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“You’re close to Victoria,” I said.
“Is that weird?”
“No,” I said, smiling. “I think it’s cool you are so close with your siblings. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to grow up in a big house with a big family. Well, I did grow up in a big house, but I think it’s called a palace. Can you call a palace a house?”
“If it was your home, sure,” he said, shrugging.
“Did you guys have friends and slumber parties?” I asked. I found myself very interested in what it was like to have a normal life. The life I hoped I was going to get the chance to have when I went to university after Nora married. My chance at normal had slipped away. I was never going to get the chance to be a regular person.
“My sisters had slumber parties,” he said, laughing. “My brothers and I had a few sleepovers. My parents did the best they could to give us a typical American upbringing, but it wasn’t all that typical. They did shelter us somewhat just because of who they are and the money. You know.”
I nodded with understanding. “I do know.”
I reciprocated by sharing stories of my own upbringing, describing my life in Norway and the unique traditions of my family. “My sister was always the good girl,” I said with fondness. “I was always the one drifting away and looking at bugs. My mom made me wear shorts or tights under my dresses because she never knew when I was going to roll in the mud or slide across the grass.”
“You were a tomboy,” he said, smiling.
“A little.”
Theo’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he listened to my stories, and I couldn’t help but notice how different he seemed in this lighthearted setting. It was so easy to like him. I never stood a chance. He was going to steal my damn heart.
As our dinner arrived, we savored the flavors of haggis and other Scottish delights. The food was delicious, and I relished each bite. It was different but good. Between bites, we continued to talk.
As the evening wore on, the restaurant’s ambiance shifted from a bustling eatery to a cozy, intimate setting. It felt as if time had slowed down and the world outside faded away, leaving just the two of us immersed in conversation and laughter. Theo’s laughter was infectious, and I found myself laughing along with him. I rarely laughed. I laughed with Astrid sometimes but rarely with anyone else.
We left the restaurant with smiles on our faces. “So, do I have my own house that I’ll be sleeping in?” he joked.
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?” he asked.
I leaned back against the seat and laughed. “You’ll see.”
As the car pulled to a stop in front of the sixteenth century castle, I didn’t miss the look on Theo’s face. “Holy shit, it’s an actual castle.”
“Not as big as your brother’s future castle,” I joked.
“I had no idea,” he said.
“It belonged to my great, great, great something or other,” I said. “I think no one else wanted this pile of bricks, so they weren’t fighting to take it back.”
“It’s very cool.”
We got out of the car and went inside. Theo took a moment to look around the foyer. The castle had been updated about sixty years earlier. It wasn’t modern, but I supposed that was part of the charm.
Theo followed behind me as I led him to his room. It was a small, cozy space with a four-poster bed and a small fireplace. The room was decorated with antique furnishings and tapestries that hung from the walls.
“This is amazing,” Theo said as he walked around the room, taking everything in.
“I’m glad you like it,” I replied.
“Like it? I love it,” he said, turning to face me. “I can’t believe you live in a castle.”
“It’s not all that it’s cracked up to be,” I said with a chuckle. “And I don’t live here. In fact, this is one of the places my family stays at the least.”
“Because it’s old?”
“And it’s in the middle of nowhere,” I said. “My mother is used to being pampered.”
