Chateau of Secrets: A Novel by Melanie Dobson

Author:Melanie Dobson [Dobson, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Howard Books
Published: 2014-05-13T00:00:00+00:00

— CHAPTER 32 —

Someone pelted pieces of gravel at my window five minutes before eight. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and crossed the room to reopen the window. Fog settled over the driveway and Riley stood in the midst of it, a backpack slung over his shoulder.

I leaned against the windowsill. “What are you doing?”

He grinned. “Waking you up.”

I rubbed my eyes, the images flashing through my mind of him with his arm around multiple women. And his bottles of beer. His smile irritated me even more, as if I would swoon under his charms like the women in the pictures.

I crossed my arms. “Why do you feel compelled to wake me?”

“I thought we could get a jump-start on the interview.”

“I’ll be ready at nine,” I insisted.

He glanced down at his watch. “How about eight thirty?”

“Nine!” I shut the window, refusing to be disarmed.

Slowly I took a bath and washed my hair. The cool temperature of the bathwater revived me, and I dressed in a black skirt and a teal blouse. Then I checked my voicemail messages—eleven of them from friends and fellow teachers who’d read the news. Some offered sympathy while others, it seemed, called mainly out of curiosity. Later I would return the calls to those who cared.

At 9:10, I sauntered down the staircase.

Riley was waiting on the bottom step, wearing jeans and a dark brown T-shirt under his bomber jacket. He seemed like such a different person from what I’d seen in the pictures, but I knew well that appearances could be deceiving.

He held out a white paper bag. “I thought you might be hungry.”

I peeked inside to see a chocolate croissant. “Where did you get this?”

He shrugged. “I walked to the village while you were getting ready.”

With a quick thank-you, I focused my attention on the pastry he brought. The flavors melted in my mouth—warm chocolate and melted butter and the flaky sweet crust. This was what I loved about France. A keen appreciation for the simplicity and sweetness of life. The French seemed to savor their minutes along with their food.

I leaned back against the railing as I ate. A few moments passed before I realized Riley was studying me. “What?”

“I asked if you wanted me to make some coffee.”

“I’m sorry—”

He balled up his bag. “Is everything okay?”

I was so tired of people refusing to tell me the truth. As much as I wanted to tell him nothing was wrong, I would have been doing exactly what was frustrating me. “I couldn’t sleep last night.”

He leaned back against the steps. “All night?”

“Until about two.” I paused. “I decided to hunt around online a bit to uncover your story, since you’ve already uncovered mine.”

His smile faded. “I hate to think of what you found.”

“A man who likes to party.”

The intensity of his eyes unnerved me. “I’m not that man anymore—”

“You don’t have to explain,” I said.

He stood up and smiled again, but his smile had lost a bit of its charm. “Grace is a gift I don’t take lightly.

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