Blueblood 2: The World - 19. The VUNGB. Construction Begins

We went on to try to find someone from OUR group. With the increase in personnel, we had to look! We wandered through the house looking for Chuck, Shelly, Mom or anybody.

“We’re still looking for vampires here, right?” Wayne asked as we walked in our search.

Colin nodded. “Of course, but we need to increase our ability to hold vampires.”

We spotted Nigel. I smiled at Nigel. “Where is everyone?”

Nigel looked puzzled. “By everyone, you mean those you've seen aren’t anyone?”

I grinned. “Nigel!” I smiled at his almost cross words. He was human after all. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that was a little snide!”

Nigel sighed. “Forgive me, Sir. Things are a bit hectic. We have a wedding this weekend.”

Wayne looked cautious. “This coming weekend?”

Nigel nodded. “In the Banquet Hall.” He bowed slightly to me. “Forgive me, I’m dealing with some new people, but…” he saw something and his eyes grew at what he saw beyond us. “No! Don’t put that there. This is the entrance hall!” He went to deal with whoever put whatever in the wrong spot. Nigel stopped and suggested. “Try the Banquet Hall.”

We wandered toward what we guessed was the Banquet Hall. There were so many rooms…this one room was near the kitchen, but not as big as the Ballroom. I thought it was a gallery because of all the paintings. As we neared this room we heard more conversations and the sound of people moving things. Coming in this room, people were arranging large round tables about the vast floor. There were others draping large white satiny like material along the walls draping the material decoratively and large stands that would hold candles. Edwin was talking with Edward Addams as they looked at a clipboard.

Colin, Wayne and I approached them both.

“The wedding isn’t until this weekend, is it?” Colin asked startling Edwin.

“Oh,” Edwin smiled. “You’re back!” He looked at Wayne and me. “Yes, the wedding is Saturday. We have a rehearsal dinner Friday night.”

“There will be overnight guests then,” Wayne said.

Edwin nodded. “Well, there will be a few Friday night. The bride and groom, their parents and three bride’s maids and three groomsmen. Not a lot. There will be about two hundred guests Saturday, but those guests won’t be staying.”

“Wayne’s daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren were coming this weekend,” I said.

Edwin nodded with a smile. “Let them come. The wedding party will be in the east wing. You are housed in the west wing. There will be enough rooms. There are more in the main house I seldom rent,”

"Why?" I asked.

"That was where Basil's bedroom was when he was human." Edwin said quietly. "It's silly, but I consider it sacred territory."

I smiled at Edwin and put a hand on his shoulder and said quietly. "That's not silly."

"We have enough room in the west rooms for Wayne's family." Edwin smiled.

Colin looked doubtful. “You’re sure?”

Edwin nodded again. “No problem.” He looked at all the activity. “I hadn’t anticipated all this.” He leaned closer a little. “This is the first event I’ve handled. Usually, Edward and Nigel handle most of the arrangements. Now that I can move around in the day time, I can!”

Edward looked a little impatient. “He’s a slow learner.” He grumbled. “Normally, I wait a few more days to begin this…” he waved at the people assembling the tables.

Edwin looked at Edward and smiled. “I hate waiting until the last minute.” He gave a shrug. “I want it done right. All the nonperishable items are being prepared and will be ready ahead of time.”

I grinned watching the activity. “How many bedrooms do you have here?”

Edwin smiled. “Ten in the west wing, ten in the east wing and eight in the main house.”

My eyes widened. “So many!?”

Edwin nodded. “Well, the east and west wings were added early in the twentieth century for just this purpose. Basil wanted to make it a hotel.”

“Wow,” I said. I looked at Colin. “What about renting the other rooms more often now?” I looked at Edwin. “Make it a resort?”

Edwin nodded. “Basil thought the same way. The problem was getting the house staffed.” He waved at the workers. “We were in the country, workers were few. The surrounding towns had people in them, but young people move on and leave for bigger cities…” he shrugged. “Now, I don’t think we have that problem.” He chuckled.

Colin nodded with a smile. “No, I see it’s not a problem now.”

I nodded as well. “But you don’t have a pool.”

Edwin frowned. “Basil didn’t want to put too much into additions. We had the main house renovated, added the power and telephone lines. Heating ducts and the additions…there was a limited amount of money he could use…”

Colin smiled. “Not now?”

“Tennis courts need to be added."I grinned. "There are cows, what about horses? You Brits love horses and horseback riding. More stables?”

Edwin’s eyes grew. “We’re talking millions of pounds sterling!!”

Colin nodded. “Which I consider that an investment.” He grinned. “We’ll make money in the long run. You need to not think like a human about the short term when it comes to business. Slow and steady profits is the way to go. We’ll see the payoff.”

Edwin nodded, still unsure. “You’re the investors, so…”

Colin walked up and touched Edwin on the arm. “This is still Thornwood. It’s your house. You’re in control. What improvements and expansion that needs to be done. We’ll do.” He said carefully, “…with your okay.”

Edwin smiled and nodded. “I just…having access to this money!?”

Colin nodded with a smile. “Well, you have that. I don’t consider it frivolous spending. It’s an investment like I said. Thornwood can be not only the place for weddings and company parties. It can be the place for vacations.”

Edwin shrugged but grinned. “Okay.” He looked at Wayne. “I take it, since you stayed overnight, the visit with your daughter went well.”

Wayne grinned. “She was understandably resistant at first, but yes…it went very well.”

“Which is part of the reason we sought you out,” Colin said. “They’re coming here. Sean…Wayne’s son-in-law…is an Architect. We can pay him to help create a place…” he waved at the house, “…separate from the main house to house vampires in treatment. A separate place to house new vampires not ready for the sun and a medical portion.”

Edwin thought a few seconds. “Okay, we need that.” He nodded. “Sure.” He bowed slightly. “I’m just not used to operating with this sort of…money.”

Colin chuckled. “I’ll gladly show you the investments and other options that will help what you have grow. Working together, using all our ideas...it will become a very high class resort. I promise.”

"At least five star." I nodded,

"Five what?" Edwin asked.

I waved him to forget it for now. "It's a rating system for hotels and resorts. We can go over it later. What about the vampires here now?” I asked.

“The vampire that newly received the serum will be finished by Wednesday. We won’t have another until Sunday night…after the wedding party has gone.”

Colin smiled. “It sounds like you have it under control.” He thumbed toward the outside. “I guess George is in the lab?”

Edwin chuckled. “Where else?”

Colin grinned. “Where else, indeed. There isn’t a petri dish he doesn’t like.”

We went to the barn and to the lab. There was both George and Burke there. George was kissing Burke, or Burke was kissing George…they were kissing, okay? George wasn’t as comfortable showing affection with others around and broke it off seeing us. He already had red hair, but his face got redder.

I chuckled. “Aw, George, don’t be embarrassed by showing affection for someone you love.” I grinned. “We know you do more.” That comment made Burke grin.

“I’m not,” Burke said kissing George again quickly and stepped away from George.

We brought the subject of making his Disflavor in disc form to George. It was as Colin said there were simple things that George never considered.

“I suppose I could make a disc for that.” He said deep in thought. “The chemicals aren’t as complicated as the serum. It must be in the bloodstream to work. Not ingested.” He thought more. “I think I can.” As before, his mind was working as he started to smile. “Yes. I can.” Then he looked a little more triumphant. “I know I can.”

Colin grinned. “I never doubted you could.”

“We’ll need a list of features we will need for a lab and medical needs for future vampires going on the serum,” I said. “Wayne’s son-in-law is an Architect. He’ll be the one coming up with the design and making sure the structural needs are done.”

George smiled. “It’s finally coming together. We’ve already got teams made of local vampires patrolling and now the medical needs will be met.”

Colin nodded. “That’s why we came.” He patted Burke’s arm and then pushed Burke back toward George, making him bump against George. “Keep up the good work.”

I nodded. “It’s good to take his eyes off the monitors and away from the microscope every now and then.” I winked at Burke as we turned to leave. “Carry on.”

Burke grinned again as George’s red color increased. “I do my best.”

Wayne chuckled. “You two are so cute!” He shook his head and followed us out of the lab.

I knew it was coming and Wayne looked back at the lab as we approached the manor house. “Not that I care, but…”

Colin took my hand as we walked. He knew this question was coming, as well. “But?”

Wayne’s eyebrows came together. “It seems there are a lot of…homosexuals with vampires.” He thought. “I never had a problem with it, Rosalind had a brother that was homosexual. Does being a vampire make us…more?”

Colin chuckled. “No. Alex isn’t or Willie. I say it makes us less…inhibited. Our numbers are few…” he waved at the many vampires that were working, “…though not as few as we thought. Sex is basic to being humans…” he grinned more, “…or vampires. Companionship is part of who we are. We find someone willing to be that companion and go with it.” He smiled. “That’s George.”

Wayne nodded as he considered what Colin had said. “I suppose.” He grinned. “Well, unless you think about it. I have never done it before, but…if you really wanted it, I would, but I don’t plan to bottom for either of you.” He said lightly.

I grinned at Wayne hearing he wasn’t really serious. “I’m sorry, Wayne. You’re a nice-looking man. I’d never push you out of bed, but you don’t have what I want.”

Colin nodded and chuckled. “Nor what I can give him.”

Wayne looked surprised. “What!?” He looked now a little irritated. “I’ve got a dick and ass! What else do you need?”

I chuckled. “A dick and ass are not enough,” I said touching Colin’s shirt covered chest. “He’s got the most beautiful hair covered chest I just adore.”

Wayne looked shocked. “I’ve got chest hair! What’s wrong with my chest? You’ve seen everything I have!”

Colin laughed more. “Why is it all straights worry about attracting us?”

I nodded. “And become offended when we’re not.”

Wayne was still thinking. “Well, why not?”

Colin reached back and brought Wayne between himself and me. Each of us put an arm around his shoulder we walked on.

“Don’t waste time thinking about it,” Colin said.

“Your statement said you wouldn’t bottom,” I observed. “Does that mean you’d be willing to top?” I grinned as Wayne’s eyes grew.

The lighthearted banter was nice. We watched Edwin bloom as the real owner of Thornwood. He wanted everything to be perfect for this bride. He listened to Edward who was watching everything Edwin did. Edward had a reputation to uphold. He wanted it right.

We got Wayne a laptop and a phone and showed him how to use it. He was a pretty fast study. We had Katie’s number and email address and programmed it in both the phone and laptop. He smiled as he got his first email from Katie acknowledging they were coming on Friday. She said her children were very excited to come, even Karen had agreed to come. She was now attending St. Andrews but was willing to sacrifice time to get acquainted with her grandfather and his friends. Kelly was just excited by a vampire in the family. Scott was wanting to get to know the legend he was named after.

Wayne was smiling, but looking a little apprehensive. “I’m glad they want to know me.” He said to me. “I’m worried about this person they were raised with. Katie put me on this pedestal and has this idealistic expectation of this…heroic father. Sean was too thrilled to believe I had cheated on Rosalind and fathered another family, even if I hadn’t, with someone else. Karen I know would love to dissect me. Not because she doesn’t like me, but to figure out how I work. I don’t know what Scott thinks, but I know he had a problem being named after me. He didn’t want to live up to the expectations my name put on him. Kelly is in love with the vampire I am.” He looked helpless. “I can’t be those things!” He said lowering his head in his hands.

I felt sorry for him. So, I thought about what to say. “I can’t advise about that too much. I’ve never been there.” I sighed as I sat in the chair next to him. “What I advise to everyone…you need to be forthcoming and honest.” I smiled. “I really like the Wayne I know. They will, too.” I sighed. “What you’re feeling…tell them. What you fear…tell them.” I smiled. “Whatever is going through your mind…”

Wayne smiled and finished with me. “…tell them.” He chuckled with a nod. “Good advice.”

I grinned. “I try.” I patted his shoulder. “It will be fine.”

Wayne nodded. “Be there when they arrive?”

I nodded. “Sure.”

If nothing else, the house smelled wonderful by Friday! All the baking and cooking had aromas flooding the house near the kitchen. I think it would tempt vampires that were only consuming blood. The wedding cake was even baked here. I found out one of the local vampires had been a chef and was making a lot of the food and even decorating the cake. The bride had hoped for a wedding in the garden but in October? The weather was beyond our control, so they went with Plan B. Edwin was having the wedding in their grand Entrance Hall. It was palatial enough and had the room for the many chairs and places for guests when they arrived. The wedding party arrived for the rehearsal dinner in the Dining Room. We wouldn’t even notice they were here later.

It was about noon when Katie, Sean and Wayne’s grandchildren arrived. I stood with Wayne in the Entrance Hall. They were all Wayne’s grandchildren, but different enough with Sean’s features added. Karen’s dark straight hair was short. Practical for her upcoming work in medicine. Scott’s was short and styled more for a teenage boy with that little flip in the front. He was an athlete in high school. You could tell from his frame. Kelly’s dark hair was long and had natural curls. Her eyes were usually holding amazement at all she saw.

They entered the manor and Katie smiled at Wayne and rushed into his arms. I watched as the grandchildren were looking around wide-eyed at the house and grounds. Sean came in last and smiled at me.

“Wow,” Scott said quietly.

“You live here!?” Kelly asked amazed.

Karen looked as people were putting things together for the wedding. “Where are the others? You know…” she didn’t say the word.

Wayne let Katie go a little and looked at Karen. “All around you.”

Karen renewed her gaze at the many people trying to tell what about them said; vampire.

Sean came over to me and shook my hand. “It’s good to see you, Devon.” He nodded looking at the house. “I’ve been here for two weddings. This is really an impressive place.”

I grinned. “And I hope, with your input, we’re going to make it even better.”

Colin came in from another part of the house and heard what I said. “I’m sure it will be,” Colin said. “I’m afraid, we’ll be wanting more than just a medical and housing unit. We’ll be hoping to do more renovations and upgrades.”

Sean’s eyes grew. “Whatever you need t' be done.”

I think I even heard a cash register chink. I chuckled at Sean’s excitement. He’d be speaking with the brogue again.

Wayne smiled. “Are you ready for lunch?”

Katie smiled. “We’d love it.”

“We’ll be in the Dining Room now,” Colin said. “Later, we have another room to eat dinner.”

We gathered in the Dining Room as others in our team from the United States came in. I introduced my mother and others to Wayne’s family. We talked and ate comfortably. I noticed Karen was frowning as she looked around.

Wayne looked up and smiled. “Is there a problem, Karen?”

Karen shook her head, but then… “I can’t tell. They don’t look any different. Are they all vampires, all human or what?”

Colin grinned. “That is the goal. You won’t be able to tell.”

Scott grinned. “This place is great!” He said. “Is it okay if I look around?”

Wayne looked at Colin and me.

“Sure.” Colin waved. “Knock yourself out.”

Katie held her hand up. “Remember, they’re having a wedding here. Don’t get in anyone’s way.” She said in that motherly tone.

Scott nodded. “I won’t.” He said in a tone that said he had said it before many times.

I grinned as he walked out to explore the house. His sister Kelly rushed off to join him.

Colin leaned from his chair next to me. “I think this is going well.”

I nodded. “He’s still worried,” I said. “He doesn’t want to crush their perceptions of him.”

Colin looked at Sean. “He’s very happy.” He grinned.

“He’ll make money from this,” I said simply. “He knows that.”

Colin pushed back. “You’re on vacation, Sean. We have some things to discuss, but when you’re ready…”

Sean smiled. “Let’s do it!” He pushed away from the table. He was ready now.

Katie and Wayne were deep in a conversation, so we just left. Edwin joined us as we discussed what we would like done. Sean took notes and made suggestions. We went over the area by map and found a suitable location for the housing unit and medical. We also went over renovations for the manor house. Both Colin and I wanted fiber optic cables and Wi-Fi installed. We also made plans for a computer center to be added. We watched as Sean did a preliminary sketch of what we wanted and needed.

The VUNGB was now going to be under construction!