Her hair was as red as fire while her bare skin was milky white. Everything was in the right place and beautifully shaped as though engineered. Plentiful bosun’s, large hips, and an exaggerated hourglass shape.

This one was everything that Evelyn was not and that might turn out to be a stumbling block. This vampire spent centuries hating everything about herself, and being rejected by every man in her life did little to help with self-esteem. This century’s doing wonders for my ego.

All of those details were visible even through her clothes. The dress was comparatively utilitarian, and very little thought had gone into her appearance. The things I could do with her hair.

She finished off her champagne in several large gulps. The alcohol would have no effect on her, but it helped physiologically. The mind makes it real.

She twirled around on the stool and used the opportunity to get a better look. Had this been three centuries ago, she might have gasped. The supposed Georgian was a nearly flawless Scottish lass.

Her hair was as red as fire while her bare skin was milky white. Everything was in the right place and beautifully shaped as though engineered. Plentiful bosun’s, large hips, and an exaggerated hourglass shape.

Between the newspaper and her other sources she had a pretty good idea of the horrors those men faced. These battles were merciless and the dead numbered in the thousands, with the number of wounded coming in at nearly three times that amount. That’s just for four days of fighting.

It was reasonable to shield someone her physical age from the horrors of war. In fact she met several ladies who showed no interest at all in what was going on in Europe.

However, Evelyn was far older than she appeared and was no stranger to murder. Besides, female vampires had long set the bar high for brutality. Drusilla is the undisputed queen.

“Have you decided, miss?” Cecil asked.

“Breast of capon à l’impératrice,” Evelyn answered. “Unless I’m back at the bar, have it sent to her at the table.”

“Very good miss,” Cecil said. “Good luck,”

That last part is what she assumed the men would say before going over the top. Marc did not delve into the battles, since he sought to shield her from the cold reality of battle. He should have tried his hand at the cold reality of prostitution.

“No alcohol?” Evelyn confirmed.

“None,” Cecil said.

“It might be easier for me to pluck the moon from out of the sky…”

Cecil chuckled and it almost sounded authentic. Evelyn flashed her trademark smile before taking a deep breath.

“Have you decided, miss?” Cecil asked.

“What is she drinking?” Evelyn asked.

“Something new as a special request,” Cecil said. “Ward’s Orange Crush.”

He brought up a bottle from behind the counter. It looked like a beer bottle with a longer neck, clear glass and a ribbed design. Evelyn smirked at the sight of the ribbed pattern but did not comment on that feature specifically.

The liquid was orange vaguely reminiscent of real fruit juice. She guessed there was more to it than that. Evelyn would likely try it by the end of the night, depending how things went.

The fact there was a Georgian here was not unusual. They would surely exploit the nature of this hotel to perform all manner of diabolical experiments. Vampires aren’t the only inhuman guests this hotel will see.

She assumed that all manner of men tried to approach the red haired lass, and got nowhere. If they were informing Evelyn of the Georgian presence, then the powers that be were willing to see if this agent was receptive to advances from the fairer sex… we aren’t even sure they’re human.

This time Evelyn used a compact mirror from her clutch purse to get a better look. As she quickly powered her nose, her green eyes were fixated on the fiery redhead sitting alone at the table.

Evelyn noticed the coaster had a note on it. She gave it a quick peek as only a vampire could, appearing as though her head was two places at once before raising a brow.

Cecil nodded to confirm what she read. The news left her a bit perplexed, but nevertheless was enjoying how this evening was shaping up.

Georgians were an independent party on the international stage. They possessed advanced technology coveted by every major player, including vampires and hunters. The Grand itself would be impossible to safeguard if not for the Georgian Gargoyles who monitored the wall separating the hotel from the werewolf infested wilds.

Evelyn quickly perused the menu. While she practically memorized the menu and entry caught her eye. She smiled and decided to break new ground.

“There you go,” Cecil said while leaving her with a glass of champagne.

Evelyn noticed the coaster had a note on it. She gave it a quick peek as only a vampire could, appearing as though her head was two places at once before raising a brow.

Part of her role here was to help the vampiric staff learn the latest lingo. The primary goal of The Grand was to hide among the sheep and was a challenge when everyone sounded as though they were embalmed prior to the reign of Queen Victoria.

Cecil smirked and passed on the menu. It generally varied little, but that would change once the guests rolled in.

“Coming right up,” Cecil said.