Escaping The Beast: A Darkhills Romance (The Darkhills Series Book 2) by Elizabeth Greene (young adult books to read TXT) 📕

tray on the bedside table and carried the rose over to the large vase of white roses that sat by the chaise lounge. She nestled the lavender bloom in among the white and stood back to admire it once more. It really was pretty. Katherine wondered if Lord Nightingale had added it especially or whether that was the standard for all guests who stayed there.

Either way, it didn’t matter. Katherine decided it was time to test her jailer to see if he would honour the conditions he had agreed to the night before. To begin with, she would explore the place, maybe go for a run. She hadn’t pounded the streets for a couple of days and her body was telling her it needed to be let loose. She couldn’t stay cooped up in her room the whole time and he had agreed to let her come and go about the estate as she wished. Heading into the walk-in closet, she perused the shelves looking for something comfortable to wear.

She had discovered the secret treasure trove after saying good night to Lord Nightingale. OK, so perhaps it was less of a ‘goodnight’ and more of a ‘here is a door in your face’. But she’d been pleasantly surprised to find an array of clothes available to her. She was still wearing the pair of silk, button-down Pajamas in a dark navy blue that she’d found last night and was grateful that a number of different sizes were available. She always needed odd sizes due to inheriting her mother’s sizeable chest. She hadn’t been so lucky with the underwear department. None of the bras were in her size, but that was no matter. She had yesterday’s that she could re-use for today and hopefully, she would be permitted to return to her apartment to collect a few essentials. She needed her laptop, her phone charger, and her study materials if she was going to be able to keep on top of her studies while she was at Tumbricane.

Disappointed at the lack of workout clothes, Katherine selected a pair of soft black leggings, a large baggy sweatshirt, and some flat ballet pumps. They would do just fine for spending the day exploring the mansion and the grounds. It might’ve been misty outside but it had at least stopped raining, so she wouldn’t need a coat.

Before she left to roam the empty halls, Katherine penned a quick note to Lord Nightingale. She would leave it with the breakfast things outside her room. He had said if she couldn’t find him to speak with his butler instead. Well, she didn’t particularly feel like having another conversation with the unnervingly handsome Lord of the Manor, so she was certain that Mr. Jones could deliver her message instead.

Dear Lord Nightingale,

Thank you for the delicious breakfast. I, unfortunately, will not be joining you for dinner this evening, as per my stipulations last night; I like to eat my meals in peace.

As you so kindly added to the terms and conditions of our contract, I would like to request leave to collect some essential belongings from my apartment. Had I known that I would not be returning for two months, I would’ve packed a bag accordingly. Most specifically, I require my laptop, I do not want to fall behind on my studies while I am your guest here at Tumbricane, nor do I have suitable attire to exercise as I would like.

Please let me know when I am at liberty to leave,

Yours,

Katherine Daxton

She folded the letter and placed it in the same spot where she had found his note, propped up against the cloche, before placing the tray outside her room.

Katherine looked left and right down the corridor outside her room and decided it would be easier for her to get her bearings if she started back down in the main hall. The whole place was dark as she strode across the vast hall. The windows that had looked out onto some kind of courtyard last night were now drawn shut, blocking out the day.

She crept over to one and peered behind the heavy curtain. Beyond lay a beautifully manicured garden, filled with winding paths leading to various tall stone fountains. She craned her ear to listen to the muted sound of the delicate trickling of water and smiled, it really was a lovely sound. But the most noticeable thing was the rose bushes that dominated the pathways. She tracked her eyes from one end of the courtyard to the other, liking how the colour of the roses seemed to meld and merge into the next vibrant bloom. Close to the far end, before it curved around to the other side of the main hall, Katherine spied the lavender blooms.

Again, she wasn’t sure why it mattered, but it made her smile to think her breakfast rose had come from the gardens rather than being delivered by some pimple-faced courier.

Katherine closed the heavy drapes and looked for a door to take her out into the garden. She searched all along each long wall of windows, but couldn’t find an entrance. Save from abseiling down from her balcony, she couldn’t figure out how anyone got in there. She turned around and looked about the vast room, her eyes landing on the long tapestry hanging behind Lord Nightingale’s single chair. More like a throne, she mused to herself.

She strode over to the heavy tapestry and craned her neck as she looked up to try to make out what the pattern was. The fabric was dark and heavily dusted. The Lord of the Manor could do with getting some professional cleaners to work on it. She stood back a step or two and squinted at it once more. A vague shape of a flower could just about be made out in the centre of a large shield. It was the same as she had seen on the wax seal. Perhaps it was a family coat of arms or something? Maybe she’d ask