"You're right about that," Nina said jovially, looking around the room, the red rose still in her hand.
"Right about what?" Alexandria asked.
"He can't come in. At least, not until you invite him in. Manners and all that," Nina added as an afterthought. "Your friend, however, the one that doesn't fare well in the sunlight, he may still want to come in, though."
"Oh, yes," she said, hurrying back to the front door and opening it. "I'm sorry, Andrew. Come in."
Andrew appeared beside her within seconds, holding out his hand to Nina. "Andrew," he said, introducing himself.
Nina placed her delicate hand in his palm. "Charmed," she said, quickly withdrawing her hand and handing him the rose. "Would you do a girl a kindness and find a vase for my rose?" she asked shyly, throwing in an anorexic smile.
Andrew stared at her, a blank expression on his face.
Nina stared back at him wearily. "Not to worry. I can find one for myself, if you'd just point me toward the kitchen..."
Alexandria frowned at Andrew and gave him a nudge in his ribs. "Andrew, you're being rude."
"You're dead," he blurted, continuing to stare at Nina.
"Andrew," Alexandria said. "Don't be ridiculous." She looked at Nina. "I'm sorry, he—"
"I've been touched by death enough to know what dead feels like," Andrew said adamantly.
Nina sighed. "Okay, fine. I'm dead. Are you really going to hold that against a paying customer? Some of the nicest people I know are dead. And who are you to throw stones?" she asked Andrew. "From what I can tell, you're not far from death's door yourself."
"Mine's a curse. What's your excuse?" Andrew asked, his eyes still fixed on her.
"She's a vampire," Alexandria said, looking at Nina accusingly. "That's the real reason you weren't afraid to jump off the roof. You're already dead."
Andrew snorted. "She can't be. She's wearing a crucifix."
Nina laughed. "And I suppose you think hanging garlic around the place will have me fleeing from the room like a scared rat? Try not to believe everything you read in story books, dear Andrew."
Andrew glared at her but said nothing.
Sighing, as though thoroughly bored with the conversation, Nina raised her hand and waved it delicately through the air. "Well, now that we have all the mundane pleasantries out of the way ... which way to my room, hmm?"
"You're going to let her stay here?" Andrew asked in disbelief, dragging his eyes away from Nina to look at Alexandria.
"She's a paying customer, Andrew. I need the money, and besides, if we were in any danger, the house would never have let her in. Invitation or no invitation. The house locked Raymond and Vera out, remember."
He returned his gaze to Nina. "Yes, but not before they stripped it of its most valuable pieces."
Alexandria shook her head. "No, they didn't. They tried, but they never found what they were really looking for." She turned her head to look at their guest. "And Nina isn't going to hurt us, or steal from us, are you?" she said sternly, as though speaking to an insolent child.
"What am I going to steal?" Nina drawled sarcastically, running her finger along an empty sideboard covered in dust that had once been filled with intricate china. "Dust motes, and cobwebs?"
Alexandria's hand shot to her mouth. "Oh. Andrew," she gasped, "I'm so sorry, with everything that's been going on, I forgot to go to the store for you. I should probably pick up something to cook for dinner while I'm out, as well." She turned to Nina, who was busy scrutinizing the rest of the furniture. "What do you like to eat, Nina?"
"Kittens," Nina replied straight-faced, flopping down on one of the oversized lounge chairs.
Alexandria and Andrew looked at her in horror.
"You two really ought to invest in a sense of humor. As if I'd eat kittens! They give me fur balls, not to mention that they are as fattening as chocolate. A girl has to look after her figure, after all," she said, burying her nose in the rose. "Anyway, I prefer to drink my meals, if it's all the same to you."
Neither Alexandria's nor Andrew's expressions looked like they were about to change any time soon.
Nina sighed again, peering out beneath her long, black lashes. "There is a forest out there teeming with wildlife, but don't fret, I won't eat anything endangered, cute or fluffy."
Chapter 4 – Clans.
After filling out some paperwork, Andrew had reluctantly escorted Nina, along with her black, worn-out leather suitcase and black lace parasol, to her room. As directed, Bran had left the possessions on the doorstep of Witchwood Estate, and had departed as silently as he had arrived.