Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 159050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 795(@200wpm)___ 636(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 795(@200wpm)___ 636(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
He swallowed and looked back, remaining silent to make sure no footsteps were coming his way, and dashed into the room. His hand hit the light switch but nothing happened, and so he was forced to continue moving in the dark. He swore beneath his breath when glass broke under his foot, but fortunately it didn’t go through the sole of his shoe, and after yet another moment of frantic wait in complete silence, he approached the window and pulled up the sash.
Damp wind blew into his face so hard he needed to grab his wig in order to keep it in place. It was the only one he had left after the fiasco during his first visit a month ago, and he simply couldn’t afford to lose it. Trees were dark figures slowly dancing with the howling gusts, and with no illumination on this side of the building, everything melted into the shadow despite the yellowish glow originating somewhere behind the long stretch of the facade within sight.
Elliot crooked his neck to see more when the sharply-scented air pushed him back, causing a draft that made the door behind him slam shut so hard the glass rattled, threatening the sash to fall and snap Elliot’s head off.
His heart rattled, but he would not be discouraged by moody weather. He’d come here with a purpose, and he would do anything in his power to make this one chance count. He switched on the flashlight in his phone and looked down at the muddy ground a whole story below him, then to the left where he spotted an open window of a room located beyond that goddamned metal door.
Air blew straight into his face, choking him for a moment, but the sense of purpose had Elliot scanning his surroundings despite the dangers of his new plan. A ledge ran along the building. Narrow and crumbling at the edges it looked by no means safe, but the adrenaline coursing through Elliot’s veins screamed at him to stop being a coward. No one ever said his path to the truth about William Fane would be an easy one.
He left his cane hidden under a piece of floorboard in the corner, and with his heart in his throat, got one of his legs out through the window, now regretting his choice of footwear. The replicas were custom-made, his pride and joy, but they also featured a large buckle and a one-inch-high heel, which was perfectly comfortable for walking but might not work well for moving along a narrow ledge during a storm. Elliot stayed still for a while and weighed his options, wondering if the wind would prove strong enough to blow him off the facade during the short climb.
In the end, he decided to leave his shoes behind as well. His stomach was in knots as he sat in the window and slid out his legs, touching the ledge with his feet. Dampness instantly soaked through his thin stockings and paralyzed him with cold, but he knew that fortune favored the bold. He would not be stopped by weather and fears William Fane would likely laugh at. Clinging to the window from the outside, he moved carefully toward his target. At least his limbs were long, and with a little bit of luck, he’d be able to hold on to both windows at once.
Even with the shoes off, he was barely able to keep half of his foot on the icy shelf. The wind howled and suddenly blew from down below, tickling Elliot’s heels and pushing up the back of his coat to sneak underneath. A deep chill went straight into his bones, and he desperately held on to the window frame as his entire body shook with the sense of doom.
But his mind was stronger than his body. He would prevail and prove to William that were they to ever meet in another life, Elliot would be worthy of his love. Together, they could hunt down all the nasty people who dared to laugh at them.
Shaken to the core, he risked moving one foot toward the second window.
He’d wanted to take things slow, but a blast of air pushed at his back, his hand slipped, and he stumbled forward, desperately flattening his face against the second window like a bug caught under a piece of paper.
Sticking to the window frame, he slowly dared to lower himself and slid his foot through the open window, desperate to be back on solid ground. A ferocious barking made him lose balance, and it was only by sheer willpower that Elliot managed to hold on.
A massive Rottweiler barged into the room, baring its enormous teeth, which glinted in the dark in high contrast to the animal’s dark coat. A young man in a leather vest was right behind it.