My Butler's A Vampire!

Stella was happy to see Luthor at the door. "You just think of everything, Luthor. Thank you. I could use some tea." It would be nice to relax finally after all that had happened.

All of them went downstairs to the fireplace sitting area and a small tray was placed on the table in the middle complete with a Victorian tea set, steam rising from the tea pot. It smelled so lovely and it was warm by the fire. Stella took a seat on the comfy chair nearest the fireplace.

"The food will be along momentarily." Luthor assured, "I'll see to it." he said, heading to the kitchen. He mother followed with her daughter to the lounge, "He's always been on point with needed moments." chuckled her mum, she got a whiff of the tea, "Ooo, Green jasmine tea." she smiled as she poured the tea, "Wonder what he's got prepped." she chuckled.

Then a minute later, Luthor came back with a cloche covered tray and laid it on the table and lifted it up, "Ladies, Alflafa sprout and corned beef sandwiches, with the homemade butter, with pink salt, red cracked pepper and on the side, some of our choice home made pickles from our larder." he smiled, "Enjoy ladies."

There was finely made, neat sandwiches with no crusts, with a separator bowl of pickled cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, baby onions and carrots. "Oh so elegant as usual." chuckled Julia.

Stella also prepared a cup of tea for herself adding a bit of extra sugar to make it sweeter, she always had a bit of a sweet tooth. She took a sip and it was just right.

She looked up over her cup when she saw Luthor come back and set the tray down in front of them. He lifted the lid to show a beautifully prepared small meal for them. Everything was immaculate and looked to perfect to eat. Stella's eyes sparkled. "Wow, thank you Luthor!" She was quite excited.

"It looks to pretty to eat, but I am so hungry." She said and took a sandwich to put on her plate. Her eyes lit up again when she took a bite. "Mmm! It's delicious!" She said with a smile and a full mouth.

"Please enjoy them all, if you wish for anything else, please do not hesitate to request it." he smiled, "All ingredients, except the tea of course, was produced here on the farm, including the corned beef from one of your family farms beef cattle herd." he said, "So all organic and all home made." he said with pride.

"Your father was always proud of the family farm and food." her mother said as she took a bite of a sandwich. "They pickles look amazing." she added, "Thank you ladies. I'll be nearby, enjoy." he bowed and left them to enjoy lunch.

Stella was definitely impressed by Luthor. He was so thoughtful and took great pride in his work. "Mm, yes they do look good." She took one and it had a perfect crunch to it and tasted divine.

She swallowed her mouthful of food and hated to see Luthor go. "You don't have to go, Luthor. Won't you please join us?" She asked wanting to get to know him a little better.

"I would Miss Stella, but it would be against my professionalism. I Am honoured you wish me to join you, But I must insist I keep to my job while serving you." he bowed. Julia chuckled, "I asked him to join us long ago and he told me the same thing." Luthor chuckled, "I very much enjoy my job and position. I very much like to make sure all it well for you before myself, but I assure you miss I am well and I am fine." he smiled.

"Of course, I understand." Stella returned his friendly smile and watched him walk away. "He is so proper...and kinda mysterious. Do you know anything about him, mom?" She asked.

"Only that he's a fine gentleman, he was working here for a LONG time.....but the mysterious thing about him is.....he's barely changed physically." she said, "I met him even before you were born........I'm surprised he still looks so....youthful." she scratched her head.

"He must be blessed with extended youth genes." she chuckled, picking up a sandwich and taking a bite out of it.

Stella chuckled too. "I don't really remember much about Luthor, but he definitely does look the same. So youthful and not a single crease or wrinkle on his face. I wonder what his secret is?" She chuckled again and took a sip of her tea.

Luthor who was standing outside, merely gave a light chuckle, but didn't respond to their little chats.

Once they were done with lunch, "If you would like to look around Miladies, feel free. Though the lower west wing is where the staff rooms are and i advise no venturing there for privacy." he said to Julia AndStella, but the rest of the manor, please look around." he smiled as he collected the dishes and got taking them to the kitchen.

Stella was more than happy to go looking around the house. As many times as she had been here growing up, she hadn't gotten to see everything. "Yes, of course. Come on mom, let's look around. I want to go see the ballroom and the library. Those were my two favorite places in the house." She smiled and stood up from the chair and brought her mom along.

"Sure thing." she smiled and followed her daughter to go have a look around the manor. The first place they went since it was the closest, was the kitchen. It was a restored and fully working victorian styled kitchen, but with a modern twist, with and electric oven and stove, but still had the old styled charcoal burner. Fresh and dried herbs hanging above the island in the middle of the kitchen where Minnie and another young maid were hard at work. One seemed to be baking bread, while the other was mixing something that looked like chocolate.

"Hello ladies." the younger maid smiled, "Exploring are we?" asked Minnie with a smile, as she mixed the chocolate mixture.

Stella and her mother entered the kitchen first as it was the closest. Minnie and another maid were in there preparing something. Stella could smell the aroma of fresh bread filling the kitchen. "Mmm, it smells wonderful in here."

"Hello Minnie, what are you ladies making? It smells delicious!" She asked looking into the giant mixing bowl that Minnie was mixing a dark brown batter in that smelled like chocolate.

"Yes, we are. The kitchen was the closest so we decided to start here." She smiled.

"That smell is the country bread we're baking. We make a fresh loaf every day." smiled Minnie, And we prepare the next lot of dough for tomorrow." she got pouring the chocolate batter into a cake pan, "And I'm making a cake for tonight." she added, offering a taste to Stella from the mixing spoon. Her mother chuckled, "Oooh i know you love that part." she smiled, coming over and getting a taste, "Oooo that's good. German chocolate?" she asked. "Close, but its a VERY good quality dark coco." smiled Minnie.

"Of course, if you need anything from the kitchen please don't hesitate to come and ask, and you're free to come in anytime." smiled Minnie.

"I can't wait to taste some!" Stella smiled even bigger when Minnie offered her a taste of the chocolate cake batter she was preparing. She swiped her finger over the spoon and stuck it in her mouth for a taste. "Mmm! It's delicious! I can't wait to have some this evening." Stella was so excited to try all the food. "Pretty soon the whole manor is going to smell like bread and chocolate."

"Thank you, Minnie. We are going to keep looking around." Stella waved to them as they left. "What's next then?" She asked her mother while they walked down the long hallway. "I don't remember where everything is...this house is so big. I can't believe I am going to be living here..."

"You see when its done Miss Stella." she smiled, "You two go an have fun now." Minnie chuckled, "Oh we will minnie." said Julia as they left the kitchen. As the arrived back to the main front of the manor Julia smiled, "I almost forgot how lively this place is with the staff so hard at work...even in such a dark time."

She followed her daughter to the long hall, "Hmm...i'm trying to remember as well, been a long time you know." she reminded hr daughter. "I know your father wanted you to come here more often......but he was so wrapped up in his overseas business...." she said. "I think this way leads to the grand ballroom or something like that." they headed on down that way, "I remember attending a party here once, VERY much like a red carpet event.......you'll love the ballroom."

"It seems odd...being here without grandfather." Whenever she would visit the manor which was on rare occasions, her grandfather made sure that she didn't want for anything. He loved spending time with her and she with him.

"Yeah that was dad's excuse for everything. He was always too busy or too tired or too something." She sighed. "He and grandfather were so different." She said remembering her grandfather as a kind and caring soul. He always put family first. They entered the ballroom and Stella was amazed. It looked just like a painting from the Italian Renaissance. Gold decorated the entire room and it was HUGE! "Wow...it's so beautiful!" She walked to the center and looked up at the ceiling. "The attention to detail is astounding."

"It is....Bert was a kind man and try to accommodate to all those who stepped into this house.....pity his wife was not as accepting or her daughter." she sighed. They eventually found the ballroom entrance, "There we are." she smiled and they entered, "Whoa...." she said in awe, "This place never ceases to amaze me....so beautiful.........." Julia said, feeling slightly sad, she was thrilled to be here again...but they were much happier times. but it made her happy that her little girl would be set for life and she wouldn't want for anything. The lights were not turn don when they came in, "Where is that..." Julia looked around, then, CLICK!

The lights came on and the FULL glow of the room was presented and at the light switch was Luthor, "Sorry ladies, I couldn't help but show the real beauty in full light." he smiled.

As Stella was admiring the ceiling, the pearl and crystal chandeliers were suddenly lit and the room came to life. She too looked around frantically wondering how that happened. The rest of the lights came on as well and she finally spotted Luthor at the switch.

"Oh, Luthor! You were so quiet." She said not having noticed him enter the room at all. "This is so beautiful. It reminds me so much of the ballrooms I've seen in books from the Italian Renaissance. All the gold and the pearls. It's breathtaking."

"Forgive me, Its out of habit." he chuckled, entering the room. "Its just as I remember it." smiled Julia, all dressed up like a princess and attending with my Prince." She sighed a little, still in a hopeless romantic way. "You looked very lovely that Night Miss Julia, I remember it well." Luthor complimented. "You were making sure all the waiting staff were not lollygagging or whatnot." chucked Julia. "They had a job and so did I." he smiled.

He Looked to Stella, "Yes, it was issued by a very good Italian Artist when it was first commissioned. Allesandro Bianchi I believe was his name." he said, "He was told to make it as similar to the old style arts as possible."

Stella couldn't help but smile at her mother's story. Her eyes lit up when she talked about the good times she had with her father.

"Really? Wow that is amazing! I've studied his work and he is one of the most sought after artists from his time. What an honor to be living in a house in which he had a hand in helping create." Stella was an old soul, she was fascinated with art, architecture, and anything from the Renaissance time period. When she wasn't busy with her major, she liked to study fine art in her spare time and developed a deep love for the Renaissance.

"He's not as well known as Da Vinci or Michangelo, but he was good." he smiled. "This house is full of old design form the time it was build, which was about 1740-1750's, so its been maintained for a long time and your family have all lived here though it." said Luthor. "Though I do recall one occasion you were in here Young Miss." he said, "You were exploring, you were quiet young still, and I found you seeing you were alone."

"Maybe not, but I feel he is a very underestimated talent." The more Luthor explained the history of this room, the more fascinating it became. "That just makes it all the more special." She said. "Really? You would think I would remember a room this beautiful." She smiled.

"You were very young." he chuckled, "I believe.....you were 4 or 5 years old." he guessed. Julia nodded, "Yes, that was the last time we came here...so I'm not surprised you don't recall." he mother said, remembering too. "You were teaching her to dance?" she chuckled.

"She did very well." Luthor chuckled lightly.

Stella's cheeks blushed a pale pink, the blood suddenly rushing there from her embarrassment at hearing the story Luthor told about her younger self. "Well, at least I didn't have two left feet." She said with a smile. She could picture a younger version of herself standing on Luthor's feet as they moved slowly across the floor. The innocent her thinking she was actually dancing when in reality Luthor was going all the work.

"That is the first and last time I ever danced like that. But I would love to really learn how to ballroom dance one day. Would you be willing to finish the lesson one day, Luthor?" She chuckled.