chapter 4

In the fashionable side of Belgravia Mina sat on the edge of Lucy Westenra's bed watching her best friend apply her makeup. Although they had sat together like this countless times, ever since they had been old enough to care about boys, makeup and clothes, she never failed to be awed by Lucy's beauty.
"You must try this champagne," Lucy said.

"It's not even past five yet," Mina protested but Lucy was already pouring it into round bellied champagne glasses.

She knew that Jonathan found such ostentatious displays of wealth vulgar but the Westenras had always been kind to her. Besides, Lucy hardly needed to impress her. She was not her rival in beauty, fortune or rank. Lucy Westenra was one of London's most celebrated beauties. Her name often graced the pages of society papers, particularly since she had become involved with Arthur Holmwood, the eldest son and heir of Lord Godalming.
Mina took a polite sip from her champagne glass and discreetly put it aside but already Lucy was offering her a platter of afternoon tea fancies, each tempting sugarspun confection looked as bright, dainty and pretty as Lucy herself.

She bit her lip and hesitated. She knew that she really shouldn't but somehow she just couldn't resist. She closed her eyes as she took a bite and could not help but utter a little "Mmmm" at the indulgent mouthful of strawberries and vanilla cream.
When she opened her eyes she was surprised to find Lucy staring at her, her eyes wide with expectation. "They're delicious, aren't they?"

Mina blushed and wiped the stray crumbs from the corner of her lips. The pleasure of the tiny cake over far too soon, she was left only with the sick feeling of regret at her lack of willpower.

"When are you meeting Arthur?"
"It's not Arthur."
"Oh Lucy, not that American again. I thought you were done with him."
"It isn't Quincy either."
"Then who?"

Lucy gave her an enigmatic smile and pursed her lips smugly in a way that she knew would infuriate Mina.

"Tell me!" she insisted.

"It's no one you know anyway."

Mina threw herself at her in mock fury and playfully shook her friend by the shoulders. "Tell me, Lucy!"

"Careful, you'll smudge my makeup and then I'll look quite the fright," Lucy laughed. She caught Mina by the elbows and easily wrestled her off, pushing her back onto the bed.

As Mina landed heavily on her well cushioned backside her smile faded. It still shocked her how much more aware of her body these extra pounds, these new inches of flesh made her feel. She felt even more self conscious when she noticed how Lucy's eyes were drawn to the jostling of her breasts and the wobble of her belly as they continued to move independent of her will.

"Well, if you must know, I'm seeing Dr Jack Seward tonight," Lucy said, turning back to the mirror to apply her lipstick.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, you'd like him. He's very serious but not at all boring like you would expect. I met him at one of father's philanthropic dinners. He's the administrator of an insane asylum, treating hysterics and sonambulists and all sorts of diseases of the mind. It's all so fascinating in a frightful, gruesome sort of way."

Mina frowned and lowered her voice though there was noone else in the room. "Lucy... you haven't started having the dreams again, have you?"

"No, nothing like that," she said with a small, hollow laugh. "It's been years since I've had one of my little night time wanders."

It had all started when they were thirteen. Lucy would be visited by strange and disturbing dreams. Then the sleep walking  began. Sometimes she would not go far but other times they would find her in the garden, her nightdress soaked to her skin or, worse still, she would find her way onto the streets, her bare feet bloodied by the cobble stones. When she awoke she would be so afraid that no medicine could calm her, only Mina was able to console her.

Mina immediately regretted dredging up the past. Though Lucy fussed with her elaborate hairstyle in the mirror, she could see how her expression had darkened.

"You know," she said, eager to change the subject though she knew it would be no more pleasing to Lucy. "You really ought to stop leading Arthur along like this."

"You forget that Arthur has not proposed to me," Lucy said. "Besides, it's all your fault really. You've spoiled me for life."

"What ever do you mean?"

Lucy turned so that she was facing her. "Well, you see, Arthur is safe and steady but Jack is so very interesting and Quincy is such fun. But why should I settle for a man who can only be one of those things when you are everything to me?"

Mina didn't know quite what to say. Lucy could be such a child sometimes, saying outrageous things just to shock and draw attention to herself but there was an earnestness in her pale blue eyes that made her feel uneasy.
There was a silence between them just a moment too long to be comfortable before Mina recovered herself. "Why, Lucy, I'm flattered. I think that might be the first time you've ever called me fun."

"Now you're getting ahead of yourself. I don't think I quite said that," Lucy said with a laugh. "Anyway, there's only one thing for it. They should just let a girl marry three men or as many as she wants and save all this trouble."

"You shouldn't speak so - "

"So what?" an amused smile played on Lucy's lips but there was a note of challenge in her voice and her jaw jutted forward in defiance.

"So freely!"

Mina uttered a little squeek of surprise as Lucy reached forward and pinched her chubby cheeks. "My dearest Mina, don't you ever get tired of being so good all the time?"

"Don't you ever get tired of teasing me?"

"Never. Besides, it's only you and I and who would you tell? The scandal of it all would give boring old Jonathan a heart attack -" Lucy paused for a moment. "- On second thoughts, you can tell old Jonny boy that I'm a bigamist. No, a polygamist. In fact, can tell him I'm going to marry every man in England - even the particularly ugly and stupid ones - and see if it finishes him off."

"I hate it when you talk like that," Mina said quietly.

"I'm sorry, I promise I will be on my best behaviour when I see him at Count Dracula's party. Cross my heart."

"You're going to the party?" She knew how important that night was to Jonathan and how it would sour his mood to see Lucy there.

"Of course. The winter months are so dull, it's the most exciting thing to happen all season," Lucy said. "Besides, if the Count is dark and dashing I might throw off my other suitors and let him sweep me off my feet."

"Jonathan says he's old. Quite ancient really."

"Oh? What else does he say about him?"

Mina sighed "Nothing. He doesn't say much of anything these days."
Ordinarily she did not speak of Jonathan with Lucy. She was too quick to pounce on his failings, too unforgiving of his flaws. One day life would disabuse Lucy of the notion that everything could be perfect all the time but until then Mina usually preferred to remain tight lipped about her marriage.

"Only Jonathan could travel to the farthest reaches of Europe and have nothing to say for himself."

"It's not that. Or... oh, I don't know. Some days I feel like he has changed, as if something happened to him in Romania. But then at other times I fear that it's always been like this and I've just been too blind to see it. I love Jonathan. It's just... he has this way of making me feel like I'm always the problem. Like if only I wasn't so sensitive things would be better between us. If only I didn't think so much like a man. If only I weighed 20 lbs less," she looked down at the bulge of her belly and sighed. "Well, I suppose it's more like 40lbs now."

"Don't be silly, Mina, you're blooming," Lucy said, taking her by the hand.

"Ballooning you mean," Mina said but she squeezed her friend's hand and smiled at her gratefully. At least she could rely on her kindness, if not her sincerity. "You're sweet, Lucy, but I really have let myself get so fat recently."

"Honestly, my darling, you're more beautiful than ever," Lucy insisted. "Surely even so great a dolt as Jonathan Harker can see that?"

"It's not just that," Mina said. "He wants me to stop working. I was supposed to tell Dr Helsing today but I didn't have the heart. I just don't think I'm ready to say it because if I say it then it will be real. Is that terrible?"

"Of course not, you love your work. I mean, I wouldn't like to spend all those hours alone with creepy Dr Helsing wreaking of formaldehyde and reading mouldy old books but I know it makes you happy."

Though it was gratifying to hear Lucy say what she wanted to hear, deep down Mina knew that she could not trust Lucy's judgement. Her sickness as a teenager had meant that her parents were apt to spoil and overindulge her. She was too used to getting her own way, she knew nothing of the compromise that marriage required, nor did he have the patience to pick up all the little pieces every day.
"I should go," Mina said, rising to leave.

Lucy caught her by the arm. "Can't you stay a while longer?"

"I don't want to make you late for your date," she kissed Lucy lightly on the forehead. "Be good."

As Mina walked away Lucy could not take her eyes off the way Mina's clothes hugged her wide frame, the way her skirt strained to accommodate her growing rear. There was something so mesmerising about the voluptuous motion of her body as she walked that she had to stop her mind wandering to places that it shouldn't. The pounds and pounds of doughy fat that Mina had gained these past months, every part of her that had once been firm and defined lost under a layer of soft blubber. But why should she have these thoughts and why should she blush so when she turned and caught her eye? It was only Mina. Sweet, shy Mina. Mina who was always so serious and sensible and good.