“Harlow’s going to give us a demonstration,” Dad says before shushing us all with a wave of his hand.
By the time she finishes the first trick, we’re all applauding, amazed at the feat of agility. Kai whoops, impressed with her athletic ability no doubt.
After a couple of circles, she slides the horse to a stop in front of us, digging a groove in the arena floor, and I hear Jacinta tut over it but ignore her. Josh will fix it up when she’s done. It’s not like Jacinta has to do the work herself. The horse then bows down in front of us before it rears back on its hinds legs. Nana sucks in a breath, but my eyes are on the beautiful blonde, and I see her gasp in shock as she slips slightly. Suddenly, the saddle and Harlow are sliding backward, heading for the ground, and I jump to my feet waiting for the impending disaster.
She kicks herself free but still hits the ground with a thud as the horse takes off, bucking himself clear of the saddle before disappearing. I'm the first one to move, but before I make it down the steps, I hear Kai hissing behind me, “You better not have had anything to do with this.” I turn back and see him staring daggers at Jacinta, but her face looks as shocked as the rest of us. Either she’s a really good actress, or she doesn't know anything about this.
Nana is already to Harlow by the time I get to her, and I hold out my hand, with a smile, to help her out of the dust. She takes it but quickly lets go and stalks over to the saddle, either not wanting that much contact with me or too rattled to stand still and be coddled. I find myself hoping it’s the latter, which is another sign that I might have more interest in this woman than I should. She stares at the saddle, Dad saying something to her too quietly for me to hear, but her response comes through loud and clear.
“Yeah, it’s been cut.” Her voice is flat, almost too flat to be believable. She’s got to be even more rattled now. It’s one thing for her to almost get hurt by mistake. For this to be a set-up? I mean, I’d be feeling pretty fucked up right now if I were her.
“Oh my god, but who could have done that?” Nana gasps, and as one, Oliver, Thomas, Kai, and I swing to look in the direction of our sister. Her face shows a myriad of emotions, shock and concern amongst them, but then it swiftly moves to amusement as a smirk crosses her lips. I’d like to think Jacinta wouldn’t have done this, but the messages are a bit mixed right now, and I definitely need to sort through this to figure out what’s the truth.
“She has gone a little bit too far this time,” Thomas murmurs to me, and I nod my head in response. “Someone is going to have to keep an eye on her. Maybe we shouldn't let Harlow be alone anymore,” he suggests. “If Jaxon isn’t going to do anything about this and Declan’s going to keep playing along too, we might have a real problem on our hands.”
I don't answer, still shocked at the fact that Jacinta could possibly hurt Harlow like that. I think my sister might be losing her shit.
Chapter Nine
Harlow
After my fall from Samson’s back, I really should have brought him back to the arena and kept working him, but I’m a little shaken, understandably so, with the knowledge that someone deliberately tried to hurt me.
As I leave the arena, Dad’s shouting echoes behind me. He hadn't pointed specific fingers, but he’d whirled on his children and started shouting at them, his face red with anger. Their denials were fast and just as loud, and I hadn't wanted to stick around, so I carried the saddle back to the tack room, leaving it with Josh. He assured me he’d fix it, but honestly, I’d rather buy a new one than have to look at that one again.
“Josh, have you ever explored the house across the road?” I ask, my need for distraction getting the better of me. It’s much more pleasant to think about than my narrowly avoided injury. He carries more gear back into the tack room while Luke finishes brushing Samson for me. When he returns, there's an amused smile on his face.
“No, I haven't. There’s a huge fence around it, so I’m not even sure you could get in. I know there was a caretaker for a while too, paid by the lawyers for the estate, but I’m pretty sure he passed a few years ago.” He leans against one of the empty stalls, eyeing me curiously. “Why do you ask?”
I laugh, sheepishly looking down at my feet, my cheeks turning pink in embarrassment.
“I have this thing for old abandoned buildings. I find them fascinating.”
“Well, it’s not really abandoned, more that it’s empty, being held in trust for any living relatives that can be found. I mean, after this many years, I’m pretty sure the count and his son aren’t planning on returning, but you never know, a relative may pop out of the woodwork.”
“What’s the story there? Nana told me some but not much.”
“One day, the count and his son just disappeared, no word, no sign of them. The son had had a girlfriend, and she was brought in for questioning, but they had to let her go since they had no leads. Even now, nobody really knows what happened. There are all sorts of rumors about drugs and the family having illegal ties to the mafia, but I don't know. It all sounds like something out of one of Declan’s movies, but then, how do two people disappear without a trace?” He shrugs. “Anyway, the zoo was disbanded, the house shut up, and the staff dismissed, so now it just sits empty.” His words cause a shiver to roll down my spine followed with a bolt of excitement. This is exactly what I need, a distraction from the shit that's happening in my real life.
“Harlow, you've got a gleam in your eye. Now, I don't know you well enough to know exactly what it means, but be careful,” he warns, and I pat him on the shoulder.
“Thanks, Josh, and don’t worry, I’m just going to go for a walk. Maybe take my GoPro and do some exploring. I appreciate the info.” Waving goodbye to him and Luke, I head inside to get changed and see if I can get some snacks to put in my backpack so that I don't have to leave too early if I do find a way in.
* * *
The stone wall surrounding the property is covered in ivy and has large trees overhanging it, blocking out the sun. As I walk along it trying to find a way in, goosebumps cover my skin, and I shiver from the chill the shade brings. I had changed out of my riding clothes and put on a pair of denim shorts and a tank top because it was so sunny and warm, but now I’m wishing I’d brought a sweater.
Strapped to my chest is a harness for my GoPro, leaving my hands free for any climbing or exploring, and I’ve got my stocked backpack hanging from my shoulders. Not sure what conditions the grounds will be in on the other side of the fence, I have my hiking boots on to protect my feet. I don’t want to make it easy for any snakes that might be hiding in long grass.
So far I’ve walked most of the front side of the property, and there’s no way in. The wall is solid and impenetrable, with the entrance gates locked tight. It doesn’t look like I can climb it either, and my heart sinks at this realization.Damn it, maybe I won't be able to explore at all.At the corner of the wall, I expect it to stay the same, but the wall turns into a high wire fence topped with razor wire. Where the two materials join, it looks like someone used bolt cutters to cut a hole large enough for a body to get through.
Looks like I’m not the only person to have this idea. I’m not the kind of person who would ever damage someone’s property in order to get a chance to explore, but I can’t say that I won’t take advantage of someone else doing the deed. Slipping through the fence, I notice it’s in a perfectly hidden spot too because there’s a large hedge on the other side. It must be there to hide the sight of the wire fence from the inhabitants of the home. I can still push my way through, albeit with scrapes and scratches to my arms and legs before I’m finally in.
My heart races with excitement as I scan the estate. Unlike the well-kept manicured grounds of the Summers estate, this property has become wild and overgrown. The grass is long, and the various bushes dotted here and there are unkempt and scraggly. There are lots of large willow trees with long dense overhanging branches. So dense that I can’t even see the trunks. The inner child in me thrills at the sight, imagining hiding away from the world under one of those. I’d set up a daybed and use it as my special reading nook.
My eyes move on from there, following the overgrown and uneven driveway up to an honest to god gatehouse. The mansion is surrounded by a now dried up moat that disappears behind the massive building and must be at least fifteen feet wide. A large wooden drawbridge, which is currently down, allows access to the main building.
I make my way toward it, marveling at the unbelievable sight as I make a pit stop in the gate house. There’s an intercom system in the wall, long since abandoned if the layers of dust are any indicator. It must be so that people inside would know when to lower the bridge. Why on earth you’d have a drawbridge and moat in modern times, I have no idea, but Nana did say the count wasslightlyeccentric.
