Page 60 of His to Keep
Nico motions toward the front door.
“You’re in Eilidh’s old room. Go on up and get settled. I’ll have your luggage brought up later.”
Thanking him, I let Eilidh lead me into the hall. It’s a bit austere with cold stone walls and floor. A family crest is carved into the ceiling.
“My dad wanted people to be intimidated when they walked in so he left this in its original state,” Eilidh explains. “The rest of the house is cozier.”
We walk up a steep stone staircase and emerge into a more modern part of the castle with carpeted floors and wood paneling on the walls. It’s warmer here and as Eilidh promised, cozier. We pass several doors.
“My sisters and I occupied this part of the castle with my parents. When my brothers were teenagers, my parents let them move into the North Tower.”
“What’s this part of the castle called?”
“The range. It was the easiest part of the building to modernize.” She stops at a pink painted door. “This is my room.”
She opens the door and shrieks. Covering her mouth, she turns to me.
“Oh, my god, this is so embarrassing. Please bear in mind I was fifteen last time I was in here.”
She steps into the room, and I follow, immediately seeing the reason for the deep crimson blush in her cheeks.
“It’s not so bad,” I tell her as I walk around getting a good look at everything. The carpet is a deep shade of pink that matches the curtains. The walls are painted in a lighter pink and there’s a patchwork cover on the bed. Family photos sit on top of a dresser. There are posters of boy bands everywhere and in corner is one of those basket chairs that’s shaped like an egg.
“You had a real thing for baby-faced, blue-eyed blonds.” I pick up on the theme of the posters.
“Apparently I got over it.” Eilidh comes and stands next to me. “Now I’m into rugged Italian Americans with darkly handsome features and permanent scowls.”
“I hardly ever scowl since I met you,” I protest.
Eilidh grins. “Only when you’re spanking me, right?”
Behind us, someone clears their throat. We both turn to find Alexander standing there. Eilidh’s face was already red, but now she goes a beetroot color.
“It’s consensual,” she says, “the spanking. Well, maybe it isn’t, but I like it. Oh, fuck! Don’t get the wrong idea.”
Alexander massages his forehead as if he’s already regretting his sister’s homecoming.
“Too much information, pipsqueak.” He steps forward and hugs her, then shakes my hand. “You made it.”
“We wouldn’t miss this for the world.” As I speak, the atmosphere in the room becomes more serious.
Alexander nods. “Do you want something to eat or drink? You’re too late for lunch, but we can raid the fridge.”
“Just like old times?” Eilidh smiles, clearly reminiscing. Then her face falls. “No, I want to see our guests first, since that’s what we came all this way for.”
“They’re down in the dungeons.” Alexander looks pensive. “Eilidh, you might be better sitting this out.”
My wife folds her arms across her chest in what I already recognize as her battle stance. “Whatever you’ve done to them, I’ve seen worse. I want to look these assholes in the eye.” A shudder goes through her shoulders as a nasty thought occurs to her. “That won’t be a problem, will it?”
Alexander shakes his head. “They still have their eyes if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“Good.” Eilidh waves a hand toward the door. “Shall we go?”
Alexander leads the way along to the end of the corridor and down a stone staircase. We cross a large open room with an enormous fireplace.
“This is the medieval banqueting hall,” Eilidh tells me. “It’s a great space for parties.”
We step up onto a wooden platform and go through a small door. Alexander pushes on a wooden panel in the wall, and it slides open. Behind it is another staircase. I can’t believe Eilidh grew up in a place like this. My brothers and I would have loved it. There’s so much to explore.
