'Dracula?' Doctor Porter snapped. 'Are you sure?'
'You know of this man?' Reverend Austen said.
Porter clenched her jaw and stared down at the floor with such a serious expression that Jane cried out.
'What is it?' Jane demanded. 'Who is he?'
The doctor swallowed. 'Perhaps we should all be seated—and you had best break out some gin.'
'This is no time for either sitting or gin,' the reverend said, trembling. 'We must rescue Cassandra from this devil!'
'She somehow came under his influence,' Jane's mother said, wringing her hands. 'We don't know how.' She turned to the reverend. 'We should enlist the aid of the local watchman.'
He sighed. 'I doubt he'd be of much use.'
The local watchman lived in Basingstoke and was paid a small fee to keep the peace. Unfortunately, he was miles away and also known as the town drunk. The local joke was that the first person he needed to arrest was himself.
The doctor shook her head. 'I understand your passions,' she said. 'But your efforts would be wasted. None of you would survive an encounter with Dracula.'
'Whatever do you mean?'
'Sit,' Porter insisted. 'Bring out some gin, and we'll speak.'
Everyone found seats while Jane's father poured tiny portions into glasses. The doctor detailed the events of the evening. Jane's parents were horrified when they heard of the attack on her.
'Is this true?' Reverend Austen asked, taking his daughter's hand.
'It is.'
'Then, I thank God that you have been returned to us.' He turned to Porter. 'But the creature of which you speak bore no resemblance to this man, Dracula.'
'Describe him to me,' the doctor said.
'He was tall,' the rector said. 'Some would say handsome. He was well-dressed and pale-skinned. He spoke with a slight accent. European.'
'And how did he come to be here?'
'Cassandra and I went to the village earlier to visit an unwell parishioner.'
'The time?'
'Just after five.'
Porter and Eddy exchanged glances as if confirming something.
'Go on,' Porter said.
'The man was walking alone on the road. We were in our carriage and slowed to greet him. He seemed charming enough to me, but it was obvious that Cassandra was enthralled with him.' The reverend's face fell. 'I've never seen her like that. At the time, I thought it was girlish infatuation. Then I thought it could be a boon. We want our girls to marry well. He said he was a European count.'
'Both Jane and Cassandra have not married yet,' Jane's mother pointed out.
'Thank you for mentioning that, Mother,' Jane said, icily. 'Continue, Father.'
Her father went on to say that they invited the man into the carriage with them. George Austen admitted that even he felt somewhat taken by the man. Without knowing why, he had invited Dracula into their home.
'I did not leave them alone,' he said. 'I would not do that. There are standards, after all.' His gaze settled on the seat where Eddy sat. 'He was in that chair, staring at Cassandra. She, in turn, was staring at him. Before I knew it, he had asked Cassandra to leave with him. He said I should stay here and not move.'
'You should have stopped them!' Jane's mother cried.
Doctor Porter held up a hand. 'Do not blame your husband. Some vampires have the power to mesmerise people. They can control others' wills. Anyone would have fallen under his power.'
Jane remembered what Doctor Porter had said about vampires. 'You said earlier that there were two different types. Dracula is obviously the kind that turns others into vampires like himself.'
'He is,' Porter said. 'I have been trailing him for some time. Originally from Transylvania, I believe he intends to make his base here in England.'
'Then we must find them,' Jane said. 'And stop that from happening.'
Reverend Austen held up his hand. 'You are right,' he said. 'But this is no business for a woman. I will go.'
Doctor Porter shook her head. 'No.'
The reverend sat up. 'What do you mean, no? This is my daughter. I will rescue her from this creature.'
'You will not succeed at rescuing her,' Doctor Porter said softly. 'You will only succeed in dying.'
Silence settled across the room until Eddy spoke up. 'The doctor's right,' he said. 'I've seen these vampires at work. They are more than a match for any normal man.' He nodded to Porter. 'But I've seen the doctor prevail against them—and other monsters—time and again.'
'How is that possible?' the reverend asked. 'She is…I mean, she is a…she.'
'I commend you on your astute powers of observation,' Porter said dryly. 'But the sex of the hunter—and I am the hunter in this instance—is not the issue. The issue is the lack of necessary equipment. I have that. You do not.'
Quick as a flash, she flicked her wrists, and a triple-barrelled gun whipped into each hand. Jane had seen few guns in her life, but she knew these were of a unique design. The wrought iron weapons seemed to be attached to harnesses that disappeared into the arms of her cloak.
'I have many other weapons that I can bring to bear,' Doctor Porter continued, clicking the firearms back into place. 'They have been supplied to me by a friend who is a skilled inventor.'
She was about to continue when there was a sharp knock at the door. The family looked at each other.
'That might be Cassandra!' Jane's mother said.
'She may have returned,' the reverend said.
George Austen raced from the room with the others in tow. The doctor tried to stop him, but he flung the front door open.
'Mister Fielding!' George said. 'What brings you here?'
Jane recoiled in surprise. Mister Fielding was a neighbouring farmer. They were on speaking terms, but there was no good reason for him to be calling at this hour.
'Reverend,' the man said. 'We must speak.'
'Is it about Cassandra?' George Austen asked.
'Cassandra? Yes, it is about your daughter.'
What happened next was so fast that Jane could barely comprehend it. Doctor Porter snapped one of her guns into place, pointed it at Mister Fielding, and pulled the trigger.
Ka-boom!
There was a collective scream as the bullet slammed into the exposed forehead of the farmer. Blood and matter from his skull splattered the front door as the top of his head was obliterated. He was catapulted into the darkness beyond.
Mrs Austen almost fainted, Jane's mouth dropped open, and the reverend stared in horror before turning to Doctor Porter.
'What have you done?' he cried. 'You've killed that poor man!'
'Killed?' Her eyes focused on the darkness. 'I wish I had.'
Everyone's eyes followed her gaze. Incredibly, the fallen figure emerged from the gloom. With the top of his skull missing and blood splattering his face and clothing, he lumbered to the open door.
'You shouldn't have done that,' he snarled.