The servants arrived then with the luggage, and Eve told them which room to take which bags into.
“I guess I’ll check out my digs,” she said.
“I can come with you. I’d like to see it,” Darius said.
“All right.” Eve was more than happy to keep him around anyway. “You coming, Joe?”
“Yes, and then I’ll need to examine Darius’s room.”
The servant who’d carried her luggage came out, so they went in.
“Well, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to sleep in a canopy bed,” she said.
Eve thought the floral print of the bedspread matched the yellow walls. It gave the room an airy feel. There was even a little sitting area to the side with a love seat and a lamp. She went to the window which overlooked a garden that stretched away from the house.
“Look at all that,” she said. “What must it cost to maintain?”
Darius came to stand beside her. “Looks like there are some walking paths that branch off into the woods. Oh, and check that out.” He pointed in the distance. “Is that a dock through the trees?”
“I think it is.”
“It is,” Joe said from behind them. “There’s a river that runs near here which feeds into a lake.”
“Loch,” Eve said.
“Loch, then,” the big man said with a grin. “This area would be an incredible outdoor recreation area.”
“If you’re into fishing,” Darius said. “I wonder how large the staff is, if your grandfather is usually the only one here.”
“My Uncle Duncan might have been living here. I can’t imagine a nearly ninety-year-old man running the farm by himself. Shall we check out your rooms?”
They returned to the hallway, and Eve paused, glancing around.
“I wonder which bedroom was my dad’s.”
“I doubt Mrs. Campbell is old enough to have been here then,” Darius said.
“And my grandfather isn’t likely to tell me.”
They checked out the guys’ rooms which were similarly decorated but with different color schemes, and then went down the stairs. The house was even larger than it’d appeared from the front, going back a long way. They found a couple of parlors, a billiard room, formal dining room, and the best of all—a solarium. Its three glass walls gave an incredible view of the gardens. The overstuffed couches and chairs looked more used than the other furniture, testifying that this room got used a lot.
“I wonder how long before someone will come looking for us.” Eve sat on a couch, happy to wait in the beautiful room. Darius took the seat beside her and put his arm across her shoulders. She said, “I know I keep saying this, but I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Surprisingly, I am too.”
“Hey, the Wi-Fi has a password,” Joe said. “I’m going to find out what it is.”
When he was gone, Darius kissed her. She shifted so she could wrap her arms around his neck. A surge of euphoria filled her. Eve was in the home of her father’s youth and kissing the only man she’d ever really loved. She accepted that her feelings for him had never died.
At the sound of Mrs. Campbell’s voice down the hallway outside, they broke apart. Eve settled against him with her head on his shoulder.
“I’ve decided to continue the charity,” Darius said. “I think it’s going to take a lot of planning to get it set up.”
“Yes. I’m so glad.” Eve shifted so she could face him. “I think this is a really good thing.”
“Have you already committed to your next nursing job?”
“The woman’s surgery was put off for a month, so I haven’t yet.”
