“Thank you,” Vail said politely, stepping inside the manor and closing the still-open door that the maid had neglected in her fluster. As he waited, he looked passively over the room, finding it quite different when the floor wasn’t crowded with guests dressed up for a masquerade ball. The elaborate decorations were gone, but the space was just as impressive to him as it had been the first time he’d gazed upon it. His eyes lingered on a portrait of the Crest family, specifically on Victoria’s late father. Peter had been the only Hygrace to interact with Alexander, so he had never seen what the former patriarch of the Crests had looked like. He could see traces of his likeness in the heiress.

At the sound of pounding footsteps, he turned away from the painting and nodded as the maid permitted him to go upstairs. Eager to make up for lost time, he strode up to the second level of the building and headed down the hall. Victoria’s scent was dulled by the aroma of floral perfume, but he was still able to find his way to her bedroom without any trouble. Since she knew he was here, he didn’t bother knocking on the door before he stepped inside.

Right away, he guessed that she had at least drawn a bath due to the fragrant smells in the air, so he turned to approach the washroom to find her and then halted. Single mindedly focused on satisfying his thirst for her blood, he hadn’t prepared himself for the possibility that Lady Crest might be nude upon his arrival. His heartbeat hastened reflexively as he stared, captivated by the sight of the alluring woman in the tub. Her figured wasn’t perfectly clear to him submerged beneath the bathwater, but since he had seen what she looked like before, his memory filled in the gaps for him.

“I take it you’re feeling better?” he said when he found his voice again, walking over to the adjoining chamber. Inside the room, her scent was stronger, and he swallowed as his mouth began to water again. He had enough self-control not to lunge without warning though, so instead of giving in to his predatory instincts, he picked up the chair by her vanity and set it down by the edge of the tub to sit.