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“What is it?” Christian asked, staring at her.
She narrowed her eyes and scanned the magnificent ceiling, the sweeping arches rising like waves. There was no one wearing a white gown, no floating ghost. She tried to stop the hammering in her chest as she turned back to the chalice to confirm what she’d seen. Nothing. Only her reflection. She placed the candelabra back on the table.
“Well come on,” Christian said. “There’s so much more creepy stuff to explore.”
“Can’t wait,” Olivia said as she stepped close beside him. She took one last look behind her as they crossed the dining hall.
They went up red carpeted steps and down a long hall, which had so many rooms it would be impossible to explore them all tonight. Some of the rooms they did peek in were dusty and filled with cobwebs and old, covered furniture. And there was that same vibrating atmosphere in them.
“Do people still live in this castle?” she asked.
“Huh?” Christian said.
“I mean not now, but since Andrei bought it; did people stay here? I mean inside the castle. Andrei and his family?”
Christian scratched his stubbled chin. “You know, I’m not sure. The old keeper told me that Andrei rarely spent any time here, but I don’t know if anybody else stayed here. To be honest, it’s kinda weird that Elena asked you to stay here,” he added.
It was weird, Olivia agreed. Why not a hotel or something. But then, it was her castle after all, so maybe Elena thought it would make Olivia feel better about the whole inheritance thing if she stayed here with Elena’s approval—even encouragement.
“Maybe a little, but not as weird as you think,” she responded, and they continued the tour.
They went over to the west wing of the castle. “I wish they had elevators in this place,” Christian said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love climbing beautiful stairs as much as the next tour guide, but come on.”
“I should be the one complaining right now,” Olivia said. “I’m the one who’s supposed to stay here.”
“Fair enough.”
They were walking down the west wing hallway, their footsteps and voices echoing, when Olivia stopped, noticing that the portraits along this hall were all wrapped with heavy drapes, hiding the images beneath.
“I wonder what’s under these portraits and why they’re covered,” Olivia said. Christian stepped over to one and touched the tip of the drape.
Olivia gasped. “Are we allowed to do that? Maybe we should ask Mihai first!” She could picture the old keeper scampering down the hall, muttering words she couldn’t understand and waving that gigantic fist of his.
“Don’t worry. Mihai doesn’t own this place.” He gripped the fabric and smirked. “Don’t you?” He feigned a light tug, and Olivia held her breath, expecting the drape to fall off.
“Yes, but—” The words slipped her lips before she could stop them. She’d been so focused on the picture.
He let go and stared at her. Olivia felt as if she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, but Christian turned as if nothing had happened.
“It’s probably just pictures of old men hunting,” he said and started walking slowly down the hall. “Like they usually have in castles. I wonder who first started that whole idea of lining pictures of hunting scenes, generation after generation and . . .” He paused and peeked over his shoulder, acting all innocent. Olivia still had her eyes fixed on the huge portrait, wondering why Christian had just tricked her into admitting that she did, in fact, own this place—or, more so, how he figured it out.
“Are you coming or are we just going to stand here all day? I can manage both. Well, maybe not.” He looked out one of the tiny windows with iron bars into the darkness outside. “It’s getting late, and I still need to show you the best part of this place.” He walked up to her, a conspiratorial look on his face. “The dungeon.”
That caught Olivia’s attention. “A dungeon?”
“You have to see it to believe it,” he said.
“God, not sure if I want to!” She laughed nervously.
Christian looked around, glancing from left to right as if he were lost.
“You do know where it is, don’t you?” she asked.
“Of course I do. Sort of. Maybe.”
She sighed.
“Don’t look so disappointed yet, ma’am.”
