She didn't know if she had a family but the only one she could call family was Leonard, "Yes," she answered her smile startling the man as if rays of the sun had come to pa.s.s through the window, "I must get going."

"Hmm, Lady Sheryl wants to take her to the river which is behind the mansion that contains ducks and many other creatures that she has harboured," there was evident mockery in his tone, "She would feel bad if you didn't stay for it," with those words he walked past her.

As he pa.s.sed with a smile still on his lips, at those spare few seconds, she wondered what would happen if she touched him now. But wouldn't it be strange to touch a man out of nowhere which would only lead to misunderstandings. Since the time she arrived, she wanted to make contact with Eleanor but she was yet to find the right opportunity which she was trying to figure out on how to find an open window for it.

Watching over her shoulders, she saw the man had already disappeared.

It wasn't just one person but two of them she had to keep eye on until she returned back to the Carmichael mansion.

Walking back to where the group of ladies were present, she heard Lady Sheryl invite her to the back river of her mansion, "Lady Vivian, we'll be going to look at the cross ladders built to bridge the gap of the two lands that are present on the sides of the river. Join us," she proposed and Vivian smiled, giving her nod which made the human woman smile in delight.

With everyone who had moved outside, walking towards the backside of the mansion, it wasn't exactly backside when Lady Sheryl had mentioned about it. Apparently, no one had been there as the vampiress complained about the path due to the wet muddy water which slipped beneath their feet. Vivian like the rest of the women lifted the front of her skirt and after ten minutes did she come to see an intrinsic bridge that was built with the use of long wooden branches or rather the two trees roots which were long. Due to the continuous rain of Bonelake, the structure looked wet and green moss which had begun to form on it.

The bridge wasn't built too high as clear water stood still. Being built only recently the branches weren't tested for a lot of them to walk on. Vivian who had been walking behind Lady Sheryl felt the sway of the bridge as they went to cross to the other side of the land when suddenly the surface they were walking on, the branches suddenly let loose to snap and break such that both Lady Sheryl and Vivian had no time to comprehend what happened by getting thrown into the water below them.

Vivian felt water rush, her vision blurring as she tried to stand in the water. When she finally got her footing, below the slippery stones, she saw Lady Sheryl who had fallen on the other side but was safe with no visible injury. She was drenched in water from head to toe, water dripping down her face as she wiped her face with the back of her hand.

Murmurs up in the bridge could be heard, Vivian first looked up at them who stared at her as if something had happened. Confused she looked down to see the colourless water turn red around her which started to spread from where she stood.

"I think it's quite a befitting place for them," she Lady Monica comment which she covered with a cough.

"We should leave them be for some time. Stupidity can be contagious," said another woman.

In that spare moment, Vivian caught Eleanor's satisfied smirk that fell on her lips at the plight she was in. One of the vampire men who had been polite from the very beginning decided to help the women in the water by taking off his coat and walking down the stream

As the vampire walked towards Lady Sheryl as she was the closest compared to Vivian, she heard Eleanor's surprise-filled voice as she looked at a distance, "Leonard!"

Seeing him come in her view with him standing up and her in the water with her clothes wet along with herself, his eyes narrowed, "What's going on in here?" he asked coldly.

Leonard had come to pick her after noticing her absence in his home. He was so used to having her greet him every time he reached back home that he had decided to bring her back than wait for her. Like Vivian, he had seen his second cousin smiling about something when he had only arrived at the scene to see Vivian down there with possible injury as the water had turned red around her. Not waiting, he removed his coat in a swift movement throwing it on the ground before stepping down into the water which reached to his waist as he walked towards Vivian.

Not wanting him getting wet in the water, Vivian had tried walking towards him but something caused pain in her left leg that she couldn't move much. She felt her heart thud as he approached her, his expression colder than usual. Once he reached her, he picked her up with both his hands. One hand going to pick her legs while the other supported her back.

Moving out of the water he placed her down where dried leaves had gathered on the ground. Though the others could only see his back, he didn't care about their presence and pulled up her dress so that he could take a look at her leg which had clearly been cut deep. Taking his pocket kerchief, he tied it around the wound which wasn't enough as blood continued to ooze out.

Picking his coat which wasn't far from his reach, he put it around Vivian before picking her up again.

Being in the water Vivian hadn't realized the pain but now it stung. Due to the amount of blood she was losing, her legs started to feel weak.

"Leo-" Eleanor began to speak to be cut off by him sharply,

"I would ask you to refrain yourself from calling Vivian outside from now. I did not expect this from you, Eleanor," his spoke bluntly to the vampiress who looked defeated by his words. Not giving Eleanor an opportunity to speak he carried Vivian away from there.