Suzanne Wakelin

Background

Suzanne's parents came from a strong working class background. Her father left school at fourteen and started work in a bakery as a delivery boy. By the time Suzanne was born, he already owned four bakers and has an interest in several more. By the time Suzanne reached the age he had started work, he was a noted local success story and there was much talk of him running as a Councillor. Although Mr. Wakelin had made a very comforatable living for himself and his family, he had never lost touch wih his roots, nor did he feel ashamed of them, so it was a Labour councillor that he took his seat in the Council chamber on Suzanne's eighteenth birthday.

Suzanne's choice of university caused some friction at home. Although her parents were both keen for her to enjoy the opportunities they had not had, they had hoped she would take a more 'useful' subject than the History of Art. Still, they reasoned, there were plenty of good careers that she could follow after the degree. Perhaps if she wasn't going to be a doctor or a lawer, she might still become a teacher or an accountant.

Suzanne completed her PhD in "The influence of factory schools on the development of working class art in the nineteen century" in 1985. Her parents both harboured the secret hope that she would then finally 'settle down'. However, after the degree presentation, she announced that she was leaving on a round the world trip. Perhaps after that, she hinted to them, she would give some more thought to the rest of her life.

It was in Florence that she met Robert Shackleton. He was introduced to her by some friends she had made whilst working at a bar there. They shared a common interest in history; indeed, he seemed to know a great deal about the early part of the century and the First World War especially. She thought he was a pleasant person to spend an evening with, although he had some strange ideas about women. Suzanne thought nothing about saying goodbye to him when she had gathered together enough money for the next leg of her journey, to Germany.

She thought it was an amazing, not to mention useful coincidence, when they met up again in Berlin. Suzanne was broke and Robert's timely loan allowed her enough leeway to find a job again. They spent an enjoyable month together, meeting most evenings, until she told him that a surprise birthday cheque had arrived from her parents and she was leaving for the US. For some reason, he seemed annoyed when she returned the money he had lent her and they had a serious row, before he finally walked out, never (she assumed) to be seen again.

Suzanne was upset, but not excessively so. He had never expressed any interest in her other than friendship and unlike other male 'friends' she had made had never tried to press himself on her after a heavy evening drinking. Still, the anger around their parting kept nagging at her and she was both relieved and slightly suspicious when he 'bumped into' her again in San Francisco, where she was staying with a distant cousin on her mother's side.

Robert seemed to have completely forgotten the row in Berlin and after the first few days together, Suzanne felt that the time to bring it up had passed. Equally, she felt uncomfortable about bringing up the 'coincidence' of their third meeting. When she was on her own, it seemed a reasonable question but when she was with Robert, it somehow felt like an unreasonable, even paranoid suspicion.

However, over the next few weeks, Suzanne began to feel more and more uncomfortable. Robert obviously had some sort of job there because he was often too busy to see her but he completely refused to talk about it. He could never see her during the day but one night managed to arrange for them to visit an exclusive and wonderful art gallery which she was unable to locate again the the next day. Although she knew these things were strange, she never felt the need to press him about them when they were together. He would buy her clothes and jewelery, much too expensive for her to accept, but which in the end she always seemed to take.

One night, after they had been there for almost two months, Robert took her to the Alexandra Club. Although Suzanne had never heard of it, her cousin was amazed when Suzanne told her where they was going. It was the most exclusive club in the city, frequented by San Francisco's old money. It was only when they went to the Alexandra that her vague suspicions crystalised. When she thought about it, she had always known there was something not right about Robert. It was only when she met the other patrons of the club and saw his strangness reflected and exaggerated that she finally listened to her fears. Even then, Suzanne didn't admit to herself the full extent of her suspicions but she did know that if she wanted to keep her sense of self intact, she must leave at once.

The next morning, Suzanne said goodbye to her startled cousin and went to the airport. She bought the first ticket available, to St. Louis, and then on to Boston. Feeling slightly silly, but still haunted by the memory of the Alexandra, she booked the flights under her mother's maiden name. She left Robert's presents in a box a her cousin's flat, with the instruction to give them to Robert when he called.

Although she tried to continue her travels, Suzanne had been too unsettled by her experience. Although she knew she had been right to break away from Robert her dreams were full of him and several times she picked up the phone to call him. At first she was determined not to allow his to spoil her trip but after only a few weeks she decided to return home. Her parents were a little surprised but also relieved, as Suzanne's cousin had alarmed them with her account of Suzanne's strange moods and sudden departure which they felt was unlike their sensible Suzy. Suzanne herself hoped that back in the familiar surroundings of Wakefield, she would be able to forget her unaccountable feelings.

Away from Robert's presence, Suzanne tried to sort out her feelings about him. At first she wanted only to forget. However, as the weeks passed she realised that despite the inexplicable strangeness of his effect on her, there had been a genuine and deep love on her side and she knew, however illogically, that Robert had felt the same. Sometimes she felt that her discomfort had been caused not by Shackleton himself but by some force ourside his control, which he had fought as much as she had. On days like this, she found herself checking faces on the street, hoping for another 'chance meeting' to resolve her conflicting emotions. Sometimes, she was sure she had seen him and crossed the street, only to find a confused stranger.

Yet when she saw him waiting outside her parents' house one evening, she wondered how she could ever have mistaken anyone else for him. She recognised him at once, with utter certaintly. Robert, on his part, turned round from watching the house as soon as she got off the bus. Suzanne had played this encounter over in her head many times since she had fled San Fransico. On guard for any haziness of thought or tricks of emotion, she started to explain, calmly and finally, her reasons for leaving. Robert said nothing but his face was so open, his pain at her word so plain that he didn't need to. When she had finished, he nodded. "You're right...I should go. But I came to ask for another chance. Please. No tricks this time, I promise. Equals. It's been such a long time since I was close to anyone, but it's not been so long that I can't remember how to be...just me."

The next few weeks were far worse than the time in San Fransisco. Her mind now utterly clear, Robert's inhumanity - the only word she could find adequate to describe his strangeness - was painfully apparant. His words outside her parents' house seemed to be the only explanation he was willing to offer. Despite countless resolutions, Suzanne could not help but question him. His evasions became more desperate and they often argued. Sometimes Robert would leave abruptly, his eyes almost glowing with suppressed anger. Yet, for almost six weeks Suzanne avoided the question she felt was central. Why could Robert never meet her during the day? But she knew that unless he could tell her, he would have to leave. So when she felt his resolve to leave building, she took a deep breath, remembered her father injuctions to 'do as you would be done by' and told Robert that she wanted the truth. And, quietly, almost despairingly, he told her.

With the answers she had wanted, Suzanne felt overwhelmed. Although it never occured to her to disbelieve him, in one way the existance of Vampires and Robert's life (or death, she supposed) as one of them, seemed to explain the confusions of their relationship so completely it was almost a disappointment. And it meshed so exactly with her own unvoiced and suppressed suspicions that she almost felt pleased that she had been so right. But, strangest of all was how simple and obvious the solution to their problems was and how odd it seemed to her that it Robert hadn't thought of it.

Clan

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Influence

Secrets

Habitat

Ultimate Goal

Immediate Goal

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