"Adam told them that it's a werewolf and they are looking for a bigger paw print, but in reality the culprit here was someone with small paws," Vincent stated and stretched his hand forward. When Eve gave him a questioning look, he said, "The lantern."
"I like to carry it," Eve replied with a smile, tearing her eyes away from Vincent and then looking back at the ground. She said at the paw print, "I didn't know he came along with us."
"Sneaky little thing. He must have somehow gotten inside when Adam was locking the carriage door and didn't come out until now," Vincent remarked, and he slipped his hand into Eve's free hand, holding it to provide her warmth.
Eve wondered what Timotei was doing here with them. Perhaps it was his shadow that had scared the poor coachman. She moved closer to Vincent, wrapping her hand around his arm, when she felt the cold air touch her face. She said,
"This place is colder than I expected it to be."
"The fireplace must already be burning in our room. Let us go there," Vincent stated, and they walked inside the mansion.
They had taken barely ten steps inside the mansion, when the housekeeper appeared in a bad mood, and she wasn't alone. A black cat dangled in her hand, which she felt by the scruff of the cat, while her shoes softly clicked against the carpeted floor.
Eve noticed Carla had evident scratch marks from the cat, and a drop of blood was drawn out on the back of her hand. The housekeeper bowed, while keeping the struggling cat at a distance from her and said,
"Forgive me, Master Vincent. This little intruder got in without anyone's notice and was in the kitchen. I don't know how this stray came in, but I will have it thrown out right away."
"No!" Eve exclaimed, and the housekeeper's eyebrows furrowed. "This is my cat."
"Your cat?" Carla questioned, as if not believing.
"You heard Eve. Drop the cat," upon one word from Vincent, the housekeeper quickly released the black cat, who uncannily stared at her.
Eve bent down, picked up Timotei in her hand, and politely said to the housekeeper, "This is my cat. Timotei. I hope he didn't cause any trouble in the kitchen."
Carla pursed her lips for two seconds as if mincing what she actually wanted to say and replied, "No. He just happened to pick a piece of meat."
"You can prepare his meal and give it to him in the dining room. He must be hungry," Vincent said, looking at the black cat, whose tail stretched straight at Vincent's words.
Carla stared at them for a moment and then replied, "It will be done, Master Vincent." She gave a look at the black cat as if not holding a likeness towards it, and turning around, she disappeared out of their sight.
"Who is that woman?! Trying to throw me out, when I belong here more than she does," Timotei huffed and said to the couple, "If you both didn't stop me, I would have scratched her face. Today is her lucky day to go undamaged by me."
"What are you doing here, Timotei?" Eve asked, while looking at the black cat. "I thought you were supposed to stay with Eugene and Rosetta."
Timotei didn't seem to mind Eve holding him in her hands, but the same couldn't be said when it came to the pureblooded vampire. When the pureblooded vampire's hand reached towards the black cat, Timotei quickly jumped out of the mermaid's hands. He then replied,
"Eugene has Rosetta to babysit him and now that they are married, I didn't want to be a third wheel between them and feel like an unwanted distraction. I mean who even hangs out with a newly married couple, when they will be busy in their own world. Aren't I, right? So I thought I would just tag along in the other carriage."
"What a thoughtful cat. You seem to like to give people their space," Vincent said dryly because it seemed like Timotei had forgotten that he and Eve had only recently gotten married.
"Of course, I am a thoughtful person. People are blessed to have me around them," Timotei replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "When I saw Marceline's carriage leaving the Moriarty mansion in Skellington empty, I couldn't resist. As Marceline was riding with you two, I thought, what difference would it make if a small body like me takes a little space in the other carriage. Though I didn't expect to sleep for so long," he said thoughtfully.
Vincent stared at the cat as it rambled on, and he said, "You are here so that Eve can turn you into your vampire-self."
The cat looked at Vincent, blinking twice. Then it said, "Yes, it is why I am here. So that we can keep the end of the bargain, and I can turn into a vampire and then sail into the moonset. Wonderful life waits ahead of me," he placed his paw on his chest. He said, "I am the most innocent, gentlest, loveable cat, I mean person, you will ever meet. And, the most reliable one with full loyalty. By the way, can I get a room of my own? Also hot water, and let the food keep coming."
"Perhaps we should have left you with Marceline to keep an eye on her if we knew you were riding with us," Vincent responded to the black cat's words.
"What I meant to say is that I am going to the dining room to have my meal," Timotei quickly followed the housekeeper's footsteps.
Eve sighed, "I guess it isn't bad to have company. I haven't learned how to tap into the magic he wants me to work on him. Does this mansion have its own library?" She turned to look at Vincent, who continued to stare in the direction where the cat had disappeared. "What is it?"
"It seemed like he was lying. He is here for a different reason," Vincent replied to her.
