96 Vampire masquerade- Part 3 (2/2)

After Lettice and Rhys left, Heidi couldn't help worrying for the old man who had risked his life for her sake. If only...she thought to herself. If she hadn't tried running away that night, Howard would still have been safe. If only Nora hadn't ratted him out, everything would have gone according to her plan. But what was done, was done and there was nothing that could fix it.

On her way back to where Warren was,Heidi caught sight of someone unexpected talking to Warren and her footsteps stilled with her heart. What was the Duke doing here? She asked herself before turning on her heel and making her way out of the crowd, away from the man who had had threatened to violate her. With quick movements, she finally stepped outside the hall and walked up the stairs where there was no one in sight.

Rubbing both her hands against her arms, she continued to walk until the music had simmered down with now nothing but the silence and the wind blowing outside. As she walked she saw snow falling from above where there was a large patch of roof missing. It felt like magic, she thought to herself and it looked absolutely beautiful.

”Beautiful,” startled she turned her head to see it was Nicholas, walking up the flight of stairs to where she was. With Nicholas around, she realized there was nothing to worry about.

”It is beautiful, isn't it,” she commented looking up the sky from where the snow was falling.

”I didn't mean the snow, Heidi,” his words made her heart soar and her cheeks burn.

”You look handsome,” she said, sparing a small glance towards him and then looking back at the snow.

”Is that right? Tell me why I am not able to hold your gaze then?” he asked to see her blush in response. He always had her gaze, she thought to herself.

”Where is this place? It feels like we are in an entire different land,” she asked him curious.

”This is the mansion of the second lord of Bonelake,” he replied to see her eyes go wide in eagerness. She did look like a naive child, Nicholas observed her. He had been talking to one of his acquaintance when he had seen her hurrying herself out of the hall as if she had seen a ghost. He had excused himself, trying to find her which was easy as he knew the mansion like the back of his hand.

”Wow really? Why is it abandoned though?”

”Well, you could say after the second lord of Bonelake passed away, the third lord had his own mansion and didn't want use something which was already used. The council came to a decision to take it under its property as the lord had no family.”

”I see,” she replied softly.