exertions and cried often for our parents. We needed to move on so that we could reach our own estate, but I decided that we would stay in the house for a few days until Georgiana was rested. I caught rabbits, pigeons, and fish, and Georgiana picked fruit and herbs, and together with the remains of the cheese and the plentiful eggs, we survived.
‘I tempted Georgiana with thoughts of seeing our own dear nurse. She expressed herself willing to travel and we decided to set out on the morrow.
‘But when the morrow came, Georgiana was ill and I saw with alarm that she had the signs of the plague on her body.
‘It was a terrible moment. I had thought she had escaped, but there was no mistaking the boils. I looked after her as best I could, but she was sinking fast, and to make matters worse, the owner of the house returned.
‘I heard the carriage late one afternoon. It was so long since I had heard the sound of any human endeavour that for a moment I did not know what it was, but as soon as I remembered, I hid. I crouched beneath the window sill and peered over it to see how many people were approaching.
‘The carriage stopped in front of the house and a woman climbed out. She was splendidly dressed, evidently a woman of rank and fashion, and she was accompanied by a thin and sickly little girl. She was soon lost to view as she walked under the portico and I knew she was entering the house. I was filled with panic. I darted towards the door, meaning to go upstairs and protect Georgiana, but there were voices in the hall and so I hid behind the sofa, hoping the woman would not come into the room. But I was not quick enough and she saw me.
‘“Well, well, what do we have here?” she asked, coming into the room.
‘If I had been alone I would have run, but Georgiana was upstairs and so I could not leave. I stood up and told the woman that I didn’t mean any harm. I said that I had sheltered in the house for a night and that I was moving on.
‘“Are you alone?” she asked me.
‘I said that I was, but my eyes betrayed me and she followed their direction upstairs. Catching hold of my wrist she swept through the hall, up the stairs, and along the landing, taking me with her, whilst the pale girl followed close behind. She had no need to ask where my sister was, for Georgiana’s moans could by now be heard.
‘The woman went into Georgiana’s room and, taking one look at her as she tossed and turned on the bed, saw that her end was near. I expected the woman pull back, but instead she stayed where she was, and she made no move to stop her daughter from going over to Georgiana and holding her hand. Georgiana stopped tossing and turning at once and she opened her eyes and gave a weak smile. There was an instant connection between the two girls.
‘“Here, you can hold Evelina,” the pale girl said to my sister, handing her her doll.
‘I expected the woman to snatch the doll back, for people were terrified of contagion in those times, but she made no move to do so, and when I looked at her I saw there were tears in her eyes.
‘She blinked them back quickly and her manner became brisk.
‘“Do you want me to save your sister?” she asked. “I can save her life if you will it.”
‘“Are you a doctor?” I asked her.
‘“No,” she said. “I am a vampyre.”
‘I thought of all the stories I had heard but I was not afraid. I had seen the way she looked at her daughter. It was the way my mother had looked at Georgiana.
‘“If you save her, will she become a vampyre too?” I asked.
‘“She will. But you must hurry, her time is short. If you leave it too long, I will not be able to save her. No one will.”
‘I turned to my sister.
‘“Georgie,” I said. “This lady can save you, but you will become like her if she does. You will become a vampyre.”
‘Georgiana had heard the stories as well as I had. She looked at the woman apprehensively, then she looked at the girl.
‘“Are you a vampyre?” she asked.
‘“Yes,” said the girl.
‘My sister turned to me and nodded.
‘“Very well,” I said to the