Chapter 7

I wason the final leg of my journey to the Reddlands.

Talia had left Chicago two weeks ago to set everything up. She claimed she needed to tidy up before I could begin my job.

Getting to remote Canada was much more difficult than I'd imagined. I was amped up on nerves and exhausted from travel, which made me jumpy.

It's an adventure, I told myself—one that you don't have to pay for and for which you are collecting a generous fee.

I wondered if I was crazy. The tiny plane seemed to shudder as we flew low enough that I could only see the snow-covered ground. My fingers and toes were frozen, and I kept flexing them to keep the blood flowing.

Talia hadn't blinked at my request for added pay upfront for a return ticket. Now, I wondered if I could find my way home.

The pilot began our descent, and I could only make out a dark dot on the horizon.

My stomach tightened in fear while I prayed this wasn't a ridiculous idea. I was in the middle of nowhere with a person I barely knew.

A small group had gathered beside the barn by the time we'd taxied to it. They were dressed for the cold temperature.

I followed the pilot from the plane. I walked around to combat the stiffness that the hours of travel had caused.

It was then that I heard bells.

It was like something out of a Christmas movie or Dr. Zhivago. A sleigh pulled by four black horses approached.

Talia looked to be wrapped in fur throws. Her blonde hair was shining brightly. When the sleigh stopped, she nimbly hopped down.

"Wow. That was some entrance." I was in awe.

"It was easier than bringing the truck." She hugged me. "How was your trip?"

"Long."

"Your room is ready. You can eat and then rest. Work won't begin for a day or two. You'll have plenty of time to rest and refuel."

"I'll be ready." I liked her, but she was my boss. I needed to remember that I was here to work. Keeping focused on that work didn't seem like it would be a problem since there was little else to do.

The man driving the sleigh quickly loaded my two bags. He waited for us to climb in. After doing so, he took his position in front, and we were off.

Talia pulled a thick throw over us as we were sitting close. "Have you ever been in a sleigh?"

"No." It was a much rougher ride than I'd imagined.

"It's a forty-minute journey, so we'll need to cuddle; I don't want you to get too cold." She pressed against my side.

By the time we'd passed the tall walls that led to the property, I'd popped my head out from under the furs. I wanted to see everything.

I felt like I'd been dropped in the middle of a movie set. The small cottages had smoke curling from their chimneys, but I saw very few people as we flew over the snow.

"There's the manor." Talia pointed toward a monstrosity.

I couldn't come up with a different word. The place was sprawling and made up of differing styles of architecture. It had two or four floors in some areas and in others only one.

"It's hideous," she admitted with a sly grin.

I was trying to take it all in. It seemed like multiple fireplaces were burning, so many must inhabit it. "I don't know what to say."

"That's probably best." She sat up straighter. "We'll get you to your room, and I'll go over everything while you eat."

I nodded. A part of me knew this was exactly what I needed. It was completely different, and it would feel good to work with art again.

Twenty minutes later, I couldn't shake the feeling that none of this was real.

Talia had rushed me up a stone staircase to the second floor, where she paused to point down a long hall. "You'll work down there."

We then continued to the third floor. "Our rooms are here."

I followed her past several closed doors.

"I'm there." She pointed to the left and then stopped in front of a doorway on the right.

I followed her into a large room. It had a sitting area with a desk, and the sofa faced a fireplace.

"You'll need the fireplace to supplement the heat up here." She led me deeper into the room.

To the right was a large canopy bed with burgundy drapes hanging from the four posts. It was so tall that there was a two-step riser to help me climb onto it.

"The bathroom is through there." She looked to her right. "It takes time for the hot water to get here, so factor that in when bathing."

"I'm used to that," I assured her.

"There's a generous closet through that door. One of the staff can unpack for you."

I must have given a puzzled look.

"This wing is fully staffed. I don't like to let them do much because they're nosey, and that means they'll report things to Mrs. Cormer, and eventually, Anton could find out."

"I'm not used…I've never had…" I tried to explain.

"Do not worry. It's easy to learn to depend on their help. My warning is that it's easy to forget they're always around. You might say things you shouldn't or leave things out for them to see." She turned and led me to the sofa.

"I'm used to taking care of myself." I sat on the surprisingly comfortable cushion.

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter," she said, her tone filled with authority.

A man entered, pushing a cart with covered dishes, followed by a woman carrying one of my bags and a third younger woman with my other suitcase.

The older woman lightly cleared her throat. "Miss Natalya, I have assigned Marie to your guest."

The younger woman, who looked to be in her late teens, performed a slight courtesy.

"I am Mrs. Cormer, and this is my wing." The older woman announced grandly. "Any complaints should be directed to me."

It felt like I needed to respond. "Thank you, Mrs. Cormer." I dipped my chin.

That must have been the correct thing to say because Mrs. Cormer began lifting lids from the platters on the tray.

"Cook sent several choices," the male waiter said.

The three began moving the various dishes to the large coffee table.

When they finished, Talia said, "Thank you. That should be all for this evening."

"Marie will unpack the bags," Mrs. Cormer replied with a slight frown.

"That is for tomorrow." Talia looked pointedly toward the door.

Talia relaxed against the back cushions when they'd gone, and we'd served ourselves. "They mean well. However, I don't like being spied on."

I had no idea how to respond.

"You must forgive me. I don't have many happy memories here." She looked away. "It will get better when Sig and Bredon get back."

"Your brothers?" I was trying to understand the family dynamic. Hell, I was attempting to understand everything here.

"They are protective of me like brothers should be. We've known one another since we were young. They're supportive of my career. Without their assistance, I would never be able to leave."

I know my body gave a little jerk at her words. "I don't understand."

She sighed. "I'm going to frustrate you. There are things I must be vague about—it's for your safety. Anton's rules are antiquated. Please stay on this floor or the one below. If you have questions, ask me. If you find that you're comfortable around Sig or Bredon, you can ask them."

"Are these a part of the rules you mentioned?" I asked slowly.

"Yes." She frowned. "There are things that you will not understand here. You will be safe as long as you stay close by."

This was one of those moments when I should have listened to my first thought: to return to Chicago. However, I'd scrimped and saved for years to take a trip and experience life. I had a feeling I was going to get that here. "Okay."

"We have internet access in this wing, but it gets interrupted and isn't fast. Only use your laptop and phone in this wing. They're not allowed in the main wing. Anton has an aversion to technology."

"That should be easy since I'm not leaving this wing." I nodded, feeling a little better.

"If you see wolves, don't be afraid."

"Wolves?" I said, my voice shrill. "In the house?" My mouth engaged before I could think.

"Perhaps. They're hardy and in abundance in this area."

"They're pets?" I tried to wrap my head around that.

"I would advise that if one wants to engage, allow it."

"They're not vicious?" I had limited experience with animals. I'd never had a pet of my own.

"Of course they are. They're wolves." She laughed. "It will be fine. You don't smell like a weaker animal."

That was an odd thing to say. "What else?"

"It will take a few days to settle in. Plus, I'm now nervous about how you'll react when you see the storage room." She began to chew on her bottom lip.

I watched her for a beat too long, I realized. She was beautiful. It was hard not to stare sometimes. "It'll be fine. I'll be fine." I tried to sound sure.

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Eat before the food gets cold."

I was hungry, and the food, although simple, smelled delicious.