Prologue
Fourteen Years Ago
“Itisn’tfair,”AutumnTaylor swiped at the tear stains on her cheeks, “I’m sixteen, I’m supposed to have a sweet sixteen party.”
“There, there dear, you will still have a party,” Fanny, one of the household servants, also serving as Autumn's only confidant, sat next to her by the window nook and brushed her hair out.
None of the staff liked what the master and mistress had done to the dear girl. But David Taylor was their employer, and they were sworn to secrecy.
Even the secrets that should not be secrets.
“How?” Autumn’s voice was hollow. She hated being treated like a child. She was a young woman and never had a sleepover.
“Well…”
At her words, Autumn’s bedroom opened to Zeke, one of the stable hands who looked a lot like Dick Van Dyke. He was charming like the actor and had a soft spot for Fanny.
“Well, look what we have here, a special delivery for one Miss Autumn. Oh, and it’s chocolate cake.”
Fanny’s lips turned up slightly, but she shook her head as she stroked Autumn’s hair.
“Nobody cares about my birthday, Zeke,” Autumn sniffled and held her knees to her chest.
“Now, why do you say that sweet girl?” Zeke came up on the young girl’s other side. “Of course, people care about your birthday.”
Autumn didn’t take her eyes away from the window, “No, no one cares about me. That’s why Mom and Dad went out to some stupid dinner party and Scarlett was…” She huffed a sigh and rubbed the tip of her nose, “It doesn’t matter. Scarlett hates me. She doesn’t care about me either.”
Fanny and Zeke glanced over her head and shared a look. Both adults pursed their lips, “Well, today is your day, Autumn. We don’t care about what they want, hm.” Zeke gave a gentle tug on a couple of locks of her hair.
“Do you want a perfectly good velvety chocolate mousse cake go to waste?” Fanny asked with a raised eyebrow, “If you don’t want it, we’ll eat it.”
Autumn finally looked away from the horizon and looked between the two servants. She grimaced and looked over her shoulder at the miniature cake with a single pink candle stuck directly in the center with a glowing yellow flame.
She eyed Zeke and looked at the cake again. “Chocolate mousse you said?”
His lips curved into a lopsided smile. “With rich, dark chocolate frosting.”
The girl jumped down from the window nook and got on her knees. She leaned over the wheeled tray, her hair hanging over her shoulders. Autumn studied the cake and the red happy birthday icing. She looked up at Zeke and Fanny. The couple saw some kind of determination in her gaze, staring back at them. “I’m going to run away one day.” She looked down at the cake, “And I’ll make my own family. I’ll leave all this behind and never look back.”
Fanny and Zeke shared another glance. Fanny’s lips turned up as she watched the beautiful girl before her. “Make your wish, Autumn.”
“And make sure you blow out the candle in one breath, otherwise your wish won’t come true,” Zeke added. He grunted when Fanny elbowed him in his side.
Autumn ignored them and leaned over the cake. She took a deep breath and blew the candle out in one breath. Fanny watched the breathtaking smile light up the young girl’s face.
She hoped Autumn could make her wish come true.
12 Years Ago
Dinnertime was always a boring affair in the Taylor household.
Autumn’s father had a phone next to him. Her mother delicately cut her food into tiny pieces, which she barely ate, and her sister Scarlett checked the time every ten minutes. Her flawless makeup and designer clothing made Autumn feel inferior. Scar was always dressed to impress. Perhaps it was because she ran a business at twenty-one, but she still made Autumn feel like she was less than her.
“Have you given the local community college any thought, Autumn?”
Autumn glanced at her father. He didn’t look at her but had a law magazine opened as he cut his steak open. She watched the blood pooling from where the rare, red meat dripped.
“No, I’m going to the University of Washington.”
