Once everyone finished their dinner, Eve helped the maid and Lady Paloma in the kitchen. Just so that she could stay away from Vincent and Theophilus for some time. Every time Vincent spoke in the room, he had all her attention.
When she was done helping in the kitchen, she stepped away, and while walking past the living room, she noticed Vincent and Lady Aubrey talking. Lady Aubrey said to him,
"... sure if it is a good idea. I am fine with how things are because doing something more, might only add to the existing rumours from what I heard from Eve. I want to thank you for what you have done for Eve so far, Mr. Moriarty. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it. It is good to know someone is looking out for her," her voice was low.
"She's an important person of the Moriarty family. I know it is hard to agree on what I have said, but it will do you good," Vincent stated with a serious look.
Lady Aubrey gave it a thought before nodding, "Okay."
Lady Aubrey offered him a bow, and he returned it. As the older woman made her way out of the living room, she smiled at Eve and placed her hand on the young woman's shoulder before stepping away from there.
Eve reached where Vincent stood and asked, "What were you talking to her about?" Because it didn't sound like he was asking for Aunt Aubrey's blessing.
"Things are going to change soon. I was advising her on renovating your current house," Vincent stated in a nonchalant tone, and he came to stand in front of the fireplace that burned brightly with flames.
Eve frowned, "The current Dawson's residence holds memory. Memory of her husband, memories that I made. We don't need a big house."
"I know," Vincent hummed, staring at the fireplace. "Don't worry, the house will be rebuilt the way it is now, but much more strongly. We'll just be replacing everything together one by one, instead of you painting the walls and changing the wooden flooring."
Eve shook her head and said, "You don't have to do that." What had been done was done, and there was no way to go back to the past and change it. A new house would not bring back the respect that the townsfolk had stripped from her.
Vincent turned to look at Eve, who was now staring at the fireplace as if deep in thought. The hair she had let down earlier was tied back into a ponytail with a ribbon. The golden light that the fireplace exuded fell on her, emphasising her usual delicate features to appear like a rare creature that couldn't be touched.
He was yet to tell her about her mother. Though it was easy to make her agree to come to Skellington for that reason, he wanted her to decide it out of her own free will. He wanted to win her back, and he wasn't going back without her.
"How come I missed you when you were travelling from Thresk Hills to Berkshire?" He asked her curiously, as it was something he couldn't put his finger on.
"I didn't leave from Thresk Hills," Eve replied, noticing him tilt his head. "I left from Woodlock the next morning," her words were enough to change his calm expression and he narrowed his eyes. "What?" She asked him.
Unsure of who was going to burn faster and combust between the two of them, Vincent took a step closer to Eve, and she took one backwards before turning behind to see if anyone was there.
"The number of your admirers is truly outstanding. It makes me question if I should build a glass case in my room and fill it with water, keeping you locked in there for no one but myself to look, touch and talk," Vincent remarked, jealousy starting to slither in his veins.
"He only wanted to help me because there was rogue activity--"
"How silly of me to not know it," Vincent replied sarcastically. Before she could step farther away from him, his hand shot up and caught hold of the little pink lace in front of her dress, pulling it towards him. Eve felt her heart skip a beat, feeling him tug the tied lace for it to unfurl. "You are unaware of what you have fallen into, my dearest. But now that you have, it is better to take responsibility for it. Don't let anyone touch you. You know what I am capable of when I am angry, jealousy isn't too far from it," he whispered for her to hear.
Vincent was annoyed at the thought of her spending her night with the Duke.
Eve could feel her heart beating loud enough that she heard it drumming in her ears. At the thought of being seen like this, she was nervous, yet Vincent's words excited her for some reason.
He raised his other hand that reached behind her head where her hair was tied. He pulled the ribbon, untying it and letting her hair loosen and fall behind her back.
"Vincent," Eve warned him with a feeble voice because her heart was going to burst out of her chest any moment.
"I won't hurt you. It's the last thing I have on my mind," Vincent replied, and Eve knew his words to be true in her heart.
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Vincent stared into her blue eyes, noticing the pure innocence, and he doubted he could hold back his emotions of wanting to corrupt her and turning her into his. To let her know that he was serious. He let go of the lace of her dress, when he turned back to look at the mantle of the fireplace and the wall, Eve heard Theophilus call her name.
"Eve?" Theophilus asked someone. "Where did she go?"
"Weren't they in the living room?" Mr. Lowe asked his son.
Ready to escape, Eve took a step backwards and turned, taking two steps away from Vincent, only to have him catch her by her wrist. He pulled her where there was a gap between the fireplace's outer wall and the room's wall. Eve gasped, feeling her back press against the cold wall with him in front of her.
Vincent placed his finger on Eve's lips to hush her from talking, while his other hand was on her waist. He whispered, "Annoying brat. I should put him to sleep." Seeing her eyes turn wide, he added, "It is just a thought. Of course, I won't kill him."
"Eve?"
When Theophilus entered the living room, he didn't find Eve or the vampire, wondering if they had stepped out of the house. The sound of his footsteps receded. The hand on Eve's waist gripped her, and her eyes met his darkened ones. Her hands were on his chest, and she could feel his heart beating beneath her hand.
Now alone and hidden, away from being disturbed from people, Vincent brushed his thumb against her lips like a feather before the back of his fingers caressed her cheek.
He tucked one side of Eve's hair before resting his hand behind her ear. He said, "Let me steal a little more of you." She gripped the front of his shirt as if, deep down in her heart, it was something she wanted. Closing the gap between their lips, he kissed her.
