gabriella said. "It's who you are. Basil Dunning saw potential in you."

Edwin didn't have the blood to do it, but if he had, he would have been blushing. "He said things like that to me." He smiled as he remembered. "He told me if anything happened to him, I could take over. That's why he took me in and educated me."

George smiled. "I will give the Disflavor."

"Disflavor?" Edwin asked.

"George is brilliant with chemicals and medicine." I grinned at George. "But lousy with names."

George rolled his eyes. "It works!" He defended.

"Are there any vampires out there you would classify as wild?" Colin asked.

Edwin nodded. "Quite a few." He explained. "There are those that are borderline...retaining just enough humanity to be cunning and smart. They rotate their hunting grounds; randomly picking towns, never hitting the same one twice too often. It is an unspoken, but a known rule that you don't walk alone at night, and you lock your doors and windows when going to bed."

George stepped closer. "Understand, the serum I will give you does hurt."

Colin nodded. "A lot."

"For hours at first," Gabriella added with the emphasis on the agony.

"But in a week's time..." Willie smiled. "You can enjoy breakfast in the morning sun."

"That first sunrise when you can tolerate it..." Alex continued. "You will never forget." Telling Edwin, it was worth it.

"Believe us, Edwin," I said. "We just want to help. No one deserves to suffer as you have."

Edwin looked at me puzzled. "You said you have, not we have. You're a vampire, too."

I smiled as I walked back to Colin who took my hand. "Because, I was bitten for another reason, which I will explain later, but I have not suffered in any way like they did."

Edwin nodded. "Okay." He looked at the others. "There is a problem with the vampires that live in the abandoned mine tunnels. They are wild. There is also some of those borderline vampires there. Is there hope with them?"

Colin cocked his head. "Let me guess...they were criminals before they were bitten?"

Edwin thought a second and nodded. "Yes."

Colin frowned. "We have those in the United States, too." He waved at Alex and Gabriella. "These two are excellent trackers. They can smell where those vampires are."

Edwin marveled at that. "We have some that probably could but are afraid to go in the mines by themselves."

"We won't let them go in by themselves," Chuck said. "We'll be armed."

"We have what George designed as sunguns." Shelly smiled. "Directed light like the sun, only more concentrated. It keeps them at bay very well."

George nodded. "Would those others you mentioned who can smell them out; would they help us?"

Edwin didn't smile, but he gave a shrugging nod. "When they trust you."

I nodded. "It's always about that."

Edwin went to his computer and taped the keyboard which brought the screen to life again. "Would tomorrow night be okay? I'll send a message to the others."

"Tomorrow night for what?" Colin asked.

Edwin turned and looked like it should be obvious. "They need to meet you. If they spend some time with you, they will help and trust you. I do." He thought a second. "...maybe the night after tomorrow." He shrugged. "Travel as a vampire is a little trickier than with regular people..." he smiled. "...or you."

"We're a few hours from our hotel..." Colin said.

Edwin shook his head. "You should stay here." He waved at the upper part of the house. "I have the rooms."

Colin grimaced. "He has to rub it in." He muttered quietly to me.

I smiled putting my arm around Colin. "Don't make your eyes any greener," I said quietly to him.

"We often have companies that book the house for parties, rent the house for weddings and the guests often stay here," Edwin explained. "That way no one drives drunk." He smiled. "There are no parties or weddings this week. There are the west and east wings; so, plenty of rooms." He smiled. "But the others will want to meet you."

Colin nodded. "We'll go tomorrow and check out of the hotel."

Edwin nodded. "It's about three or four hours away, but you will have to do that." Then he thought. "I need groceries." His eyes widened. "I have a contact who can do that." Edwin sat and began to type.

I grinned. "Could you do me a favor?"

Edwin looked at me. "I'll try."

"Is there a way to have Faggots here?" I asked as I watched Colin grin.

"Faggots?" Edwin looked surprised. "There often on the menu here in pubs up here, but sure...we can have them." He looked at Colin's face. "Is there something I don't know?"

I nodded. "There is. Colin won't tell me what they are."

Edwin grinned. "I see." He looked at Colin. "Do I have them made here?"

Colin shrugged chuckling. "It's either that or he'll be at the nearest pub to order there."

Edwin nodded as he resumed typing. "Then I promise to have it served tomorrow night."

I smiled and I think I even bounced at hearing that.

We visited a while back upstairs, but I saw the clock and knew it would be time for Edwin to go back underground. He showed us where we could stay. It was a nice room, and it had its own bathroom and as opulent as all the rest of the house.

Colin was taking his shoes off as I pulled the bed covers down. I grinned as I looked at him. He was still a little annoyed with all this. I walked over to him and knelt in front of him.

"Colin," I said quietly, smiling at him making him look at me. "This is a very nice house." I watched him grimace again. "There's a big difference between this house and our home," I said. "Edwin inherited this house. You built ours." I pulled him to his feet. "No, as you said before, you never swung a hammer, but you did build Wentworth Manor. It's your house! You invited me to share it with you. It's our home. Our home!" I waved at the room and house beyond the room. "This is almost a museum! It is a museum most of the time. Our house is lived in and shows that."

Colin nodded with a smile. "It's silly, I know..."

"The house we have was built by you and reflects you. This was given to Edwin, and it doesn't have that charm. It's beautiful but doesn't have anything personal." I grinned as I kissed Colin. "If anything, I feel sorry for Edwin."

Colin looked surprised. "Sorry? Why?"

"The only place I saw that said he lived anywhere was that room underground." I pointed out. "That said about Edwin. Who does he share it with? I didn't see any evidence that he shared it with anyone. Our room does!"

Colin nodded and smiled more. "You're right." He kissed me. "It is our room. Maybe after he's on the serum he can change that." He hugged me. "No one deserves to be alone."

I grinned. "Well, I think Edwin had a little more going with Basil," I said. "Two vampires and one bed? It didn't look easy to get furniture in and out, so..."

Colin chuckled. "I thought so, too. He was too accepting of us...and I noticed a look when he spoke of his..." he used air quotes. "...daddy."

"After we check out of the Four Seasons, we should look for a picture of Basil," I said pulling him back to the bed. "You are the best daddy I've ever seen." I said kissing him deeply. "I'm glad you aren't my real daddy, otherwise, what I have in mind right now would be incest."

Colin chuckled. "We didn't bring our supplies."

I shrugged. "We'll use cowboy lube."

Colin groaned. "That is just..."

"Messy?" I grinned. "Okay, let me check the bathroom. There's got to be lotion or something somewhere."

It didn't take long, but I found a think of petroleum jelly, so we were fine.

The next day, Colin, Chuck, Willie, and I rode back to London and checked out of the Four Seasons. We brought both SUVs to carry all our equipment and luggage. We ended up shipping some other that was not necessarily needed right away. We were done by eight the next evening where we came down for dinner. Edwin was sitting with us with his goblet of blood, but we had places at the table for each of us. All the china and crystal was laid out and the silver was shining. What else I noticed were the many paintings on the ornate walls. I looked up at them.

"Edwin," I said looking at them. "Is one of these men in the portraits Basil?"

Edwin brightened. "Absolutely." He got up and walked to a big picture over the fireplace. "There he is." He looked fondly. "Of course, when he posed for that picture, men often wore those damned wigs at that time. He is here wearing one. His hair was naturally black." He looked over at Colin. "Like Colin's or mine."

I nodded. "He is a handsome man."

Edwin nodded. "He was." He returned to his chair at the head of the table. "There are others in the house I can show you later if you want."

I nodded. "How old was he when he was turned?"

"About..." Edwin thought, "his late forties, I think."

"He was a daddy," I said so only Colin could hear.

Nigel and a woman came out as Nigel wheeled a cart in front of him.

Edwin smiled. "This is Nettie." He introduced a woman approaching her forties. "Nigel's wife. I'm told she's the best cook in all of Great Britain! I look forward to finding that out myself." She was...the best word for her was...pleasingly hearty? She was sturdy. She was not ugly, but not a slave to fashion. That as she didn't use a lot of makeup. "And now..." Edwin grinned as a tray with a silver dome over the top. "Here are your Faggots!"

Nigel pulled the cover off and steam came up and I saw my Faggots! I stood to see it better. It smelled good, but I had a definite "bacon" appreciation to it. It looked almost like meatballs with mashed potatoes on top with peas or beans around it.

"Now can I find out what it is? I get the smell of bacon." I said.

"Well, kind of," Nettie nodded with a smile. "There is pig heart, liver and belly fat cooked together in a crock with the peas and mashed potatoes. A nice gravy is made with it."

I grinned. "We eat Chitlins, so why not?"

"Chitlins?" Edwin frowned. "What is that?"

"When they butchered an animal..." I said, "...usually pigs for the Massa..." I said Southern slave term for master, "...they got the best parts, and the intestines were unused. Plantation owners did that." I grinned as Colin rolled his eyes when I looked at him.

Edwin grinned. "Oh, Chitterlings!" He understood now. "We have that here."

Colin leaned forward. "Let me set things straight, I was never anyone's massa or master. I didn't own any slaves! I worked as hard as they did in the fields!"

Gabriella nodded. "Yes, he did." Then she smiled. "But Granddaddy did own slaves." She smiled at Willie. "Not you, Willie. Granddaddy Wentworth."

Edwin laughed. "You owned a plantation, Colin?"

Colin sighed sitting back in his chair. "I owned a plantation, yes, but freed my employees when I inherited the plantation. I offered them jobs to get them to stay." He said. "Where else could they go? I couldn't send them back to Africa!"

Edwin smiled. "Basil had them here until about 1830." He shrugged. "Even though you're American now, you're English by descent. It's what we do everywhere we go."

I nodded. "It seems the thing humans do everywhere at one time or another."

Gabriella smiled. "But Daddy fell in love with someone that was being held as a slave. That's what changed his opinion about them."

Edwin nodded but smiled at Colin. "A man ahead of his time and a truly enlightened soul." He raised his goblet to Colin.

I smiled at Colin and took his hand at the table. "I'll drink to that," I said raising my glass to my husband.

Colin smiled at me. "Thank you." He said pressing his forehead against mine.

Edwin shrugged in exasperation. "Oh, just kiss the man!" He smiled. "It's not exactly appropriate table manners, but what the hell! We'll be ushering in a new day for those of us with the condition. It's my house. I say, KISS HIM!"

Colin looked at Edwin with a smile. "I'd say he is one of the enlightened ones."

I chuckled as Colin leaned closer and kissed me. "I love you, Colin."

Colin smiled. "I love you, Devon."

It was the next day when I got to really see Thornwood. When I did, I was impressed. We had arrived at night and then early next morning we were back on the road to London to check out of the Four Seasons and today we weren't going anywhere. Edwin said they had a lot of weddings and corporate parties here and now I understood why. The house was very elegant, but the yard was spectacular. The gardens and yard were beyond beautiful. We had breakfast out on the terrace that overlooked a very well-manicured garden surrounded the house. Decorative plants were bordering pathways that lined the paths. The Autumn season was beginning, and it wasn't cold, but cool in the morning air. This was a formal English Garden befitting a king or queen.

"I know you don't want to hear it," I said as Colin drank his beloved coffee. "But this almost feels like a palace."

Colin chuckled. "I'm over it now. You're right, it looks very elegant and sculpted, but it's not a home." He sighed as he looked over the countryside. "It is beautiful."

I smiled as I saw my mother and Willie strolling in the garden. I chuckled as I saw Willie reach out and take her hand as they walked. "I think Willie will make a nice addition to the family."

Colin smiled at what we saw. "He's been through so much. Taking those things out of his head he seems much sharper, and he can retain things." He nodded as he took my hand. "He was already a part of the family."

"Hello, gentlemen," George said happily coming from inside.

I looked back to where I saw him and Burke standing together. "Why are you so happy?" I asked sitting back in my chair.

George looked around the grounds as he put an arm around Burke. "I feel like things are beginning to come together for us."

Colin nodded. "Us as in vampires, or us as in you and Burke?" He grinned.

George shrugged. "Both?"

Chuck came from inside the house along with Shelly. "Good morning!" He slapped George on the back. "Just the man I wanted to speak with."

George looked puzzled. "Me? Why?"

Chuck sat at the table Colin, and I was. "Question. What happens if a vampire gets the serum, but not in the heart at first?"

George frowned. "It wouldn't work," George said sitting down with us.

Chuck nodded. "I got that, but what happens?"

George thought a second. "It would just hurt, but the heart needs to be started again. There would be pain..."

Chuck nodded. "Would it stop a vampire?"

George thought again. "It wouldn't kill them, but yes, it would be very...painful."

Chuck smiled with a nod. "It would be a little disabling?"

Colin smiled. "You want to use the serum as a weapon?"

Chuck nodded a little excited. "The delivery system might have to change, but yeah..." he nodded. "If injected in the arm or shoulder...would it stop a vampire?"

George nodded. "Sure. It would slow them down due to the pain and depending on where its inserted...the leg would stop pursuit on foot, in the arm would make the arm pretty well useless."

Chuck nodded. "Would a dart work?"

George frowned. "I didn't create the serum to use as a weapon. It was to help."

Shelly sat drinking a newly poured cup of coffee. "Don't you see that would help us? We're not talking about ending a life, but it would slow them down."

Chuck nodded. "You think like a doctor." He said to George.

George looked somewhat surprised. "I am a doctor."

Shelly nodded. "And we don't want you to change, but...we think a little more aggressively." She waved between her and Chuck. "Do you have enough serum to make some of those darts, like the ones used by wildlife conservationists...that can be fired from a gun?"

George thought. "I guess...it wouldn't take much. The venom in a vampire's body would fight it. Sure, I can do that."

Chuck smiled. "It doesn't have to be refrigerated or anything does it?"

George shook his head. "No."

Chuck smiled in this minor triumph. "Great, I'll get on making it work." He glanced over at Colin. "Are you leaving any coffee for anyone else?"

Colin grinned. "There's more, you know?" But he passed the pot of coffee.

Chuck poured himself a cup. "Just needed to know if I needed to go and get some more."

We rested again that day because we were sure we'd be up a long time that night. Colin and I had our luggage now and we had what was needed if we desired to become more affectionate. We were also more conscious of keeping any mess down so as not to create problems with anyone doing laundry. I had napped but felt a little restless. Colin was still asleep, so I get up to walk around the house that afternoon. We were all in the western part of the house. When I came out of Colin's and my room I heard Mom speaking to Willie.

"...I know, but there are times I wish you weren't...such a gentleman!" Mom said closing the door gently on Willie who was now standing in the hall, minus his shirt which he was holding.

Willie was looked absolutely lost at what he needed to do as he stared at the now closed door to my mother's room. He was turning to walk away and saw me. Now that he had blood flowing in his veins, he was able to blush. "I guess you heard that." He said sadly.

I smiled at Willie as I approached him. "I'm afraid so." I nodded. I stopped him as he was about to come by me. "Willie..." I began softly as I touched his arm to stop him. "...I'm not going to give you advice." I smiled. "I certainly don't know how to attract a woman." I chuckled. "But I know my mother. She was born in the late 20th Century, it's now the 21st Century. Relationships are hard, I know that. From what I just heard, and I can only guess what happened." I waved at his shirt he was holding. "You may be treating her too..." I grinned, "...nice."

Willie looked startled. "I've not done this in a long time," Willie said. "I don't know what to do."

"You said the other day she was exciting," I said. "I don't know what rules you followed back at the turn of the 20th century, but things have changed. Women have changed. Part of her excitement is that change." I thought about how to say what I wanted to. "Be polite, be courteous, but don't treat her as this...delicate flower or something that will break." I pointed to his shirt. "Did you take that off? Or did she do it?"

Now Willie was blushing even more. "She did."

I smiled. "That means she likes you, Willie and wants to be close to you." I had to move so I could look in his eyes. "You're a handsome man, Willie. She's a beautiful woman...and yes, she may want something more...like sex?"

Willie looked away. "But we're not married...or even getting married!" He looked frustrated. "I'm treating her like she's important, but...I've not done this in a while...I'm not sure I can."

I hugged Willie. "I think your body will remember." I smiled. "Do you love her?"

Willie smiled and nodded. "Oh, yes."

I grinned. "What you lack is confidence. Mother won't judge you. I know she feels the same for you."

His eyes widened. "She does?"

I pulled on the shirt he was carrying. "Oh, yes. The thing about Colin and me was he had the same issue with me. You won't accidentally turn her into a vampire because you have sex. The venom won't work that way. What I insisted on with Colin was he talk to me. Tell me what he was feeling, what he was afraid of. I liked knowing how he felt and what he was thinking about." I rubbed Willie's arm. "Do that with Mom. If you're scared, tell her. If you don't think you can operate, tell her. Tell her how you feel. She'll be patient and she will even help you." I smiled at him. "I do like you, Willie." I looked at him again so he could see I was being honest. "Believe me, I do like you. Like as with Colin, the feeling I have for you is about a dear friend I think of almost like a father. I'm thrilled that you and Mom might become more than just friends." I hugged him again. "I love you, as well. You've become important and the idea that you and Mom would become more. I support that, but it's your call. Just be honest with Mom. She'll listen and she'll help you." I patted his arm. "You're a welcomed member of the family already, I'd welcome you more if you become more of a member of the family with Mom. You're a good man. You need to decide what to do next, but whatever it is...I'll support you." I said as I walked on. Looking back, I saw Willie think a minute and then walk back to Mom's room. He knocked but didn't wait for her to answer as he walked in.

That evening, we opted to have our meal a little early. Tonight, we would meet the other vampires that Edwin had invited, but because of their need to feed when they wake up, feeding and then getting here, it would be much later when they arrived. I wasn't worried about them coming. I wasn't scared of them. Once we were presented to them, they should be okay to listen more receptively. They would see and sense we were vampires and want to help. It was an hour after sunset Edwin came in the Dining Room having showered and dressed to receive his guests. Sitting at his place at the head of the table, he smiled at Nigel as he was given his goblet of blood. Sipping it, I saw his eyes closed as the hunger was abated.

Edwin lowered his goblet with a sad smile. "When can I get this serum?"

George smiled. "We can do it tonight if you like." He looked at Edwin. "I say again...it will hurt."

Edwin sipped his blood again and shook his head. "I'm tired of depending on this." He said sadly. "It was our conversation the other night about food that helped me reach my decision." He sighed as he toyed with his goblet. "I can't even really remember what a good meal is like. I don't remember how it tastes or feels." He held the goblet up as he looked at it. "I won't miss it." He looked at us. "I want to get rid of this and be more like you."

George nodded. "Then, that's what we'll do; tonight, before dawn." He smiled. "In a couple of days, you'll see the sunrise again."

We were gathering in the Gallery. It was the biggest room in Thornwood. Edwin had invited a hundred from the surrounding towns. A hundred!? These vampires would be arriving on their own; or brought by other family members to be here and Edwin didn't know how many would show up. I had never seen someone set up drinks for vampires. There were two places set up. One that would the containers with blood and another with regular drinks of wine or punch for the family members that brought them.

I leaned into Colin as we waited. "I wonder if he's come up with a punch with blood."

Colin's reply was a roll of the eyes.

It was about 10:30 when I suddenly felt...more. I looked out the windows at the darkened outsides of the house. Edwin had not turned on the outside lights as vampires could see well in low lights. I had felt Edwin as a vampire. What I was feeling now, was more of that feeling. More. My sense told me where I was getting that from and looked in the direction it was approaching. Then the feeling just grew.

"What's needed for this part of the movie?" Colin whispered to me as he grinned.

"Thunder and lightning," I said simply. "A good ghost story or vampire story always has that house with the sound of thunder and flash of lightning." I waved. "It's a nice evening out now. No drama."

Then some people were coming in. The first vampire to arrive was a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties, but with brown hair. She wore nice clothes and accompanied by two other men. They must have been her family as I felt nothing from them. Edwin walked over to her and greeted her with a kiss on her cheek. He brought her over to us as she looked at us.

"This is Sarah Bennett," Edwin said. "She is my nearest neighbor who suffers as we do." He waved to us. "This is Colin Wentworth."

Sarah smiled and offered her hand. "It's true." She said relieved. "You're really a vampire." She looked at me. "And so are you."

Colin nodded. "We really are."

Sarah looked at my mother, then to Shelly and Chuck. "They...aren't vampires, but I don't get the feeling I should with other people. I'm not drawn to their blood."

That's how it started. First was Sarah and slowly the numbers increased. They each wanted to meet us, see that it was real and then waited to hear what we offered. It was about 2 am when the last vampire arrived. Edwin introduced George as the man that found out what the true condition was and came up with the serum to offer life back to everyone. He also offered his Disflavor to the others that would keep them off future menus. They were an interesting assortment of people from the area composed of other miners that had been bitten while under the earth and the occasional professionals, housewives, and general laborers. These were just people. They ranged from a few years turned to nearly a century as a vampire. There were the questions which we answered.

"Okay." A young man said. His name was Matthew something...too many names for me to remember. He was turned at about eighteen when he was bitten, but that was in the 1950s. "It worked for them. How do we know it will work for us?"

Edwin nodded. "Because you'll see it." He said. "I'm getting the serum tonight." There were murmurs from them. "In a week...?" he confirmed with George who nodded. "...I will be standing with them, and you'll see that it will work."

"Even if it does." Matthew continued. "How will we get back into the world? We don't belong here. We have pasts that can't be reconciled with today."

Colin nodded as he stepped forward. "It will be difficult. I am over two hundred years old. The identification I have is a lie. There are things we don't have solutions for. That you will have to work out with your government. We are working with ours...or at least a branch of that government." He waved at Chuck and Shelly. "They're here with us." He sighed. "You can go back home and not do this. Stay a vampire and nothing will change. What happened to us was not our choosing. We're offering a way to get some life back." There were murmurs again. "You have to choose. Do this and enjoy daylight and have a good meal that doesn't cost someone's life. We're offering a way out."

Edwin nodded as he walked to stand next to Colin. "I've chosen. If you want this and want to see that it works. Come back in a week. You'll see for yourselves."

George walked up and leaned to Edwin. "It's getting late. If we're going to do this, we need to start soon."

Edwin nodded. "Okay." He looked at everyone. "I'm going to receive my first injection of serum. So, forgive me if I don't see you out. Nigel and Edward will see you out." He looked a little scared at George, Colin, and me. "Where are we doing this?"

George smiled. "We'll be right with you, but for your safety and security, we can do it below the first night. After this is done, you can pick a room up here. You'll just need to stay out of direct sunshine until the levels are right in your system." George looked at Burke. "We all will be there. You'll be fine."

I smiled at Edwin. "You won't be alone anymore," I assured.

Edwin nodded and we went to the library to take the stairs to his apartment. There would just be enough time before sunrise for the serum to restart his heart. We advised him to get ready for bed, that way when the fatigue hits after the serum had worked, he wouldn't have to go anywhere. Edwin came out in only pajama bottoms. Naturally, I appreciate the human form, especially the male human form. Now that he was without a shirt I saw he was indeed a man that had been turned when he was well built. Unlike Colin though, his chest had very little hair but was smooth. He had the musculature of well-developed pecs and arms. He had the hair under his arms like all men. I could see he would be appealing to others. Colin's skin color was a little darker, not because of the sun necessarily, but that was just his skin tone. We would have to get Edwin in the sun.

George prepared Edwin's chest and had the serum ready. He smiled at Edwin. "We've all been through this, Edwin. We'll be right here. We're kind...of a family. We welcome you to that family."

Edwin smiled and nodded. "Okay." He sighed. "I'm ready."

George nodded. "Here we go." He inserted the needle in Edwin's heart, and it began.

I hated this part. Seeing a man suffer so much to get any sort of life back was horrible to watch. I understood it needed to be done but hated what we had to do. Then we saw the first pulse in his neck. His heart had begun to beat again. Colin smiled at me and took my hand squeezing it. He more than I did understood the pain and why. He did it for decades before George got the serum right. It was just about sunrise when Edwin stopped writhing in pain and went to sleep.

George looked at his watch. "Just in the nick of time." He said wiping sweat from Edwin's face. "We just need to wait, but day one is done." He said letting out a breath of relief.

I felt Colin touch my shoulders from behind me. "We should catch some sleep while he's out. It will be about six or seven hours before he wakes up." Colin said softly.

I just nodded and we went back upstairs.

After a few hours of sleep...and some other activities...we woke up and Colin again was hungry. Big surprise there?

As we were coming out of our room, I noticed Mom shutting her door quietly. Was she being quiet to not wake someone up? She looked at me and smiled at me and Colin. She even let out a soft squeal as she hurried over to us.

"He said it!" She said to me. "He finally said he loved me!!"

I was grinning more about her reaction to that than the fact that Willie had told her. "Duh," I said smiling. "The man's been following you like a puppy would!" I hugged her. "I'm glad he finally told you." I looked at the door she closed quietly. "He was worried he might have forgotten how to...you know."

She smiled. "He didn't." She said and then she looked concerned. "How did Edwin do?"

Colin frowned. "It hurt, but he came through the first night."

She looked a little uncertain. "If I become one of you...I'll have to do the same thing, won't I?"

I nodded. "That's why you need to be certain Willie is what you want, and this is what you want."

She looked back at her door. "I do..." she said. "I don't want to lose him."

Colin took her hand. "He's very important to me, Mom," Colin said. "Please, be sure. He does need someone in his life. I'd love it if it was you, but...he can't be hurt."

She nodded. "I would never do that." She smiled and kissed Colin on the cheek. "He's a good man." She sighed. "Now, he will have to do it, too, to bite me."

Colin nodded. "He'll have to get off the serum, become a vampire again and do what I did to Devon. Then he'll have to go through it again." He smiled. "Talk to Willie about it. Decide together."

"We're going to check on Edwin," I said.

"I was going to get something to eat." Mom said. "I'll talk to you later."

I felt Colin take my hand. I smiled at him and said. "I will admit, having her around longer is very appealing to me on a personal level."

Colin nodded. "I know. That's why you didn't have to really talk me into it. I wanted you around, too." He grinned kissing me.

I remembered the books and the order in which to pull them to open the secret door. Going down the steps I heard George talking with Edwin, who was awake and talking as he sat on the side of the bed.

"Hello, Edwin." Colin greeted.

Edwin nodded to us and laughed lightly. "Hello." He shook his head and rubbed his chest. "You weren't kidding. That really hurt!"

George assured again. "I told you, just a few more treatments, and I will make you the disc to insert and you won't have that anymore."

"Good." Edwin chuckled. "When can I see the sunrise?"

"Day after tomorrow," George said rising from a chair. "Now, if you two will stay here..." He said to Colin and me, "...I am going back to John."

"You mean to bed?" Colin asked.

George smiled. "That's what I said, back to John." He grinned and went upstairs.

Colin and I smiled as George left, but looking at Edwin, he was puzzled.

"Are we all...?" Edwin asked hesitantly. "Do we become homosexual?"

Colin shook his head. "No."

"No one can be made homosexual. Bitten or not." I smiled at Edwin. "Willie sure isn't."

Colin sat in a chair near Edwin. "Devon and I were homosexual before we became vampires. I prefer to think we're all...just...more enlightened." He thought of the best way to explain it. "George was engaged." He took a breath as he wanted to explain carefully. "We are so alone..." he explained. "...but we're still human. We don't do well by ourselves. The shame we feel about being vampire...it makes it even harder. We lose people we care about. George was alone a lot until he met John Burke. So was John. Meeting someone that is like you, having a soul to share your life with...that you won't lose...makes the idea that it's someone you share the gender with becomes unimportant. They find that loving someone doesn't require a certain gender, but they want to be with you as well. Like George, there are female vampires you could share your life with. Sarah for instance; you sort of like her."

He nodded. "But she only likes me because I can give her the needed blood without hunting." He smiled. "And really, I wouldn't be interested." He said scratching an ear.

I grinned. "Basil was more than your adopted father, wasn't he?"

Edwin chuckled. "Figured that out, did you?" He shrugged a nod. "I loved Ellie." He said quickly about his wife. "She was a great woman...but..."

Colin nodded with a chuckle. "I was raised in a similar world. I married because I was supposed to." He shrugged. "I never lied to her, I told her I had loved someone other than her before we married and until I met Devon, there was no one else." He said bringing me closer to him.

"What gave me away?" Edwin asked.

"There were a couple of things." I waved at the bed. "Now, you could have changed the bed, but I don't know how as there's no space to bring a bed down here. It's a double bed and I knew there were two vampires in this house at one time and unless there was somewhere else..." I smiled. "And your voice and eyes change when you talk about Basil. You loved him."

Edwin nodded. "Yeah, I did." He sighed. "I wish he was here."

"So, it was more than just companionship and sex," Colin said.

"Not at first." Edwin grinned and looked a little sheepish. "I was shy."

I chuckled. "No way!"

Edwin laughed back. "Yes, way." He shook his head. "I wasn't...that way! I liked a few men...but the Church and everyone else..." He protested. "I couldn't admit it to myself. We could be sent to the gallows! I knew it happened. We had some guys in the mines doing..." he waved his head. "...well, they weren't digging for minerals!"

I grinned. "I don't think there is a human being that is one or the other," I said. "People have sex for a number of reasons, only one has to do with love. There's power, control and just because it's fun. There are men, claiming to straight that will have sex with other men."

Colin frowned. "Where did you see that?"

"On the Internet." I grinned at him. "Straight college men were having sex to make money." I shrugged. "They seemed to be enjoying it."

"How can they be straight?" Colin asked.

"That's the point!" I said loudly. "Are they straight, gay or just open?"

"I really need to monitor your viewing habits," Colin muttered, but he was smiling, and I knew he wasn't mad or worried.

I kissed him quickly. "I don't need it now. I have you!"

Colin shook his head as he turned back to Edwin. "As I was going to say...in the 19th Century, we didn't do things like that," Colin said. "You might have an affair or do something questionable, but..." he shook his head. "Never man to man."

"And certainly not a white man to a black man," I added. "We have restrictions on who we could love and have relationships with."

Colin nodded. "But our brains are made for sex. That's why we do it so much. It's what humans do."

"If there is love and the other is old enough to understand what they're doing, it's probably okay," I said. "I think what we do is not perverted and it's okay."

Edwin nodded. "So, you said you were different. You were bitten. How was it different?"

"It was shortly after our wedding, that night," Colin explained. "I refused to let him be bitten, by me or anyone else..."

"We were kidnapped by a vampire that wanted to know if Colin was a vampire," I said. "We had no serum and Colin did become a full vampire again."

Edwin's eyes widened. "Oh, my god!"

"When his hunger started," I smiled, "I gave myself to him. It would have been cruel to have him suffer. He did it because I loved him, and he loved me."

Edwin smiled. "I guess you do love each other." He shook his head. "I love Basil. I knew he loved me. He was so kind and just the nicest man." He smiled again as he remembered fondly. "He took it slow. I finally thought, I was going to Hell anyway as a vampire, so why not?"

Colin frowned. "You know that's not true. We aren't evil."

Edwin nodded. "I do now, but at the time..." he shrugged. "So, I surrendered to him." He leaned forward and spoke like it would be overheard if he didn't whisper. "The truth is...I liked it." He brightened. "Never have I felt so loved!" He jumped up. "You want to see a picture of him?" He went to his desk and pulled up a sketch that was framed. "I did this from memory when I was feeling lonely for him." He gave a sideways shrug. "Think I caught his likeness pretty well."

We looked at Basil. He was without that wig, but you could see the laughter in Basil's dark eyes. There were little creases in the corner of his eyes, but they were sharp. He was looking at Edwin from in the bed! His shoulders were bare like they were coming from under covers as he was smiling at...whoever was drawing this, which was Edwin! The hair was a bit messed up as he'd just woken up; Edwin had that drawn well, but it was black and short. There was gray in the temples and a little around the ears, but Basil was very handsome! I was gawking at the great job Edwin had done.

"Edwin," I said holding the picture. "This is very good!"

Edwin smiled and nodded a little embarrassed. "Thanks."

I allowed Colin to see it better. "No, Edwin, this is really, really very good!" I stressed to make Edwin see I wasn't just being nice. "This is a damned good picture." I grinned as, now that Edwin had blood flowing, he was blushing!

Edwin nodded again. "Well, thank you." He said humbly.

Colin grinned at the picture. "And Basil was a hunk!"

Edwin was now smiling more. "Yes, he was." He waved at the picture. "How could I not fall in love with him?"

Colin nodded. "How could you not?" He smiled at me. "What was the term? Phat?"

I shrugged. "I haven't lived that long, how do I know?"

"Phat?" Edwin chuckled. "You mean pretty, hot and tempting?"

Colin shook his head. "He is pretty hot, and he is tempting. No comma between pretty and hot." Colin chuckled.

Edwin nodded. "I'll show you a painting I was doing. That way you can see the color of his eyes all that."

"How long were you together?" I asked, smiling at his enthusiasm to show us what he'd done. He was excited to share his love of Basil.

Edwin grinned as he got the picture. "Just over fifty years."

I shook my head. "Wow," I said before seeing the picture.

Edwin smiled as he showed us the picture. Again, no wig, but in color, we saw the different shades of black. His hair was well groomed in this, and we could see the gray there, but not a lot. His eyes were a deep brown, and his features were sharp. Not a heavy man at all, and he was very handsome. Edwin had captured Basil's character while sitting in a chair in the Library looking again at Edwin with a smile that was charming.

"I'd love to have met him," I said honestly. "He looks...like he had a good life."

"Even as a vampire?" Edwin asked.

I shook my head. "As a man." I frowned. "I miss him now myself."

Colin nodded. "So, do I."

I smiled at Edwin. "What you two had was good, Edwin. I hope you cherish those memories for a long time. To do less, would be a disservice to Basil."

Colin agreed. "You're human. It is possible someone may come around to make you feel good again. If that happens. Whether they are male or female, don't deny yourself love."

Edwin looked at the picture again. He nodded. "When I'm ready." He said softly. "Maybe." He was still mourning Basil.

"You're a great artist, Edwin. I wouldn't mind seeing more." I said. That made Edwin smile as he nodded. He was relaxed as he was now trusting us a whole lot more.