Page 47 of Stalked

Massive trees, bent with age, created shadows along the driveway leading up to the house. Caleb parked and rushed to my side to open the door.

“Thanks.” I grabbed his hand and stepped out. “What is this place?” My eyes went wide. “Is this her house?” He smirked when he saw how wide-eyed I’d gone at the sight of all this luxury.

“This is the Sherwood Remington Castle. My aunt Abigail lives here with her housekeeper, Desiree.”

“Is she a great aunt? Or is she immortal, too?”

Caleb gave me that playful half-smile as if he were hiding a secret and debating whether to let me in on it. As much as his smugness annoyed me, he had my curiosity piqued, and I was desperate to hear the story behind all this.

“Abigail’s immortal,” he said.

“So, I knew her, then?”

He nodded once. “You did. Very well, actually.”

Caleb gestured toward the ridiculously ostentatious house. “This way.”

As elated as I was about spending the evening in an opulent castle, it was quickly overshadowed by my nerves about spending it with Caleb. Perhaps being around familiar people might help trigger more memories that would stick.

I gripped his hand tightly as we entered the castle; my eyes widened as I saw the foyer. It was stunning. Candles decorated every corner of the house, beautiful Celtic music played in the background, and the windows were open to let in a gentle breeze. The window curtains danced in the wind, and the elegant crystal chandelier above the entryway table was dimly lit with gas lamps.

The walls were lined with beautiful antique gold and red silk fabrics, still in almost perfect condition. Intricate, ornate designs were carved into the wooden posts in the corners of every room. Old paintings from different eras covered the walls. Sculptures, antique china, and rustic leather-bound books were stacked on the bookshelves surrounding the foyer. Caleb led me into a room to the right of the entry. A highly polished oak table stood in the center of that room with two place settings and wine glasses already set up for us.

Caleb pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit. He took his seat right as double doors opened from across the room.

A woman dressed in a plum-colored blouse and a long, elegant black skirt entered the room. She looked as if she were in her mid-thirties and incredibly beautiful. She had bright blue eyes, youthful pale skin, and wavy blonde hair that fell right above her shoulders. Caleb and I both stood up as she walked up to my side of the table.

“I can’t believe it,” the woman said. “Mercy, you’re here, in my home, after so many lost years!” She pulled me into a tight hug, then pushed me back at arm’s length. “Wow, you’re the spitting image of your previous body. It’s quite remarkable. Well, aside from your hair color, of course.”

Her penetrating stare made me slightly uncomfortable, so I looked up at Caleb, who had made his way over to us. He only greeted my worried expression with a squeeze of my hand.

“I know you don’t have your memories, but we were very close when you were a child. Caleb hasn’t stopped talking about how thrilled he is to have you back.”

Caleb gave a shy smile, then chuckled under his breath. Abigail leaned in and gave me another warm, welcoming hug. I noticed Caleb moved in slightly as if to stop us, looking on edge when Abigail touched me. I wondered what was wrong. She was a little strange but looked far from dangerous.

I looked back over at him. “Everything okay?” I asked.

He gave me a reassuring grin and walked back to his seat. “Of course.” His warm smile released the tension from my shoulders, and I relaxed a little.

“It’s great to have you in my home, Mercy. You’re welcome here anytime.”

“Thank you.” I smiled at her and looked around the dining room again. “Is it just you and your housekeeper here?”

“Her name is Desiree,” she affirmed. “We both used to work for the man who built this place, Sherwood. The poor man died a few years ago and left me the house.”

“Oh, wow. That’s generous,” I said, finally allowing myself to relax completely. I straightened my back and gave her a warm smile. “It’s nice of you to open your home to us tonight. Whatever is cooking in that kitchen smells lovely.”

Lovely?I shuddered at how ridiculous I sounded. I never used words likelovely.

Observing everything around the home, what stood out the most was Abigail. Nothing about her appeared out of place. She glided around the table with three smooth strides to greet Caleb. Her movements were full of grace, like she was skating on ice.

As Caleb and Abigail exchanged an affectionate squeeze, I said without thinking, “Your house is so lovely.”

Fucking hell, not again. What is wrong with me?Heat rushed up my neck.

Immediately, my cheeks flushed, so I gave Caleb a pleading look. I straightened up when Caleb finally spoke with a snicker in his voice.

“So, what’s Desiree whipping up in the kitchen tonight?” Caleb asked. I took a deep breath and finally started to calm down and settled back into the chair.

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