Dhampirica

XIV

WHEN YVANNA WOKE UP, it was three minutes past eight. It was not her usual preferred time of waking, but her sleep schedule had been in disarray ever since the night of the party. She found Lord Dante deeply asleep on the floor, and so she quietly entered the bathroom and put on her clothes. She rinsed her mouth out with the complimentary toothpaste, but had no toothbrush to accompany the routine. With a sigh, she turned off the tap and went downstairs. 

She found the old receptionist bright and ready at her desk. "Good morning, dear," she greeted. "Breakfast is ready in the dining room. Be sure to grab something to eat. The repairman will have the cell tower fixed today. Lucky us, the storm's died down."

Yvanna cleared her throat and attempted to emulate the Canadian accent Lord Dante had used so fluently yesterday. Unfortunately, she was a mile off and just sounded like an amalgamated mess of different countries. "Good morning. My, uh, partner and I have decided to stay until Thursday, and we'll just catch a ride out. I understand your establishment has fees, so do you know where I might find some work to do? I'm quite strong, so I don't mind heavy lifting either. I'll pay you for the costs of staying here, including last night."

"Oh, dear girl. I do appreciate that, but look at you — you're a mess. There's no need to pay me for last night's stay, but I do have some work that needs to be done if you do want to keep on with us. Christmas is right around the corner, so there's a lot of wood that needs to be cut and carried around town. Go get something to eat and then we'll chat."

Yvanna nodded and did as instructed. She did not think she could keep any heavy meals down, and so she settled for a gingerbread cookie and a glass of orange juice. Yvanna found it hard to believe it was already December. They had been gone for over a week, and it would be more time still until they could return home.

The old woman, whose name was Regina, tested Yvanna with carrying some milk crates to the kitchen before she set her on the harder task of logs. Though her ankle was still a bit sore, it was an effortless task to carry pine trees around town. She accepted using a wheelbarrow to trolley them, as it was easier and made Yvanna look more convincing. When she returned to the edge of town to chop some firewood, she found Lord Dante chatting with a rather shy Regina.

"Oh, Eve. Your fiancé is very sweet. He said he'll take over the woodcutting for you, so that you can have a rest."

Yvanna glanced between them, her brows knitting together in confusion. "I'm fine," she said. "That's not necessary."

"What did I tell you, Regina? She wants to do everything herself. She'll turn me into a fat lazy husband, soon enough," Lord Dante smiled.

"Oh, a strapping young man like you? I doubt it!" she laughed and slapped his arm.

Yvanna stared. Then, she gathered her wits and cleared her throat. "Like I said — I'm fine. I'll do the firewood and then we can move onto repainting the side of your inn. I went to Mr Whitley's house like you asked, and he says he has a ladder you can borrow."

"Thank you, Eve. I'll head back inside now, before my husband gets cranky again about me leaving the reception desk unattended. You two let me know if you need anything!" She waved as she left.

Yvanna turned to face Lord Dante, noting that he was holding the axe. "I'll take that," she said, extending her hand.

"What kind of fiancé would I be if I let you do all the work?" he returned, pulling away from her. "Besides, Regina's still watching us. Why don't you take a seat for a bit, and I'll let you take over in twenty minutes?"

Her jaw clenched. It was shameful to let her noble do something as menial as this. But as she glanced behind her, she spotted Regina's curious gaze through the windows of the inn. "Fine." She sat down on a nearby tree stump, crossing her arms.