It was easier said than done. First of all, I wasn't sure if Dave would agree with my plan, but what if I showed him the image of the secretary in the living room, that should convince him. I really hoped there was a record function for these cameras.
Movements on the living room screen caught my attention and I saw the secretary wheel in a small suitcase. Looking at the way Estena was cradling her ankle, I wondered how she was going to reach the first floor where the bedrooms were. I didn't want to entertain that thought, but there was a high probability that she might lean on Dave for support or worse, he might have to carry her, which shouldn't be difficult with his vampire strength. At the thought of her being so close to him, I felt my fangs grow. I still wasn't used to them, but I had noticed that when my emotions ran high, then they became more apparent. Day by day, I was feeling stronger and my senses were becoming more accurate. Of course, on Bhuvar where there were so many vampires, I was still a baby.
I saw Estena try to stand, before she let out a cry of pain and crumpled on the sofa in a graceful heap. In frustration I reduced the volume, but on seeing their lips move, I could guess what they were saying,
'Oh Dave, you're so strong, so manly. Can you carry a little bitch like myself up the stairs? Oh, I can sleep in your room and I'll keep your bed warm.' Then Dave would reply, 'Of course, my lady, the pleasure is all mine.' Letting out a howl of frustration I slammed on the table with force. 'Damn!' Thrusting my fingers through my hair, I announced, 'This will be your last victory, Estena. I won't let you enjoy your stay over here.'
Was it too dramatic? Was I exaggerating in my dislike for her? I then looked at her being carried up the stairs and felt a pain in my heart. 'Nah, she deserved it.'
I went out of the office, passed through the dining room and went to the kitchen where a morose Martha was sitting.
'What happened, Martha darling?' I asked her, knowing what was bothering her, but as she didn't know about the cameras, she couldn't possibly know I had seen everything.
'While you were out Miss, we had a guest,' the word 'guest' making her frown. 'She slipped in the living room and she accused me of being responsible,' she ended.
'Oh poor Martha, you would never do something like that. Who is it?'
'That Lady Estena,' she spat out, as if her name left a sour note in her mouth. 'She did all that to trap our Mr Dawn.' Then taking my hands in hers, she said, 'I was so happy when I saw you coming. That woman, she doesn't mean any good. She's only acting so as to stay here.'
I could only agree with her.
'In which room is she?' I asked.
Martha cracked a small smile here. 'I prepared the Turquoise room, the one farther from Mr Dawn's room.'
I then confessed, 'She doesn't seem to like me too. I met her once before. That's why I will try to stay out of her way.'
'No Miss Ash, Mr Dawn brought you to stay here, that one is an uninvited guest. You have more rights than she does.'
It felt gratifying to have Martha take my side like that, but for my plan to work, Estena had to be unaware of my presence. 'I understand, but I don't want to spoil my holidays. So, please don't tell her that I'm here.'
She still didn't seem satisfied, but she mellowed when I gave her a kiss on the cheek.
I then rushed back to the office. I hadn't watched television for a long time, but with actresses like Estena in real life, who needed more drama? I looked for the screen of the Turquoise room. It wasn't difficult to locate it, it was a room decorated in hues of blue. A queen bed like in mine and a wardrobe. There was a vanity table as well and a door which probably led to the adjoining bathroom. At that moment Estena was lying on the bed with her ankle on two cushions. She had a very wide smile.
'Let us hear what you are saying,' I whispered and increased the volume.
'That was almost too easy,' Estena said to her Secretary and she crossed her ankle casually.
The liar, she wasn't even hurt!
'Tonight I'll surprise him. When he'll come to his room, I'll be there waiting. You remembered to put the silk nightie, right?'
'But ma'am, what if he resists?' bitch no.2 asked.
'You really think he can resist this?' she asked, pushing her chest forward and smiling seductively. 'I have another plan,' she whispered and my ears perked up. She opened her purse and pulled out a pill box. 'One dose should be enough. Bland, odorless. He won't know what hit him.'
I stared at the screen transfixed. She would try to drug him tonight. How could I stop that without being physically present? Maybe the sane thing would be to tell Dave about it and he could be on his guards. There was no reason why I should tackle this on my own, but yet I hesitated. Perhaps deep inside, the fear was that Dave might not want to reject Estena's advances. He was not so stupid that he couldn't see the way she kept throwing herself at him. So the fact that he didn't do anything about it could mean that it wasn't an unpleasant idea to him.
On Earth, it had been a tensed situation where I was totally reliant on him, bringing us close together. He had never talked about his feelings or attraction, so I was still in darkness.
So the big question was, now that I knew about the plan, what could I do? I had finally decided not to tell Dave about it for as long as I could. She wanted to use unfair means so I would have to use a similar strategy.
I watched the Secretary leave with some relief as there would be one less person to deal with. Where was Dave? Ever since he left the Turquoise room, I hadn't seen him. I checked on all the screens but he was nowhere to be found. That could only mean that he was in his bedroom and as I watched the screens, I saw Estena walking in quick strides, stopping only when she was near the bedroom. The next steps were composed of an exaggerated limp and I saw in consternation that she was heading to the bedroom. The bedroom where Dave could be changing. Showering. Sleeping. He would be vulnerable to her wiles. What could I do?