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My mouth is bone-dry as I watch him walk away. “When will I see you again?” I call after him before he disappears out the door.
He stops and turns. “You’re in good hands. Victor can call me if you need something that he can’t help you with. He knows how to reach me.”
I want to beg him to stay, although I don’t know why. He hasn’t been exactly forthcoming, and in the short time we were together, he threatened me more than once. Victor seems like he’ll be more sympathetic to my situation.
I take a step toward him. “Please don’t forget to contact Isabel.”
“It’s already been done,” he assures me, kindly.
I nod and pull back my shoulders as the door closes behind Cristiano. Reality is setting in, and I’m feeling a little teary.
“Please don’t worry,senhora,” Victor clucks. “We’ll take good care of you. You have my word.”
I feel my head bob up and down as though it has a mind of its own.
“Menina,” Victor calls crisply, motioning to a young woman who has been standing at the edge of the room since I arrived.
“Paula is new to the house,” he explains after he introduces us. “SenhorHuntsman doesn’t normally have female guests here for any extended period of time.”
I’m sure Antonio only keeps his female guests around until he’s satisfied. I have no doubt they’re long gone by breakfast.
“The upper residence,” he continues, “is normally staffed by men, but we wanted you to be comfortable, so we assigned Paula to the wing where your suite is located.”
He’s treating this as though I’m an important houseguest, here for a vacation in the countryside. It’s nearly impossible to keep secrets from the indoor staff, especially from someone like Victor, who’s clearly in charge of running the house.How much does he know?
“She’ll be up to speed in no time,” he adds, “but if you would be so kind as to give her some grace while she learns your routine, we would be most appreciative.”
“Of course,” I reply, and smile at Paula, who I need to win over quickly.She could be an ally, if I play my cards right.
“You’ve traveled a long way. I have fresh coffee and a little something for you to eat before we give you a tour of the house and show you to your room so you can rest.”
I don’t want coffee. I don’t want a little something to eat. I don’t want a tour of the house. And I couldn’t care less about my room. But it would be rude and ungrateful to say so, and I need to gain both Victor’s and Paula’s trust if I ever expect to get out of here.
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you.”
Wonderfulis a gross exaggeration, but the sooner I learn the layout of the house, and the routine, the sooner I can make an escape plan.
10
Daniela
Ninety minutes later, we arrive at the third-floor suite that will be my prison until I can convince Antonio to let me go back to the US, or until I take matters into my own hands.
We enter through a spacious sitting room with a Persian rug that looks like it would feel heavenly under bare feet. The walls are the palest blue, embellished with creamy panels and gold leaf trim. Three enormous windows overlook a garden with a bubbling fountain.
It doesn’t look at all like a cell.
“Most of the fireplaces on this floor have been converted to gas so they can be used by anyone without too much fuss.” He walks over to the mantel and holds up a small object. “The remote is here. You shouldn’t have any trouble with it.”
I follow him into a bedroom that’s large and airy, and every bit as lovely as the sitting area. Victor crosses the room and opens a set of French doors that lead to a balcony with a bistro table and two wrought-iron chairs.
“The view of the river from here is something,” he says, almost to himself. “It’s a bit cool at this time of year, but on a warm day, the tiles absorb the sunlight, and it can be a pleasant spot for afternoon tea.”
As I peek over the railing, I don’t imagine myself enjoying tea, not on this balcony anyway. But the drop to the ground is too far to contemplate, unless a prince taps on my window one night. Unlikely, since princes seem to be in short supply here.
By the time we finish touring the dressing room, I’m speechless. I don’t know if it’s the designer clothing hanging neatly along an entire wall, or the well-equipped bathroom with a soaking tub and walk-in shower, larger than the bathroom I share with Isabel and Valentina. But either way, I’m completely overwhelmed.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in rooms this luxurious. Even the houses I clean for wealthy families aren’t this lavish.
