The House of Hidden Secrets by CE Rose

Author:CE Rose
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hera
Published: 2021-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Serena

Serena lifts the carriage clock and dusts beneath it. She does the same with the bronze statue of a horse. It really is a property without photographs. Save for the one in his wallet, there’s none of Hayden’s wife. What was she called? Lucinda, the little girl who got lost in the maze. Which presumably meant this was her family home. One would have thought there’d be a trace of some sort, same with Jack and Melanie. But she knows about that and perhaps the son just followed the father’s lead by throwing out memories that were simply too painful. A single photo of Jack and Hugh when they were boys would have been nice, though.

Swaying, she smiles. She’s still happy about developments with Jack. Is ‘happy’ the word? Sort of floaty, light-headed and relaxed. Perhaps that’s just the sex; it had been so bloody long. Not so much the act itself but seeing desire in a man’s gaze, feeling beautiful, sexy and wanted. She laughs. The rousing sensation is still there in the pit of her belly.

Excitement, exhilaration, lust. They’re emotions she hasn’t felt for years. Not since… well, not since Pierre many summers ago. She’d thought he was a completely different person back then. Charmingly modest, attentive and patient. Supporting and loving her deeply. But he was actually in love with himself, or at least an idealised self-image. Always right about everything and superior to everyone, spending an inordinate time on his appearance, needing to show off. Belittling her daily, yet being super sensitive to criticism himself. How did she get it so wrong?

And what about Jack? She’s changed her mind about him too. Is she just rubbish at reading men? Not just men, but people?

Her stomach clutches at the thought. Please not this time. She had to be strong for Lana, but she’s not sure she could pick herself up again. She pictures Jack’s darkened face when that text came through yesterday. She barely saw him after that, and though she and Lana joined all three Ramsays for dinner, she couldn’t look at or touch him as she longed to do. They said goodnight eventually and dispersed to their rooms. She sat in hers, blankly staring at the ‘mini bookclub’ page and rotating Percy Pig’s snout on the jigsaw piece. What should she do about Jack? That sudden change in his whole bearing after reading his message? Was she brave enough to creep to his room again? Just to connect for five minutes? But he came to her. A quiet knock on the door.

‘I just wanted to say goodnight.’ He rubbed his temple. ‘Sorry I was distracted today. Work as usual. I’ve got a busy week. London for four days, maybe five.’

She thought he wasn’t going to move from the entrance, but he stepped to the bed and took her hand. ‘I’ll miss you.’

A soft kiss, then he left, but it was all she had needed. His expression, his intense gaze said the rest.

‘Hello? Patient to Nurse Serena?’

Her hairs standing on end, she now spins round.

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