“The count’s sex room. Apparently, that’s where the sex parties took place. You had to be invited up there and had to agree to be blindfolded if you said yes. Again, it’s the only room the elevator goes to, but there is another hidden passage from that room to a room directly below it, which is where the count moved his master bedroom after his wife died. It has full safe room capabilities.”
“A safe room up there is dangerous. What if the house was set on fire?” Jaxon asks.
“I said the same thing, but Dad said the house is made of stone. That would prevent or at least slow down any major fires, and there’s an exit in case of any emergency. There’s a slide that winds down and into a subterranean room. I think it’s on the same level as the vault.”
“Wow, this house just keeps piling up the secrets.”
Emma shakes her head, looking a lot less impressed than I am. “You have no idea. Wait until you see it. Assuming you don't mind if your family all knows about it, we’ll go there next.”
“No, that’s fine. They all know how to keep a secret,” Jacinta assures her as the door slides open. The room in front of us is pitch black, so Emma pulls a phone out her pocket and turns the flashlight function on.
“Give me a second.” She disappears into the darkness, and within seconds, the room is flooded with light. Just like the foyer above, this room has sconces on the stone walls, and to the left of us is a giant vault complete with old-fashioned wheels. Next to it, flashing on and off, is some kind of scanner. “If you step out, the elevator will return to get the others.”
So we hurry out into the cold dank room, assaulted by the smells of must and mold, and my nose wrinkles. There’s dust on the floors, like nobody has been in the room for a while. Jaxon wanders around the room as Jacinta steps up to the vault to get a closer look.
“Hey, there’s a door back here, and it’s cracked open. Is it supposed to be like that?” His voice kind of echoes throughout the room, and Emma’s frown tells me that she doesn’t like what he’s telling her.
“No, it’s not. It should be sealed tight.”
ChapterEighteen
Oliver
Iwatch the doors close on my girlfriend, brother, and sister before surveying the rest of this house. “This is really something,” I say to nobody in particular. My eyes run over the paintings, and I inwardly cringe at all of them. Yes, they might be classed as masterpieces, and I recognize a few from my art history class, but they are really not gelling with me. I’m thinking we sell them or store them downstairs in the vault. I’ve got some of my own art I’d like to display, and Kai’s friend Madeline has some amazing nature prints that I think would look great in this house. She has a whole series on animals. If I could get them blown up and framed, I could gift them to Harlow for her birthday.
What I really envision for this house is that it comes to be a reflection of us, something where you can think about the people you love simply by looking around you because there are hints of them everywhere. I know I’ll be thinking about them when they’re not around, Den and Harlow the most, of course, and I’d love for this to really become ahome. It sounds like some cheesy daydream, but what can I say? Dad, Nana, and Poppy always made us all feel loved, and through them, I learned that home is the people you care about and the spaces that are filled with their presence.
Looking down, my mind continuing to catalog changes, I grimace at the carpet beneath our feet. The mosaic monstrosity has to go. I wonder if the floors are wooden underneath or if we’ll have to recarpet. If we do neutral, I’m voting we leave behind the patterns or prints. I’m loving the gothic feel the place has, but it just needs a few touches to modernize it the tiniest bit. I don’t want to lose its ambiance, but this dark, gloomy, and oversexed castle vibe isn’t quite feeling like us. I take out my phone and write down my suggestions while everyone is still walking along the landing looking at the paintings.
“I’ll add it to the list,” Jacinta promises after she gets my message and looks it over.
“You know, now that I think about it, we didn't really see much of the house apart from the ballroom. It’s downstairs and has a lovely view of the lake between the house and the zoo. When he had parties, he would set up floating pyres that would burn through the night, and it always looked so magical. But unless you were invited to his private party within the party, there was always security to stop you from wandering. So I can’t say I’m not excited to see the rest.” Nana ambles along the mezzanine level, looking at the paintings that line the walls. She stops in front of one and gasps. “Look at this!”
“What’s wrong, Nana?” Declan asks, stepping up next to her.
“This is theNativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrenceby the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. The original used to hang in a church in Palermo, Sicily, but it was stolen in the sixties. I remember studying it in one of my art classes at college. It certainly is a fantastic copy.”
I exchange a glance with Holden, who looks as skeptical as I feel. “What do you want to bet that it’s not a copy?” I whisper out the side of my mouth, and he shakes his head.
“I’m not that stupid, no bet.”
“I don't blame you,” Kai says from close behind us. “I wonder what else in this house is stolen. What a pain in the ass. The media is going to have a field day with this.”
Nana steps further along and gasps again. “Oh!”
I move over to where she’s standing, and my eyes widen in surprise. Much like the porn fresco on the ceiling, this is explicit too. “Oh, well, the count really was a bit freaky.”
She waves her hand at it. “These were considered the first printed pornography. They were done by the Renaissance master Marcantonio Raimondi, and most of these were destroyed by the Catholic church in the fifteen hundreds. Though there were rumors that some had survived. I wonder if this is a copy or the real deal.” She steps closer to get a better look, but the elevator returns, and the doors silently open, drawing our attention.
“Dibs,” I call and hurry toward the stairs. I’m dying to know what’s in the vault. Plus, it’s been a little bit trying to have less of Harlow’s time over the last few days. I’ll soak up any moments that I can get with her.
“Hey, did you see that?” Thomas calls, and I stop to see what he’s talking about. He’s leaning over the railing, peering at the front door. There’s no direct line of sight from the front door to where the elevator is, but he’s further around from us. “I thought I saw a shadow through the door glazing, but it’s gone now.”
“Alright, let’s get moving then. I don't think there’s any way to see what we’re doing up here, but better to be safe than sorry.” Dad waves at the steps, and I continue on my way. Dec, Holden, and Kai join me.
“I’ll do the last trip. I want to keep an eye on the front door. Did we lock it after we came inside?” Thomas must decide to check because he heads down the stairs as the elevator doors close in front of me.
“I think we need to brace ourselves for the worst case scenario. The twins aren't really thinking clearly, and Harlow is all caught up in the excitement, but realistically, that vault could be empty,” Declan warns us, and I feel my excitement dull.
