AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maire stared hard through the front windshield in hopes of seeing what was to come. She didn’t have to wait long. Lights, softened by the dense fog, revealed the outline of what looked like a small village. “What is this?” Maire asked. “It looks like something out of a movie.”
The driver ignored her, keeping his eyes on the stone driveway in front of him.
“Oh, wow,” Maire said, surprised to see that what she thought were several separate stone buildings was actually one residence with varying, red-tiled rooflines and, remarkably, a bell tower. One section of the estate appeared to be in ruins with exposed beams surrounded by piles of ragged stone.
Wide-mouthed, winged gargoyles peered suspiciously down at them as the driver came to a slow stop in front of the massive home. It was a gorgeous estate but also foreboding, aloof and cold like an ancient Tuscan fortress built to keep enemies and lowly serfs at a distance.
More than two dozen stone steps, flanked by a terraced lawn, led up to a set of grand wooden doors set into an arched entry. On either side of the doors were two black lanterns casting a ghostly light that spilled to the stone floor.
Maire looked out the window again and unease puddled in her chest. She looked down at her pilled cardigan and cargo pants. She wasn’t dressed for any kind of meet and greet and had actually been looking forward to one night of rest before the competition began. Room service in her hotel room and watching Love It or List It. She wanted to check on the kids one more time.
The driver stepped from the car and opened Maire’s door, the interior light popping on.
“You aren’t really just going to leave me here, are you?” Maire asked.
The driver gave her a Cheshire cat grin, his teeth flashing bright in the dark. “Why? You looking for some company?”
Before she could react, he grasped her hand. His skin was cold and clammy, his fingers caressing her palm. Maire tried to shake her hand free, and the driver laughed meanly before releasing his grip. Maire stood frozen.
“Listen, lady,” he said. “Just tell me, what do you want to do? Stay? Go? I don’t care but I need to get back to the airport.”
Maire didn’t want to walk up to this strange house, but more than that, she didn’t want to get back into the car with the driver. He tapped his watch. She could either enter this gorgeous estate and win ten million dollars or get back into the car with the creepy driver.
“I’ll stay,” Maire said, scrambling from the car. She looked up at the spectacle in front of her. Never in her life had she seen such a home. A curtain in one of the upper windows shifted, and Maire saw someone step back into the shadows.
She began the walk up the steep stairway to the house, her luggage bumping against each stone step. She hitched her purse over her shoulder and glanced nervously back at the driver, who was already turning to leave. Through the hazy glow that lit her ascent, Maire could see that the front yard was overgrown with a variety of gray and silver ground cover. She caught a whiff of something honey-like trying to break through the pungent scent of rosemary. Somewhere nearby, she heard the soft gurgle of a fountain.
At the top of the steps, Maire paused, released the grip on her luggage, and stared up at the large house. She imagined it was beautiful in the daylight, but right now it was downright imposing, rising out of the shadows like some medieval villa.
On either side of the arched doorway were several open-air windows—no glass, no screens. She peered through one of the openings. What Maire thought was the front door was really the entrance to a courtyard. Maire searched for a doorbell but couldn’t find one.
Feeling foolish, Maire pulled open the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside the courtyard. She was beneath the bell tower now. Who lived in a home with a bell tower? She followed the row of lanterns where dusty-winged moths threw themselves at the filaments, and moved down the colonnade with its arched columns, her footsteps tapping sharply on the stone pavers.
At the end of the path was another set of heavy wooden double doors, again reminding Maire of a stronghold. She wondered, with a flash of anxiety, if the doors were meant to keep people out or in. She thought of Keely and Dani and fumbled in her purse for her phone. She would call them just one more time.
The phone rang and rang. Please answer, she begged. Finally, she heard Shar’s rough voice on the other side of the line. “Hello,” she rasped.
“Shar, it’s me. I know it’s late, but can I talk to Dani again?” Maire asked apologetically. “I’m just worried about her.”
“I understand,” Shar said. “But she’s doing just fine.”
In the background came the sharp bark of coughing. Maire tensed. She would know that cough anywhere. “Dani’s coughing? Why didn’t you call?”
“I’ve got it covered, Maire,” Shar said softly. “She’s fine.”
“You nebulized her? Took her temperature? Used the vest?” Maire asked. The vest was the high-frequency chest wall oscillation vest that Dani wore to vibrate loose the mucus in her lungs.
“Yes, yes, and yes,” Shar said. “What she really needs right now is rest. I’ll call you if anything changes. I promise.”
More coughing. An endless stream of wheezing, gasping. Was it a go to the hospital cough? Maire couldn’t tell. She needed to see Dani, feel her forehead, lay her hand against her chest.
In front of Maire the door began to open.
“I have to go,” Maire said in a rush. “But call me if she gets any worse, please.”
“I will,” Shar said gently. “But we’ll be fine. I promise.” Then she was gone. Maire had no choice but to trust her. Trust Shar with her daughters, with Dani’s life.
Maire blinked back tears as a young woman appeared in the doorway. She was dressed in a sheer blouse, high-waisted, wide-leg pants, and Converse sneakers, all in black. Her shoulder-length black hair was sleek and made edgy by severely cropped bangs. She wore no makeup, nor did she need to. She was naturally stunning with full lips and dark eyes behind chunky, black-framed glasses. A small V-shaped scar was etched into one sharp cheekbone.
