Chapter 28

My Dearest and Most Beloathéd Nemesis,

It has been Utterly Miserable here in London for the past few years, and there are simply not enough Pretties about since Grunge took over fashion. I hope you are properly Grateful for your Bijoux, you Old Whore.

Gazzie has met the most charming young tailor, he swans about the city like some sort of Regency ghost. Unfortunately, he is not at all right for us, but Gazzie at least commissioned a banyan from him, the poor love has been Desolate since his last favourite one wore out. He parted with it so the tailor had a pattern to use, and has picked out the most Fetching peacock teal damask lined in matching satin.

I have received summons to the Council, and I am Most Intrigued, my Detested! What on Earth has happened? The Gentry are all positively in a Flutter of gossip, all about The Prince of the Seelie Court’s Witch Friend, who Slayed The Great Lichcaller of your Quaint Little Seaside Village. And there is such agitation among my dear little Joeys, I cannot think what is the matter with them! How is the little one you said adopted you in April?

Xoxoxxx,

Capt Roseblade

Cher Adversaire,

I am delighted to hear of your misery as always, and have been watching the fall of your wretched English Empire with great delight and many toasts of champagne. It is no surprise to me that English boys cannot compare to the wide variety and healthy glow this fine country has always given the boys that live here in America.

I look forward to seeing your favourite Bijou in his new clothes; perhaps he shall look good enough to soften your envy of me.

As to the Council, what rumours you have mentioned are true—my new witch is a charming pet with face and form like that of the most beautiful Classical statue, and power to make the earth tremble, not the least of which is his powerful alliance with beings beyond this world’s comprehension.

Little Pierrette is doing very well, and my witch has adopted her from me—or, in the manner of Pierrette’s assertive personality, I should say that Pierrette has adopted him. They are quite happy together, and my witch can speak with clowns in their own tongue, which has caused some little sensation in Toone Street. The Old Renard has finally found a permanent home, thanks to this, with a descendant of an old Master of his.

In Animosity,

Dr. R. Charbonneau

Cher Maestro,

Mon cher ami! I am sure you have received word by now of the forthcoming Council; I am delighted to tell you it is because La Heeren shall darken my doorstep no longer! I was blessed with the arrival of a witch of your country, a Femminiello he says he would be called in Italian, and through his silver tongued magics he has slain her, and done me the honour of becoming my city’s Hunter—with La Van Helsing’s recommendation, no less!

I do hope you shall consider bringing your clowns to the Council, Pierrette would adore having playmates, and if you wish to know the inner thoughts of your dearest companions, it would be wise. I know you write to M. Grishakin often, and he has likely already told you of my witch’s especial power to speak to Les Perroquets. My witch also adores them, and sadly has been deprived of their company. America is, as you doubtless know, not at all appreciative of the Commedia, not properly.

I do hope you and yours are well, how is Mme. Starlight? I am sure she grows more beautiful by the day. And all of you will be pleased to know my witch has a Voice, low and versatile, perhaps a baritone? With a boy such as he it is difficult to say precisely, but it is of a pleasingly honeyed timbre, like sweet coffee. Mme. Noire may yet have someone to duet with, she might prepare to sing A Little Something by Melody Gardot, as I have heard my witch singing that to himself. Clever Cammie has also coaxed him to tell his favourite song: Complainte de la Butte as sung by Rufus Wainwright. I promise you, cher ami, I had no influence on this choice! It has apparently been his favourite since he was a child! When I asked him, he gave me quite a list of songs—Ne Me Quitte Pas, much of Eartha Kitt and Melody Gardot, and that a new crooner from Canada, Michael Bublé, whom I am sure you have heard of, though I have not. I am attempting to get him suitable clothes, though he has his own Gothic style and is currently having to reside in M. Blackstone’s city in order to evade the vindictive friends of La Heeren. Still, he takes the advice of Mme. Blackstone and so I am sure he will be well-appointed.

I look forward to seeing you again, mes amis, and remain

Your Sincere Friend,

Dr R. Charbonneau

Esteemed King of Vampires, Voivode of Wallachia,

On behalf of The Darkwing, I write to disclose various needs for hosting him and vouchsafing his comfort and ease of movement.

Like myself, he makes use of a wheelchair, and requires the space to manœuvre safely, seating for bathing, and all other things that I have outlined during our initial correspondence on my own needs in this matter. He also has requested dishes of a lighter weight, and straws to drink from, though of course as one of the Folk he must needs have these things be other than Iron, Cold as well as Living.

Unlike myself, The Darkwing requires additional consideration for his P.T.S.D. He must be allowed a room with no servants’ passages, and to lock his bed-chamber, and not be disturbed while asleep. He also has a brace of small companion animals—a cat and a Pierrot—that are trained to stay at his side and ease his troubled mind when it wanders with their presence. He asks that others do not distract them from this task, because as frivolous as their behaviour may appear, it is important they be allowed to focus on him.

He cannot eat pork, semolina flour, legumes, shellfish, high fructose corn syrup, false sugars, stevia, soya, apples, grapes, dates, honey, egg yolks, or alliums save for the greens of scallions. He has expressed interest in traditional paprika hendl, and like Claudiu his favoured fruit is summer peaches. Gin is his favoured spirit.

As for lighter details, The Darkwing has interest in old architecture, paintings, sculpture, and is particularly interested in learning Romanian. Like many of the Council, he is a musician of piano and voice, and has marked interest in learning the pipe organ—I know you have a fine one, and he would be very pleased to see and hear it.

My usual needs have not changed, and I thank you again for being such a gracious host to both The Darkwing and I in these small ways, particularly in continuing to schedule meetings around the Jewish calendar. I hope you and your son are well, and remain as always,

Sincerely,

Victoria Blackstone

To The Darkwing, Witch of Baltimore,

I write to extend our most sincere salutations and welcome from my father, Voivodul Drăculești, and myself. As this is your first visit to our fair country, I will be acting as your guide and am happy to show you around București (Bucharest), she is a beautiful city, with many fine old buildings, and I will also act as translator. I am told I am a good teacher of Romanian as well, as D-na Blackstone has mentioned you might wish to learn.

We also have a fine pipe organ, and Maestro Vincenzo usually favours us with a composition or two over the span of a Council, as all the Songbirds do favour us with their musical talents. Rest assured that we have prepared for your comfort in every way, and the peach trees are doing very well this year, as they have been for the past half century. We have been buried in fruits, so to have guests fond of peaches is a blessing. Perhaps you can bring some American recipes, I would like that very much, it is difficult to find them and I know that peaches are one of the very popular American fruits.

One of my hobbies is cookery, which I hear that we share; I am always quite eager to have guests that enjoy food. It is a fine and enjoyable thing to work in the soup kitchen nearby, but cooking nourishing meals for many hundreds of souls is a different kind of cookery altogether than the intricacy of planning a dinner party for only a few, and I enjoy both.

One of my father’s newer pastimes is fruiting trees. The weather here in the walled garden is quite Mediterranean because of the southern exposure, and my father has been at espalier for the past century, so we have even been able to grow an avocado tree and, we are told by Lord Hellebore, keep it thriving. We also have a Meyer lemon and recently received a gift from Mr Slocum, a Macadamia seedling from the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, as he has recently employed a familiar from that land. Father has tended it so carefully, it is doing very well. I do not think there are any Macadamia trees that have been trained to espalier before, it is very exciting! Father is using the fan shape, because it is unclear what direction would cause the tree to thrive best.

I am very excited to meet you, as is my father, and am,

In Friendship,

Claudiu Drăculești

Caro René,

Such twitterings there have been! We are all most grateful for your letter, and Aloysius especially extends his pleasure, as do we all—your witch has excellent taste in singers, and we are all the more eager to meet him. Is he a Musician, or simply gifted? I should like to hear him sing.

Roseblade is planning to bring his clowns with him, and Claudiu says your witch is bringing his therapy clown; when I told this to Felicino, he surprised us all and asked if he might, then, accompany me to Bucharest! I have not pressed him as to why, but I think it is a good sign, that he is interested in them again.

It has been too long since I have seen you, do bring along Cameron, I have heard so much about him and his violet eyes that I wish to see them for myself. Milady also has expressed a wish to meet him, and any others of your werecats. I think it may be wise to heed her desire, tesoro.

I am eager to see you again, my dear friend, and remain

Fondly,

Maestro Phrixus