“Not really, I have a large housekeeping staff and gardeners. Most of the rooms on the third floor are closed as we’ll never use them.” He walks to a wraparound window with breathtaking views of the ocean. “We have reception rooms, a ballroom, a library and my office. There’s a playroom, where the kids watch TV. They don’t come in here. There are too many priceless antiques in here to risk horseplay so they know not to enter this room.” He holds out a hand to me. “Sue, the housekeeper, will be along soon. Once we’ve had coffee, I’ll give you a tour of some of the house.” He chuckles. “We’ll explore together. You know, I’m sure there are rooms here I haven’t found yet.”
Finding that hard to believe, I meet his gaze. “You really haven’t explored the entire house after so many years? That seems so strange. Is there a reason?”
“Honestly, I’ve seen the plans. So I do know there are small rooms on the third floor.” Jack waves a hand dismissively. “I don’t need to see dust-covered rooms we’ll never use. It’s a waste of my time.” He glances at his watch. “Where’s Sue got to with the coffee?”
Before I have the chance to ask about Sue, footsteps clatter in the hallway.
“Jack, at last.” A woman in her late thirties wearing a tight pink top and chinos, with brown hair tied at the nape, breezes into the room waving a piece of paper. “Davis has been on the phone constantly. He needs you to okay a deal.”
“Not now, Ruby.” Jack frowns. “I’ve just walked through the door.”
“I’m sorry but it’s urgent.” Ruby gives me a dismissive glance and pushes the document at Jack. “You need to read this right away.”
I didn’t expect the staff to be so cold toward me. It’s very disconcerting, as if I’m an afterthought. I do expect Jack to introduce me before speaking to them rather than just ignoring me. I stare from one to the other. Jack had mentioned a few staff live in staff quarters at the house but I gathered they were gardeners and cleaners. He’d never mentioned Sue or Ruby, let alone George. What is George anyway, a manager? Totally lost and feeling like one of his priceless antiques left on the mantel, I sit on a plush sofa and wait.
Moments later, another woman in her thirties arrives pushing a cart. This one has red hair, and is wearing jeans and a T-shirt. The smell of fresh coffee fills the room as she propels the cart toward me and unloads the coffee pot, fixings, and a tiered cake stand with an assortment of sandwiches and pastries to the table before me. Plates, cups and silverware follow. I nod to her. “You must be Sue?”
“That’s me.” Sue smiles. “Dinner is at seven.” She turns and walks out of the room.
Without a word to me, Jack follows her with Ruby on his heels and their voices disappear along the hallway to heaven knows where. My mind is racing. I did see a face at the window and didn’t imagine it, but Bill’s warning fills me with unease, especially after hearing there are rooms on the third floor nobody visits. What strange things happen in the house? Am I safe here? I try to get a grip and take a few deep breaths. Do I ask Jack or will he think I’m paranoid? Is this the same behavior Laura exhibited before she died? How can I find out the truth?
I pour a cup of coffee into a delicate bone china cup and add the fixings. The trip has exhausted me. Our honeymoon was four decadent weeks traveling the world. Jack is wonderful but why keep all this a secret? I look around a room filled with antique furniture and priceless collectables. I’ll never be able to relax here. My hand trembles on the cup. One drop of coffee on the cream rug and it will stain. As I stare at the open door and the empty hallway, loneliness creeps over me. He is the center of my universe and has never been far from my side for the last four weeks. Any business he needed to conduct happened when I took a shower or went to the beauty parlor in the hotel lobby. How life has suddenly changed. The moment we stepped inside Laura’s home, I’ve become an afterthought. I stare into the view, contemplating my future living here. I sigh. “I guess the honeymoon is well and truly over.”
I check my watch. I’ve been waiting for Jack for over an hour. The bread on the sandwiches has dried, the coffee is cold and he is nowhere to be seen. It is a terrible waste of food as the sandwiches are really good and I drank two cups of coffee. I’ve been staring out of the window for ages, taking in the scenery, but how long can you look at the beach? I’ll do my own tour of the house. I really need to find our bedroom. After traveling by air and in the Porsche for some time, the makeup on my face feels like a stiff mask. I need to take a shower and change my clothes.
I push Bill’s warning to one side. The house has staff moving around and Jack is here. I have my phone in my pocket. What could possibly happen? I venture outside into the hallway and look both ways. There is no one around, so I make my way back to the entrance hall and, with Laura’s piercing eyes staring down at me, climb the stairs to the first level. I reach a wide balconywith hallways leading away in both directions, and decide to take the one on the right. If my sense of direction is correct, the right-hand side of the building overlooks the ocean.
Artwork is everywhere, from the pictures on the walls to the bronze statues placed strategically on pedestal tables, and I have the strange feeling of being inside a museum. A long rug running along the middle of highly polished wooden floors muffles my footsteps. As I walk, I fling open each door. Most are empty guest bedrooms, apart from two which, from the toys scattered over the floor and the posters adorning the walls, obviously belong to the children. Ahead, at the end of the hallway, is a small vestibule with double doors. I head toward it, certain this must be the master bedroom.
“Ah, there you are, Willow.” Jack strides toward me, scoops me into his arms and kisses me. “You are so beautiful. I love you so much.”
My heart pounds and my knees tremble from his deep kiss. I smile. “I love you too. I’ve missed you terribly.”
“What are you doing up here?” Jack takes my hand. “Our bedroom is in the other wing. Come, I’ll show you.” He takes my hand and leads me away.
I walk beside him, trying to find the words to explain my problem with the portrait of his late wife but nothing comes. I follow him along the hallway and across the balcony to the opposite side of the house. When he opens the door to a large spacious bedroom, my heart drops at the view. I see the gardens but the view is of other houses, not the opulent vista of the ocean. The disappointment must have shown on my face as he looks at me and shakes his head. I smile and turn away, opening drawers to search for my things.
“I’m sorry I left you alone but it was business and it intrudes on my life frequently.” Jack grips my shoulders and his thumbs massage my neck. “Unfortunately, it’s going to cause an issuelater as well. I need to go into the office and sort out a problem. It can’t wait until the morning, I’m afraid. Ruby has been running interference for me for weeks and now they know I’m home—well, I don’t need to explain.”
I step away and turn to face him. “Who is Ruby? I’d like to know the names of the people living here with us.” I fold my arms across my chest. “How many staff do we have?”
“Quite a few and I don’t know all their names. They come and go.” Jack grins at me. “I love it when you’re feisty.” He reaches for me. “Come here so I can kiss you again.”
I step back. “In a minute. We need to talk.”
“Of course, darling.” Jack strokes my cheek. “Anything you want. I only want to make you happy. You know that, right?”
I look at him. It would be so easy to just fall into his arms. “Let’s start with Ruby.”
“She’s my PA.” Jack leans casually against the closet door. “We’ve been working together since college. She lives here in the staff quarters. I rely on her and it was difficult not having her around on our honeymoon.” He holds up both hands. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, Willow. Of course there’s no place for a PA on a honeymoon. That’s why she remained here but I’m used to her organizing everything for me. Things like dinner reservations, dry cleaning, and the tours we enjoyed during our trip. The itinerary was planned by Ruby. I made the reservations for our meals but only occasionally. The concierges at the hotels where we stayed were very helpful.”
I nod. “Go on.”
“You’ve met George and he takes charge of all the staff for me. That includes gardeners, housekeeping staff, both live-in and outside workers.” Jack rubs his chin. “Sue is the housekeeper, she has two assistants who work in the house daily—Amy and Lucy—and then there’s the chef, Pierre. The gardener you know is Bill and he has many staff. I don’t know their names.The nanny is Jenny.” He frowns. “I know the kids are old for a nanny but she’s been here since they were born and they’re attached to her. Keeping her means we always have someone here for them if we need to go out or spend the weekend away.” He sighs and straightens. “I’m guessing you’ll want to freshen up. When you’re done, I’ll be in the office. It’s four doors down from the room we were in earlier.”
I held up one hand. “Before you go, how many bedrooms overlook the ocean?”
“Six on this floor, why?” Jack frowns. “Don’t you like this room?”
