An Ottoman name. The private detective she had hired with her meagre wages had discovered that Ismail was an Ottoman name. Violet couldn't get her mind around it. If Ismail was Ottoman, then what on earth had he been doing in the Scottish Highlands? What could he have wanted from her father?

"Miss, can I help you?"

Startled at the sound, Violet turned towards the elderly voice and brushed at the skirts of the dress she had borrowed from Sarah. The chiffon fabric felt odd to her fingers, the little ruffles at her wrists were irritating, but Sarah had assured her that she looked 'positively respectable' in the green day gown.  Positively respectable was a good thing, Violet supposed, as she cleared her throat.

"I heard there was a lecture on Ottoman art here today?"

"Why yes miss, right this way please. The museum is honoured to have Professor Tutskin do this series of lectures, he is a highly reputable scholar..."

Violet ignored the man's chatter and concentrated on following his scent. She had never been to a museum before, it had never crossed her mind to go when she couldn't see the works on display. It came as a surprise that the smells in these hallways reminded her of her childhood. Oil paints, pastels, acrylics, she had walked up and down hallways that smelled just like these, hallways lined with portraits of her mothers family and the greek and roman statues they collected.   

It was a strange feeling to be surrounded by those scents again. Although her mother had ordered the servants in the mansion to throw her out onto the streets, Violet remembered her home with a strange fondness. Perhaps it was because her mother was absent from most all of her memories of the place. Running through the rose gardens, reading in the musky library, playing in the attic... perhaps she thought of her home with an odd sense of yearning because it was the only place she had ever known. Intricately carved oak doors, her four poster bed, the white sheepskin rug beside her mohagony desk... the rooms were the last things she had seen before she went blind.   

"Here we go miss, you may take any of the empty seats."

"Thank you," Violet smiled before moving forward. She could hear the soft buzz of voices coming from up ahead. Her spine stiffened with every step she took.

She had come to this public lecture on Ottoman History to gain some insight into the psyche of her father's killer. Perhaps if she heard more about the people of the eastern empire, it would be easier to find him had been her thought.  Now that she was here, however, Violet wondered if she was about to meet her father's killer. Stupidly, she hadn't considered the possibility before...it really was pure luck that she had her dagger strapped to her leg under her skirts.

If the blood drinker was here, she would slit his throat. 

She took a deep breath as she neared the gathering. Eleven... no twelve people, but not one blood drinker among them.

"Damn!"

"That was my reaction precisely when I first saw the pompous professors sitting in the front row. Not a single woman among them. No wonder history is so skewed."

Violet shifted towards the female voice, a little surprised at the outburst.

"So sorry," the woman continued from a southernly direction. "Where are my manners? My name is Angelica, how about yours?"

"Violet," she replied slowly.  Angelica seemed to be sitting on a seat an arms length away , but no one else was nearby. 

"It's a pleasure, Violet. Won't you take a seat?"

"I...sure." Figuring it wouldn't do her any harm to sit beside the woman, Violet used the smell of wood polish emanating from the museum chairs to find an empty one to the left of the woman. 

"Your dress is lovely by the way."

Her eyebrows rising in surprise, Violet turned towards Angelica. She had hoped Sarah's choice of day dress would pass muster, but lovely? Violet would have to tell Sarah about the compliment. The tightrope who had sewn the dress from discarded materials would be happy to hear it had been complimented.  

"Thank you," Violet smiled. She knew it was only polite to return the compliment, but it was difficult when she had no idea what Angelica's dress looked like. Breathing deeply she caught the scent of jasmine from the lady beside her.

"The jasmine suits you wonderfully."

"Oh," Angelica sounded surprised. "Do I still smell of it? I haven't applied any since yesterday morning. It must be a stronger oil than I first thought."

"It's not too strong at all," Violet was quick to reassure her. "It's really, very nice."

"Thank you," Angelica's voice lowered to a whisper, "In truth, I've only been using scents since I got pregnant. It's amazing how a woman feels the need to at least smell beautifully during such a time."

"You're pregnant?" The question rolled thoughtlessly off Violet's tongue. 

"Well now, that's too much flattery right there. You could not possibly have missed it, my belly must be the size of the Queen's residence!" The laughter in Angelica's voice put Violet at ease. 

Some days were simply like this; she made one mistake after another. Since luck was not with her today and Violet decided not to hide her blindness from the joyful woman beside her.  

"I didn't mean to give false compliments. I didn't notice your pregnant state because I am blind."

The silence that followed her revelation was expected, but Violet still was a little disappointed. Angelica had seemed like the nice sort.

"There's a man sitting a few seats down from us and he has the longest moustache I've ever seen," Angelica said all of a sudden. "Unsurprisingly, a brown substance is dripping from one end of it onto his jacket. It's probably his  afternoon tea."

Violet laughed at the description, leaning towards Angelica as the woman continued with her descriptions: "The man in front of him is wearing a mountain of a hat, the poor long moustached man is craning his neck this way and that to get a view of the stage."

The images formed clearly in Violet's mind and she laughed again.

"Thank you," she said a moment later.

"For what?"

"For not treating me like an invalid."

Violet was startled as Angelica took one of her hands into her own.

"You have to forgive people their ignorance."

Before Violet could respond, Angelica let go of her hand. "Daniel? What are you doing here?"

Violet tipped her head back, then her shoulders tensed as the scent of blood assailed her. A blood drinker.  Her companion was familiar with one of their kind?

"I am sorry to disturb you Princess, Patrick sent me to check on your wellbeing," Daniel explained.

Princess? Violet was reeling from being stuck between a blood-drinker and royalty when Angelica touched her hand once more. 

"Violet, may I introduce Lord Trace? Daniel, this is Violet."

Even though her own mother was an aristocrat, Violet could not remember how to formally greet nobles so she smiled awkwardly. 

"Miss Violet," Daniel was leaning towards her now, the scent of blood and overwhelming cologne coming towards her in wafts.  "Oh...but don't I know you?"

"Sorry?" Violet questioned. 

"But of course!" Daniel's voice rose with excitement. "You're Lady Violin!"

Violet almost groaned as she felt Angelica turn to face her.

"Who?"

"You are her, I could never forget those eyes, and your fingers they are magic!" Daniel picked Violet's hand up from her lap and placed a prolonged kiss on her knuckles. She drew her hand back, torn between annoyance and humour. "There is no magic involved, just lots of practice,"  remembering some of the rules she had been taught long ago, Violet added a hasty, "My lord."

"Oh my!" This time it was Angelica who voiced her surprise, "I can't believe you are Lady Violin! Why, the entire ton is going on and on about you, Violet. Many are calling you a genius!"

"A what? I am no such thing!" Violet protested. 

"Modesty is a wonderful virtue, Lady Violin, but I have heard you perform. Your music touches the soul." Daniel insisted.

"I sent a friend to listen to you perform only a few days ago. He was sorely in need of a musical education, don't you know." Angelica said primly. "But then I regretted not asking him to take me along! I would love to hear you play!"

"I...well...you are most welcome to come and see a performance whenever you like," Violet spoke hesitantly. She was unused to such attention, and it made her uncomfortable. With no sign of Ismail, there really was not point in staying, "It really was nice to meet you both, but I need to take my leave."

"You are not going to listen to the lecture?" disappointment was evident in Angelica's voice.

Standing, Violet shook her head, "I'm afraid I just remembered something I had to do at the Circus."

"Princess Kourakin, we need to leave as well," Daniel spoke quickly.

"We do?" Angelica asked.

"Yes, you are needed at home."

Violet listened to the exchange curiously. There was hesitation in Lord Trace's voice, enough to make her feel as though he was deliberately leaving something out.

"Well then," Angelica got up and stood beside Violet, "Then let us take Lady Violin to the Circus on the way." 

"I really can make my own way..."

"I will not hear of it!" Angelica interrupted her with a regal tone before she grabbed Violet by the arm and dragged her out of the lecture hall and into the bright midday sun.