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To Dream of Darkness

A story by DoggyStyle57

Chapter 22, Written January 2012

===

Chapter 22 - Sins of the father

Two months after the tragic incident with Amara being found to be a vampire, and her slaying, life in the Pennington household had settled into a precarious but at least predictable new routine. As much as they mourned the death of their only daughter, the Lord and Lady Pennington could not blame Sarina for slaying their vampire-cursed child. Not when Sarina had also cured the Lady Meghan Pennington and Lady Portia, saving them from the same grisly, soul-damning fate. Sarina moved back into her room in the family manor, and rapidly the Penningtons began to look on their niece with the same affection they had reserved for their own daughter. They even had a new will drawn up, clearly designating Sarina as their sole heiress.

But having been a vampire, for however briefly, was having a very unsettling effect on the Lady Pennington. Sarina had to use her magic to prevent her aunt from having recurring nightmares about attacking Lady Portia and turning her into a vampire. That had worked, but Lady Pennington had refused to allow Sarina to give her the oblivion of not remembering the events of that night at all, or the reason for her daughter's tragic death. So the memory that her daughter had damned herself and killed others as a vampire, and that Lady Meghan herself had come so close to damning not only her own soul, but that of another, continued to weigh very heavily on the good Lady's conscience. Even though she was cured of having been a vampire, she was still frightened that her own soul was damned, for what she had done that night.

Lady Meghan had never been a particularly religious person, and formerly she and her husband had attended Church only on the major holiday celebrations, and for special services like weddings and funerals. But now, she went every Sunday at sunrise to the nearby church, attended both the morning and evening services, and spent most of the day between the two services in the chapel, praying fervently for the damned soul of her deceased vampire daughter, and for her own soul's salvation and forgiveness as well. When she was not at the church, she spent much of her remaining free time reading scriptures at home, or praying at a small devotional altar that she had set up in the sitting room, next to her bedroom. She also made sure that every room in their home had a mirror and a crucifix in it.

Lord Pennington accepted his wife's new-found devotion, and tried to be supportive. He joined his wife each Sunday morning, attending the service and praying during the sermon for their daughter's soul. But he still had to tend to his correspondence and business interests, and spending all day in church grated on him. As a result, most of each Sunday found him at the mansion, with only Sarina and the household staff for company. And the staff went to the evening church service, leaving the two of them alone.

Early on one Sunday afternoon, after they had their mid-day meal, and the servants had gone about their chores, Lord Pennington looked particularly uncomfortable. They sat together in his study, he with the paper, and she with a book on magic. He had been polite to Sarina all day, but he seemed unwilling to look at her directly.

Finally, Sarina asked him, "Uncle? What is it that troubles you so? I see you glancing at me, but then you look away, and say nothing. Why does it bother you so to look at me? Is it because I was unable to save Amara's soul as well?"

"No, I understand and accept that Amara was already too far gone into vampirism, and too violent, to take a risk of trying to save her. Especially when you didn't know what other threats might lurk in her lair. What is bothering me is not a problem that you are to blame for," he said. He took a deep breath, and then hesitantly continued, saying, "Sarina, you have grown into such a lovely young vixen. I was struck today by how much you look like your mother. A bit too much for my comfort, I fear."

"I see. If my resemblance to your sister, my mother, is worrisome, I can change it, you know. I could make my fur dark brown, perhaps? Or my hair jet black?" Sarina offered. "My magic will even allow me to change my facial features, or my height and figure, though I should need new clothes, if I change my body very much."

"No! Please, do not change yourself. Not for that reason, Sarina," Lord Pennington said. "We are alone, so I can admit to you what we both know, that I loved my sister Mary, your mother, far beyond the bounds that society allows. Please forgive me, but... when I look at you, I have... impure thoughts of her. But at least I have those pleasant memories, and I thank you for that."

"There is nothing to forgive, uncle. You also have your wife to consider, who you almost lost to the vampire's curse, and you don't want to be seen as unfaithful to her, do you? But then, I've never seen you flirt with the ladies, since I came to live with you. Never have I known you to go out alone, and come back smelling of a woman. Yes, I do know you cheated on my aunt before I was born, by sleeping with your sister. But you haven't been unfaithful recently, have you?" Sarina asked.

"No. I have been completely faithful to my wife, ever since the time when my sister became pregnant with you. It frightened Mary and I, when she became pregnant. We didn't know if your father had impregnated her, or if I had. We both feared what might happen if the child favored my appearance, and not my sister or her husband. Since that day, I have mated with no one but my wife. I still do love my wife, and find her beautiful. But lately... well, my wife and I are both over fifty now, and there are... changes that come on a woman as she ages and can no longer bear children. Between that, and her newfound religious fervor... it has been over two years now since we shared a bed, for any reason other than sleep. She admits that she no longer feels the need for sex. I am... not so fortunate."

"It does seem unfair, I suppose. A male strives for so many years to be faithful to his mate, but when she ceases going into heat, and he still wishes to mate, what is he to do?" Sarina said. "I suppose it wouldn't do for you to be seen in a brothel, or for fallen women to come calling when your wife was away. Surely that would cause a scandal. Nor, I dare say, could you take your pleasures with the maid or the cook, though both are comely girls. Not that other gentlemen of your standing don't often dally with the girls that work in their homes. But I would guess that you fear your lady wife would learn of it, in time, and you are much too kind to break her heart like that. And now I make you uncomfortable, because when you look at me, and recall your beloved sister, you are tempted to ask your own niece, or perhaps one who might even be your own daughter, to fornicate with you, is that it?"

"Yes. It shames me to the core to confess it, but dash it all, yes! I am so glad you understand, and please do not abhor me for my weakness and moral corruption," Lord Pennington said. "I will persevere. I must perforce continue to be celibate. It makes me uncomfortable, but I have no other choice."

"But you would like to fornicate with me, wouldn't you, uncle? Well, it would certainly not be without precedent, even in the most acceptable of social circles. It seems to me that if our honorable Queen Victoria can marry her own first cousin, Albert, and bear his children, that there is little reason why a gentleman might not enjoy a dalliance with his niece, or even with his daughter, if she was willing, and he and she were discrete." Sarina said with a smile. "Your lady wife will not be home for many hours, and the servants have gone by now to attend the evening church service, and will not return until it is time to make the evening meal. No one need know, if you come to my room."

"You're... serious?" he asked. "You actually are inviting me to do such a thing?"

"I am quite serious," Sarina stated. "Lord Pennington, I do not care that you are my uncle, or that you might even be my father. You are still a virile and handsome fox, for all that you have some grey in your fur, and yes, I would mate with you, if it pleases you to have me. I am not a virgin, though if it pleases you I could use magic to make myself seem to be one, and could even bleed on the bedding. I could make myself appear to be your sister Mary at the age she was on the day you first mated with her, or as she would appear today, if she yet lived; or I could look just like Aunt Meghan, but years younger, revitalized and eager to welcome you to her bed; or I could even make myself appear to be your dear departed daughter, Amara, innocent of her later crimes and seeking the comfort of her daddy's arms. You have but to tell me what you wish of me, and I can accommodate that desire. No one will know, and I will not judge you for having such incestuous impulses. I assure you that such thoughts are quite common among men, and there are many women who also harbor such feelings. The choice is yours, Uncle. I will be in my room."

===

Ten minutes later, Lord Pennington came to Sarina's room, with his fur and hair carefully brushed. He timidly knocked on the door, and asked "Mary? May I come in?"

"Come in, dear," said a sultry voice as the door swung open. Sarina stood inside, one hand resting on the door. She was unclothed, and looked precisely like Lord Pennington's deceased sister, Lady Mary Randall, but vibrantly healthy and of the right age to match her brother. "I've been waiting for you, my beloved brother," she murred.

"Ohhh, Mary. How I have missed you," Lord Pennington said, as he closed the door and took his niece in his arms, seeing only his sister.

===

At dinner that night, Lord Pennington looked much more relaxed. His wife even commented that it was good to see him smile again, and that she took it as a sign that he was overcoming his own grief at the loss of their daughter.

"Sarina? Your twentieth birthday is almost upon us," Lady Pennington said, as they finished their meal. "Have you given any consideration to accepting the attentions of a suitable young gentleman, and starting a family of your own?"

"My studies in magic keep me quite busy, Auntie," Sarina replied demurely. "There are a few nice young men who I know, that would probably be eager to have me as their bride. They tend to come calling at my shop, rather than here at our home, as none are yet so serious as to seek to ask the two of you for my hand. But I am not so enamored of any of them that I want to rush to my bridal bed. When I do seek a mate, I would rather that he be a gentleman who I already know well, and who I can respect as a friend. That takes time, and I am content with the life that I have."

Lord Pennington looked at his niece adoringly, and said to his wife, "Now now, my dear. I am sure our Sarina is in no danger of becoming an old maid. You and I knew each other very well as friends and neighbors, before I asked you to marry you, and that turned out quite well for us. The girl has a good head on her shoulders. She will know when the right man for her comes along."

Her aunt nodded and replied, "I suppose so. Yet I was still only nineteen when we wed. I only want to see Sarina being happy. But how would you like to celebrate your birthday, Sarina? We could hold a nice ball, in your honor, perhaps?"

"I would be honored, and I am sure that the gentlemen who already come calling, as well as other hopeful suitors, will find that a quite welcome event. Make what arrangements you will, My Lady. I am certain it will be splendid," Sarina replied.

===

Over the next two weeks, Lady Pennington immersed herself in the preparations for Sarina's birthday party. She seemed happy to have something to dwell upon other than her lost daughter, and the questionable status of her own soul.

Meanwhile, Sarina and Lord Randall became increasingly bolder in their trysts. It was not enough for Lord Randall to only have Sarina's favors once a week, when the Lady Pennington was in church. He also arranged for Sarina to cast a spell upon his wife each night, so Lady Pennington would dream peacefully and not awaken, while her husband and niece rutted lustily each evening in Sarina's room. In spite of being thirty two years older that Sarina, Lord Randall was still a quite capable and experienced lover. At Sarina's request, he did not wear the talisman that protected his mind, when they mated.

Sarina took a number of forms while mating with her uncle. Of course, she knew she had no relation to him at all, but it intrigued her how maintaining various fantasies for him increased his stimulation. Their mating was always enjoyable for her, but still she formed no emotional attachment with him. It was merely a pleasurable pastime that she knew made the old fox happier, and which helped increase her personal security as he became more enamored of her. Though she lacked the emotional responses herself, she could feel in his mind the types of responses he desired from her, and could mimic those responses quite believably. His most common request was for her to appear to be his sister, Mary. But she also mated with him as Sarina in her early teens, calling him daddy, and on rare occasions, in the appearance of his daughter Amara at a similarly young age, and he got to experience what it would have been like to be the first lover for both Sarina and Amara.

The one thing he forbade her to do was to take the appearance of his wife, Lady Meghan Randall. "While my wife lives, I ask that you do not imitate her form, my dear girl. I would never wish to make the error of speaking to her as if I was speaking to you in her form, and your ability to take someone else's form is so uncanny, that I am certain I could not tell you apart if you took her form," he said one night, as he mated with what appeared to be Amara at the age of twelve.

"As you wish, Daddy," the false Amara said to him, as she lewdly bounced up and down atop him. "I only desire to make you happy! Mummmm, you're sure making me happy now! I love you, Daddy!"

===

On the morning of Sarina's twentieth birthday, the maid came into the Solar. She was fairly new to the household, a sixteen year old mixed breed canine girl that they had hired two years earlier. She told Sarina and the Lord and Lady Pennington, "Begging your pardon, Sir and Ladies. But there is a gentleman at the door, who has baggage with him! He would not give me a name, Sir and Ladies, but said to summon you at once!"

"Were you expecting any visitors, my dear?" Lady Pennington asked her husband, looking concerned, as the house was not ready for guests.

"I most certainly was not! What impertinence is this?" Lord Pennington said. "Sarina? Can you tell who it is with your magic, and what they intend?"

Sarina's eyes glowed, but then she replied, "I fear that I cannot, uncle, without it being perceived as a violent attack. His mind is protected very well. I sense several extremely potent warding charms on his person, protecting against mental intrusion, but also against many forms of magical attack. The carriage driver does not know his name or his business here. Only that he picked the gentleman and his luggage up at the docks, and was given this exact address to take that gentleman to."

They went to the window, and looked out at the hired carriage, and at the canine driver that was offloading the last of three large and well-worn portmanteau chests and several smaller bags. A fox in a long winter coat had his back to the window, as he paid the driver and sent him on his way. Sarina and the Lord and Lady Pennington all gasped in surprise as he turned to face the mansion.