Max led Audrey to the study she had been brought to the night before. Nicholas was seated at one end of an elegantly laid table. He was attired in much the same was as he had been the night before. He wore a white silk shirt with ruffled cuffs and collar and black trousers. Once again his attire puzzled her. If he had only a feathered hat and eye patch he might have been a pirate she mused quietly to herself. The truth remained; he dressed as a man from a time long long ago.
The surface of the table was covered in a cloth of rose colored silk, overlaid by a delicate lace. A center piece of fresh cut rose’s entwined around several burning candles. The roses filled the room with a cloying scent. Crystal
Nicholas looked up to regard her. “I trust the gown is satisfactory?”
“Oh yes! It is beautiful, thank you” Audrey flushed under his scrutiny.
“Yes well” Nicholas frowned as his gaze reached her bare feet. Chipped red nail polish seemed to glow next the pale skin of her feet. “I regret I could not acquire adequate footwear on such short notice.”
Audrey resisted the urge to look down at her feet in shame. “Yes … I seem to have misplaced mine somewhere in your beautiful garden.”
Nicholas allowed a glint of disdain to cross his visage then his manner softened. “Please” Nicholas rose and moved fluidly to the other end of the table, pulling out the empty chair there for Audrey to sit down.
“Thank you.” She replied, as Nicholas pushed her chair forward.
“I hope you do not mind dining here, I find the formal dining hall too impersonal. It is a very large room and quite unpractical. I prefer to take my meals here.” Nicholas returned to his seat and sat down.
“This room is fine thank you.” Audrey replied, gazing around the room. Not plagued by shock or fear as the night pervious she was really able to survey the room. There were paintings on the walls she had failed to notice before.
Max popped the cork on a bottle of wine, handing the cork to Nicholas. He held it beneath his nose a moment then nodded his approval. Max poured a small amount of deep red liquid into the glass and waited for Nicholas to sample it. He first raised the glass to let the candlelight illuminate the liquid, then he swirled it lightly in the glass. Nodding again, Nicholas replaced the glass on the table. Max filled it and then moved around the table to fill Audrey’s. Max set the bottle at his master’s elbow and retreated from the room.
Nicholas pushed a basket of breads forward to place it in reach of Audrey. “You must be starved. Dinner will be served presently.”
“Thank you.” She took a steaming slice of some artesian type bread and placed it gingerly on her plate then took a linen napkin and placed it daintily in her lap.
“I trust you have recovered from your misfortune earlier?” Nicholas raised a brow in a disapproving manner.
“Yes um,” she stammered uncomfortable under his gaze. “I am sorry I disobeyed …”
Nicholas waved his hand in a flourish, “What is done is done. Curiosity is a trait I can admire.” He took a sip of wine. “Although, I would in the future try to keep said curiosity in check? Particularly while you are a guest on my estate.”
“Of course.” She nodded, wondering if she were truly a guest or a prisoner.
“In another regard I have saved you twice from becoming hopelessly lost on my estate, you have come here a trespasser and I have graciously adopted you as my guest. And it has occurred to me that all I know of you is your name. I was so hoping that perhaps we could use the fine meal Max is preparing for us as a means to rectify that situation.”
“I do agree it is only fair” Audrey picked nervously at her slice of bread with tiny fingers.
“For instance I am very curious why you have been here a full night and day and you have not requested to contact anyone to make them aware of your safety or current location.”
“I am on vacation.” She refused to meet his eyes. “No one will be worried,” she was careful to add, “yet.”
“Ah a vacation. To a remote English village, not London
“I live in America
“I see, do you live in the whole of America
“California
Max entered the chamber pushing a metal dining cart. He began transferring dishes from the cart to the table. In silver serving bowls he sat before them, roasted vegetables, pheasant, and for dessert fresh strawberries and crème. His task complete he stood by his master’s chair for further instructions.
“That is all Max. Please have a wonderful evening, give my regards to your wife and children” Nicholas smiled.
“Thank you Sir, I shall” he then bowed to Audrey, “Good evening to you as well.”
“He doesn’t live here?” Audrey asked curiously once Max had left the room.
“No, he has a family of his own.” Nicholas replied. “I provide them with their own lands on the estate. But we were, I believe, talking about you.” Nicholas smiled as he carved the pheasant and placed two slices on each of their plates. “California America but never to California England then, a vacation yes, but why England London
“I did visit London; I have a great love of art and so explored the museums there.” Audrey explained, truthfully for the most part. “But I also wanted to see the country. I detest large cities, with its greed and impatience; I wanted to see how the real people lived. I wanted to experience the simple life.”
“The simple life, indeed.” Nicholas smiled. “And what brought you to my humble estate? Surely not the ‘simple life’”
Every lie that had thus far rolled from Audrey’s tongue had done so easily. It was a skill she had to force herself to learn since deciding to take her “vacation”. But as Nicholas’s emerald eyes were fixed upon her she knew her lies were useless. He already knew the answers to the questions he posed. He was toying with her. Nicholas was the cunning cat playing with the meek mouse. She was sure of this. But what was uncertain to her was how long he would play this game before he devoured her.
She told herself death did not scare her; she had come here seeking that very thing after all. But sitting across from her host now, she began to realize there were things much worse than death.
“Are you well?” Nicholas smiled, taking a sip of wine.
“Yes … of course” Audrey stammered, realizing she had been ignoring his question and staring into space much too long.
“You have barely touched your meal, is it not to your liking?” Nicholas inquired with a concern that was just short of sincere.
Audrey had not given the meal one thought since Nicholas began his barrage of questions. Her nerves were quickly shattering; her stomach was a mass of churning knots.
With her host still watching her closely, Audrey delicately sliced into the pheasant willing her hands not to shake. She took a bite of the succulent meat and though it was perfectly prepared it felt like leather in her mouth. She managed to swallow it then forced herself to take another bite. “It is very delicious. But you should not have gone to this trouble for me.”
“I seldom get visitors here as you can imagine” Nicholas laid his napkin in his plate pushing it away. “Which brings us once again to the question you hesitate to answer. But I shall let you off the hook shall I?” Nicholas looked across the table at her, his greens eyes so piercing they surely looked right through her. “I know why you came here.”
Audrey’s heart plummeted, “You …you do?”
“Of course, you were drawn here because of the rumors. This place is quite famous in the village.” Nicholas’s features shined with pride. “The people fear this place; they speak of a great evil that dwells here. It is quite delightful and serves me well. I cherish my privacy and solitude. It would not do at all if one of them actually found me here. It would be … most unpleasant for all involved.”
“I understand.” Audrey tried to remain casual in light of his ominous words. She gathered a bite of vegetables on her fork but her shaking hands gave her away. The fork fell back to her plate with a ringing thud. This seemed to please her host.
“Yes Audrey I know why you have come.” Nicholas’s lips parted in a smile exposing teeth that were much too white. “You came here seeking death, and I am afraid you have found it.”
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