Page 68 of Walk on the Wilder Side

“Night!” I called back to them, then I closed my door and paused for a moment to soak in the sights of my beautiful room. Someone had lit a candle by the bed, and another illuminated the dressing area. After changing, I blew out the candle by the dressing area and climbed into bed.

“I feel like a queen,” I whispered to myself as I pulled the luxurious linens up to my chin and smiled, then cracked open my book to read before bed. After I’d read for an hour, my eyes got heavy with sleep. With a quick puff of breath, I blew out the candle and settled into a quiet rest.

It wasn’t long after I’d started to drift off that I heard soft voices outside my window. I froze in bed, listening quietly in the dark to the sound of a man and a woman. Curious to figure out who was outside in the gardens at this hour, I reached over and grabbed the matches, lighting my candle then carrying it to the window. When I peered out and looked down the three stories to the grounds, I saw nothing but the beautiful gardens illuminated in the moonlight. Thinking I had just made the sounds up in my head, I started to turn away, but then movement caught my eye. I turned my gaze toward it but saw nothing other than the tall flowers blowing in the soft breeze.

“Hmm. Guess I’m hearing things,” I said to myself before walking back to bed.

After I got snuggled up once again, I blew out my candle and closed my eyes. As I started to drift off ... I heard it again.

Voices.

My eyes popped open, and I listened closely, but once again only silence met my ears. What in the world? My imagination started running wild with all the possible answers for the hushed voices I kept hearing outside. As I lay alone in the dark, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I burrowed tighter into my covers, feeling very vulnerable sleeping by myself.

I miss Axel,I thought just before I tried to drift off again. But once again, right before my mind quieted for the night ... voices.

Now fear had my heart palpating inside my chest as I imagined some hooligans outside trying to break into the castle, so instead of sleeping like a queen in a castle like I’d dreamed about, I lay awake until the wee hours of the morning.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“This is delicious!”I closed my eyes and savored the tastes of the authentic Scottish breakfast we were eating.

“They used real butter for sure.” Sylvie took another bite. “There’s nothing like real butter.”

“Actually, it’s probably lard.” Marge popped a bite in her mouth, and Alice and Sylvie pulled a face.

“Eww.” Alice sat back in her chair. “I didn’t want to know that.”

“Lard is wonderful for baking,” I answered, not slowing down as I went for my next bite. “It gives food such a rich flavor.”

Alice pushed her plate toward me. “Well, I was already struggling over this meal before I realized it’s infused with actual fat. Pass. It’s all yours.”

“Oh! I’ll take ‘em! This kilt is way more forgiving than the dress.” Marge gestured to the kilt she’d traded in her dress for. Instead of stepping out of her room in a dress like the rest of us, this morning, Marge had emerged smiling, wearing a kilt and cream laced-neck shirt like the men wore.

“You’re bending the rules with that, Marge,” I said, gesturing to her outfit.

“Nope. They said to wear traditional clothes anytime we were moseying around the castle. This here is traditional clothes. I wore the uncomfortable dress once, and I’m not doing it again. I’m happy to march around in my birthday suit before I wear that contraption again. There isn’t much more traditional than a birthday suit.”

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