Chapter 4

Belonging

Godric walked out his front door to see a shiny black Jaguar waiting for him. Holding the door open was a chauffeur. Instead of a uniform, he was clad in a formal tweed suit with a cap on his head. He appeared to be a man in his late fifties, although Godric was past the point of being able to determine human ages with any accuracy.

"Hello, Governor," he said, doffing his cap to Godric.

Now, that was a surprise, thought Godric. The cockney accent was unmistakable. He took a closer look at his driver and saw a still powerfully built human. His eyes were the same dark gray as his suit and they held his gaze with a courage not usually seen by humans. Perhaps, he had been in the service of vampires for so long that he has lost a degree of caution. But, while the man seemed pleasant and courteous, there was a hard edge to him. He had a crooked nose that Godric presumed was the result of fighting in his youth. Before Godric could react, the chauffeur took his bag out of his hands.

" I can carry my own bag," said Godric.

"I won't hear of it," he replied. "I'll just put it in the boot and we'll be off. Miss Sam is eager to get you settled in, Guv."

In a matter of minutes, he was inside the car and they were driving down the freeway as the powerful engines of the Jaguar hummed quietly. He had never had a personal driver, since he had little use for the trappings of wealth. He actually preferred to fly, but Sam insisted on sending the chauffeur for him. He had expected a long limousine that wouldn't allow for such personal contact. But, he merely sat in the backseat of the Jag. So, it was not much of a surprise when the driver began to speak to him.

"It's good to have a new master of the house again," he said.

"I don't understand why Samirah isn't the heir," replied Godric. "She seems highly capable of handling the estate to me."

"Oh, aye, that she is, Guv," chuckled the driver. "A word to the wise, Guv, stay on her good side."

"What is your name?"

"Forgive my manners, I'm Michael Harrow," he replied.

He smiled to himself as remembering something pleasant. "Yeah, Sam is a good lass, but she attracts the wrong kind of attention, if you understand my meaning, Guv. Too pretty for her own good."

Godric remembered the Magister's steely gaze. He wouldn't soon forget that slap that Sam had delivered. It had been so brave and so absolutely foolish. Godric would not soon forget such crazy courage. It seemed that Harrow was fondly remembering times gone past for he kept on talking.

"The poor lass has been through so much already," he said. "You should have seen her when she arrived. Nothing but skin and bone, starved the poor little thing had been."

"Excuse me, starved?" asked Godric.

"Oh, yeah, Master Mathias had found her during a business trip to the Middle East. She was just a little orphan street urchin who tried to pick his pocket." Harrow chuckled, no doubt seeing the futility of trying to steal a vampire's wallet. But, then his eyes grew cold with fury. "What kind of monsters would leave a little slip of girl like that all alone to fend for herself? When I think of poor Sam sleeping in doorways and digging through rubbish for food, well, it makes my blood boil."

"How old was she?"

"Don't know for sure," replied Harrow. "Poor little lass only barely remembered her mother. The best guess we could come up with was seven or eight. We decided to celebrate her birthday as the day that Mathias found her. Mathias decided that if he caught her that he might as well keep her, so he brought her back with him and, in no time at all, she had all of us wrapped around her finger."

Those gray eyes stared in the rear view mirror back at him. "She's family to us, Guv."

The threat in his words surprised Godric. Treat Sam badly and the entire staff would be after him with the serving knives no doubt. Not that he had any intention of doing mistreating Sam, of course. Still, it stunned him to realize that Mathias had raised her. Had he thought of her as his child? Or was she just something that he knew was valuable and that he could make use of? Try as he might, Godric still had a hard time seeing Mathias as a savior of lost little girls.

Harrow turned his attention back to the road. "Fell under her spell, we all did," he said, so softly that Godric could barely hear him, even with his vampire ears. "You will, too, I wager."

With Harrow carrying his bag, Godric walked to the front door. They had driven down a long, private drive to a white house that seemed glow in the moonlight. It was three stories high with a long veranda with high columns. There were extensive grounds that were meticulously groomed and several guards on duty with dogs. Before he could knock, the door was swung open and Godric was face to face with what looked to be a genuine English butler. He was dressing in a black suit that seemed to know better than have the audacity to have a wrinkle. His light brown hair was graying at the temples and was combed back off his aristocratic face. He had high cheekbones and cold eyes the color of granite.

"Well, are you going to open the door and let the new master in, or are just going to stare at him all night?" said Harrow. "I never took yah for a fairy."

The butler stiffened. "If we were alone, I'd give you a proper lesson in manners." He turned his attention to Godric and opened the door. "Welcome, Sir."

Godric walked inside and saw a double, curving staircase. It was the focal point of the foyer that was tiled in crisp, white tile inset with small, black diamonds. A glittering chandelier that had to be taller than he was hung from the second story ceiling. At the top of the staircase stood Sam, dressed in a simple sundress of red.

"Godric, you're here," she said. She rushed down the staircase in a graceful movement that caused him to wonder if she just floated down it. Her gauzy dress fluttered behind her. Was it his imagination of did the room temperature seem to increase now that she was in it? She seemed happy to see him and he had hard time remembering the last time that someone was genuinely happy to see him. Had his life been so lacking that her simple smile moved him? At the bottom of the staircase, she moved and took the bag out of Harrow's hands. She planted a kiss on his cheek to make up for her theft and the man actually blushed.

"I see that you've met Mikey," she said. "Knowing him, he probably talked your ear off."

She elbowed him and he doffed his cap again. "Watch the ribs, Luv."

"You'll be at dinner, right, Uncle Mikey?"

"Yes, Darlin'" he said, turning away to leave, but not before kissing her back on the cheek.

The butler closed the door and Sam made her introductions. "This is Crispin and he is your go-to man, Godric."

Crispin gave a small inclination of his head in greeting. "Sir."

Sam moved towards Godric and whispered conspiratorially, "Don't mind him. He's a bit of snob, but if you do manage to get his approval, you're in like flint."

"Really, Miss Sam," Crispin huffed. "I can hear you."

"I never thought that you couldn't," she replied.

"No offense, but trust must be earned," he said, staring pointedly at Godric.

"I know that you mean well, but he must have proved himself to Mathias," said Sam. "Maybe we should cut him just a little slack, Uncle Crispin."

"I'm sorry, Sam. I can't believe that he is really gone," said Crispin, with pain in his voice that he struggled to keep off his face.

"No more than I," replied Sam.

There was a moment of pained silence. The fact that these humans mourned Mathias still confused Godric. Had he never known the vampire at all? He felt that he was there under false pretenses. What would they think if they found out how he really had thought of their master?

Sam shook herself and put a smile on her lips. "Come Godric, I'll show your sleeping quarters."

"I can carry that."

"It's no bother," she replied, hefting it. "You seem to travel light."

She walked down a hallway to a study that was lined with floor to ceiling bookcases. She lifted the head of a bust up and pressed a hidden button. Godric watched in amazement as a section of the bookcase swung forward and revealed a heavy metal door behind it. Sam stepped up and entered a code on a keyboard and a hydraulic whoosh was heard as the lock was disengaged. She pulled a lever and a light came on which revealed a metal staircase that went down.

"This is very cloak and dagger," said Godric.

"I guess it is a little 007, but even grownups need to have a little bit fun sometimes," she replied, as she stepped onto the staircase. She turned back with mischief in her eyes. "Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly."

She held out her hand for him and Godric stared at it. He was torn between wanting to touch her and needing to keep his distance. For a moment a twinge of hurt appeared in her eyes as he resisted her overture. He was surprised that seeing that look had bothered him.

"Watch your step," she said, letting her hand fall back and turning away from him.

At the bottom, they found a generator and supplies to last out a siege. There were little rooms off the main room with beds and even a basic kitchen stocked with human foods. It had a bathroom complete with shower. Godric was curious to see that this safe haven was designed for everyone.

"This place is built with reinforced concrete that can withstand whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at us," said Sam. "Or anyone else, for that matter. During tornados the staff take refuge down here. In the event of a siege, we can generate power and keep everyone fed for a week. Now, you will reside down here, in a custom made vault because it is the safest place for a vampire."

She led the way down a hallway and opened another heavy steel door into a completely enclosed room. There was a large bed that was covered in crimson sheets and bedding. A large built-in closet took up a wall of the room and Sam moved to this. She showed him a hidden panel in the floor of the closet that revealed a tunnel. "If things go really bad, this is an escape route. It opens up several hundred yards from the house. I am the only other person that knows about this. I am also the only other person that knows the combination to this room and even I can't open it if you seal it from the inside."

"I think that these measures are a little overboard."

"Nonsense, you will take every precaution," said Sam, with a smile. "Now, that I've got you in my clutches and deep within my hidden lair, I'm not letting you get away." She grinned, "Insert evil laugh here."

She put the bag in the closet and moved to the door. "Now, the rest of the staff is just dying to meet you. No pun intended."

This time, she moved and took his arm in her's without asking for permission. Her grip on his elbow was soft, yet strong. "Where do you sleep?"

She gave him a tiny smile. "Is this a personal interest? Fancy a late-night visit to my room, do you?"

He knew that she was teasing him, but he didn't know how to deal with it. No one dared to tease him and he felt woefully inadequate in dealing with someone like Sam. "Um, no that is not what I meant. If it's so safe down here, why don't you sleep here?"

"I'm not without defenses," she said. "Plus, there is the entire claustrophobic feeling going on down here. It's perfect for vampires, not so much for the rest of us."

Sam gave him a tour of the mansion and introduced him to everyone that they passed. He found that she knew everyone by first name and could ask them personal questions about family members. It was an extra touch that endeared her to them. They ventured into a large kitchen which Godric thought was odd in a vampire home. The cook was a plump middle-aged woman. She had round rosy cheeks and reddish gold hair that curled around her face. She wore a crisp white apron and a stiff white cap on her head. She actually dipped into a small curtsy on being introduced to him.

"This is Maggie McDougle, our cook extraordinaire," said Sam.

"Oh, Sam darling, that's too kind of you," she replied.

"Maggie concocted that frothy beverage for you and she's a whiz at making vampire snacks," said Sam. "Plus, she keeps the rest of us mere humans well-fed and happy."

"I enjoyed the drink," said Godric.

"Oh, there's more where that came from, laddie," she said. "Never fear."

"Is dinner at nine tonight, as usual?"

"On the dot, don't be late."

As they moved away from the kitchen, Sam said, "You'd never believe that she was once a struggling mother with three young boys to feed. On the verge on being evicted, she was moved to desperate measures to provide for her family. She tried to sell herself on the streets."

"And met Mathias, I take it," replied Godric.

"Yes, she did," said Sam with a touch of anger in her voice, either at him or the memory of Maggie being forced to do something so terrible. "But, she met another vampire first who left her for dead in a deserted alley. Mathias detected the smell of blood and found her. He saved her life that night and gave her a job and a place to belong. She stayed with him ever since. Mr. Harrow was once a hoodlum on the mean streets of London. The only future he had to look forward to was prison or an early grave, but all that changed one night when Mathias offered him a different sort of life. Don't let that easy attitude fool you, Mr. Harrow is as good with a knife as he ever was. Even prim and proper Crispin has a past."

"Why are you telling me these things?"

"Mathias saw something in all of us," said Sam. "I have to believe that you aren't any different. Whether you realize it or not, Mathias chose you, Godric. You are meant to belong here, with us." She paused and said, "With me."

That last little 'with me' caused a fluttering of emotion to uncoil inside of him. Something so long buried that it confused him. He knew that he should only be thinking of staying long enough to ensure that Sam was safe and that whatever fixation the Magister had with her was past. That new emotion that had swirled into being was dangerous, he thought. For, it yearned for something that Godric only felt in her presence. With her.

A/N: The more Godric learns about Sam, the more he feels that he never knew Mathias at all. Perhaps, Mathias did collect people that he could use. Yet, they seemed to stay with him out of loyalty and love, not obligation. From her own background and knowing the history of her 'family' we see a reason why Sam trusts Godric so easily for she believes that Mathias chose him.

We also learn Sam's tragic beginnings. A lost little orphan whose path crossed with a powerful vampire's. What was it that Mathias saw in her? Or rather did he see her for what she really was?