Page 94 of Sinful Escape

I followed her instruction and did a double-take at my reflection. My hair was wild, post-hot-tub hair. I groaned.

Nina tugged open a drawer, clipped my hair back and began applying foundation to my forehead.

“Hey, Nina. Does anyone live here in the castle?”

“You mean beside Katrin and me?”

“Yes.”

“Bruno and Rudolf stay occasionally, and the maintenance man. I don’t know if you’ve met him—Diederich?”

“Yes, I’ve met him. So, there’s nobody else?”

“Oh.” Her face lit up. “Count Frederik Von Thorsteinn still lives here.”

My stomach lurched. “Count? And he’s a Thorsteinn?”

“Yes, the last living descendant of the Thorsteinn’s.” She applied liquid foundation to my cheeks and nose, and with each brush of her sponge, more and more freckles vanished.

“What do you mean last? Has he never married?”

“Oh yes, he was married, but after the accident his wife left him.”

I frowned. “Accident?”

“Yes. A horse-riding accident.” She leaned over to dab skin-toned powder on my face. “They say he’s impotent.”

My frown deepened. “What happened?”

Her brush strokes came dangerously close to my eyes, forcing me to close them.

“He was in a horse-riding accident. Nearly killed him. He fell off in a remote section of the woods. It took three days to find him. Apparently when he fell off the horse, he knocked a wild beehive out of a tree. He’d been stung so many times, he was barely recognizable when they finally found him.”

“Oh my god.” My skin prickled at the horror.

“I know. Imagine what he went through lying out there for three days.” She shuddered. “It was all over the papers.” She leaned in to coat my lashes with mascara.

“So why did his wife leave him?”

“After that accident he was never the same. He withdrew more and more into his shell, and now he’s practically a recluse.” She shrugged and pulled a gloomy face. “Once his wife learned they could never have children, she left.” Finishing with my makeup, Nina turned her attention to my hair and began separating it into sections.

His declaration of ownership flashed through my mind. “So, he doesn’t own the castle, right? Vacation Dreamz does.”

“He sold the castle to them years ago, but he kept the keep. He pretty much stays in there all day, every day. Occasionally I see him around, but rarely.”

Mystery upon mystery.

“There,” she said with a motherly tone. “You look beautiful.”

I turned to the mirror, and for the second time this month, I was shocked at my reflection. My freckles were gone. My frizzy hair was tamed. And whatever she’d done to my eyes had them looking large and incredible. “Wow.”

I marveled over my new hairstyle. She’d pinned a section of my hair into a loose bun at the back of my head and left a few free strands to curl near my chin. In addition to that, she’d pushed decorative pins topped with little white flowers into my curls. I don’t think I have ever looked so beautiful.

Nina placed her hands on my shoulders and looked at me through the mirror. “You should dress up more often.”

I smiled. “Maybe.” I could only recall three situations where I’d genuinely liked what I saw in the mirror. One was my engagement party and the other two had happened this tour. Maybe I should have another look into this makeup thing.

“Do you need help getting into the dress?”

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