BE STILL MY VAMPIRE HEART

DELETED SCENE

In the original version, Angus didn’t immediately release his harem after Emma’s transformation into a vampire. He believed she would want to transform back to a mortal. But Emma decided to stay as she was, and she went looking for Angus. Giacomo (Jack) and Robby took her to Angus’s castle in Scotland, and there she discovered for the first time, that he has a harem.

“Harem?” Emma stormed into the Great Hall of Angus’ castle. “He has a harem?” Her strident voice echoed off the high-vaulted ceiling.

“Now, now, bellissima.” Giacomo followed her. “As far as harems go, this is one is very small.”

She whirled to face him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He gave her a wide-eyed innocent look. “Is it important?”

“Of course!” She narrowed her eyes. “You rascal. You wanted to see how I would react.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “Amore is so exciting.”

She glared at Giacomo, then switched her glare to Robby as he slinked from the parlor where the infamous harem was holding court. “And you! You could have warned me. Or did you come for the fireworks like Giacomo?”

Robby gave her a sheepish look. “I wanted to make sure you dinna kill them.”

Emma huffed. “I don’t want to kill them. I want to kill Angus!”

Giacomo grinned. “What a shame he is not here.”

“It’s not funny, Jack.” Emma rubbed her brow. She was getting a headache. Four harem women! She’d gotten her hopes up about seeing Angus, but all she’d found was four harem women.

She paced across the stone-flagged floor. Her athletic shoes made little squeaky noises, and her head throbbed. Her fencing uniform itched. She glared at the parlor. Just moments ago, she’d waltzed inside there and cheerfully introduced herself to the four vampire women. Then, they’d cheerfully introduced themselves as Angus’ harem.

Shit! She wanted to rip the tapestries off the walls or knock down the suits of armor. Was this why Angus was avoiding her? Was he afraid to admit he had a harem? Or did he prefer them to her?

“He should have told me. Somewhere in the course of our relationship, he should have said, ‘By the way, I have four women stashed away in my castle.’” Emma kicked a suit of armor in the shin and left a dent. “Why does he have a harem?”

“It’s a tradition,” Giacomo explained. “All the coven masters have one.”

“Like owning a luxury car?” Emma growled.

“The British harem has been in existence for over five hundred years,” Robby added proudly. “Angus inherited them when he became the British coven master in 1950.”

“He’s been with those women since 1950?” Good heavens, that was before she was born. Emma kicked another suit of armor in the foot. It rattled, but didn’t fall down. She’d have to kick it harder next time.

Robby winced. “This is no’ something Angus could help. The harem came with the position. And Angus was so honored to become coven master. He’s the first Scotsman to ever have the position.”

“Whoopi-do.” Emma paced about the Great Hall. She recalled the vampire reality show Austin had participated in. Those women had been Roman Draganesti’s ex-harem. It was probably true that coven masters inherited harems. But that didn’t make this any easier to accept. “He should have told me.”

“I doubt they ever crossed his mind,” Robby said. “He hasna been here in ten years.”

She halted in mid-stride. “You mean he doesn’t...require their services?”

Robby shifted uncomfortably. “I doona know the details of his personal life.”

“We know the facts.” Giacomo settled on a brocade settee next to the grand staircase. “He brought them here in 1950, and he has rarely returned.”

Robby nodded. “And there used to be ten, I believe.”

“Ten women?” Emma asked.

“Actually, I think Angus only inherited seven.” Robby leaned against the wood paneling and crossed his arms. “During World War II, the coven was in London during the bombing. Two of the women left for fear of getting killed. And Princess Joanna left when Angus became master. She claimed he was a barbarian.”

Emma shook her head, finding this all hard to believe. “So he inherited seven, but now, there are four. What happened?”

Giacomo shrugged. “The women want amore. They fell in love with other men and moved away.”

“Angus didn’t mind?” Emma felt a kernel of hope.

“Nay. He was uncomfortable with so many women,” Robby said.

Giacomo snorted. “That is because he doesn’t understand them. The women want attention, a few gifts, something to make them feel special.”

Emma slanted him a wry look. “I suppose you could handle a harem just fine?”

He grinned. “Of course. But Angus made a tragic mistake. He took the lovely women away from the parties and excitement of London and stuck them here in this moldy pile of stone. It’s a wonder they haven’t died of neglect.”

Neglect. Emma could relate to that. “He shouldn’t treat women that way.”

Giacomo’s eyes twinkled. “Perhaps he should be taught a lesson.”

Robby scoffed. “He’s your boss, Jack.”

Giacomo waved a hand in the air. “I serve amore first. And if Angus needs a lesson in love, I believe our dear bellissima is just the one to deliver it.”

“You may be right.” A plan took seed in Emma’s mind. But she was going to have to interview the harem first. She took a deep breath and wandered back into the parlor.

“Would ye like a cup of warm Chocolood?” Fiona asked.

“Yes, thank you.” Emma perched on a settee next to Fiona and accepted the porcelain cup and saucer.

Cecily eyed her over the top of her knitting. “You are very young, are you not?”

“Twenty-eight.” Emma sipped the warm mixture of synthetic blood and chocolate.

“You poor gel.” Elizabeth gave her snooty look. “You have missed so much history. The past was so exciting.”

Cecily lowered her knitting to her lap. “Remember the balls we used to attend? The beautiful gowns and lovely music?”

Elizabeth sighed. “I especially adored the Regency period. Everyone was so polite and well-mannered.”

“You mean stuffy.” Cecily shuddered, and her blond ringlets trembled. “I much preferred the balls during the Restoration. Everyone was so wild and free! And our master then, he was so gallant. What was his name?”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, trying to remember. “Buckley?”

“Berkely,” Mary muttered as she worked on her needlepoint. “He said I was too plain.”

“How rude,” Elizabeth huffed.

Mary shrugged. “He left me alone. I prefer to be left alone.”

“Not me.” Fiona sipped from her cup of Chocolood. “I want to meet a handsome young man who will sweep me off my feet.”

“Yes, we know.” Elizabeth stifled a yawn. “You’ve been saying that for three hundred years.”

“And it’s not likely to happen here.” Cecily resumed her knitting. “We might as well be dead.”

“Och, doona say that.” Fiona lowered her cup with a forlorn look.

“We don’t mean to complain,” Elizabeth told Emma. “Angus isn’t really so bad. He makes sure we have plenty of clothes.”

“And yarn,” Cecily added.

“But we are bored out of our minds.” Mary punched a needle through her floral needlepoint design.

“You have no...romantic interest in Angus?” Emma asked.

“Lord, no.” Elizabeth frowned. “He’s rather primitive, don’t you think?”

Mary shuddered. “He frightens me. He’s always scowling.”

Fiona sighed. “He doesna like us much, I’m afraid.”

Cecily nodded. “I even offered to knit him a sweater, but he said no. He prefers to pay some mortal women to do it.”

Elizabeth snorted. “How rude.”

Cecily set her knitting aside. “You’re the first company we’ve had in ages.”

“Then we must celebrate.” Giacomo sauntered over to the CD player and flipped through the music selection. “A-ha! The Viennese waltz. Would one of you lovely ladies care to dance?”

“Oh, I would!” Fiona set her cup on the dainty coffee table. She stood and smoothed down her Regency-styled gown.

Giacomo led her to the open area of the parlor. Robby escorted Cecily, and they all began to swirl around the room.

As Emma watched, her plan grew in her mind. She turned to Mary and Elizabeth. “Do you know a vampire solicitor?”

Elizabeth tilted her head. “I don’t, but Susannah might know one. She used to be part of the harem, but she left to live with Peter in London.”

“Do you have her phone number? Could you call her?” Emma asked.

An hour later, a vampire solicitor from London teleported to the castle. Emma left the harem dancing with Jack and Robby, and took Mr. Darnley into the library to explain her plan.

He lounged in the chair behind the desk and crossed his hands over his ample belly. “You must understand, Miss Wallace, that I am a loyal member of the British coven. What’s more, Angus MacKay is our coven master. Are you really expecting me to cause trouble for my master?”

Emma bit her lip. “I’ll pay twice your normal rate.”

Darnley’s eyes brightened. “All right, then. Let’s get the bastard.”