As you follow the servant, you note that he is quite handsome, even oddly so. There is something unusual that draws your attention to him, but you cannot quite figure out what it is. Before you can settle your thoughts, the servant stops before a heavy oak door and knocks. It is opened by the older gentleman who drove the carriage, and he indicates for you to enter and take a seat across from the marquis, who is seated at his desk finishing some paperwork. At a nod from the marquis, the older gentleman leaves the two of you alone.
The study is typical of the office of any number of nobles. The only oddity might be that the windows are heavily tinted with heavy drapes, but the interior lighting is quite bright.
"I trust your rooms are satisfactory?" Marquis Rajes smiles at you.
"Milord...as a servant, it is a bit much," you say hesitantly.
"Miss Vauntier, I do not wish to hire you as a mere servant, but as a companion." Before you can protest, Marquis Rajes raises his hand and continues. "It will require a bit of subterfuge on your part, but I wish you to play the part of the child of a fallen noble who is now my ward -- as would be your brother and sister, of course. There are two reasons for this. First, as I stated before, you are the only person I have found who suffers the same...'malady' as I. I wish to have someone around who can empathize, but a noble cannot spend time socializing with a servant, you understand." Seeing the comprehension in your eyes, the Marquis goes on.
"The second reason is slightly more pragmatic, I must admit. As a title-holding male noble of a certain age, on social occasions I am expected to associate with ladies of similar standing in order to choose a partner with the eventual goal of producing an heir." You are a little flabbergasted at the turn this conversation has taken, but the marquis keeps on blithely, disregarding your discomfort. "As I stated, I have no desire to take a bedfellow, and I would never place you in a dishonorable position. Rather, if I were to be escorting my 'ward' to the varied gatherings I must attend, it would at least limit my interactions with said ladies." The marquis' ruby eyes twinkle as he explains things to you, but he takes on a tinge of melancholy as he continues, "Excessive intimacy with others could cause them to note the physical symptoms of our shared 'malady,' you see."
You begin to realize this job is more complex than you thought. However, you are at Marquis Rajes mercy for now, since there are not many other options for you. You decide to bite the bullet and see how much information he is actually willing to share with you.
"Milord, I understand what you want from me, but..." you take a deep breath. "How do I know my siblings and I will be safe here? The servants are regular humans who could report my situation. Also, I know very little about becoming a vampire, but it has already changed me physically. Do you know if I will change even more in the future?"