Lost in La La Land(28)

The ornate fireplace of the entrance hall captivated me as we were led past old suits of armor, family crests, and hunting trophies. When we got to the staircase and hallway, I got lost. There was too much to see, too many books and paintings and ornate tiles.

“If you wish to freshen up after the ride, Mrs. Humboldt will be happy to show you to your rooms.” Wentworth nodded at us all expectantly.

“I don't need to freshen up,” Louisa exclaimed boldly. “I want to explore. Is there a dungeon?”

“No.” Wentworth half laughed.

“I am exceedingly exhausted,” Mary remarked to the old lady awaiting our decisions at the bottom of the stairs.

“I would prefer to freshen up as well.” I gave a soft smile to the old lady.

“As you wish. Follow me, please.” She started up the stairs, moving much faster than I expected.

“Your things will be brought up,” Wentworth added as he left us and disappeared down a dark hallway. Louisa and Henrietta giggled and ran off down the hallway we had come in.

The candles and lanterns weren’t bright enough to light the house to the extent modern electricity would have, but the dim glow added to the spookiness of the corridors and dark wooden décor.

Shadows danced in obscure corners and along the hall where closed doors created mystery as we were hurried along the upper floor.

Mrs. Humboldt stopped at a heavy wooden door with a skeleton key in her hand, unlocking the large latch with a click. I was terrified to enter the room, scared of what she had locked in or if she was locking something else out. “This will be you, Miss Dalrymple.”

But when I got inside the doorway, the daylight flooding through the massive windows took all the creepiness away.

The giant four-poster bed and ornate furnishings made the room too beautiful for me to be scared.

I crossed to the bed and climbed in, lying on my back and wondering how the days spent here would play out. If we would rest or ride or adventure around the gardens? I imagined the food would be sumptuous as the home was, rich and overly done.

Wentworth’s history worked its way into my mind.

Was his family fortune meant for someone else when he asked Anne to marry him all those years ago, or did he come into money beyond what he had made in Spanish gold? The house was something he wouldn't have afforded before becoming a captain, and yet he had just landed back on shore. It was confusing but there was no way to ask him. I would have to discreetly ask the maid.

I snuggled into the feather bed, feeling blood begin to circulate back into my legs and butt.

I would have to live and die at this house. I was never getting into another carriage.

When I was certain I had spent enough time refreshing, I got up and forced myself to leave the haven of my new room. I didn't need refreshing, my hair wasn't budging, not with the amount of pinning it had required, and my dress looked exactly the same, well starched.

I crept along the corridors, slowly turning handles and feeling a bit like I was in the wrong story. This was much more Northanger Abbey than Persuasion. But my lie must have altered things.

As I explored the entirety of the top floor, I found one door that wasn't locked. I turned the handle, my heart racing when it didn't stop at the latch. I pushed the heavy door open just a crack, taking a small peek into the room. It was furnished as if a man who needed very little lived here. A simple bed and bureau and two small candlesticks.

“Can I help you?”

I spun, gasping when I saw Wentworth hovering over me. His stare was intense, angry even.

“No. Sorry.”

“Were you snooping?” He cocked his head, not removing himself from the path I would have to take to get away from him and this room.

“I was.” I confessed, feeling foolish. “I was confused.”

“By all the locked doors that you have no doubt tried?” His eyes sparkled, not with anger but with something else.

“Indeed.” I burst out laughing.

“I inherited this house from an uncle with no sons, only a few months before we were to come ashore. I had not seen it since I was a boy, and all my belongings were brought here well before I was. I had never met a single person on staff beyond Mrs. Humboldt. I gave her strict instructions to lock everything up and only allow staff in certain parts.”

“You thought your staff would rob you?” I furrowed my brow.

“I did. Why would they be loyal to me? They don't know me.” He grinned after a moment of us staring too long. “And now I am to be mocked for wanting security?”

“You are not.” I laughed again, making him smile. For such a gloomy man, his smile lit up the dreary space where we stood.

“You are laughing, madam.”

“I was just surprised. I never would have imagined a servant robbing someone. I would think it hard enough to find employment, let alone keep it.”

“I suspect that is a wealthy person’s prerogative to assume servants cherish their employment. But having been a servant in the crown’s navy, I know bitterness and entitlement can breed in any set of circumstances.”

“Will you keep all the doors locked so I have to find secret passages to complete my snooping, or will you allow for the doors to be opened?” I said it with the necessary hint of sarcasm required. “The curiosity of what lies beyond is likely to kill me.”