Uneven dark wood beams criss-crossed small red bricks, which looked like they’d settled over the centuries so that now they formed crooked lines. The windows were leaded, revealing diamonds of glass that shone in the setting sun. Immensely tall chimneys looked as if they might topple over at any moment, though given how long they’d been there, I guessed they were stronger than they looked. This was a house that had seen history made.
I followed Archer through the heavy, ancient-looking door and gaped. The enormous hall had a stone fireplace, and was that a minstrels’ gallery on the first floor? All that was missing was a suit of armour.
“Mia can show you around,” Archer said. “I’d better clear out a room for you.”
That put paid to my ideas of butlers and maids. Before I could do anything more than put my bag down on the stone-flagged floor, a red-haired dragon catapulted out of a nearby room and hurtled over to me, fury in his face.
“Who thefuckare you?” Smoke curled from his nostrils, and he looked an instant away from shifting. He was broad-shouldered and tall, and loomed over me threateningly.
Archer stepped swiftly between us. “He’s my guest.” The growl in his voice was doing all sorts of things to my dick eventhough I should have been more worried about having my head ripped off by the strange dragon. “Ourguest. Back off.”
The dragon snorted furiously. “Of course he fucking is. One rule for you and one for everyone else. You’re a fucking hypocrite.” He turned on his heel and strode to the front door, wrenched it open and slammed it behind him so hard that I wondered if the old house might collapse as a result.
I held my breath, waiting to see what Archer would do after such a flagrant show of disrespect.
To my amazement, he shook his head slightly and when he turned, his usual stern expression had faded, leaving only weariness. “Sorry about that,” he said to me, and that was new—a head of familyapologising.“Thank you for keeping your cool.”
“No problem. I mean, he didn’t know a strange dragon would be coming into his home.” My voice rose questioningly on the word home. I assumed he lived here, but I could be wrong.
Unfortunately, my attempt to be gracious sounded like a criticism of Archer for not warning the other dragon. With an annoyed grunt, he started up the staircase.
I watched him go, not only for the view of his tight arse and amazing shoulders but to ensure he was out of hearing before I turned to Mia and raised my eyebrows in query.
“My other brother, Tim,” she said, with a sigh. “I don’t know what’s got into him but since his first term at uni last autumn, he’s been an absolute pain.” She dumped her case on the flagstones. “Let me give you the guided tour.”
There was a formal dining room with a long dark-wood table, elegant looking chairs, and exquisite silver candlesticks that could have done with a bit of polish. On the other side of the hall was an equally unwelcoming room with a hard-looking sofa and chairs. It appeared to be remarkably unlived-in.
“We tend to live in the kitchen and the sitting room,” Mia said.
The sitting room felt cosy the instant I entered it, with modern, comfortable furniture. A fire burned in the grate, and I was relieved to see a television tucked in a corner.
“This is where we spend most of our time,” Mia said. “It’s the most comfortable room and also the cheapest to heat. But I haven’t shown you the pièce de résistance yet.”
She hadn’t? I was already feeling as if this were some sort of movie set, except that modern items were strewn amidst the old-fashioned stuff. She led me to one final door and opened it with a flourish. “The library.”
“Oh my God, this isawesome.” It was the largest room yet, its walls lined with shelves of leather-bound books. The windows over the moat had more of those diamond shapes, casting intricate patterns of light across the wooden floorboards. A large stone fireplace dominated one wall, framed by dark wood panelling that added warmth to the room. In the centre of the room stood a table and chairs, while a comfy-looking sofa beckoned me from where it was placed by the window. The room had a peaceful atmosphere, as if it were separate from the rest of the world.
“Ollie,” Mia called from beside the fireplace, and I realised I was rooted to the spot, taking in the slightly musty smell and the beauty of the place. “Come here,” she said, and fiddled with a carving on the panelling. With a slow, grinding noise, a wooden section opened.
I gaped. “What the—”
Cautiously, I pushed the panel all the way open and stuck my head inside. It was a large, empty cupboard.
“Our priest hole,” she said. “Catholic priests who’d sneak around the countryside to celebrate Mass would hide in here if the authorities caught wind of their presence. Family tradition says King Charles hid here for a while when he was trying toescape to France, but I don’t think it’s true—he’d have made us lords or something if it were.”
“So you’re not lords or something?” I didn’t know what the other something was.
She laughed. “No, we’re as normal as they come. We just live in an amazing house.”
“I’d never have guessed the priest hole was there. Do you use it for anything?”
“For hide and seek when we were smaller, but now…” she shrugged. “Apart from the fun of it, it’s no real use.”
Mia led the way back to the sitting room, where at least it was warm. This house was freezing, even though I was still wearing my jacket.
“Should I give your brother a hand clearing out the room?”
She’d thrown herself down into an armchair and looked up at me, her eyes dancing. “I think he’d love you to give him a hand another time, but best to leave it when he’s just had a run-in with Tim. He gets growly.”
