Vivienne

Vivienne pointed to the set of gentle hills that made the landscape, “I have a little over four hundred acres left.  I wanted to keep the hills and the farmland like it was back when I purchased it.”  Giving Faye a quick kiss on the cheek, Vivienne smiled and continued. “Allow me to start from the main gate below us.” Vivienne saw the look that crossed Faye’s face. “Yes, I am aware that it is polished metal.”  Vivienne laughed, “What about me has been your typical vision of a vampire, mon amour?”

Faye lightly giggled, “True.  Keep on, this is interesting.”  She laid her head on Vivienne’s shoulder. 

“As you wish.”  Pausing to work her fingers through the small pink braids, Vivienne pointed to the wall and little shops. “The rocks are from an old quarry and were hand shaped to form the whole lower half of the estate.  The lights you see are the shops that I have allowed to stay open for the aesthetic.”

 Taking in the careful mixture of the colonial style shops and the modern lighting for the winter season, Faye took a light breath, “I know that is electricity down there, but somehow they have blended it so that it doesn’t look out of place.  It is comforting and inviting.”  Faye points to a butcher’s shop, “I mean when was the last time you saw a real turkey hanging in the window?”

“It is how I wanted to preserve it.”  Vivienne added.  “The farms are on the other side of the lower loop. Ravenstead has always had people living here.  The village is on the other side of the shops, all with a 1790’s colonial look to match the manor.”

Faye chuckled. “Do you have a dress code so they have to wear those odd three cornered hats?”

“What?”  Vivienne shook her head, “No, ma’am.  Wasn’t the whole point of this time…freedom?”  Vivienne winked as the farms came into view. “Last I knew, the farms harvested strawberries in the summer, along with the standard corn and tomatoes.  Fall and Winter are mostly potatoes and carrots.”  Vivienne pointed to the very large lake afterward. “That lake used to be much larger.  I have had to get engineers to keep water flowing to it from the river close by.”  She shrugged, “What can I say?  It looks lovely when the full moon is overhead.”  Vivienne laughs, “When I was last here, there were dozens of people fishing.”

“Wild tales on how big the fish were, I bet.”  Faye outstretched her hand, “...This big, I swear!”

Giggling softly, Vivienne let Faye finish her antics. “If I may continue?”  Faye nodded and once more rested on Vivienne’s shoulder. “Thank you.  The entire lower section was designed to mirror Ravenstead Manor.  While the shops do conform to modern health rules and can have real machines to do things, by and large folks like the blacksmith down there, want to run an actual forge and use a hammer and anvil.”  Vivienne took a long breath, “Virginia is wrapped deeply in its history.  This was after all the first colony that survived.  Petersburg itself was chartered in 1784, six years before I purchased the land we are flying over.”  Vivienne closed her eyes for a moment and recalled the dozens of workers that hauled the brick and lumber up the hills.  The foundation of the manor started in 1790.”

“Amazing.  I know I shouldn’t be shocked by what you are telling me anymore.”  Faye looked up at Vivienne quickly, then back to the estate.

“I have kept the remains of the estate for historical purposes, mostly.”  Vivienne raised her eyebrow, “Secondly, it is better to keep the populace occupied so they aren’t always wondering what is going on in the manor.  People can satisfy their curiosity and take pictures of the manor from the second gate, and see people working the property, giving the illusion that it is occupied.”  Vivienne starts rubbing Faye’s shoulders. “My version of the veil, mon amour.”

“I thought you didn’t care for the veil, old lady.”  Faye snickered and then relaxed as Vivienne’s fingers kept working her shoulders.

Rolling her eyes, Vivienne resumed the little aerial tour. “Cobblestone roads and brick sidewalks.  I do not allow trucks to enter the manor, so when Casey arrived, they carried the items by hand.”  She pointed to the second wall further on a wide and large hill. “Same stone wall, just reinforced with carbon steel at this point.  If you follow the gate and road up and around the celestial fountain, you will see the center of the manor.”

Doing as instructed, Faye’s eyes grew wider every time she spotted another detail. “That fountain is amazing.  That isn’t just one angel…er celestial.  You have them as weather vanes on the other parts of the manor.”  Faye pointed to the Carrera marble fountain. “The water is crystal blue…a little vain don’t you think?”

“Me?  Vain?”  Vivienne raised her eyebrow, “I do believe that the term that floats about is eccentric.”  She shook her head, “I only wanted the water to look like a summer rain blessing the fountain.  The blue we see is likely Miss Hasselberry trying to impress me.”  Vivienne focused on the manor itself, “Three floors, all brick.”  She wiggled her eyebrows. “Modernized inside so the windows are completely covered in the day, without taking away from the decor.”  Vivienne kissed the top of Faye’s head. “No sunlight gets through.  There are the east and west wings.”  Vivienne taps her lip in thought for a moment. “Technically there is a north part to the manor that has been called a north wing, but I am not a contractor so I am unsure of the proper terminology.”

“It’s okay.  Anything with wings is just big.”  Faye giggled.

“Very well.  The east wing has a few storage rooms, a ballroom and a grand reception room.” Watching as the helicopter banked and headed for the landing pad, “The west wing is the dining hall, a few guest rooms, a library and leads to the herbal gardens.”  Vivienne pointed to the rear of the huge home. “That is where the three kitchens are located and where all household goods are cared for.”

“You mean the laundry.”  Faye snickered.

“One of a few things that go on, yes.  Not really important, unless you wish to explore the nastier interior.”  Vivienne winked as they landed. “Mon amour, we have arrived.”

Faye hopped up and darted to the refrigerator. “Do we?”

Raising her eyebrow and holding up her finger, “Are you sure?  I made the promise to help you get your memories back before we were to get intimate.”  Vivienne pulled her own blood bladder from the rack. “Mon amour, I don’t have the reservations you do.”  Vivienne nodded, “This will remove them, like you said…you will cross the line.”

Faye heard the engines powering down and people starting to approach the door. -Now or never, Faye.  Cross the line or no?-  Faye cast a glance at the beauty queen that sat across from her and felt her dead heart beating with excitement and butterflies in her tummy fluttering around. Raising one eyebrow and making her green eyes sparkle, Faye plunged her fangs into the bag and drained its contents in a matter of seconds, then nodded. “Yes..”  Her voice was soft and seductive, “...My choice.  Let’s get going before this hits us, you sexy devil.”  Faye emitted a tiny tiger purr from her chest.

Spinning her own bag around her fingers, Vivienne’s blue eyes seemed to flare when she watched Faye remove her inhibitions.  Vivienne opened her mouth slowly and teased Faye by letting the newborn see her fangs emerge.  Scraping the points over the tough plastic, Vivienne teased. “Just think, your skin…these f..a..n..g..ssss.”  Vivienne made sure to let the strain of the plastic echo in the compartment.  When Fay started to squirm in her seat, Vivienne punctured the bag and started licking the pool of blood welling from the four tiny holes. “Yummy.”  Vivienne dribbled more onto her partly open lips, making it pool in the corners.  “Mmmm…”  Her tongue rolled over her lips just before the drops would start streaking down.  Vivienne pressed her lips tightly against the bag as though she were kissing, and moaned lightly with her seductive gulps.  The bag emptied, Vivienne pulled it free from her lips with a tiny pop. “Mon amour, now we get going.”