Derrick: Good idea. I can’t imagine what she must be going through.
Sienna: Poor thing. She must be devastated.
Isla: How can men lie like that?
Stacey: Did Harris say anything to her?
Vanessa: Yeah. Told her he didn’t love the woman, that his father is making him marry her or he will cut him out of the will.
Derrick: Of course, he chose the money.
Vanessa: Wanted Cam to be his mistress.
Isla: The audacity.
Sienna: Creep.
Derrick: Camryn is too hot to be someone’s mistress.
Vanessa: Right? Once she’s mended her heart, she is going to find someone so much better than that cheating asshole.
31
DERRICK
“Welcome to Alnwick Castle,” Olivia says, greeting us in front of the imposing castle.
“Princess, so good to see you.” I give Olivia a hug, but then I see a sad, little petal behind her. “Cammie, my Cammie, I’m going to kill that man. I am going to pull his balls off and shove them so far down his throat that he’s going to choke on them.” She tries to put on a brave face for me, but I can tell the damage that asshole has done to her.
“Come on inside, Sebastien and Yvette have just arrived,” Olivia advises. We follow, and she gives us a history of the place. I could never imagine what it must be like to walk around in a home your ancestors did hundreds of years ago.
“You look after this all by yourself? No one else helps you? Don’t you have a sister?”Axel asks her once she’s finished her tour.
“It’s my duty to help look after this estate as it has been in my family for four hundred years. I don’t want to be the one who destroys its legacy. It keeps me very busy. My sister chooses to pursue other opportunities,” Olivia answers diplomatically, and I can see in this environment she’s changed.
“Where are all the hot men?” I ask, breaking whatever tension is going on between Olivia and Axel, who are both acting weird.
“Maybe some are in the village, but there are generally none around here,” Olivia states.
“My poor little princess, now I understand why you needed to let loose in Monaco. You’re locked up in the tower waiting for Prince Charming to come and save you, but there are none around for miles,” I tease.
“D, now isn’t the time,” Sienna whispers to me, reminding me we are not alone as I remember all the parentals are here too. Oops.
“Shit, sorry, princess.”
Olivia accepts my apology. “Sebastien is currently in the kitchen testing it out, and Yvette is setting up all the dresses in the parlor room. You all must be exhausted from your long journey. Camryn has your room keys and will escort you from here. I just have some business to attend to and will join you again for dinner tonight.” She excuses herself from the group.
“To the happy couple, here is your key. You have the main bedroom, which is on the top floor, and it’s all ready for you.” Camryn hands over the antique key to Christian, who grabs Vanessa and swings her into his arms.
“Christian,” she squeals.
“No way, wife, I’m whisking you away to your turret, my princess,” he teases.
“Oh, role play, kinky Christian,” I call out after them.
Camryn hands out the rest of the keys, and we head off to our rooms to settle in. I follow my map and walk up the spiral staircase to my room. Opening the wooden door, I step in, and I feel like I’ve been transported back to the Tudors or something. I have a gorgeous wooden carved four-poster bed, and a roaring fireplace is crackling away. Glass windows overlook the gardenswhere snow is starting to fall. I can see the white fluff through the window. There is an ensuite and a wardrobe. There are old paintings on the wall, and I wonder who they are and what their stories are. I sit on the bed and stare at the room. If these walls could talk, I wonder what they would say.‘Who’s the hot guy sitting on our bed?’Naturally. Is this place haunted? A sudden chill slides down my spine.
“If there is a ghost in this room, please note I’m strictly dickly. I only give my consent to a male ghost touching me during the night. If you could pass that on to the other ghosts, please, I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
