Perfect.
17
Xander took Bisma into the Chapman Estate, which was a sprawling mansion unparalleled in grandeur and beauty. She felt just as intimidated as when he’d previously tried to usher her in. Whereas other cottages were old and worn in with splintering stones and soft edges, the Chapman Estate looked newly constructed. Everything was immaculately clean and polished, sparkling with crisp lines made of the finest materials.
As they walked up the winding staircase, Bisma ran her hand along the dark wooden banister; it felt like silk under her fingers. She wondered what it would be like to grow up in a place like this.
She adored the Enchanted Forest and their treehouse, but this place was undeniably gorgeous. There were servants quietly bustling around, taking care of anything that needed attention.
Xander was clearly the apple of his parents’ eyes. There were paintings of him everywhere, capturing different ages, some solo portraits and others with his parents and grandparents. Alongside them were framed certificates from his school days, as well as awards.
It was sweet—so sweet she felt a sharp pang of envy along with it, as though her teeth were rotting from sugar.
There were other portraits as well: an older couple that she assumed were Xander’s grandparents; the same couple many decades earlier, with two children standing before them (thispair she deduced to be Eleanora and Frederick); then portraits of Eleanora alone, as well.
To make the perfect home with the perfect family even more complete, there were also numerous portraits of his parents, who were clearly besotted with one another.
Bisma had never seen a healthy relationship, and wondered what it was like. She knew the older girls had had such paramours, but she had never witnessed any of the couples together. It was an unspoken rule to keep such romances away from the Enchanted Forest and their home.
‘This way,’ Xander said, leading her down the hall. He opened a door to reveal a spacious guest room, double the size of her room at the treehouse. It was tastefully decorated and fastidiously clean.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
He smiled. ‘If you need anything, just ask any of the servants,’ he said. ‘I’ve told them you’re my guest. I’ll see you when I get back.’
He closed the door behind him, leaving her alone. For a moment, Bisma was sorely tempted to lie down on the plush bed and sleep; she had an inkling it would be some of the best sleep in her life.
But she had more pressing matters to attend to.
Exiting the guest room, Bisma walked around, familiarizing herself with the building. Under the guise of needing a glass of water, she ambled over to the kitchen, where cooks were busy preparing the evening meal.
Goodness, thestovewas the size of their entire kitchen at the treehouse! And everything was so neat and clean, perfectly orderly and matched. Bisma tried not to gawk.
After finishing her water, she continued her survey, spotting the laundry, which led out to a courtyard where clothes were hung out to dry. It seemed to be a weak spot in the estate’ssecurity; if she ever needed to sneak in later, this would be where to do it.
‘Can I help you with anything, miss?’ a cleaning lady asked her when Bisma headed toward the main area.
Bisma smiled. ‘No, thank you. I just needed to quench my thirst before I take a nice long nap.’ As Bisma went up the stairs to the second floor, a few servants gave her strange glances. Making a show of yawning, Bisma closed the guest room door loudly. Then she waited a good few moments before sneaking out again.
Upstairs, she walked down the hall, quickly and quietly checking each room only to reveal more guest rooms, a library, a study, a gallery.
Until finally she found it: Eleanora’s office.
It was in the wing opposite that of the guest room, next to what she assumed was Xander’s parents’ bedroom. There were a few more bedrooms in this wing, and Bisma guessed one would be Xander’s, and another his uncle’s.
Checking to ensure none of the servants had come up, Bisma snuck into the office.
The room was as neat as the rest of the house but a bit more personal and lived in than the guest rooms. The walls were decorated with certificates and awards in Eleanora’s name, and Bisma was distracted by Eleanora’s many accomplishments.
If Bisma was not investigating Eleanora’s possible hand in the poisoning of Bisma’s sisters, she might have even been impressed. Bisma had never had another garden-witch to look up to, to aspire toward, but Eleanora could easily fill that gap.
She understood why Xander was so close with his mother; she’d seen them together a handful of times in town, not to mention that time in the greenhouse when Mei was poisoned, and it was clear he held his mother in the highest esteem.
Guilt needled Bisma for a moment; surely Xander wouldn’t be happy to find Bisma snooping around his mother’s office. Bisma quickly shoved the thought aside. She would do whatever it took to find out who was hurting her sisters; she wouldalwaysdo whatever was necessary when it came to the ones she loved.
After a quick scan, Bisma approached the mahogany desk, the main feature of the office. Behind it was a portrait of the Chapman family: Xander’s grandparents, his parents, and, in the center, Xander himself. He looked to be about ten years of age, before he went away for school, and he still had that same boyish grin. On either side of the portrait were floor-to-ceiling shelves of books pertaining to garden-magic, potions, and horticulture.
Desire swept through her. What it would be like to sit in the sunlight and read all those books! That vast wealth of knowledge within her reach. Unfortunately, right now she needed to focus.
