Nature or Nurture Ch. 34-36

And that is exactly what they do, Catherine sitting on Victor's lap all night, whispering cheeky comments in his ears whenever she thinks of them, and getting a lot of hugs and cheeky comments in return. They giggle like teenagers and get some angry looks from other spectators, and they don't care one bit.

Having taken the trouble to get to know Victor, Catherine likes him better and better, and she can see what Mina loves about him.

Vincent is strong enough for the meet and greet, and his loyal fans have even turned up to hear the result of his audition. Sitting on his arm, Catherine looks straight at Miss Yves, and gets a meaningful look in return.

After congratulating her father with his success, and amazed to hear that he has met both a famous actor and a well-known playwright, Miss Yves compliments Catherine on her dress, then observes, 'You look different, Catherine, maybe you should practise your toddler again. Better get your dad to help, or you'll give yourself away. Practise instant switches until they become second nature, the world is a dangerous place for the likes of us.'

There is something about her that makes Catherine take her seriously, and she looks up at her dad, who nods, and affirms.

'Miss Yves is very observant, it is likely nobody else has noticed, yet, but she is right, you are not used to switching between persona and it is wise to practise that.

Thank you very much, Miss Yves, for the sound advice, we will certainly heed it.'

Shaking her head, the young lady says, 'I thought you were going to call me Vanessa, why stick to the formality? You're about to become famous, Vincent, better get used to being familiar with a lot of people.'

She is teasing him of course, but she is very charming so he smiles his most amiable smile and asks her in a low voice, 'Have you had any mysterious occurrences lately, Vanessa?'

She shakes her head with something like relief,

'I haven't, Vincent, your lady's actions have helped a great deal, I have good hopes that whatever was after me has given up. But Sembene tell me something is stirring again, so I'll be careful.'

'Again I thank you for the advice, for Catherine here seems to have been his target last time, and if there is reason to be vigilant, we will be so.'

'If something happens, I'll make sure to let you know, I feel safe with your group on my side, and I really want to help protect Catherine.'

She seems to be on her own this time, there is no sign of the American, nor of any other escort.

Or is she with Mr Grey? He certainly seems to hover around her a little, he joins their little group, and strangely enough Vincent doesn't feel his pull at all. Maybe he has grown used to it? But Catherine releases her little hand from his neck, and he feels the full force of it again, such a beautiful guy, this Dorian.

In a mesmerizing voice he calls out jovially, 'Vincent! I just knew you had that part the moment I saw you on stage! Such confidence, such flair. Did you meet Mr Wilde? Is he as irresistibly handsome as they say?'

Finally, Catherine notices her father's bemused expression and holds out her hands to Mr Grey. Though not used to interacting with children, he picks up this beautiful toddler easily enough, she'll look great on his arm with her raven hair and her doll-like perfect features.

And the moment Dorian accepts her presence, his pull is gone.

Vincent shakes his head, the memory of his bemusement fading rapidly, and he sees Vanessa make a very similar gesture. Apparently, she is not immune to his active charisma either, and very surprised to have it lifted instantly, she probably never realized she was bewitched by him. It looks as if she does some thinking now, if Dorian is indeed her escort, he may find himself driving home alone tonight.

'Personally, I thought Mr Alexander handsomer and more outgoing than Mr Wilde, but of course Mr Wilde did not pay much attention to me, I'm only a minor player and so far from handsome myself,' Vincent replies to Dorian's question.

As nice and outgoing as ever, Dorian states, 'So you got the part, I'm looking forward to seeing you play. But whatever gave you the idea you're not a handsome guy? That you look different from other men? That life has marked you? It's life that makes men handsome, Vincent, and I'm sure you have no lack of admiration from the ladies.

Though I thought you even better looking when you still played the villain, but I guess I feel drawn to bad boys. What say you, Vanessa?'

Vanessa has realized by now that some enchantment has been lifted off her, apparently by Catherine's presence in Dorian's arms. What if the girl wants to go back to her dad?

'I certainly agree with you that life makes a man beautiful, Dorian, and I have always thought Vincent a very appealing man, but I do have to confess I have a liking for villains, too. To my great detriment, I'm afraid.'

And with that, she looks at Dorian, a bit suspicious now, but Catherine holds out her hands to her, as if to protect her. Vincent is not alarmed, he knows Adison will not let him fall under the spell of Dorian Grey, and it is so interesting to see how Vanessa becomes aware of Dorian's influence on the people around him.

As Catherine sits on Vanessa's arm, Dorian moves off, and the lady says to Vincent, 'I thought it was safe to go out with him with the demon banished from me, but now it appears as if he has his own demon. Did you feel that? How come you protect me from it, Catherine?'

'I think it is because of the innocence of a child,' Vincent says quickly, before Catherine answers by herself. Acting like a toddler in public means all the time. 'I suppose the demon did protect you from his pull, we've all felt it, though Adison and Mina only notice its presence, not its effect.

How will you get home without flinging yourself at his feet?'

'I have my ways,' Vanessa replies mysteriously, 'I've some knowledge of those arts myself, and I think I know a way to protect my virtue. Can I retreat to your dressing-room for a moment? And maybe borrow a small knife or a safety pin? Can't have myself ravaged by Mr Grey after all.'

And Vincent leads Miss Yves to the dressing-room, now deserted, and hands her a large pin.

Without qualms about their presence or hurting herself, she rolls up her black sleeve, then pricks her other finger with the pin, and shapes a form in blood on her forearm, where it will be hidden by her sleeve.

At first it is just a blob of blood, a bit gruesome looking, though Catherine shows nothing but interest, but soon it becomes a stylized scorpion. Sucking her finger until the pin-prick closes, Vanessa stays silent, and so do Vincent and Catherine.

When the tiny wound is closed and the image has dried, Vanessa rolls her sleeve back down, and looks at Catherine.

'Will you join me Catherine, as I look for Dorian? And touch me if my little scorpion doesn't work?'

Catherine nods.

'No problem, but first I'd like to know about the textile mill that burned down one and a half years ago, remember that?'

A bit surprised, Vanessa thinks for a moment.

'I do, yes, it was a huge fire, though I didn't see it myself. Apparently it nearly jumped to the rest of the neighbourhood, but got stuck on the river. They never found out who set the fire, though it was clear it had been set.

There is a new factory built in exactly the same spot, a light, clean building with modern machines doing most of the work. Some say it cost a lot of jobs, but I say, better let those machines do the suffering, it was said that the children working in the old mill never lived longer than a year or two after being taken there.

Why do you want to know? You were just a baby then, and never at risk to land in a factory with such a father.'

'Why would he want that mill burned down, if good came of it?'

Vincent is puzzled, but also a bit put out that Catherine would give herself away, even if it's just Miss Yves, who more or less guessed already.

'Well, some good certainly came of it, for the council ordered several more of those derelict factories torn down for fear of fire getting loose in the city. They were all replaced by modern buildings. Do you know who ordered it burned? He might be a villain, but he was also a hero.'

They go back to the meet and greet, where Catherine helps Vanessa test her creepy drawing, and it appears to work, for Catherine soon returns alone, and Vincent can see Miss Yves arm in arm with Dorian Grey.

'It worked,' his daughter says, 'better start training being a toddler again tomorrow, though, or all London will know about me. She's very sharp!'