Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
As soon as we stepped over the threshold, I felt a chill go through me. The so-called home was cold and lifeless. There was next to no sound. Our shoes were the only thing I heard as we moved around and even those were faint.
White marble floors with gold inlay gleamed, and beautifully displayed paintings and other works of art, some familiar even to me, hung on the walls. Each painting was accented with custom lighting, making the beautiful art come to life. I had a feeling that the majority of the paintings were the real deal and not just well-done replicas. Fresh red roses in crystal vases were on nearly every entry table. In front of us was a set of double stairs, each leading to the second floor. The stairways were mirror images of each other. Just like the floors, the stairs shone as if they’d been freshly polished just moments earlier.
As I followed Cass, I took in every bit of information I could. The layout of the place, the behavior of the few staff members standing in certain positions along the walls of the massive hallway, others walking toward us, their hands full of freshly folded linens and bright silver trays covered with gleaming dishware. Every single staff member stopped whatever they were doing and bowed their heads when Cass walked past them. I could tell from the way Cass was holding himself that he was extremely uncomfortable with the show of respect. He was the kind of man who wanted to earn respect, not inherit it.
The place held no warmth to it whatsoever. The maids didn’t talk to one another even when we were out of earshot. No one smiled, no one laughed. They were all as cold and empty as the home they took care of.
“Your grandmother is about to take her tea in the solarium. Would you and your guest like some tea? Or perhaps coffee?” Renly asked.
The man didn’t look at me even once as he spoke, and he had to be wondering what Cass and I were doing together since we should have been natural enemies. As we’d walked down several hallways, the Ashby butler had managed to maintain his cool and had responded with respect and even kindness when Cass asked questions about his grandmother’s health. Once again, the words were the right ones, so was the way they were spoken, but they still felt wrong.
Before Cass could answer Renly’s question about whether we wanted tea or not, I stepped forward and took Cass’s hand in mine and said, “Some tea would be lovely, Renly. Don’t you think so, babe?”
Despite the fact that Cass and I had agreed that we wouldn’t overtly reveal our relationship during the visit, I had to go with my gut. Thankfully, Cass’s hand tightened around mine before he said, “Yes, tea sounds good. Thank you, Renly. We can show ourselves to the solarium.”
Renly’s eyes fell to our joined hands and his jaw hardened for a split second before the rigid, formal expression returned and he looked at Cass. It was obvious that he wanted to know what the two of us were doing together and how we’d ended up in the Ashby mansion side by side, hands linked, and soft, happy smiles directed at each other. Odds were, the man hadn’t known about Cass’s sexuality, let alone that there was any chance in hell that he’d end up in a relationship with the same man he’d tried to kill two years earlier.
“Yes, sir. Of course,” Renly responded. For the first time, he sounded rattled.
Once Renly was out of earshot, Cass quietly asked, “What are you doing?”
“Playing a hunch,” I responded, keeping my voice low in case any staff were lingering nearby.
Cass responded by tightening his grip on my hand. Even though he had no clue what I was up to, he trusted me enough to move forward with it. It was humbling. If I fucked this up, I could very well lose that trust, especially since the whole thing included Cass’s grandmother, one of the few people in his life that he truly loved. I closed my eyes long enough to put my cop hat on and then walked alongside Cass, allowing him to lead me to our destination.
The solarium was a beautiful room made of glass and filled with various flowers, plants, and decorative water features that would have been calming in any other situation. As we walked toward the back of the large room, the space opened up into a clear area. A small round table overlooked a beautiful garden of roses. Despite the natural wildness of how roses grew, these were meticulously trimmed.
Another display of absolute perfection.
Cass quickened our pace when a thin woman with silver hair came into view. She was sitting in one of the chairs, her gaze fixated on the garden.