Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“You did?” I ask before correcting myself. “I mean, right. Of course.”
This had to be Eros’s doing. We never discussed how this would work with my guard, but I should have known he’d figure out a way around it.
The only thing I’m not sure of is if Julian is aware of what goes on at Davenport Manor.
“I’ll be ready when you are,” he assures me.
“Okay. Thank you.”
I consider asking if he knows he can’t come inside the manor, but then I think better of it. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
The event doesn’t start until midnight, so I spend part of the night working on my senior collection.
When it’s time to get ready, I relax in the bath for a while before I reapply my makeup and get dressed.
The only thing the costume didn’t come with was shoes, so I opt for a pair of Mary-Jane flats. They’re comfortable, and they’ll be easier to run in than anything dressier.
Just before we’re due to leave, I slip on a long white faux-fur coat that’s probably a little heavier than I need, but I only plan to wear it until I get there.
At eleven-thirty, I meet Julian in the main entry and glance at Beppe, wondering what the best course of action is. I don’t like him being home alone if I can help it, and Julian knows it.
Sensing my thoughts, he makes the decision for me.
“He can come with us for the ride, Miss Bianchi. I’ll bring him back to the penthouse with me after we drop you off.”
I stare at him for a beat too long, wondering what exactly Eros did here.
It would require permission from Michael to leave me alone at an event. But considering I’m pretty sure it was Eros who texted Abella, and she thought it was actually me, it’s a safe assumption he did something similar with Julian.
“Miss Bianchi?” he prompts me. “Do you need his tote bag?”
“Oh, right.”
We get Beppe settled in, and a few minutes later, we set off for Davenport Manor.
The drive is quiet, and I spend the entirety of it petting Beppe to diffuse some of my anxious energy.
By the time we arrive, I feel calm and ready for the night ahead.
When we pull up to the entrance, Julian opens the door for me, and I give Beppe a quick cuddle before handing him over.
Julian waits until I’m at the gate where the attendants are collecting invitations, then he drives off.
A small thrill shoots through me as I think about having an entire night without any supervision. I’ll be completely on my own until Eros finds and captures me.
“Welcome to Davenport Manor After Dark.” A female attendant wearing a masquerade mask greets me with a smile. “Invitation?”
As I’m handing it over, another woman joins the attendants with two drinks in her hands, pausing when she lifts her gaze to mine.
For a moment, we stare at each other, and I take in the few visible features I can see.
She’s wearing a black costume dress with a mermaid silhouette, so I don’t think she’s an attendant. Her black hair is straightened like Morticia Addams, and a lace face mask obscures most of her identity, except for her blood-red lips.
There’s a chance she could be Chantel’s doppelganger, but judging by the way she stopped when she saw me, I doubt it.
Neither of us says a word, because we aren’t supposed to. Anonymity is the whole point. But she gives me the briefest dip of her head before her lips curve into a smile. Then, as if it didn’t happen, she sets the drinks on the table for the women, and one of the attendants gestures for me.
“Please come this way.”
As we wind our way along the lantern-lit footpath, I take in the property.
I’ve never been inside the gates before, and seeing it now, it’s even better than what I imagined. The gothic manor looms in the distance, rising out of the darkness and fog that has settled over the night. The windows are shuttered, preserving the manor’s secrets and what’s currently taking place inside. On the exterior, ivy climbs up the walls, growing dormant for the winter, but still clinging to the last glimpse of life before the cold fully sets in.
Carnival music drifts from the other half of the property, punctuated by the occasional laugh or scream.
From my vantage point, I can see some of the rides, including a carousel, a small roller coaster, and a chain swing. There’s also what appears to be a Ferris wheel, but instead of the normal seats, it holds cages with bars. When I get a closer look, I can see that they have velvet drapes, some of which are open and others closed. As it makes a slow, creaking rotation, one of the open cages comes into view, and I get a glimpse of a man taking a woman from behind.