"Jeremiah, please. I'll make this right. I swear it. We'll talk. Once we're in my country, I can be a huge asset for you. Let me help you bring him down."
There was a knock on the door. Then more chimes. The lights were being turned way down in the powder room and I assumed in the rest of the house, and the music was changing outside.
"People need their wraps." Igor threw open the door, and a crowd hurried toward us, intent on getting ready for the entertainment.
"I'll bring your cloak, Gloriana." Igor hurried toward the closet next door.
Jerry took my arm and escorted me outside.
"Jerry, talk to me."
"What can I say? I've let you down again, Gloriana."
"You? How could you have known any of this?"
"I'm supposed to take care of you, as your maker. And I didn't even notice that you were getting weaker until you almost fell off a damned cliff." He stopped at the edge of the terrace and held out a wrought-iron chair. I shook my head. "Nope, I don't think I'll sit on cold iron until my cloak gets here. And no, I don't expect you to take care of me."
"But you expected to show Lucky what to do and you feel responsible for Caine. Now think about that and tell me why I shouldn't have the same kinds of feelings for you." Jerry put his arms around me as a spotlight suddenly singled out Damian in his Elvis garb.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you're enjoying yourselves tonight." Loud applause and whistles. "Well, all that's over." Howls. "My sister has promised a large donation if I'll sing 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' in my best Elvis voice. Please feel free to shift on out of here during the performance, but come back right afterward for a performance by our special guest, Israel Caine." Wild applause and meows.
"There are silver bowls placed throughout the castle, even in the bedrooms. Donations to Prince Igor of Transylvania's Home for Abandoned Were-Kittens may be made in those bowls as the spirit moves you. If you are having an especially good time"-Damian grinned and winked-"throw an extra hundred in the pot for the kitties." More meows and howls. The music started as Damian strapped on the chrome and silver guitar. It's always been one of my favorite songs. Igor handed Jerry my velvet cloak then melted into the crowd. Jerry wrapped me in the warmth, his arms around me. Are you lonesome tonight? I looked around the crowd. Some paranormals were in couples, some were in groups. Lacy was surrounded by what had to be her brothers and sisters, the family resemblance strong. All of them were tall, good-looking with auburn hair. Mom-cat was missing in action. I wondered if she was shape-shifting for Ray again and tried not to feel jealous. Because I didn't see Ray in the crowd. Maybe he was centering himself like he was supposed to before a performance. Mag and Mara now flanked Igor, and there was a lot of whispering going on. That man finally turned on his heel and marched over to join another group of ladies on the far side of the terrace. Well, seems he'd tired of Mag's I hate Glory campaign. I swayed to the music as Damian really got into it. He had a good voice. Not Elvis, of course, but strong and romantic. I looked toward the darkness surrounding us. Lonesome? I had been. Vampires usually are to some extent. Damian's castle was surrounded by an iron fence that was electrified but never turned on because he'd found out that neighborhood kids dared each other to climb it to get a closer look at the castle. So he had armed guards patrolling the grounds day and night. Which was fine if you were a rich vampire.
I blinked and could have sworn that I saw my black labradoodle and a golden retriever scamper off into the darkness. I smiled and decided I had plenty of security around me for now. Including Jerry's strong arms. Valdez deserved a break and if he'd persuaded Brittany to go canine for him he must be a hell of a lover.
Are you lonesome tonight? I snuggled up against Jerry, and he tightened his arms and kissed my neck. No, I wasn't. But then I saw a flash of white ermine in the center of the crowd. A red velvet cape covered the lace Scarlett O'Hara dress and the white ermine muff with the black tips was the perfect accessory. Diana grinned up at Nathan and whispered something in his ear that had him sliding his hand under her cape and around her waist.
So Diana Marchand was D. L. March. Not a stretch. Probably one of her many aliases. We all had them. She'd obviously hung on to an old credit card and used it at my shop. Why the hell hadn't she paid the Carvarellis? Was she really so stupid that she would hire a hit man rather than take care of an old debt and think it would all just go away?
Damn, talk about a mood killer. Jerry pulled me back into the darkness. Well, I had to go. I let him kiss me, even developed a little enthusiasm for the project. By the time Damian finished his song, I was able to put the Diana dilemma on my tomorrow night to-do list. But I finally had to push Jerry away.
"Israel's next. He wrote a song for me, Jerry. Come on." I pulled Jerry's hand out of my top and fixed my straps, then slipped my lipstick out of my cleavage and carefully traced my lips, wiped off my teeth, and I was good to go.
"Guess that's all I'm getting for now then, isn't it?"
I grinned and patted his cheek. "Patience, my man. Your time will come." I took his hand and hurried back to the terrace.
"You've got to understand. Flo and I-Wait a minute, where is Flo? I haven't seen her, even when Damian sang."
"I wasn't supposed to say anything." Jerry looked sheepish. "Well, here she is, finally. Let her tell you herself."
"Glory, my best friend always. I did it." Flo's eyes were sparkling, she held on to Richard like she was never letting go and she kept glancing at him and blinking madly.
"Did what? You missed Damian. He sang 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' Said you promised a big donation to Igor's charity if he'd do it."
"Yes, yes, of course, no problem." Flo suddenly thrust her left hand under my nose. " Mira. Look." I looked. She had on a platinum-because, knowing Flo, it sure wasn't merely sterling or even white gold-band set with a row of baguette diamonds. "Is that-" I couldn't say it.
"A wedding ring. Richard and me. We are married!"
"Oh, my God!" I grabbed her and hugged her so she couldn't see the absolute disbelief in my eyes. This was a woman who had never in hundreds, and I do mean hundreds, of years committed to one man. She always moved on. Usually after mere weeks. She'd married Richard?
"I am so happy."
"Richard Bartholomew Mainwaring!"
"Mother! Did you hear our news?" Richard turned, his arm around Florence. I wasn't sure who was holding up whom. "Florence and I just got back from Rome. An old friend of mine from the Vatican married us there."
"In the church?" Sarah Mainwaring might as well have said in hell. She'd never approved of Flo, whose history with artists and all other creative types of men was no secret. For her son the former priest to sanctify this union . . . Well, with such a crowd watching, thank God, she was speechless.
"This calls for a toast." Igor came forward with a cup and kissed Flo on the cheek. "To the happy couple." Everyone raised glasses while Ray's dad, who didn't have a clue what was going on, tried to steer a stunned Sarah over to the punch bowl. She snarled when he tried to hand her a glass, and I was afraid that romance was over. Damian rushed forward to clap Richard on the back and convince all and sundry that this was a match made in Heaven. "Now I forgive you for missing my performance, Florence. At least I didn't have to follow that announcement. But I'm sure our guest is up to the task." Damian, ever the showman, held up his hands.
"Ladies and gentlemen. We are very lucky tonight. No, I will not say lucky." He winked at me. "We are very blessed tonight to have a new vampire with us." There were a few gasps, so not everyone knew about Israel's recent conversion. "Of course, if that news goes beyond these walls, I will have to hunt down the source and kill him or her." Damian's smile was all fang and all serious. There was a nervous titter from the crowd.
"If you have never heard of Israel Caine, then you have been living in a cave somewhere. Oh, that's you, eh, Rudolph?" More relaxed laughter this time. "Ray has entertained all over the world, for kings and queens, and now for our own Prince Igor and his wonderful charity." Loud applause and meows. "Ray, I have to assure you there will be no panties thrown at you tonight. Most of the ladies here tonight don't even bother to wear them." Howls and male laughter.
"Ladies and gentlemen. The incomparable Israel Caine."
The lights went off except for a spotlight on the ebony piano. Israel sat on the bench, his white costume a dramatic counterpoint. Obviously he didn't need a microphone. Damian certainly hadn't.
"Tonight's a special night for me. I'm coming out as a vampire. This gig is new to me. I'm still learning about this world. I had no idea the Winter Solstice Ball would be such a big deal. But it makes sense. The longest night of the year. Got to love it." He played a short burst of a haunting melody.
"But I'll always be part of my old world. Tonight, in one of those eerie coincidences that happens more often than not, is the first night of Hanukkah. It's a tradition of my beliefs that we give a gift on each of the eight nights of the celebration. So I wrote this song tonight for a special lady. Here's your first gift, Gloriana St. Clair."
Twenty-five
Ray's fingers stroked the keys of the piano, coaxing that haunting melody from it again. He built the tune until finally he began to sing. The music wound its way around me slowly, erotically until I could feel it inside, tugging at me the way Ray's songs always did. I swayed and felt the end coming, building to some kind of climax. Ray looked across the empty dance floor and our eyes met. Now we lie so close, so close
That I can see forever in your eyes.
'Cause these will be my glory years,
My glory years.
My. Glory. Years.
It was so quiet I could hear the rustle of Diana's lace skirt as the last pure notes faded away. I didn't realize I was crying until Jerry handed me a handkerchief.
