There was no other way to put it: the evening was a disaster, and it had yet to begin.
I hurried through the streets at a brisk pace, anxious to arrive as soon as I could, yet trying to preserve what little dignity I still had. It was early evening, and I was late for what might have been the most important meal of my life. Now, I found myself scrambling through the common streets of London—dressed in my finest tailcoat and tophat, no less!
I'd been on my way to dinner at the estate of Lord Charles Lewis, a dinner at which I'd intended to ask him for the hand of his daughter, Lady Alice Lewis, in marriage. Lord Lewis was a fine gentleman, yet he was a man with as little tolerance for discourtesy as he had for excuses. With every second that passed, the chances of him granting Alice and I his blessing dwindled. It was hardly my fault, of course: it had been pure bad luck that my carriage had thrown a wheel on a loose flagstone. The situation as it was, I'd had no other choice but to hurry on my way on foot.
I redoubled my pace as the wrought iron gates of the Lewis estate came into view, standing open—awaiting my arrival, no doubt. I'd drawn even with them when I heard a shout from the darkness. I whirled about to see the groundskeeper approaching, a lantern in hand. For a moment his wrinkled countenance was stern, but his face lit up with recognition as he drew closer.
"Master William, is that you?" he asked in surprise, eyebrow raised inquisitively: "They've been expecting you ere an hour now!"
"No time to explain, my good man!" I retorted, and he waved me onward with a nod of understanding.
Hurrying up the drive to the manor, I paused on the stoop to compose myself and catch my breath. Then, steeling myself for the worst, I took hold of the iron ring and knocked.
A moment later the door swung open, and to my great surprise, there stood not the butler but Lord Lewis himself. To my further confusion, he wore not the scowl I'd expected, but a jovial smile—one I'd never seen the like of on his serious face.
"Master William!" Lord Lewis greeted me warmly, and my head spun with confusion. I'd expected him to be fuming, or terse at the least.
"Your pardon, Lord Lewis." I began: "My carriage threw a wheel on the way, and-"
"Think nothing of it, my boy!" he cut me off with uncharacteristic clemency, placing a hand on my shoulder and guiding me across the threshold: "Come, you'll never believe who came to dinner!"
"Who... came to dinner?" I repeated, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. I knew of only one person with the charisma and charm to affect Lord Lewis in this manner. Already my heart was filling with dread at the mere thought. As he led me into the dining room, my worst fears were realized.
"Allow me to introduce Count Grey!"
There he was, sitting beside my beloved Alice at the dinner table, as if it was precisely where he belonged. The Count looked like he hadn't aged a day since our last meeting all those years ago. He wore a fashionable black suit that matched nicely with his immaculately styled raven black hair. He smiled at me, his blood-red lips parting in a deeply disturbing smile that brought to mind the image of a wolf that had cornered a lamb.
"Oh, we've met." the Count explained, looking me in the eye as he spoke, as if daring me to reveal his terrible secret: "Master William and I are quite well acquainted."