“Why didn’t Patricia tell me? I talked to her yesterday.”
“I wanted to tell you.” He heaved a sigh. “I knew you would be upset.”
“Damn right, I’m upset.”
“Don’t be. It’s just part of the deal. Hey, do you have any pictures of Patricia’s room? She was asking me about it yesterday.”
“I can take some. I think she’ll like it.” I stood up and paced the length of the library. “Nice change of subject there. I’m still worried.”
“Don’t be.” I heard him moving and realized that he must be in his bed. “I’m going to try to sleep. I’ll call you soon.”
“I miss you.” I took a deep breath.
“Miss you too, baby.”
I hung up the phone and stared out the library window for a minute. Having Dad so far away broke my heart. Especially with everything else going on. Taking a deep breath, I decided I’d call Dr. Bielefeld on Monday morning to see if we had any options for getting here sooner. And if there weren’t, I’d blow everything else off to get home.
Using the blanket as a wrap, I tiptoed back down the hall to my room. Alex hadn’t moved, so I climbed back into bed and curled around him. His mouth pulled up into a smile and he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.” I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent.
“Everything okay?” He shifted so he could see my face.
“Dad called. His scan wasn’t good and they’ve changed his medicine.” I took a deep breath. “He wants to wait to come over, see if his body can get used to the medicine first. It makes him sick.”
“We could get a flight and go to him.”
I looked up at him, my heart bouncing a little. The fact that he had included himself in the plans made me warm all over. Brushing my fingers over his face, I kissed him softly.
“What’s that for?” He looked down into my eyes.
“For being you.” I cuddled closer to him. “He doesn’t want me to go over there. I think he’s worried that if I do, he won’t ever get to come here.”
“Is it that bad?” He rubbed a hand over my hair.
“He didn’t say so, but I’m worried. I’m going to call the doctor on Monday and see what he thinks.” I sighed. “Dad sounded really rough.”
“Why don’t we do something fun today? Take your mind off it until Monday.” He propped himself up on his elbow.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Come to D’Lynsal and I’ll introduce you to my birds.” He raised an eyebrow. “Spend a little time outside. It’s supposed to be nice today.”
“That sounds great.” I sat up and turned to look at him. “Can we go now?”
“Sure.”
D’Lynsal manor was less than an hour from Rousseau. I fiddled with the radio as we drove, amused by the wide range of music. Alex played tour guide and pointed out some of the local landmarks we passed. Becca and Duvall were in a car behind us, which helped make it feel like it was just us.
When we pulled up to D’Lynsal, Alex waved at the gate guard and we were let in. If I had thought Rousseau was breathtaking, it was nothing compared to Alex’s home. Instead of a house that looked a bit like a castle, this was an actual castle.
“Wow.” I leaned forward in my seat as we pulled up. A turret along one of the corners had arched windows and a flag flying on top. Much like Rousseau, there was a circle driveway with a garden in the center. Unlike the home that was now mine, there were a lot of extra buildings nearby.
“What’s that building?” I pointed at the one closest to the house.
“The people who work here have rooms.” He parked at the front door. “Then there are a few storage buildings and work sheds. The stables are behind the house.”
A butler opened the front door for us with a bow. I realized that here would be a lot more people who might possibly sell us out to the press. I stepped away from the hand Alex had on my back and smiled at the people who greeted us. I tried to ignore the look Alex shot me and focused on seeing everything around me.
The house was amazing. The stone walls from outside were also inside and I was reminded of a fancy hunting lodge. Where my home was large, I could still find all the rooms with a quick search. Here, I had no idea where a kitchen would be, much less a bathroom. I stood in the grand room and turned in a circle, taking it all in. Alex watched me as I surveyed the splendor that was his life.
“You grew up here?”
“We have a few other places, but most of my childhood was spent here and the palace.” He motioned for me to follow him up a large staircase. “There is a smaller family area upstairs. These areas are more like a pass-through for us, unless we’re having a special event.”
I thought about the tiny house I had lived in with my mother before she married my dad. The house we had moved into together was larger and newer, but still nothing fancy. Despite all the family portraits hanging along the wall, it felt impersonal and I couldn’t imagine being a child here.
“I bet you never got to watch TV with dinner.”
“Not true. My grandmother used to let us eat with those little tables in front of the sofa.” He smiled at me over his shoulder. “She was addicted to The Price is Right.”
“You guys get The Price is Right here?” I laughed.