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“I do not think they are ever going to find your sister a proper husband,” my wife confessed.

I nodded, my expression thoughtful. “Glynis has a mind of her own. She is very opinionated. I still remember how horrified mother was when she discovered Glynis wearing my clothes and preparing to clip her hair short, all in attempt to sneak into the parlor where my friends and I were having a discussion about politics. ”

“She did that? How old was she?”

“It was about three years ago, so she was almost sixteen. My sister is very odd at times. ” I smiled at the memory.

“You should hear her go on and on about Lord Byron. Do you know she hid away a copy of the New Monthly Magazine that had that horrible story by Lord Byron about a vampire? Your mother was very upset when she found it. She said that young ladies should not be reading such things,” Angeline said with a little laugh.

“I thought Byron claimed he hadn’t written that story? That chap Polidori wrote it, I believe. But more shocking than that is the fact that Glynis met Byron around four years ago right before the scandal of his adulterous affairs broke. ”

This amazed my wife. “Really? However did she manage that?”

I explained: “She was friends with the sister of a young man I was acquainted with that had ties to Byron. Glynis found this out and managed to get an invitation to visit the family in their London home for two weeks. Would you not just know that Byron would show up with one of his mistresses one night? A horrible party got underway and Glynis came down the stairs dressed in the clothes of one of the older sisters of the family. I arrived at the house to visit my friend and found him in a drunken stupor on the front steps. I went into the house and found Glynis seated right next to Byron listening to the most randy poems. I grabbed her hand and marched her right out of there. I never told our parents and ever since that time Glynis has been simply mad for Byron. When he went abroad, she cried for days. ” My voice grew hushed as the memory of my sister’s exploits brought bittersweet tears to the surface. I missed her terribly and when I thought of her, I felt this horrible sense of dread wash over me.

My wife placed her arms around me and said, “I do not think your mother will be able to marry her off. I just do not think it will happen. She will do something nefarious and end up back home. ” She tucked her hand into the crook of my arm and kissed my cheek. Angelina smiled at me brightly, forcing dark thoughts from my mind. “Do not be so worried! They are fine, my love, and in good health. They are most likely on their way home as we speak. ”

“I hope so, Angeline. I just have the most dreadful feeling inside of me. These last days I’ve had the most terrible dreams. When I wake up I cannot remember what I have dreamed. But I have such a strong sense of dread. I just cannot seem to shake it. ” I looked at her seeking solace in her loving gaze. “My rational mind tells me that my fears cannot be reasonable, and yet, within me, I do believe they have come to harm. ”

“Do not worry, Andrew. Soon the family will return and all will be well. I am sure of it,” she insisted. “Now, come on and smile, my dear husband, before we are drenched by the coming rain. ”

Startled, I looked up into the once tranquil sky to se

e ominous storm clouds gathering above us. In the distance, thunder rumbled warningly. An intense cold engulfed us, and we both shivered.

Gazing into my wife’s eyes, I whispered, “I pray for them, but I fear that my prayer will go unanswered. ”

She kissed the tear that slipped down my cheek and we hurried into the house as the storm erupted.

How, oh, how, do I console my frightened heart when my spirit refuses to be consoled?

Oh, please, please, let them all return safely.

The Journal of Lady Glynis Wright

The Castle

I awoke from my nightmares to find Cneajna anxiously searching the coffin we share.

“Hurry, Glynis. Sit up!”

I snapped upright, my eyes feeling bright and hard. I could feel the night strengthening my cold vampire body. I stretched out my limbs feeling the darkness caressing me.

“I am hungry,” I said to her.

She searched the velvet and silk throws we slept upon with a desperate look upon her face. “I know, I know. You must feed again. That is the way it always is in the beginning. But I must know something. Where is your ring?”

I furrowed my brow. “Ring?”

“Yes, darling, a ring. Like this!” Cneajna extended her hand.

I peered at the ring, trying to recall the events of another lifetime. The events before my rebirth were in a haze, my vampire sleep still clouding my mind as was the growing hunger. Then I remembered.

“Oh, yes, that ring. I threw it away and one of the gypsy women took it. I did not want the horrible thing. ” I wrinkled my nose with disgust. “It was dreadfully ugly. ”

Cneajna shook me with frustration. “These are our wedding rings! Our Master gave them to us!”

“Oh. ” I swept my hair back from my face. I really did not care about a wedding ring. I was not married, at least not by my standards. I was quite sure that a priest would not marry vampires. Beyond that, there was the whole issue of entering a church. I wondered if I could enter consecrated ground. Besides, I was feeling much better tonight, almost like my old self. Yet, what was my old self? What did that mean?