Heath
Want to grab a bite to eat in a secret place before the madness begins?
A secret place?Did the castle have some hidden passages or rooms?Intrigued, Quinn sent a quick reply.
Quinn
Secret sounds fabulous.Where shall I meet you?
Heath
The Gatehouse.
Quinn
Be there in five.
Her curiosity brimming, Quinn lifted her heavy bag and flung it over one shoulder before heading out of the Citadel gardens.The warmer-loving plants were already dying back, but the fall flowers made the garden flush with colors.
Tentatively, she eased in the back door to the castle’s main lobby, where people milled around.Now that she needed to know what the viscount looked like, she felt especially stupid for not having checked on him online.She got Lia’s attention through the glass of the dessert café.Her friend seemed to understand because she pointed toward the west wing where the guest rooms were located.
Quinn hurried, while trying not to look like she was hurrying, through the lobby and out the front door.Across the wide expanse of lawns sat the two turrets of the Gatehouse.It served as a fun entry to the castle grounds, with the bridge room connecting it and making an archway for guests to walk through.The Gatehouse wasn’t being used, and Quinn thought the place was empty.
Each turret had a door, but she looked for any sign of Heath.Then the one to the left opened, and he waved her in.She hurried over, and he shut it behind her.The round room wasn’t as large as the towers in the Citadel, but it had potential.It surprised Quinn the Savages hadn’t done something with the space yet.
“It’s up the stairs.”Heath indicated the spiral staircase to the side.“It leads to thesecretplace.”
Quinn glanced up.A previous owner had constructed a second floor.She hoped it was heated because the inside of the stone building was already making her shiver.
“Lead the way.”She indicated that he should go ahead, so he jogged up the circular stairs, and she followed him.
When they reached the top, instead of going to the left onto the second floor of the turret, Heath pulled out a key and opened a door to the bridge room.She’d never been in there.As soon as he opened the door, warmth hit her, and she hurried in behind him.Something smelled delicious.
“You can put your bag near the closet there and hang up your coat.Let me see if the casserole is hot enough yet.”Heath hurried away.
Quinn took her time examining the room, trying not to laugh at the termsecret place.It was an apartment.A nice one, too.Nothing extravagant, but tastefully decorated.It had a homey, lived-in feel about it.
Once she’d stashed her gear, she followed the yummy smell and found Heath in a small kitchen/dining room combo.While the living room had a window overlooking the Citadel’s stables and farm, the kitchen had a splendid view of the castle.
“What a fantastic location for an apartment.Do you guys rent it out as a suite?”she asked.
“My parents have considered it, but they said they didn’t want to limit their options while they’re deciding what to do with the towers.Can you put that towel on the table?If I burn Deb’s stuff, she’ll kill me.”
Quinn did as he instructed and glanced around to see if there was something else she could do.It appeared Heath had considered of everything.
“I thought the Montgomerys lived in the Citadel,” she said.
“They do.Now.”Heath set the small casserole on the table before pulling out a chair for her.“I hope you’re hungry because she made a lot.”
“You know me, the bottomless pit.”Quinn sat, and he scooted the chair in for her before taking the other one himself.She said, “This smells like what Deb was cooking the other day for Lia.”
“It is, though they made a couple of tweaks to it after that batch.”
“So, we’re the guinea pigs?”
“Best.Job.Ever.Even their mistakes are worth eating.”Heath handed her a large serving spoon, and she took it.He added, “It’s going to be a crazy couple of days, and this seemed like an excellent staging area for us.The apartment has internet, and you can leave your stuff here if you don’t want to run back and forth to the village.”
“That’s a good plan.Thanks for thinking about it.”She handed him the spoon.“How long did the Montgomerys live here?”
