“Door Zero. Master Merridon’s personal room and where he greets all his appointments.No matter how trivial,” she added with a healthy dose of spite. “Knock before you enter.”
“Three times, correct?”
The woman only lifted her lip in a sneer, successfully slicing through what was left of Alora’s confidence.Imposter,said that look.Good god, she was, wasn’t she? Through and through. She shouldn’t have been allowed past the golden gate, should have listened to the haughty windows pinning her like an insect. She wasn’t experienced enough for the likes of this place. Who might she be kidding? Herself, most of all.
“When the appointment is concluded, see yourself out. Donottouch any of the other doors unless your desire is slow torture and permanent damage.”
Alora’s mouth fell wide. “Was that the fate of the man outside?”
But her question went unanswered as the woman swept away.
“Delightful,” she muttered beneath her breath, and because it was likely after eleven now, and she might as well finish her flogging, she knocked three times on Door Zero.
“Enter,” said a pleasant voice.
Alora glanced down the overlarge corridor and again to the entrance before easing her palm across the back of her neck. There it stayed all the while she turned the golden doorknob. Just in case.
But she dropped her hand at the room’s interior.
The man behind the vast maple-wood desk was handsome, to be sure. His hair, more gray than brown, was brushed back from his forehead, and when he stood, she noticed him to be tall and broadly built. He wore a gold waistcoat with a crimson tie over a white shirt and trousers. When he smiled, it lit his entire face. He was smiling still, as he took her in.
“Miss Pennigrim, I presume?”
“Yes, sir. I received your message in the mail. It was quite beautiful, all that embossing.”
If possible, the owner of Opulence Mansion beamed brighter, and Alora couldn’t help the flush to her own cheeks at the sight. “If anyone would recognize a beautiful thing, I am told it is you.”
“Oh goodness.” Alora palmed her cheek to coax some coolness back into it. Opulence Mansion was kept at a comfortable temperature, she’d noticed, but now she felt much too warm. “I do enjoy what I do.”
“Good. That is good. Forgive me, and I mean no offense, but you look rather young to have built such success in Enver. A town known for enchantment and wonder is no easy place to impress.”
Alora resisted the habit of adjusting her satchel, of adjusting anything at all. “It wasn’t easy, in the beginning. But small successes turned to larger ones, and now I’ve become comfortable with steady work and a growing portfolio.”
“Excellent. Hard work builds mettle, after all. Please, have a seat. I am told it is setting up to become blazing by afternoon, and I wouldn’t want your journey home to be uncomfortable. Refreshment?”
“Water is fine.” Alora sank onto the buttery leather across from him—expensive—dragging her satchel over her head and removing her portfolio.
After depositing the glass in front of her, the man took the seat opposite. “As I'm sure you know, I am Master Marshall Merridon. So as to keep things professional, I would prefer you refer to me as ‘Master Merridon’, or ‘Master’ if you’d rather. Many others do.”
Alora blinked slowly, unsure if she’d heard him correctly and wanting time to digest to be sure she had. Refer to him as ‘Master’? She was abusinesswoman.She’d rather be raked into the hedges. But she smiled politely as this was an initial appointment, and there was nowhere better to hold one’s tongue. Instead, she said, “Pleased to officially meet you, Master Merridon.”
“And I, you.” He sipped amber liquid from a short crystal glass, brown eyes trained upon her. They were hard to read, those eyes, almost too perfectly blank. “What do you think of this room?”
“Oh. Well—” So they were just to dive right into it then? That suited her more than enough. She surveyed the space, examining the furniture, the decor, and the shades of each. The familiarity of using a critical eye calmed her as she inspected, to the point where she eventually cleared her throat and said, “The pieces in this room are large, almost too much so. They cause the space to feel smaller, and thus the decor, too busy. I understand you have a preference for gold coloring, but I think such a strong color would be better suited in accent pieces, rather than papering every wall.”
For the first time, Master Merridon’s mouth pinched. “I see.”
Alora had seen similar expressions before and eased at once into her perfected smile. “But it is also a matter of the client’s requests, and I do take everyone’s unique tastes into account.I think in the end, you will be able to say you’re more than satisfied within your new office space.”
A long moment passed in which Alora felt regarded in much the same way she’d regarded the room: piece by piece. “That would be all very well, if I were interested in redecorating my office.”
A chill settled over her; she felt herself go pale. “Aren’t you?”
“Come. I think it’s time I show you my project.”
Alora stood as he did, scrambling to replace her portfolio as he made for the door. All the while, she withered with embarrassment.A seasoned professional would have asked for clarification before such a long-winded critique, Alora!
“I think you’ll find that the rumors about Opulence Mansion are untrue. If anything, they are tamer than the truth. Let us begin with Door One. Up the staircase, if you please.”
