Chapter One
Cora wasn’t sure if Stonewood Abbey reminded her more of a museum or a church.
She fumbled with the lights in the hallway, the hair on her arms prickling with nervous fear until she flicked a light on, and warm, bright light filled the entranceway.
And she gasped at the sight of it.
Marble flooring in a checkered black and white pattern stretched out in the expanse before her. A massive wooden staircase crept up the center of the floor, split, and curled around both sides of the room. Shields of several different coats of arms lined the foyer walls. On the far side of the main lobby, she could see a small area designated to be a tour-shop, lined with books and postcards and a stand of shirts. Across from the staircase on the far side of the room were a few lamps, a footed chair or two, and a large portrait sitting atop the enormous fireplace mantel.
“Holy cow,” she breathed aloud. Silence responded, reminding her that she was here at this looming castle by herself for the next three weeks. Her spirits rose slightly as she stepped inside, charmed by the loveliness of the place.
In all her life, she’d dreamt of visiting a castle—and here she had the run of one for three weeks. All to herself! Cora gave a happy sigh.
First thing’s first , she told herself, realizing how tired and dirty she was. The flight to London had been a 15-hour nightmare from Kansas, and all she wanted to do now was sleep. It was almost midnight in England, and she’d been up for entirely too long.
Yawning, Cora lifted her bags and crept up the stairs, looking for the guest rooms.
After several minutes of exploring and turning on lights as she went, she found a hall with a row of doors—what she assumed was the guest rooms of the immense house. A note was tacked to the first door in the hall, and she pulled it off and unfolded it Cora darling,
Thank you so much for looking after the Abbey while your uncle and I vacation in Spain. There’s extra food in the Abbey kitchen, and the neighbor will be around every afternoon to check on the place. I’ve posted notes on the doors that the Abbey is closed to tourists for a few weeks, but I want you there just in case any of them happen by. We’ve assigned the mirror room to you. The house needs a good dusting from top to bottom, and I’ve counted the silver.
Love and Kisses,
Aunt Martha
Lovely. It didn’t sound like Aunt Martha trusted her with the place, even though it had been Aunt Martha’s suggestion that Cora fly to London and play house sitter. She supposed her mother had imposed on Martha, and that was how Cora had landed the gig.
After all, she’d only met Aunt Martha once, and she certainly had no experience house sitting, much less castle-sitting.
Cora pushed the door open and glanced inside the room, then closed the door again.
While she did have the entire estate to herself, she felt like she should stay in the room designated for her. So she opened doors, looking for one that would be designated as the
‘Mirror’ room.
She found it at the back of the long hall. The room was the smallest and least ornate of the lot, but there was no question that it was the ‘mirror room’ mentioned. A large eight-foot tall mirror dominated the wall on the far side of the room, the only decor on the otherwise dark, wood-paneled walls. Cora set her bags down inside the room and flipped on one of the small lamps on a nearby dresser, gazing around the small chamber that would be her home for the next three weeks.
It wasn’t much. Bigger than a hotel room, but obviously not one of the fancier guest quarters. The bed was a decent size, lumpy but clean and boasting of a pretty, carved headboard. A Louis XIV chair perched in the corner of the room with a yellow pillow tossed on the seat. Cora wandered over to the mirror, admiring it. There was tarnish around the edges that suggested that it was very old indeed, and the frame of the mirror was some sort of heavy
Cora wasn’t sure if Stonewood Abbey reminded her more of a museum or a church.
She fumbled with the lights in the hallway, the hair on her arms prickling with nervous fear until she flicked a light on, and warm, bright light filled the entranceway.
And she gasped at the sight of it.
Marble flooring in a checkered black and white pattern stretched out in the expanse before her. A massive wooden staircase crept up the center of the floor, split, and curled around both sides of the room. Shields of several different coats of arms lined the foyer walls. On the far side of the main lobby, she could see a small area designated to be a tour-shop, lined with books and postcards and a stand of shirts. Across from the staircase on the far side of the room were a few lamps, a footed chair or two, and a large portrait sitting atop the enormous fireplace mantel.
“Holy cow,” she breathed aloud. Silence responded, reminding her that she was here at this looming castle by herself for the next three weeks. Her spirits rose slightly as she stepped inside, charmed by the loveliness of the place.
In all her life, she’d dreamt of visiting a castle—and here she had the run of one for three weeks. All to herself! Cora gave a happy sigh.
First thing’s first , she told herself, realizing how tired and dirty she was. The flight to London had been a 15-hour nightmare from Kansas, and all she wanted to do now was sleep. It was almost midnight in England, and she’d been up for entirely too long.
Yawning, Cora lifted her bags and crept up the stairs, looking for the guest rooms.
After several minutes of exploring and turning on lights as she went, she found a hall with a row of doors—what she assumed was the guest rooms of the immense house. A note was tacked to the first door in the hall, and she pulled it off and unfolded it Cora darling,
Thank you so much for looking after the Abbey while your uncle and I vacation in Spain. There’s extra food in the Abbey kitchen, and the neighbor will be around every afternoon to check on the place. I’ve posted notes on the doors that the Abbey is closed to tourists for a few weeks, but I want you there just in case any of them happen by. We’ve assigned the mirror room to you. The house needs a good dusting from top to bottom, and I’ve counted the silver.
Love and Kisses,
Aunt Martha
Lovely. It didn’t sound like Aunt Martha trusted her with the place, even though it had been Aunt Martha’s suggestion that Cora fly to London and play house sitter. She supposed her mother had imposed on Martha, and that was how Cora had landed the gig.
After all, she’d only met Aunt Martha once, and she certainly had no experience house sitting, much less castle-sitting.
Cora pushed the door open and glanced inside the room, then closed the door again.
While she did have the entire estate to herself, she felt like she should stay in the room designated for her. So she opened doors, looking for one that would be designated as the
‘Mirror’ room.
She found it at the back of the long hall. The room was the smallest and least ornate of the lot, but there was no question that it was the ‘mirror room’ mentioned. A large eight-foot tall mirror dominated the wall on the far side of the room, the only decor on the otherwise dark, wood-paneled walls. Cora set her bags down inside the room and flipped on one of the small lamps on a nearby dresser, gazing around the small chamber that would be her home for the next three weeks.
It wasn’t much. Bigger than a hotel room, but obviously not one of the fancier guest quarters. The bed was a decent size, lumpy but clean and boasting of a pretty, carved headboard. A Louis XIV chair perched in the corner of the room with a yellow pillow tossed on the seat. Cora wandered over to the mirror, admiring it. There was tarnish around the edges that suggested that it was very old indeed, and the frame of the mirror was some sort of heavy
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