“I don’t expect any trouble at all,” James assured him. “Bram’s been perfectly lovely since she arrived. I know I have a challenge ahead of me, but I think rescuing Bram from my sister’s toxic home has already done her a world of good.”
“If anything goes wrong, it will fuel the rumors about the manor,” his partner pointed out.
“And if everything goes well, it will prove them all wrong,” James replied tersely.
I chose that moment to make my entrance, and their conversation paused as I walked down the stairs. All three of them turned to gaze up at me, and I felt like I was being presented in some creepy, old-fashioned ritual. All I was missing was the virginal white dress. It occurred to me then that grand stairways were designed for grand entrances like mine. How many times had Grace Louth in her fancy dresses been forced to put on the same show?
“Gavin Turner, I’d like to introduce you to my niece, Bram Howland,” James said when I reached the first floor.
I waited for the man to hold out his hand, and when he did, I shook it. I figured I might as well play along. “A pleasure to meet you, Bram,” said my uncle’s partner. “I’ve heard a great deal about you. But your uncle neglected to mention how lovely you are.” His gaze was so penetrating that I felt like I was being appraised on a cellular level.
“How do you do?” I stared back—and didn’t look away until he was the first to blink.
“This is my son, Nolan,” he said, and the younger man stepped forward. “I believe you’re both the same age. Nolan will be eighteen in June.”
“Hi,” I said.
“Hello,” he replied, with the same smile he’d worn outside the bakery. He was very handsome, but I knew plenty of guys like him back at home. I’d discovered that those blessed with both looks and money were often stunted in ways that weren’t always obvious to the naked eye. Some lacked personalities or consciences. The rest were garden-variety assholes.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” said a voice. I turned to see Miriam standing in the entrance to the formal dining room. “Breakfast is ready downstairs in the kitchen.” Her voice sounded cold—almost icy—and she wore a servant’s stoic mask. It wasn’t the same Miriam who’d greeted me my first day.
I was already dreading the meal with our guests, when Nolan spoke up.
“Why don’t we let the old people talk business?” he said. “You and I can go grab a coffee in town.”
“Nolan,” his father scolded. I couldn’t tell if he was truly angry. It all seemed a little rehearsed. “They’ve prepared breakfast for us here at the manor.”
“What would you like to do?” Nolan asked, beaming at me as though my opinion were the only one that mattered. “Lady’s choice.”
“I could use some more fresh air, I suppose.” And a chance to pick Nolan’s brain to see what he knew about the manor. But truth be told, I would have gone anywhere with anyone to get away from that breakfast.
“The forecast is calling for bitter cold,” James warned darkly. I could tell he didn’t want me to go.
“She’d better get used to the cold if she’s going to live here,” Nolan replied with a laugh.
“I’ll be fine.” While it was kind of amusing to see James playing the role of a father figure, before I’d arrived at the manor, I hadn’t gotten so much as a birthday card from him in years, and I wasn’t going to let him control me here.
“Okay,” he relented. “Just be careful. Stay out of the woods.”
“Let me grab my coat and boots,” I told Nolan and flashed my uncle a smile. I ran back up the stairs to my room and slipped on my winter wear. Into my left coat pocket went my phone and wallet. Into the right went my mini can of bear repellent and my trusty box cutter. After the incident with Sam, I wasn’t planning to trust anyone anymore.
James and Gavin had vanished by the time I returned. Nolan stood alone under the chandelier in the entrance hall. Dressed in black and lit from above, he looked like a character in a play.
“Thanks for getting me out of breakfast,” he said. “This is supposed to be my vacation, and my dad keeps dragging me to business meetings. I think he’s trying to bore me to death.”
I forced myself to smile. “I’ll do my best to be entertaining.”
“I don’t think you’ll need to try very hard,” Nolan said. “I’m already quite entertained.”
He was flirting with me. I giggled the way I’d heard other girls giggle, while my fingers fiddled with the box cutter in my pocket. “Then let’s go.” I opened the front door and winced when a blast of cold air slammed into me.
We strolled in silence until we were past the hedges.
“So—how did your father end up working with James?” I asked, attempting casual conversation.
“The way my dad tells it, James made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Plus, my dad has fond memories of the manor. He spent his summers and holidays in Louth when he was growing up. My family has owned our house by the river since my dad was a little boy.”
“Does he like it here?” I asked. Gavin Turner hadn’t struck me as someone who would be a fan of country living.
“Doesn’t everyone?” Nolan joked as we walked down the hill. “Have you made any new friends since you got to town?”
“It’s only my second day here,” I replied, careful not to say too much. “And to be honest, most of the people I’ve met don’t seem much friendlier than that lady at the bakery.”
Nolan laughed. “I’m not surprised. I’ve been coming up here my whole life, and they still treat me like I’m a serial killer who’s just waiting for a chance to murder them all and steal their children.”
“You’ve been coming to Louth your whole life?” I asked.
“My grandfather loved to sail on the Hudson. That’s why he bought a house in Louth. Our family’s summered here ever since.”
“So you’re kind of a local,” I teased.
Nolan laughed even harder. “As far as these people are concerned? Not even close. They used to tolerate us. But ever since my dad invested in your uncle’s inn, things have gotten pretty tense. The locals really don’t like the inn.”
“Why?” I asked, truly confused now. “Isn’t it Louth’s main attraction?” Its only attraction, I could have added.
“You’ve seen all the houses being renovated in town?” Nolan asked, and I nodded. “Those are all owned by city people now. The locals know the inn will bring even more outsiders to Louth, and some of those outsiders will want to stay. In a few years, the whole place is going to turn into an outpost of New York City. The locals realize their days are numbered. When the manor burned, I think a lot of people in town were secretly relieved. I bet half of them would have happily set the fire themselves. Then my dad swooped in to help James pay for the repairs, and suddenly the locals were right back where they’d started—on the verge of extinction. So don’t expect to get anything but a cold shoulder from the people of Louth.”