“That must have been amazing. I can’t wait for the tour. I have so many questions.”
Simon stops at the top of the stairs, turning to face me. “There are things about this place I won’t be able to tell you.”
“What do you mean?” My eyes widen. “Like mysterious legends?”
Simon continues down the hallway without answering, and I follow behind with goosebumps erupting on my arms. A slight chill lingers in the castle’s air, like there are windows open twenty-four seven.
“You said your family is in a state of emergency,” I say as Simon leads me into a room at the end of the hall. “What kind?”
With all the hustle and bustle of traveling, we haven’t discussed what’s going on with his family. When I broached the subject while we were waiting for our flight, Simon brushed it off. I’m not one to pry, but maybe I should’ve thought about what type of situation I’m getting myself into here.
Once again, he only offers me a crumb. “We can talk about that later.” He stops in the middle of the room, next to my luggage. “What do you think of your accommodations?”
I stop, my mouth hanging open in the spacious room the size of a living room. “This is all for me?”
Simon nods. “Yes, and I’ll be in the room next door.”
My eyes drift over the elegant, dark furnishings and land on the four-poster bed with a comforter and sheets the color of blood. A white canopy drapes over the top, matching the curtains flowing from the open French doors across from the bed. I step in that direction, wanting to appreciate the view of the castle grounds.
“Wow,” I say as I step onto the balcony overlooking a scenic garden full of shrubbery and bright flowers. “This is… just wow.”
Simon moves behind me, pushing my hair across my shoulder, placing a kiss on my neck. “I knew you’d like it here.”
I spin around to stare into his blue eyes. “I love it here.”
The sun hangs low in the sky, highlighting the gorgeous landscape. To my right, beside a rose bush, stands a man cloaked in the shadows cast from a tall tree.
From this distance I shouldn’t see his eyes so clearly, but they’re dark and watching me. Prickles of fire erupt on my skin, and my heart slams against my chest as if the devil himself just appeared before me. I spin back around and bump into Simon.
He wraps his arms around me, and for a moment, I feel safe.
But curiosity wins out, and I glance over my shoulder to see if the man is still there.
He’s not.
“Let’s shower and change and then we can go on that tour.” Simon suggests.
“Ok,” I say. “I want to hear about all the history.”
“Absolutely.” He releases his hold on me. “Take your time.” He leaves me once he’s shown me the en-suite bathroom and the location of all the toiletries, if I need them.
As soon as he’s gone, I make my way back to the balcony to see if the man from earlier is lingering there.
He’s not.
I head into the bathroom to take my shower. This is more like a spa, though, with luxurious marble flooring and diamond-shaped white wall tiles. A chandelier dangles from the ceiling’s exposed trusses over an oval tub sitting next to a wide window. I’ve never been more excited about cleaning myself.
Once I’ve washed the airplane ride off my body in the glass-encased rain-head shower, I move through an arched opening into what looks like a room for makeup and dressing yourself. There’s an armchair and a table with a tall mirror above it. Beneath the mellow lighting, I dress in black jeans and a white t-shirt, feeling a lot less fancy than my surroundings.
In my room, I throw on a blue sweater to ward off the slight chill in the air.
Simon’s ready to go when I text him.
He meets me outside my room, freshly showered and dapper. He’s combed back his damp blond hair and dressed in khakis and a blue Polo.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Yep.”