Were Lestat any less a vampire, he might have given in to the temptation to say 'awwwww.'

But, of course, Lestat was Lestat, and so he kept the cooing to a minimum and his smug smile on his lips as he stepped forward and reached one finger out to tenderly tap at the tip of Claudia's nose.

"We've found ourselves landed on a veritable buffet, ma chérie." And now he was standing again, extending his hand to gesture grandly at the beach before them. "In town, of course. Not here on the beach, no matter how much Louis might favor it. And there's plenty to choose from. I imagine we can find you a new doll in town, as well. Wouldn't you love that?"