Chapter 3
The next morning, I woke with Margery still on my mind.
I must’ve dreamed of her all night because I somehow knew her.
I knew she was an introvert and loved nature, like me.
She was brave, but lonely. I'd glimpsed part of her life, but the images and words grew fuzzy as sunlight alerted my senses.
The scent of Aunt Penny cooking bacon and eggs enticed me from my room, and I found her in the kitchen with Uncle Terrence.
Pure joy floated through the air as they danced to swing music while an enchanted spatula tended to the frying pan.
She turned to me, wiping her hands on her red and white gingham apron. “Big plans for today, Jane?”
“Yes, I’m heading to the Haven Corporation convention at the Grand Lakes Hotel.
They want a few photo shoots for their product launch.
I’ve packed my overnight bag just in case, but the message was vague about whether I’d be staying at the hotel overnight.
Of course I’ve got my camera and the lenses all ready either way,” I said while pouring some orange juice.
We sat down at her round table with the blue and white checkered tablecloth.
“Grand Lakes Hotel. Well, that’s something, isn’t it? Fancy place. I’ve only been there once or twice for business lunches,” Uncle Terrence said between bites of toast. He sniffed and patted his mustache with a napkin. “You be safe now.”
“Oh, I’ll be all right. Don’t worry.” I mentioned nothing about the murdered photographer to him. He might try to stop me from going if he knew.
As I dressed, I put in a little more effort than usual, running a smoothing serum through my hair to give my long, loose waves extra shine. I steam-pressed my silk blouse and linen trousers, then coated my nails with a light layer of ballet pink polish.
Just as I slipped on my shoes, Mr. Marcos’s voice blasted through the intercom system to the apartment. “There’s a gentleman with a limo here for Ms. Bennet.”
“A limo?” Aunt Penny coughed, then clapped her hands and ushered me to the door. “They sent a limo for the photographer? Fancy job.”
“Goodness. I thought they were sending a car.” My eyes widened, and I wanted to be excited, but the excessiveness made me uneasy. I bid farewell to my aunt and uncle. “Wish me luck.”
I’d never been in a limousine before. A glass snack cabinet complemented the spacious cabin and tan leather seats.
After navigating downtown traffic for half an hour, the shiny black limo pulled up in front of the Grand Lakes Hotel.
The building stood maybe fifteen or twenty stories tall, with a creamy white marble facade and trimmed topiaries.
Huge flower planters lined the sidewalk.
Holiday decor added to the grandeur. Evergreen wreaths mixed with clusters of fall leaves hung from each of the windows on the first three floors, and inside, white Christmas tree lights reflected through the glass doors.
A concierge in a tan and black uniform scurried down the red carpet toward us, sidestepped a porter, and opened my car door.
“You must be Jane Bennet, photographer for Haven Corp?” The young man’s disarming smile caught me off guard, and he gave me a gallant bow.
“Good guess,” I answered, stepping out of the limo. “How did you know?”
He had the impression I was a VIP or something. “I helped them arrange your ride. My name’s David. I hope you’ll let me know if you need anything during your visit. For now, I’ll have a porter take any luggage you have.”
“Yes, thank you.” I nodded and handed him a tip as the limo driver opened the trunk.
“Naturally.” David smiled. “Oh, there’s Mr. Bingley now. I’ll turn you over to him.”
“What?” My heart stopped, my stomach dropped to my knees, and my vision blurred. I must’ve misheard him. “Sorry, repeat the name for me?”
“It’s Charles Bingley.” He shrugged like I’d asked for the time or something. “You know, Haven Corp.’s CEO.”
I couldn't tell if my blood pressure dropped, or my heart rate skyrocketed, or both, but my knees turned to Jell-O and the world spun. I had to lean against one of the marble pillars to keep myself upright. Now I remembered why Haven Corporation sounded familiar.
Charles Bingley, my Charles, in all his glory, emerged from the hotel carousel door and hurried toward me. I’d recognize his stunning turquoise eyes, chestnut-red hair, and dimples from a mile away. This couldn’t be happening.
“Jane, I can’t believe you’re here!” He hugged me and kissed my cheek. I froze in place. But he stepped back and smiled at me. “Sorry I couldn’t pick you up myself. I’m co-hosting some events at the conference center. So I’m stuck here for the time being. I would like to show you around later.”
“Charles,” I interrupted him. “You’re here? I mean, what? I didn’t know you’d be here?”
“Oh, well, when Lizzy texted me and said you applied, I told Armond to hire you.” His smile made a perceptible drop. “Maybe I should have texted?”
“Lizzy texted…” My mind connected the dots. For a moment, I was a deer in the headlights. How to respond? “Sorry. I didn’t realize. She didn’t tell me she communicated with you. But it is a pleasant surprise.”
Underneath his freckles, Charles’s cheeks grew pink. His slight embarrassment added to the emotional tsunami already swirling in my gut. “Well, I’m glad that it’s at least a pleasant surprise. Sorry about that.”
I took a slow breath and squared my shoulders. So much for escaping from stress this week. A semblance of my manners kicked back in. “Don’t apologize. This will be great.”
Relief spread across Charles’s brow. “Yes, I think so. When I learned you’d be joining us, I helped organize your hotel stay, you know… just worked with our human resources team. You’re staying for the night, right?”
“I packed a bag in case they needed me to.” I paused.
Why did he have to be so perfectly polite, sweet, and good-looking?
If only he looked like a troll, this would’ve all been easier.
No offense to trolls. Questions about what happened in Austen Heights and why he’d left surged through my mind.
But I wasn’t sure I wanted answers, which could include another girl. Not yet.
“You look great, by the way.” Charles tipped his head to the side, and his eyes rested on mine for a moment. My dizziness returned.
Remember to be polite, Jane.
I blinked at him, then remembered to answer. “Thanks, and thanks for helping me get this gig. I needed to get out of town for a while.”
“I’m glad you applied.” Charles casually gestured toward the entrance, as if everything was completely normal. “Shall we?”
My feet wouldn’t budge. It was no use. “Charles, wait. I’m sorry I didn’t realize Haven Corporation was your company. Is this awkward for you, too? I’m just a bit in shock.”
“Oh?” Realization spread across his face. “Doesn’t seem awkward to me. If it’s too much, we can cancel, I guess.”
“No, it’s fine.” I ran my hand over my face. How it wasn’t awkward for him was beyond me, but I might as well give it a try. “Well then, show me inside this fancy hotel.”
He offered me his arm. “Of course. The food here is great, by the way.”
"The food?" What? Hopefully, I hadn’t made Charles feel obligated to entertain me by showing up. Lizzy had some explaining to do. “I don’t want to interrupt your work.”
“No, we definitely needed a photographer.” Charles smiled and opened one of the side doors for me.
I stepped into all the glory of the Grand Lakes Hotel.
I wasn’t in Austen Heights anymore. Gracious crystal chandeliers, endless marble floors, polished furniture, and fresh-cut flowers graced the lobby.
A giant Christmas tree adorned the center.
With Thanksgiving still a few weeks away, they dressed the tree for fall with autumn leaf garlands, little white pumpkins, and drizzled it with gold and white lights.
Part of me loved it, but this wasn’t my reality.
The extravagance was nothing like the cozy bed and breakfasts in Austen Heights, where the decor consisted of homemade quilts showcased in the guest rooms. Back home, we waved hello to everyone we met, and our fae abilities were no secret.
But at this grand hotel, people bustled about without acknowledging each other.
I forced a smile. “Beautiful place.”
“It’s a little over the top, I know.” Charles furrowed his brow at the surrounding excess.
“But it’s a useful place to hold our tech conventions.
All the investors are happy because they can stay in the hotel and enjoy the city, and there’s plenty of space for collaboration, meetings, and launch presentations.
We do this every year. You’ll have to meet some of the team. ”
“I’m looking forward to it. It sounds like the conference has been pretty successful so far. Where do you go after this?” Maybe he would say back to Austen Heights.
“Oh, we have a New York office. That’s where I’m usually stationed.
I’m the acting CEO, but Darcy owns the company and ultimately makes the call on where I end up.
It’s why I had to jet out of Austen Heights so quickly.
” His simple response spoke volumes. His future plans had nothing to do with me or Austen Heights. He was all about business.
“So Darcy is behind the scenes, pulling the strings. Makes sense. He’s very powerful.
” I offered a polite smile, but I didn’t look him in the eyes.
“Well, thank you for helping me get this gig. Hopefully, we’ll get some suitable material your marketing team can use.
Do you know who I’m supposed to talk to? I think Armond Moreau?”
Charles paused for a moment. “Yes, Armond. I asked him, and he said the main things we will need photos of are the launch presentations when we demonstrate new products today. There will be a lot of VIP guests as well.”