Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(13)
Jason. What is he doing now? It’s been hours since I’ve disappeared from his bedroom. He must be worried sick about me. He probably even reported to the police. My heart twists with anxiety and fear. It won’t be long until Mom and Paige know I’m missing.
I look away and focus on the place we’ve stopped at. I had expected a huge, magnificent station after all the grandeur I’ve experienced, but the station is actually quite small and quaint. It’s built almost entirely from logs, the fences are painted buttercup yellow, and the signs are hand-drawn, not printed. Ivy and honeysuckle hang from the roofs, the ends only a hand’s breadth from the fences.
“There they are!” Someone shouts.
Gathered behind one side of the fence are around a dozen people, including old and young, male and female. All of them are gawking at us in the same manner as the crowds during the carriage ride.
“I thought I specifically requested not to have anyone line up for our arrival,” Edward says in a low voice.
“No matter how you try to conceal your schedule, there’s bound to be gossip around the village,” Amelie says in a matter-of-fact tone. “Not to mention that the papers have widely reported where you chose to stay for your honeymoon.”
“Three cheers for Prince Edward and his bride!” A man calls.
The cheers echo through the air, followed by a smattering of applause and whistling.
There’s nothing to do but to respond with more nodding and waving and smiling, but what I really want to do is run away. Whoever is supposed to be the real princess had better return, because this royal thing is getting on my nerves. I feel like an impostor, no matter what Edward says.
Fortunately, because the station is so small, it takes little time to leave the platform and head outside, where a new carriage awaits. Bertram, the young man who looks like the Hulk with normal tanned skin, is holding the door open.
“It’s all right, Kat,” Edward says. “The ride to our house is much shorter compared to the one around the city.”
I don’t answer. All I want to do is look for any way I can escape. But the sun has gone down, the sky is a dreary gray, and I can already see several stars. Outside the station, there is just one lone cottage, and the rest is undeveloped plains. And with Bertram looking on, I doubt I’d have any chance of success. Edward himself, with his broad shoulders and six-feet stature, is impossible to get away from.
I have no choice but to get on the carriage. The only comfort is that it is a normal one with a roof and curtains, so we're instantly invisible to the eager villagers.
Once we’re in the carriage, I let go of Edward’s hand and scoot as far away from him as possible. I’ve wounded his feelings, but I’m already in a relationship. Briefly, I wonder if I should mention Jason so he’d stop treating me like I’m his wife, but will it work? He doesn’t seem the type who would back down. Besides, I don’t feel like imagining his expression if he learns that I’m already taken.
“How long is this honeymoon thing?” I ask quickly before he can speak.
“One week.” His tone is clipped and he doesn’t look at me. Can’t blame the guy.
“And for the whole time, we’ll be here? In this Enrilth place?”
“Correct.”
My chances don’t look good. Enrilth seems pretty deserted, from what I can see out of the window. Cottages appear few and far between. On the road, there is nothing but carts and carriages. No traffic lights. It’s a bit puzzling that they have railways, but cars aren’t available yet. And apart from the train, I have yet to see anything that resembles modern civilization.
I let out a frustrated sigh. I have to get back. I have an extra shift tomorrow! Our boss is going to be furious if I don’t show up, especially since we’re understaffed.
But without any tangible help, what hope do I have of getting away?
5
It’s completely dark by the time we arrive at Enrilth House. The windows are bathed in a warm yellow glow—lamps? candles? I doubt electricity exists—allowing me to perceive a large, but not gigantic, building. Wreaths of flowers decorate the walls and there’s ivy crawling over at least half of the entrance gates.
Edward helps me out of the carriage, though with considerably less warmth. No brush of his fingertips against my skin, no solicitous voice asking if I’m all right, no affectionate look into my eyes. Which is how it should be. He’s a stranger. We haven’t even known each other for one day.
A gust of wind cuts over my face, and I can’t help but nestle closer to Edward. Amelie wasn’t kidding about the colder weather here, and I have no doubt the temperature will drop further at night. Chicago has pretty harsh winters, but the chilly air here still makes me shiver. Edward says nothing, but he puts a hand against the small of my back, urging me to get inside quickly.
Enrilth House isn’t exactly the kind of place that I’d expect a royal couple to be staying for their honeymoon. The cozy interior is more like a bed-and-breakfast place. No glittering chandeliers, marble floors, or gilt-edged furniture. After the splendid procession we had when touring the city and the luxurious car on the train that oozes wealth, this is somewhat of a surprise.
“Is this where you spent your childhood?”
“Disappointed?”