Page 112 of Bitter Secrets

As she ran her hands through her hair, she brushed her finger over her flushed cheek. There was no need for blush, and it wasn’t because of the hot shower. Although her inner Colette was outraged, her inner hussy was well-pleased with whatever transpired in the wee hours of the morning. Her body was humming with life, while her mind was a jumbled mess.

She stalked into the bedroom and ignored the stack of knit sweaters she bought from the market, even though she needed all the comfort she could get. Instead, she pulled on jeans, a cream-colored turtleneck, and a tweed alpaca frock coat with a dashing standing collar. The coat would keep her warm no matter the temperature, and the severe menswear-inspired coat gave the impression that she knew what she was doing even though she didn’t know a goddamn thing.

When she emerged from the master suite, she didn’t have to look around to know she was alone. He never lingered. Her eyes drifted to her workbag. Her fingers itched to pour everything she was feeling into a journal so she wouldn’t carry this around all day, but Johan said he would take her to see castles… She reached for her phone and hoped Copenhagen could cure her dour mood and make her believe in Christmas miracles.

* * *

She walkedaround Frederiksborg Castle in a daze. When she caught her first glimpse of the castle in the middle of a lake, her heart stopped. She got a preview of the castle in the snow globe, but the reality didn’t come close. This place was straight out of her childhood fantasies.

They visited Kronborg Castle first, which was breathtaking. She could see why it inspired Shakespeare. It was a massive castle with pointy turrets that overlooked the Sound that separated Denmark from Sweden. She would have been satisfied with that, but Frederiksborg Castle topped it in every way.

She explored the castle in reverent silence. Each room was more magnificent than the last. The chapel was so majestic that it brought tears to her eyes. Mo and Johan stood off to the side, gossiping about her like old women. She ignored them and continued on. The moment she entered the Grand Knight Hall, stories began to dance through her mind. She took as many photos as she could to capture its beauty. She felt as if she was walking through the halls of a place she’d been dreaming about her whole life.

She settled on a bench overlooking the Baroque Gardens, with Frederiksborg Castle in the background. It looked like an illustration straight out of a storybook. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting there, dreaming with her eyes open, when Mo appeared at her side.

“I can see why Hans wrote so many fairy tales,” she murmured. “With this backdrop, what else would you write?”

“Jasmine.”

She glanced at him. “What?”

He pulled her to her feet. “We have to go.”

“What? Why?”

“He’s having the jet prepared. We have to get back to Copenhagen.”

Bliss replaced panic. “What about my stuff at the hotel?”

“It’s being transported to the jet.”

“What’s the rush?”

He shrugged. “I assume his business wrapped up sooner than anticipated.”

She dug in her heels. “I’m not done! I need more time!”

He reached into his pocket and offered his phone to call Roth. When she recoiled, he grabbed her wrist, and tugged her along the winding path. She looked over her shoulder at Frederiksborg Castle with wistful longing. She could have spent days here, getting lost in such a beautiful setting. Next year, when she was free to do what she wished, she would return and explore to her heart’s content.

She spent the hour and a half ride to the airport scribbling in one of the notebooks she picked up at a bookstore. She tried to capture her experience in as much detail as possible, as the joy and wonder Denmark evoked began to evaporate. She didn’t want to see him. Was she supposed to ignore what he’d done or confront him? Did it matter?

Her writing became sloppier as her emotions took hold. By the time they reached the airport, her stomach was tied up in knots. As Johan helped her out of the car, she tossed her hair and marched up the steps. She would take her cue from him. If he wanted to fight, they would have the mother of all… She halted in the aisle when she saw the other seats were empty.

She glanced at Mo, who was already making the call.

“Yes,” he said, then nodded and hung up. When she raised her brows at him, he said, “He’s on his way.”

She wasn’t sure how he got all that without asking a question, but that didn’t matter. She spotted her work bag waiting on one of the seats and pounced on it to make sure everything was accounted for. In short order, she had her laptop open and was typing as fast as she could to get her ideas down. She was on pins and needles, waiting for Roth’s arrival, but as ten minutes passed and then twenty, she began to hope they wouldn’t be leaving at all. Or better yet, maybe he would send her ahead of him, and she’d have more time to herself before they came face to face.

When her phone vibrated in her pocket, she considered ignoring it, but it could be her sisters… She pulled it out, glanced at the name on the screen, and shot to her feet. A second later, she charged down the aisle to get to the exit.

“Jasmine!”

She ignored Mo and Johan as she raced down the stairs, skipping the last three with a leap that surprised even her as she landed on the runway and answered the call on the last ring. “Thea?”

“Miss.”

The raspy voice on the other end was almost unrecognizable.

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