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It was my turn to laugh.

“No. It is that young woman looking over here giving you dire looks. Usually, when I enter a room, I approach Caroline immediately. Tonight, I’ve ignored her for the pleasure of your company. No doubt Caroline is trying to work out who you are and if you are a danger to her well-laid plans.”

“Ah, she thinks she had ensnared you.”

Julia turned slightly to face Caroline, glaring across the room at her. At once, Caroline’s face changed, settling into disinterest, and she looked away.

“You thought you would make her jealous. I think it is working, Jaq. So, it was not delight in seeing me that brought you over. I am heartbroken at being used so shabbily.”

“No, of course it wasn’t,” I began and broke off, seeing the twinkle in her eyes. “Would you like to dance Madam Troublemaker?” I asked as the band struck up a fresh tune.

“Marquis Du Mont, that would be most acceptable,” Julia said, taking my offer. For the rest of the night, I ignored Caroline, and she seethed.

Julia encouraged jealousy as she flirted quite shamelessly with me.

Towards the end of the evening, Barrington came over, a pleased and smug grin on his face.

“Jaq! Wonderful news. James Hamilton has asked for my sister’s hand in marriage. He’ll put the question to Eliza tomorrow, but I think she will accept. It is a good match for her, even though James is the third son. Eliza has her own fortune that’ll help them, and I believe James has genuine feelings for Eliza.”

“Congratulations!” I said, pumping his hand, truly pleased.

In all honesty, I hadn’t really paid attention to his sister and couldn’t remember her name until he’d mentioned it.

“Apparently, the courtship has been intense, but Eliza kept it to herself. Eliza didn’t think that I would approve, but James seems a nice chap, and I have not heard anything bad about him,” Barrington continued. “Of course, I have sole custody of Eliza as father is dead and mother, well, you know.”

Barrington finished a little awkwardly.

Oh, I understood. Barrington’s mother had gone into a decline when his father died and was not able to help her daughter’s future.

Barrington took off to find the others who were our close friends and inform them. I laughed, pleased for him, and took my leave of Julia, leaving her my address. I had ignored Caroline all night, and I had no doubt that she was seething by now.

Amused, I left, leaving Caroline with the knowledge that I wasn’t putty in her hands as she had first thought.

As I walked slowly back to my town house, I sensed someone following me, and turning a corner, I glanced behind me.

A shadow flitted into a doorway, and I extended my senses, searching out for whoever it was. Ah, yes, a vampire.

Well, cross me and more fool you.

The silly thing followed again, and I slowed my pace, waiting for the inevitable attack to come. I was just passing the entrance to Hyde Park when it came.

Chapter Eighteen.

The fool pounced and scrabbled to find a purchase. With a laugh, I tossed him across the street and examined him thoroughly. The vampire, recently made, was a beggar. His clothes were tatters, and he was filthy.

Inwardly, I sighed as the vampire rose to his feet and started another attack. As he ran at me, I grabbed and threw him again.

This time, he scuttled away, limping badly. He knew that he’d picked the wrong person to try and drain. Taking long strides, I followed.

“Please, please,” he begged, putting his hands up in a puny defence. “Ah didn’t know, guv’nor.”

“Did not understand that I was a Vam’pir?” I asked, picking him up by the scuff of the neck.

Easily, I raised him up to eye level and shook him.

It amused me as his feet flapped about in the air, and with another sigh, I snapped his neck. That, of course, isn’t enough to kill him. Reaching out, I broke a stake off a nearby tree and stabbed him through the heart. The pathetic creature turned to ash in my hands. This was the third one that I’d killed this week,and they were becoming easier to kill. Annoyingly, the blighters were also getting more tedious.

Some idiot kept making scum like this a vampire. This angered me, and I made a mental note to hunt out the ringleader and end this farce. The Coven Master (as they were called) was clearly trying to either set up a coven or trying to extend one.