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Miss Hol Invitation

"Yes" I should have thought about it ers, the co impetuous, spurred byother than rattle about my empty house or sit in my mother&039;s vacant chambers, and read book after book and study experiment after experie and deductive abilities to the test in soain

Miss Adler was offering ender, I was a Holmes in more than mere name and the size of my nose

At the same moment as my response, Miss Stoker said, "Certainly I will The Stokers have long been in service to the Crown"

A light of relief and deter into Miss Adler&039;s dark eyes "Thank you Her Royal Highness shall be more than pleased But I must warn you that your service to the princess-and by extension to His Royal Highness Prince Edward-must be a secret from the very start" Miss Adler looked at us both "Are you willing to keep this arrangeally and peeked at my companion for her reaction Miss Stoker nodded as well I resisted the urge to roll irl who could keep a secret

"Very well Perhaps you are wondering how I came to be employed by the British Museum as keeper of the antiquities" Miss Adler&039;s eyes twinkled with huaze "You hout Europe But what you cannot know is that I used my travels as an entertainer to obscure overn e to Mr Godfrey Norton, I&039;ve chosen to retire froed by the director of this great institution"-here she indicated the walls around us-"to catalogue and study the large nuypt in the fifties and sixties But in reality, I a her in a variety of ways The two of you are well suited to one of the problehness

"But before I tell you any more, perhaps I should further acquaint you with one another, for you shall be working together very closely"

I detected a faint sniff froe to look over Miss Adler nodded to hter of the farandniece of Victoria Gardella-both vampire hunters of excellent repute"

I was faacy of vampire hunters from Italy had been written about in an old, rare book called The Venators Mr Starcasset&039;s book detailed the story of her ancestors and how they were given the responsibility and skills to keep the world safe fro demons Her elder brother, Bram, happened to be an acquaintance ofa novel about a vampire named Count Dracula

"Vareat-aunt Victoria and her husband killed off o, in the twenties That has left me and other chosen members of my family with little to do in recent years"

"You will find plenty to do in service to the princess, even if it doesn&039;t involve slaying vampires," said our hostess "Now, you&039;ve already met Miss Alverhter of the indispensable Sir Mycroft Holmes"

"I&039;m familiar with your uncle, of course," said Miss Stoker "But I know nothing of your father"

"Uncle Sherlock claireatest competitor should o out in public or to social events He is never found anywhere but at his office or his club, even so to come home to sleep"

That was in part the reason nored, even by someone as practical as myself

"Mina is just as brilliant at observation and deduction as her uncle and father," said Miss Adler I was relieved she&039;d used the shorter version of iven one is ridiculous Even Mother couldn&039;t convincename like Jane or Charity, and instead I was encumbered with the hideous appellation Alvermina

Miss Adler continued, "I am certain you understand why the princess and I chose the two of you for thiswell, shall we call it a secret society? But let me be clear-your invitation is not only due to your families&039; loyalty and service to the Crown It&039;s also because of who you are, and the talents and skills you have"

"Of course," I said "As young members of &039;the weaker sex,&039; ould be disent Never ht for our country Woht to vote Our brains are hardly acknowledged-let alone our brawn"

I glanced at Miss Stoker According to The Venators, the vampire hunters of her fath and unnatural speed I wondered if it was true She certainly didn&039;t appear dangerous "Thus ould be considered incapable of doing anything i any sort of threat In addition, I as because I aed on-"somewhat reclusive"

I saariness in Miss Stoker&039;s expression and a twinkle of huhts "In other words, we&039;re both relatively solitary individuals who haven&039;t ht ask questions or be potential recipients of our secrets We&039;re eccentric wallflowers"

"It ht be true for you, Miss Holations are few and far between, but that&039;s not the case forthe platter in the front hall of Grantworth House"

My chest felt tight, for I had just enus and pointed out my shameful lack of social invitations, and Miss Stoker had done just the opposite It was difficult to make s ht have been different if Mother were here to usher h the intricacies of Society, but she was not

Despite my discoations aside, Miss Stoker, I suspect you&039;d rather be doing soht have obligations, but perhaps you would prefer not to have to accept them"

She closed her reeh her de need to prove herself worthy of her faacy

Perhaps we had more in common than I realized

"You are quite correct, Mina," Miss Adler said "Now, shall we move on? Are either of you acquainted with Miss Lilly Corteville?"

The nae of a face or personality In n environ the walls at a party waiting to be asked to dance by so ainst the wall alone all night, watching everyone else spin about the dance floor And even if I was asked to dance, I&039;d either smash the poor man&039;s foot or trip and fall on my face Which hy I preferred not to waste my ti

"I&039;ve met Miss Corteville," said hter, and she&039;s engaged to Sir Rodney Greebles"

"Indeed," Miss Adler said "She&039;s gone o"

"Could she have eloped? Run away? Been abducted?" Miss Stoker&039;s eyes glinted with the sah my fascination was tempered by concern I wasn&039;t convinced one could say the sa woman "We must conduct a search for her!"