3. Lila
LILA
“ I trust you had a sound flight and travels?” Mr. Kulls asks me as he closes the tall front door. Like the rest of the house, it has history; the dark rich walnut was obviously carved by hand.
“I did,” I answer politely. “Thank you for asking.” I try to remain professional as I take in the the estate. The high ceilings and intricate architecture are magnificent. “And again, thank you for the interview, Mr. Kulls.”
“Alec, please,” he says, reaching his hand out, and it takes me a moment to realize he’s asking for my coat. I’m quick to respond, moving my purse to the floor so I can shrug off the jacket. The cool draft stays with me for a moment, but the home itself is warm and instantly replaces the cold.
“Thank you… Alec,” I add his first name, feeling the shy blush creep back onto my cheeks. This is quickly becoming unlike any interview I’ve done before. And I’m well aware it’s because I’m attracted to Alec. I have to remind myself that I’m working. That this is a job and I’m a professional, for fuck’s sake.
He gives me a small smile that slowly widens as he hangs my coat on an iron rack to the left of the grand foyer. As if he can’t contain his mirth, maybe because he senses the attraction, or maybe because I’m obviously flustered. I’m not sure which.
“This way,” he says and starts walking, the sound of his oxford shoes smacking against the granite echoing off the walls.
The inside of the estate is just as stunning as the outside with rich red walls and marble stone floors.
I hurry my steps to catch up to him. “This is your family’s estate?” I ask to get my mind back on track. The little pieces of Kulls history Brant gave me were interesting. I could whip up something interesting about companies that have been passed down through generations and stay within families, easily tying this story to a relevant family company back in Philadelphia.
I nod my head and sneak a look to my left at him. That could be a good spin. Related, yet interesting to compare. Although I’m much shorter than Alec, my strides are in time with his as I follow him down a long corridor past several closed doors and into an office.
Or maybe a library. My Lord. Alec stops behind a large oak desk covered with stacks of papers, devoid of a computer or any technology at all. Behind him are a set of three large windows, the towering mountains and pine trees making it seem as though they’re paintings and not a vista of the outdoors. The telling sign that it’s the actual view is the snow that’s started falling and sweeping across the sky in the breeze.
My purse slowly slips from my shoulder and lands with a thud on the intricate, darkly colored, handwoven rug. The walls to my left and right are lined with bookshelves and what must be thousands of books.
My lips part, my mouth hanging open, but I don’t even know where to begin.
“You’re out of your element, Miss Travers?” Alec’s voice caresses my consciousness, and I dare to look him in the eyes.
“I am,” I tell him honestly. I’ve worked for Sharon for three years now, assigned an interview every other week or so. I’ve been blown away a few times, but nothing like this.
His lips twitch again, although he keeps the smile at bay. “Please, have a seat. Unless you’d like to explore first?” He cocks a brow, waiting for my response and gesturing to the shelves of books.
I shake my head with a tight smile and pull my blouse down so that it covers the tight black leggings to nearly my knees.
“Tea first?” Alec offers as I settle into the leather seat, my hands gripping the carved armrests. “No, thank you,” I reply as he pours a cup on the other side of the desk. I watch as the steam rises, and the soft sound of the tea spilling into the cup is soothing. The clink of the porcelain cup hitting the saucer almost makes me wish I’d said yes.
My brown boots come up mid-thigh and brush against one another as I cross my legs. “May I have a look around once the interview is over? I’m curious to see the estate.”
Alec nods once and walks around the desk to take the seat next to me, surprising me. I clear my throat and angle the chair to face him just as he does.
“Of course,” he says, leaning back with his right ankle on his left knee and his hands clasped in his lap. “Whenever you’d like.”
“Thank you,” I tell him as I bend down and pick up my notebook and pen. “I really appreciate it.”
“No recorder?” he asks and I shake my head. I flip through the pages and find where I left off with Brant, making a clean line and writing Alec’s initials where the break starts. “I prefer this way,” I explain.
“Alright then… Lila.” He says my name as if it’s a way to tease me. I raise my eyes to him, the pen still on the notepad. “What would you like to know?”
With his father in mind, I ask a question I hope will put him at ease and allow me to uncover new details about the Kulls. “Your business is family-run from what I’ve read?”
He nods his head once, running his thumb along the tips of his fingers. “Myself and my two brothers, Marcus and Elliot.”
I scribble their names down and ask, “And before you three, did your father run it with his siblings or was he an only child?”
“My father did everything on his own. He was an only child and alone most of his life.”
I lift my head to look into his eyes as I say, “Alone?” Alec only nods in response.
My back settles against the leather as I give him a small smile and ask, “Could I take you up on that offer for tea, Mr. Kulls?” My voice is soft and sweet.
He smirks at me, rising from his seat, but not answering me. As he pours the tea I watch the snow falling behind him, covering the already white ground.
“You don’t have to coax me, Lila,” Alec says, placing the cup on the saucer and bringing it to me. “I’m happy to address whatever it is that’s on your mind.”
Goosebumps flow down my arms. Caught in the act. “Was I that obvious?” I ask him, not willing to hide the fact that yes, I was playing into his ego to get him in a favorable mood.
“What do you really want to know?” he asks, passing me the tea.
I swallow thickly, taking the hot cup and watching as he retakes his seat. The steam drifts up and begs me to take a sip. I lift the cup to my lips, but I don’t drink just yet. “Brant, the driver,” I start to explain, not sure if he knows who I’m talking about.
“I know who Brant is. Just spit it out,” he says with his fingers steepled and the tips tapping against one another.
Although I appreciate his no-nonsense attitude, I’m intimidated, but I won’t shy away. “Brant mentioned that your father broke tradition?” I say as I glance back down to my notes. Alec gives me a look of confusion at first and then lets out a heavy sigh as his eyes flash with a knowing look.
“That’s not very fair of Brant. It wasn’t just my father.” Alec looks over his shoulder and out of the window and then back at me. “You want to hear the history of the town?” He gestures behind him to the shelves and shelves of books as I nod. “I’ve got plenty of books that will tell you the ins and outs of the economy and where our money comes from. The names of those who took office and how the laws changed over time. There are even books on heritage and marriages.”
I purse my lips, nearly ready to tell him that I want to hear about only his father and their family’s history, but he continues.
“You’ll find the Kulls have been influential since as far back as we can date. The history of the island starts with my family, and we’ve maintained our position throughout generations.”
“What position is that? You don’t hold offices.”
“There’s a small sheriff here and elected officials, but they hold positions to fill in seats and make sure things run smoothly. The Kulls maintain wealth, not only monetary, but also land and the decisions to invest in certain industries have been critical to our island’s economy.”
“So, you provide the jobs?”
Alec shakes his head. “Not exactly. More like we make sure there are jobs available, because we make sure the resources are already here before they’re needed. As a result, the money on the island doesn’t have to go overseas. The estate holds a huge stake in the natural resources here. If anything runs low, we acquire and disperse it as needed.”
I can feel my eyes narrowing, but before I can ask anything further, he adds, “In the last two decades, we’ve ensured that the island can sustain the three-hundred-person population on its own. With modern technology, access to anything a person can desire is available through the shipping ports. This town likes to keep its traditions, to stay independent and maintain a relatively hidden and quiet lifestyle. We make certain it’s possible.”
I take a moment to write the information down, but it’s not what I wanted to discuss. This is simply business jargon. It’d make for an interesting piece maybe, but one question pops out at me. “What’s in it for you?”
“This is simply what the Kulls do, and of course the income and notoriety are a bonus,” he says as he taps his pointer finger to his lip. “That’s not quite what you were after, is it?” he asks me after a moment.
“It’s not,” I tell him honestly.
“What then?” he asks, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
“What traditions were left behind?” I ask Alec, and he shakes his head as he sits back in his chair.
His eyes search my face for something, but I’m not sure what though. Finally, he answers, “The island descends from ancient clans who took pride in nature and made every decision based on customs and folklore.” He licks his lips, and my eyes are drawn to them. “Even marriages were determined by old traditions, up until my grandfather’s generation.” I nod, and he continues.
“Although the island fell out of the old ways with the industrial revolution, some beliefs still carry on to this day.”
“Which ones?”
A huff of a laugh leaves him as he says, “Ones my father refused to teach us, I’m afraid.”
“Why’s that?”
He noticeably swallows and for the first time he seems uncomfortable, but before I can take it back, he speaks. He looks past me at the books behind me as he talks. “He married my mother according to what he was supposed to do, and she passed away giving birth to my youngest brother, Elliot. They were only together for twelve short years.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say and he waves off my apology, continuing.
“He wasn’t supposed to remarry. The elders wouldn’t bless a second marriage. They’re all gone now with no one left to replace them, because my father made sure of that. Back then, everyone took their word as law. They said my mother was the only one meant for him, and that if he remarried it would be an atrocity and place shame on our family.”
Alec gives me a sad smile as he continues. “He demanded the ritual regardless. It involves a tincture for those who haven’t found their partner. The tales say that once you’ve had a taste of it, within a day’s end you’ll have found the one you’re meant to be with.”
“A tincture?” I ask, cocking a brow and shifting my legs to get more comfortable. The tea cup rattles in my lap as Alec nods his head and continues. It’s almost a fairytale-like story. Or maybe something darker, but this is what I want to hear. Even if the article ends up being paragraphs about business, shipping docks and sustainability, I’d rather spend hours listening to tales like this.
“My father said the elders lied, and that he’d found his new wife the very next day after drinking the concoction. When she died only a few months into their marriage, it hit my father hard.”
“How old were you?” I ask him cautiously.
“I was only seven. Elliot was six, and my brother Marcus was twelve.”
“And then the three of you took over the company years later. Because he’d passed away?”
Alec nods. “For ten years, things took a turn for the worse, for both our family and the island, but we recovered. A decade and a half later, and all has been salvaged.”
“Do you believe your father?” I ask him.
He grins at me, a devilish look that makes me question my naivety. “My brothers and I didn’t get this company back on top with tradition and folklore.”
My eyes fall and I feel foolish until he adds, “Three months ago, I went with my brother Marcus, and we bought the mix from the old women on the far side of the mountain. They live by the land there and still carry on the old traditions.”
“Why did you go there?”
Alec taps his fingers against his knee as he answers, “Marcus is older than me, and all three of us have lived relatively solitary lives.” His gaze wavers for a moment, a sadness coating his voice as he adds, “Marcus wanted a wife. He wanted someone to love. So we went there for the tincture, the very same one my father claimed worked for him.”
“You drank the tincture?” I ask to clarify.
“I did.” He nods as he answers me.
“And?” I can’t help but ask, “Did you meet your soul mate?” I try to add a note of humor to my voice, realizing how foolish the notion is, but the romantic heart in me is beating slowly, waiting for an answer with bated breath.
“My brother went out searching for his. He’s desperate for someone in his life. I only drank it to prove a point to him.” The coldness in his voice catches me off guard, and something in his tone makes my heart clench with nearly unbearable pain. “I stayed in this room for the next day and a half.” He holds my gaze as he adds, “I didn’t see a soul.”
My blood turns to ice and I look down at my notepad trying to take a few steps back, but I feel lost and emotional. His story made me feel hopeful, alive. Like how I used to get when I was a child reading Disney books.
“All I did was read,” he says in a tone that sounds sympathetic and comforting; like he senses this upsets me and wishes it didn’t.
I clear my throat and stare past him as he says, “The time has gotten away from me.” He stands, and I finally notice the snow hasn’t stopped falling. There’s not a spot remaining which isn't blanketed beneath a thick layer of snow.
“You can stay here tonight,” Alec says with no room for negotiation in his tone. “The mountain isn’t safe for traveling.”