Page 4 of Bearly Free (The Emerald Realm 2)

After a brief peek through the gates, I was able to make out a rather impressive estate. The clouded skies made it difficult to view the entirety of the home, but it certainly belonged to a lavish noble. None of the windows displayed even an ounce of light from the interior, and I couldn’t make out any horses or carriages in the stable. Weeds and grass overgrew along the edges of the road—clearly lacking any signs of being maintained—and it appeared to be abandoned.

Perfect.

This was just what I needed for the night, or perhaps even two. What a great place to hide until the chatter about my disappearance died down. I walked around the gate in search of an entry point and located a small gap, just wide enough for a petite runaway to squeeze through.

The grounds were nearly flooded and squished with each step. I cringed as the puddles soaked through my stockings and dampened my toes. The gardens were expansive, even compared to my former home, so it took a lot of maneuvering to get around all the bushes and trees.

By the time I made it to the front door, I was caked in mud up to my knees. Just to be certain it was vacant, I decided to knock with the full intention of fleeing if I heard someone coming. After a few moments of permissible silence, I tried to open the door. Unsurprisingly, it was locked.

Needing to find another way inside, I splashed around the perimeter of the building, eyeing the walls for any sign of an open or unlocked window. Each servant door was firmly bolted, and even the stable had a hefty iron lock across the front. Whoever used to live here certainly didn’t want anyone else getting in. The idea of getting dry was beginning to seem impossible when something finally caught my eye.

It was a thick wooden cellar door, just barely visible under the dark sky. The short door was tucked into the corner of an exterior wall and protruded only a few feet out from the ground. I ran across the soft ground to try the door, and to my delight, it opened.

The interior was completely dark, so I left the door open to cast a small amount of light inside. It was musty and had a sour smell that permeated the air, but at least it was dry.

I moved around in the dark, half-blind, until my hands came into contact with an oil lamp.Perhaps I could find a way to light it?I rummaged clumsily through the dark as I awkwardly patted every item I could find. There were gardening shears, wine bottles, a few loose nails, and other various things I couldn’t make out. My fingers brushed across a wooden surface when I noticed something out of the ordinary.

There was an indention atop the table—round and sunk maybe a quarter inch down into the wood. The flaw would probably have been unnoticeable to the naked eye, but I recognized it immediately. This wasn’t just a craftsman’s error; it was a perfect circle with a worn smoothness that wasn’t matched along any other part of the table. This could only mean that it was a button.

I firmly pressed the circular dent and instantly felt gratified as it sunk into the wood with aclick. Sounds of internal components grinding together filled the stale cellar as a small narrow drawer popped out the front of the table. The ejection of the hiding spot nearly punched me in the stomach since I had been standing right in front of it.

I allowed my hands to gingerly brush against the interior drawer with delicate movements. Drawers like this were often crafted to hold valuables, such as documents, personal treasures, and the occasional weapon. I wasn’t too keen on slicing my fingers in the dark, so I froze when my little finger touched something metal.

With gentle movements, I carefully patted the foreign object and was pleased to discover that it wasn’t a dagger, but it was a ring of keys. The metal tools jingled as I lifted them from their hiding place into the dim light. Maybe one of them went to the house?

A new rush of excitement flooded my veins. I felt like a spy! Or a treasure hunter! Or perhaps a wanted thief! I giggled as I crafted scenarios in my head where I solved puzzles and broke through barriers. My new life was less than a day old, and already, it was far more thrilling than my previous.

I quickly returned to the front door with the collection of keys. It definitely looked like night by now, but the stars and moon were hidden behind the storm clouds. I lifted a few keys to the door, trying to determine which would be a good fit for the lock. I narrowed it down to three that could be potential fit and tried them one at a time.

First attempt… no good.

Second attempt… Drat.

Third attempt…

I held my breath as I turned the key. The miraculous sound filled my ears as an audibleclickresonated from the metal lock. I pushed the door open, shutting it quickly behind me to keep out the blowing rain.

The estate was massive, far larger than my own had ever felt. The floors were made of polished granite, and the walls were covered in tasteful tapestries and drapes. A large carved stone fireplace stood at the center, tucked under the curve of a winding grand staircase. My footsteps echoed loudly within the looming walls, and I suddenly felt foolish for calling my former home empty. This place was beyond empty, it was abandoned.

With tentative steps, I made my way to the fire in the hopes of finding some leftover kindling. I poked around the ashes, but not even a single log had been left behind.Well, this was just peachy.

I shivered now that I was out of the warm rain, though my dripping garments left rainwater trails in my wake. I would need to watch my step if I backtracked at all. My gingham dress was at least made of a light material, so it seemed to drip-dry fairly quickly. However, that didn’t solve the problem of my shivering.

After wandering the halls for awhile, I managed to familiarize myself with the manor’s layout. The main level consisted of the entry hall, parlor, dining room, kitchen, and various spaces that were only decorative or used for offices. Everything about the ground floor was pretty typical, aside from being excessively decorated, but the second floor had a much stranger layout.

For starters, there was only one staircase. Most manors would possess a back stairwell for servants to use, but this home only had a grand one in the front. Once upstairs, the floor plan lost all sense. There were three main bedrooms that were obviously once lived in, separated by entangled hallways. Each corridor contained an unnecessary amount of turns to make room for decorative nooks and window benches. It was all very bizarre, but not impossible to find direction in.

The largest bedroom must have belonged to the master. It was entirely over-embellished and had an extremely masculine design. The floors were a buffed cedar, and the walls were covered in dark burgundy wallpaper. In between tall windows hung mounted game that was clearly collecting dust. I tugged on one of the long red drapes, but quickly gave up on the idea when more dust flurries showered down on me.

The settling sediments drew a few coughs out of me, and I suddenly remembered how cold I was. If I didn’t warm up soon, then I was sure to be coughing well into next week. My eyes quickly landed on the massive master bed covered in fur-skinned blankets.

Despite feeling certain that I was alone, I went back to lock the bedroom door before undressing. I removed my damp dress and stockings, then hung them over the edge of a wooden chair. Since I had been unable to get a fire going, my only hope was they would dry overnight.

“That shall have to do,” I confirmed to myself. The eerie silence filled me with a desire to at least hear my voice, but the spoken words only made the space seem more desolate as they echoed around the vast space.

I shrugged off the attempt and crept up onto the large mattress. It took a bit of maneuvering to get under the thick blankets, but it was well worth the effort. My entire body eased into the bedding as my exhausted form accepted the place of rest. The heavy fur and blankets trapped in my last few ounces of body heat and fanned it into a toasty cocoon.

My lashes fluttered shut as the comforting heat engulfed me. The soft sounds of rain against the windows were the last things I remembered before being lulled off to sleep.

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