Dracula: A Retelling ✔️

A Whiff of Sulfur (II)

(Words in Italic means it's a dream/flashback)

I couldn't wait to tell Lucy and Jonathan the good news, but since Jonathan was at work, I told Lucy first. She was very exited for me and she immediately made plans to celebrate. Since I was in a happy mood I consented to going out and celebrate, but we had to invite Jonathan to come with us. Surprisingly she didn't even complain about it.

When we got to his apartment he hadn't arrived yet, so I suggested to Lucy to stop by at his place of work to see if he was there before we go to dinner. Luckily just as we were coming down the stairs of his apartment building, he was coming  up.

"There you are Harker, we've been looking for you." Lucy says coming down the stairs next to me

He looks at us curiously, surely he must be thinking what on earth we were doing here, at this hour.

"I passed!" I tell him exited

"Not only passed, but first in her class!" Lucy bragged

Jonathan smiled proud and kissed me in congratulations.

"It was stupendous! Professor Van Helsing says that I'm..."

"She's the first female student to come top of her class in college!" Lucy interrupts me exited. She truly was happy for her friend. "I reserved a table."

"At the Savoy!" I tell him exited. It was almost impossible to get a reservation there, it was always full, but somehow Lucy had been able to do it.

"August is going to make something special just for Mina, isn't that divine?" Lucy informed him feeling very proud of her herself for arranging such an achievement

"August? August who?" Jonathan asks confused

"August Escoffier, silly! Don't you know anything?" she says outraged "Doesn't he know anything?" she asks again turning to me, as if I was the one with the answer.

"Come. We've got a cab waiting." I tell him grabbing his arm and taking him with me down a couple of steps, bu he stops me before we could go far.

"I can't. I'm under the cosh with a deadline, and I have to deliver the copy before they set the presses." he said sounding sorry that he could not come

"Oh, don't worry, Harker. The whole celebration is my treat!" Lucy announces thinking that he wasn't coming because of the expense.

"Thank you Lucy but I really can't." he insists "I'm really sorry, but we'll celebrate some other time alright?"

"Alright" I agree reluctantly. I really wanted him to come with us and celebrate.

"You go and have fun. We'll talk tomorrow alright? Then you can tell me all about the something special August cooked for you."

"Well you heard the man, he's not coming." Lucy says grabbing my arm "But we must go because August isn't going to wait forever!"

She pulls me down the stairs without me being able to refuse her. She truly did spoiled me too much sometimes. The night went amazingly, and  truly loved Lucy for being such a good and supportive friend. I truly couldn't ask for someone better. I spend the night at her place and the better part of the next day with her. I only manage to get away from her at night, and that's when I decide to visit Jonathan so that we could spend some time together since yesterday our time was cut short.

I arrive at his work place, to find most of the name drunk and celebrating. On a closer look I see Jonathan sitting with people all around him. I was going to introduce myself to the room but then I heard what they were talking about. 

"If Miss Murray intends to be a physician, how does that square with the "proper English wife" bit?" I freeze at his words. And then my heart breaks when I hear the answer the man I loved, the man who told me he support me and my choices, give.

"Mate, when I slip this ring on Mina's lovely little finger, I have every confidence that she'll forget all this silliness at university, and settle down, and dedicate herself to more natural, womanly pursuits."

I must have made a sound, or maybe it was because the room had come silent when my presence was noted, because Jonathan turn around and looked shocked to see me there. I quickly turn around and get as far from him as I can. I have never before been so humiliated in my life, and by the man she loved no less!

"Mina. Mina! Wait! Mina!" he calls out from behind me but I never stop walking. I'm trying my best to control my tears and not cry in front of him.

"Mina? Mina, wait!" he insist grabbing my arm finally catching up with me "Mina, look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Why apologize? It's how you feel, it is how you have always felt." I accuse him with a teary voice

"That's not fair! I've never said a word of discouragement to you, ever!" he argues

"Nor a single word of support!"I now realize. I take my arm from his grasp and turn my back to him, wanting to get as far away from him. 

"Mina." he calls out defeated but I never stop walking.

When I arrive home I go straight to my bedroom and I trough myself into bed pouring my heart out in heart break. How could he have done this to me? Betray me like that? I cry until I exhaust myself and just before I let the darkness consume me I can't help but think to myself "Please let it be a good dream."

I wake up to the sound of a piano playing.

I turn around seeking the warmth of my husband but he is nowhere to be found. I look the window and notice the sky is still dark, nowhere near the time we had to rise.

I get up from bed and put on my undergarments since I was naked from last nights passions with my love. I cover myself with a soft blanket, protecting myself from the winter cold. I follow the music and track it down to a room close to ours. Quietly I make my way inside and I am surprised to see my husband, shirtless, wearing only his pants playing a soft tune.

I admire him for a moment. We have been married for 5 moons now and I still couldn't grasp that he was my husband. I loved him so much, it's a wonder how I lived my life without him before, for now I don't think I cold live without him.

"That was beautiful" I tell him making my presence known to him 

He turns around to look at me and smiles sadly. He motions me over and I approach him, sitting on his lap. I interlock my arms around his neck and breath in his scent. It always brought me comfort.

"I'm sorry I woke you" he says gently running his hands trough my hair

"You didn't. The bed felt cold without you." I tell him. "I didn't know you played"

"My mother taught me when I was a young child." he reveals pressing a few keys "It was the only way she managed to keep me still for a long time."

"Clever woman"

"She was" he agrees "My father never approved of it but it made my mother happy so he consented to it." he explain "We used to sit for hours just playing together"

"I never could learn it." I share. He looks at me pensive "never had much patience for it I'm afraid."

He smiles amused.

"Why does that not surprised me?"he says kissing me sweetly

"Teach me"I say surprising him 

"I though you never had the patience for it?" he reminds me

"That's true" I agree "But thinking about it, I never was properly motivated before. Teach me."

"As my lady commands" he says kissing me passionately. I correspond eagerly, I would never get tired of kissing my Prince.

"You can teach me tomorrow" I tell him kissing him passionately once again, telling him exactly what I wanted right now. We seemed to understand as he holds me in his arms and carries me to our room never once stopping our kiss. 

And that's it for this chapter! Yes, it was a little shorter than the previous one but there isn't much more happening in this episode that can be inserted trough Mina's POV, so I decided to end it now, and make the next chapter the beginning of episode 3.

Thank you for reading! Tell me your thoughts!

Don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT, and SHARE!