Page 44 of My Big Fat Vampire Wedding
“Dante sent me in here,” Victor said, giving Elias a hard look. Victor made his way to Pandora’s side, making the two of them a united front against the interloper. “Yourcousin Jasper was trying to tell me about some bar that I supposedly walk past every day,” he continued. “But I swear there’s nothing there …”
Pandora shared a look with Elias, knowing what Jasper was likely referencing. A vampire club. The kind of place that was glamoured so humans couldn’t see it.
“Jasper’s probably drunk,” Pandora said, shrugging it off. “You didn’t have to choke down too much of that food, I hope.”
“No.” Victor winced a bit. “But no one is really eating,” he added with a casual shrug. “Not even Ravenna.”
“I’m so sorry about that,” Pandora said. “My family has really … unusual tastes.”
Across from her, Elias’s lips twitched.
Victor shrugged that off. “All families have their food quirks. My mother refuses to ever use garlic in her cooking.”
At least Pandora wouldn’t die if she ate at Victor’s parents’ house.
“That’s handy,” Elias said, making Victor’s brows pinch.
“How do you figure?” he asked.
“Oh, because of Pandora’s garlic allergy, of course,” Elias said.
Victor looked confused by that, likely mentally flicking through all of the questions they’d shared, trying to figure out if he’d forgotten something that important. “Of course.”
Pandora couldn’t figure out Elias’s motivation for that comment. Was he trying to make it sound like he knew her better than Victor did? Or was he simply trying to save Pandora from an extremely uncomfortable – if not fatal – meal?
“I have the same allergy,” Elias said. “In fact, isn’t it … genetic for you, Pandora?”
“Oh, er, yes, actually,” she said. “I think I forgot to mention that.” She looked at Victor. “We’re all allergic to garlic. Weird, but true.”
“Victor, dear, you are missing the most amusing story.” Ophelia appeared in the doorway, pointedly waiting until Victor moved away from Pandora’s side.
Victor looked back at Pandora.
“I’m coming too,” she said, snatching the two opened bottles of wine and following him out. She refused to give in to her mother’s scheming.
In fact, she even took her seat next to Victor at the table instead of staying next to Elias. His leg brushed against hers, and she could swear a jolt of electricity coursed up her thigh and sneaked across her belly.
“Elias is going to be staying with us for a few weeks,” Ophelia said, making Pandora turn her stunned look to her mother.
“Why?” she asked before she could think better of it.
“What a strange question,” Ophelia said. “Because we look forward to enjoying his company.”
Pandora glanced over toward her brother, silently asking if he knew anything of this. But Dante just gave her a small head shake. This was the first he was hearing about it as well.
Pandora was half tempted to declare that now that she was engaged, she was going to be moving in with Victor. She was all too aware, however, that her future was still in her parents’ hands. If she wanted to inherit her fortune, she had to play nice. Or, at the very least, not outright goad them.
“Victor, Dante, do you mind helping Ravenna clear the table?” Ophelia asked, knowing she was taking away Pandora’s only back-up at the table.
“Victor is a guest, Mum,” Pandora said. Normally, her parents were nothing if not well-mannered.
“Nonsense,” Ophelia said, waving an elegant hand. “He’s practically family now, isn’t he?”
“I’ll help too,” Pandora said, pushing her chair back.
“It’s OK,” Victor said, giving her hand a squeeze. “Of course, Mrs. Von Ashmore.” He got to his feet, then reached for the nearest serving dishes. “I’m happy to help.”
Pandora watched Victor follow Dante and Ravenna out of the dining room, before turning back with a sigh.
