Chapter 3 Lord of the Puck 2

Bree

“This is so beautiful.” Absently I ran my hands over the polished wood, my eyes trying to take in everything at once. 

There was so much history here that it literally seeped from the walls. I’d always been a sucker for the old. It was one of the reasons I had decided to come here even though it was on the other side of the world and I sure as hell couldn’t afford it.

Who could say no to staying in a home that had been in the same family for over four hundred years. Not me.

“Yes.” The woman behind the desk sounded bored and I got that too. She probably heard the same gushing praise every hour of every day and was bored of it.

“You’re-“ the phone in front of her began to ring and shooting me an apologetic look she answered it. Her face and voice terse.

“Of course sir, I’ll make it happen.” Lifting her eyes to me she smiled. “Sorry about that, I’ve just been informed that the owners want you to be upgraded to the queens suite.”

My eyebrows arched. “That’s very kind of them but-“

“Free of charge.” She said with a knowing smile around her eyes. Which drifted down to the clothes I had been wearing for twenty four hours straight. I knew I looked a

Mess. I didn’t need her disapproving look to tell me but I had travelled half way across the world. So I kind of had an excuse.

“That’s really kind of ya’ll, thank you.” I forced a polite smile on to my face.

“And you have free use of the spa and the rink if you want to try your hand at skating.”

Something twisted in my stomach. “Ice skating.”

“Yes we have a rink here. The local youth  clubs use it for practice. It’s a passion of the family.”

I looked around with fresh eyes. Maybe I was wrong about this place. It was meant to be my chance to step back into my past.

Not a chance to step back into my past.

“I’ll make full use of the spa, but Ice skating is not on my agenda.” I couldn’t help it, my voice was terse. “I don’t do that and I am only here for a few days.”

I didn’t plan on wasting any of that time. 

“Well it’s there if you want to try. I can arrange a private lesson if you wish.”

I didn’t even let her finish. “I won’t.”

“Ok.” She drew out the word , the first hint of her professionalism slipping before she locked her polite smile back into her face. “Dinner is served between five and eight and breakfast is from seven. But if you need anything else don’t hesitate to call down and we will accommodate you. Stuart will see you to your room now.”

I turned to the butler hovering beside me. I don’t know what made me call him that but that’s what he looked like.

An actual honest to god butler, like something out of one of the old movies.

“This way Miss.”

He fell silent , so, so did I? It was so different to the chatter I was used to but it wasn’t bad. It gave me time to actually soak on the atmosphere of the place. And god did this house have an atmosphere.

It was the kind of place that you could literally feel the history weighing down on you.

The kind of place where every single item told a story. 

And ghosts- if any place in the entire world was haunted then this was it. 

“So, the queens suite-“

He didn’t answer me at first and just huffed and puffed. I shouldn’t have allowed him to carry my case up here I realised guiltily. Not at his age but I had a sneaky suspicion that he would have been offended if I had offered to carry my own things.

“It’s a beautiful set of rooms, I think you will be very comfortable. And there’s no one else in that wing so you will have your privacy.”

“Why is it called the queens suite?”

Glancing over his shoulder , he shot me a look that told me he thought I was an uneducated American. “Several queens throughout history have stayed there.”

Of course they had. Now he had said it, it seemed pretty obvious.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw something move, a dark figure hugging the shadows as it slipped behind a heavy wooden door.

Unease crept up my back, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

“What’s down there?”

“Family wing. I’m sorry but that’s out of bounds to guests. The family is very private.”

I could understand that, I was a private person as well, even though I made my living literally sharing my life and past with the world.

“Oh course. It’s just I thought I had seen something-“ trailing off I continued to rub at the icy prickling feeling at the back of my neck.

“The hosie is very old, with a lot of history. If you would like me to arrange a historical tour I’d be more than willing to do that for you.”

“I’d love that but I don’t think I’ll be here long enough. Is this place haunted?” I blurted without thinking.

“I’ve never seen anything but I guess anything is possible.”

It was such a non answer, but I didn’t believe him because I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being haunted.

It was almost like something had noticed me the moment I had noticed them. And now it was locked on to me like. Lion onto a gazelle.

I felt like prey.

I felt watched.

Hell, I felt haunted and I hadn’t even got to my room yet.