Chapter 6: The Masked Ball

1886 Evening of the Masked Ball, Claude

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Clodette told me to come with her to the masked ball, I was excited to escort her for the first time since she usually took Julius wherever she went.

I was waiting for Clodette at the end of the marble steps when Julius came up to me; He straightened my bowtie and said flatly; "Always stay by her side, Claude".

I nodded at him. When he finished speaking he neatly placed a handkerchief tightly on my right pocket chest. I wore a black coat with a white shirt underneath and an emerald pin on my chest. It has Monique's seal. The crescent moon.

"You look so handsome today!" Evangeline exclaimed with her hands covering her lips. She looked like she was about to cry; So I reached out to her and held her close to my chest.

"Come on, Evangeline. You say that almost every day! Am I that handsome?" I looked at her and playfully blinked my eyes several times. She laughed a little and slapped me on the chest. "You little demon" she laughed again.

"Why're you so noisy?"

Clodette descended from the marble steps with her long golden hair lose behind her back. She wore a long white dress with a silver bodice, she wore it without sleeves and her shoulders were showing. She looked... divine.

I couldn't stop staring at her. I returned to my senses when Evangeline nudged me with her elbow and motioned me to escort Clodette. I walked towards her and held my hand out, she placed her hand on mine and we walked towards the carriage.

We arrived in the masked ball 15 minutes late; As Clodette always said 'it's better to arrive than be unprepared'. The carriage entered a big gate with bushes cut into different animals structures on each sides. The carriage needed to pass by a line of pine trees; The pine trees were decorated with yellow lights. When carriage stopped by the entrance door, I quickly climbed down and offered my hand to Clodette so she could gently climbed down. She handed me an emerald mask, the same as hers.

As we entered the great hall, people suddenly stopped dancing and stared awestruck at us...to be more precise at Clodette. The people that were playing the music only started again when a small brunette woman clapped her hands. Anastasia was standing next to her father, Monsieur Thomas Smith. The ladies were eyeing Clodette and whispered among themselves while the gentlemen were smiling brightly.

Clodette was rarely seen in public for 5 years and they were all delighted to see her, well...some of them were.

'Did she stop coming to parties because of me? To stop people gossiping that she adopted an orphan boy?' My thoughts stopped when Anastasia came to greet us. She wore a red dress with tiny flowers decorated on her shoulders and the hem of her dress. She kissed Clodette on both cheeks and smiled.

"It's so good to see you again, I know you do not like me to go to your mansion to check up on you but I miss you!"

Anastasia and Clodette were good friends, she met Clodette when she accidentally picked a yellow flower in Clodette's garden. That was 15 years ago; She was one of the few people who knew Clodette's real nature.

"Did you like the yellow roses I sent you?" Clodette smiled gently. I never knew she could smile warmly like that.

"of course!" She looked at me and her cheeks flushed.

She was whispering something to Clodette while Clodette was looking at me uninterested; She then spoke flatly.

"This is Claude, Evangeline's son" Evangeline's son? Oh! That's how they introduced me to people. I nodded and took Anastasia's hand on mine and kissed it. She flirtatiously giggled. "How do you do?"

"I feel wonderful now to have seen such a beautiful lady" I teasedher. Anastasia giggled again and took Clodette by the arm and walked away while kept on whispering at Clodette's ear.

Anastasia, as a little flirt as she is; she can be coaxed easily. However, Clodette was too different she was too stubborn and cold. I watched them walk away to greet Anastasia's father.

The party was too lively, the people were dancing, drinking and eating. All of these people are from the high society of New Orleans. A few groups of women looked at me as they whisper.

'Hmm...What's their problem? Do I look odd in this coat?' I narrowed my eyes and raised my glass towards them while giving them a faint smile, revealing my right dimple. I must be at my utmost best behavior. The girls giggled and kept on whispering.

"I think you're the belle of the ball tonight" Clodette whispered in my ear which startled me, I accidentally threw my wine on the hem of her dress.

"Oh, you're so clumsy" she shouted at me.

"You startled me!" I yelled back.

I bent down and tried to dry it with my handkerchief.

"Oh forget it" Clodette slapped my hand away as she walked outside the divan.

"Hey, The powder room's that way" I tried to chase after her when Anastasia blocked my way. She wore her perfume too strongly and her make-up was too thick. I examined her face and at that moment I knew... her signature mole is a fake. I let out a tiny puff and immediately pretended to cough to conceal my sudden laughter.

"Where are you going? " She asked me as she kept blinking her eyes, coquettishly.

"I need to go...and assist Clodette" I smiled politely and tried to escape but she caught me by my right arm.

" There are maids to help her...I didn't know Evangeline had a son"

"Neither do I" I replied but she laughed

"You're funny" she moved closer and trailed her finger on my chest.

Lady I wasn't trying to be funny I thought.

"Do you want to dance" she blinked again, she was trying to seduce me. I gently took her hand in mine and kissed it

"I apologize, I'm not good of a dancer" then I walked away.

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Clodette

I furiously walked away from Claude. He made me so angry since the beginning of the party, he never told me that I looked beautiful, but he told Anastasia she's beautiful? He even threw wine on my dress! I walked angrily and stop

"What am I thinking?" I spoke loudly to myself.

How could I think about Claude like that? I suddenly felt my heart beating fast

"Am I crazy?" I twirled around to look at Claude who was walking towards me.

He's just a...when did I? When did I...start thinking of him in that way?

Anastasia suddenly grabbed Claude by his arm, as soon as I saw it I felt my blood boil, I walk fast outside the garden for some fresh air. I stopped and inhaled the sweet scent of the night.

'Anastasia and her tricks! Her kept on whispering that Claude likes me?! Now, the stupid thought can't be erased from my mind, making my head muddled'

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard light footsteps walking towards me. I could hear her breathing and her trembling hands, shook uncomfortably. I turned around behind me.

"Do...do you want some wine Miss?" A slender woman who was wearing a white and black maid outfit came up to me and offered a glass of wine. I took it and nodded; After I took the glass, she immediately turned back to the mansion as fast as she could.

'That's odd, how did she know I was here I swear no one saw me enter in this part of the garden' I thought.

I raised the glass to my lips and drank it. As soon as the wine touched my lips a sudden electrifying feeling covered my whole body, I quickly placed my hands on my throat.

I struggled to walk towards the mansion. My eyes were hazy and I couldn't breathe, it was vervain. The wine was mixed with vervain, I didn't noticed quickly. Vervain was a purple flower that could harm vampires. It could enfeeble them so they could be killed easily by their enemies.

'But who... Who did this? The Smith Family has been an ally to my family'

My feet stumbled and I fell face down. My eyes were looking around loopily when suddenly a pair of shoes were walking in front of me; my senses have waned as well. I looked up and my eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, I need to do something"

I'm in my weakest state but I managed to speak his name with a exasperated voice.

"Julius"