Chapter 4 #2
An involuntary smile crosses my face. A part of me wants nothing more than to go back to London and force Sophia to swap places with me, but another part is nodding, grateful that I won’t have to brave the intimidating building alone.
We bid goodbye to Andrew, who tells us to have fun, and I follow Luca up the steps.
My dusty sneakers contrast hideously with the gleaming marble, which reflects warm light from the lanterns along the broad railing.
Only now that I feel so completely out of place again do I realize that I didn’t waste a single thought on my voice during our entire exchange in the car.
And I didn’t see a single flash of surprise, pity, skepticism, or anything like that in Luca’s eyes.
It was . . . normal. So normal that it felt abnormal, or to me it did, at least.
This realization unsettles me so much that I literally jump in shock as the blond woman stops in front of us. She gives us a radiant smile and shakes first my hand and then Luca’s.
“Luca Brown, Lara Anderson! Did you come together? How lovely.” Her pale-blue eyes sparkle. “Do you know each other, then?”
“Now we do, more or less,” Luca responds. He catches my gaze and gives me a warm smile that I return without thinking.
“I’m so happy you’re here! I’m Elsa—yes, like the princess, and no, that’s not why my hair is blond.
I work for the UK Games Establishment, who are sponsoring part of the prize money, which is why I have the honor of moderating the events.
” Her smile widens. Thanks to Luca’s calming influence during our drive and now Elsa’s warm welcome, I’ve finally gotten to the point where I’m a tiny bit happy to be here.
Who knows what sorts of interesting people I might meet?
“You’re our last arrivals. We saved the best for last!
” She laughs. “The others are in the lounge. Though we all know this get-together is mostly to sniff out the competition, of course. Why don’t you drop off your luggage in the lobby and go say hello?
Tomorrow’s schedule will be tight, so today should give you a better chance to get to know everyone. ”
So much for my plan of arriving late and holing up in my room for the rest of the evening.
“Great idea,” Luca says immediately. There’s no hint of nervousness in the way he carries himself.
Elsa turns to look at me, and between that and Luca’s expectant expression, I feel my resistance crumbling.
I can join them for a few minutes at least. “Sure, sounds great,” I lie.
My voice breaks on the last word—and there, in Elsa’s icy-blue eyes, is the confusion that was absent in Luca’s.
But a few milliseconds later, she has her features back under control, still smiling broadly at us.
“Perfect. Follow me, then.”
The man in the suit, who seems to be an employee, opens the door for us with a charming smile—and we step into another world.
A wine-colored rug runs from the entrance across a large hall to an elegant, curved stone staircase, and there are expensive-looking framed paintings on every wall.
There’s a fresh, floral scent in the air that must be coming from the luxurious flower arrangements in large stone urns to either side of us.
“Crow Manor is nearly four hundred years old, but Rodrick Crow and his family take pains to keep everything in excellent condition. He doesn’t live here himself; he lives in Cambridge.
Which is why this house is used for events, mostly—it can be rented for weddings and all sorts of things.
” Elsa gestures to her left, and we follow her into a hallway lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, behind which we can see the vague outlines of the dark gardens.
“I love this place! I work in event management, and I organize all my gaming events here on this estate whenever I can. I always feel like I’m on the Titanic.
” She glances back at us. “Without the sinking and the deaths, of course.”
We enter another room with a rack of tourist information brochures. There are interesting facts about the manor and ideas for things to do nearby and in Cambridge.
“Hello, Louise,” Elsa greets another woman in a chic trouser suit sitting behind a desk with her nose buried in a book. The woman puts her book down hastily and gets to her feet with a friendly smile. “These two would like to leave their luggage here for a bit. Would you be so kind?”
“Of course!” Louise takes my suitcase and Luca’s rucksack and places them in the cloakroom, where I can only see a few jackets. All the others have probably moved into their rooms already. We can hear distant laughter, and as I turn around curiously, Elsa catches my eye.
“The lounge and the bar are right through here,” she says and indicates another door.
It’s made of solid wood, painted dark green.
We follow Elsa, who opens the heavy, sumptuously decorated door with a level of casualness that proves she isn’t here for the first time.
I would have preferred to just stay where I was for a bit and absorb everything.
Luca seems just as impressed as I am, gazing at the walls and decor as we walk.
My fear of feeling out of place evaporates as we enter the lounge.
Not that the interior isn’t just as magnificent—dark-green sofas with expensive-looking upholstery, shelves of crystal glasses and hand-painted plates, a massive chandelier.
All this reminds me a lot of running around Lara Croft’s mansion as a kid.
But while everyone so far has been wearing outfits that I’d normally only see on Bond Street, people in here are dressed in casual clothes.
Jeans, video game T-shirts—and there’s even a strawberry-blond woman engaged in lively conversation on a sofa near the back of the room. I’m not completely on my own—phew.
“Drinks and other catering are covered by us, of course. Staff know about your food intolerances, and we have vegan snacks ready for you, Lara. And please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions or want anything.
You have my number. Well, I’ll leave you to your networking then. ”
“Thanks,” I say to Elsa, surprised that Sophia remembered to ask them for vegan food in spite of everything.
Luca murmurs his thanks too, but he’s already gazing around him curiously.
I wonder if he knows anyone here. He’s probably used to these sorts of events.
He certainly looks like he belongs here, and he doesn’t seem nervous at all.
What must it be like to live that kind of life? I’ll probably never know.
“It’s rude to stare; at least compliment me or something,” he mutters without looking at me, but the corner of his mouth that I can see is definitely raised.
“I wasn’t staring,” I lie and quickly look away.
I can feel the heat rising to my face. Great.
Looks like I left the little bit of social awareness I had in me back in London.
Like the bloke needs compliments anyway.
If he set up a TikTok channel, he’d gain millions of followers in a few days, and definitely not because of his obviously existent coding skills.
“I’m going to go get myself something to drink. ”
“Good idea. I’ll come with you if you don’t mind. Oh my days, have you seen the competition?”
Looks like he’s already forgotten about the compliment.
It was probably just a dumb joke, but my cheeks are still burning.
“I have, but I don’t recognize any of their faces.
Only the guy in the back there.” With a nod, I indicate the man who looks to be in his mid-fifties, with a grim-looking print of a mask on his white T-shirt.
That must be his studio’s logo. He’s talking to two other men, waving his crystal glass around in a sweeping gesture.
“Yeah, he’s from the American branch of Black Veil. He’s a judge; his name is Benji Wilson. The one gaming guy among all the politicians.”
I nod. So that’s why. While I haven’t researched the competition yet to avoid upping my insecurity levels, I’ve taken a look at the judges beforehand, at least.
“I’ve been following his work for years; he’s great.”
“Fanboy moment?” I ask with a grin. Luca still can’t tear his eyes away from the man.
“Totally. I love horror. Black Veil’s games aren’t just shock value and jump scares. They have great storytelling, and as a player, you don’t just run away; you can also defend yourself!” Finally, Luca stops staring and looks at me. “Horror isn’t your thing, is it?” He sounds amused.
“Not at all, if I’m honest.”
“OK, so that’s not what you’re here for. Let me guess. A strategy game! You’re building the new Settlers of Catan.”
“Wrong.”
“Oh, then football, definitely.”
I burst out laughing. Games like FIFA have never been my thing. “I’d be more likely to build a golfing simulator.”
“I like it!”
“So horror for you?”
“Yep. My best friend and I are making the most amazing horror action game of all time.”
“More amazing than the one your role model back there is making?”
He nods gravely. “Yes, but don’t tell him that.”
“Promise.”
He holds out his hand, and I grab it without thinking. His fingers are warm and surprisingly calloused for someone who must spend most of his days in front of a computer. Now would be the moment to pull back our hands. But we let it pass, and a strange expression appears in Luca’s eyes.
“What would you like to drink?”
The question breaks the spell, and I twitch back so suddenly that I look like I’ve been electrocuted.
Luca’s eyes narrow for a split second, but then he turns to face the waiter in a crisp white shirt who’s looking at us expectantly from behind the bar.
“I’ll have a . . .” He looks around until his gaze alights on the drink held by his neighbor, a man who can’t be much older than us and who’s wearing a black video game T-shirt. “A Guinness for me too, please.”
“Good choice!” the man next to him says, toasting us.
The waiter nods. “Of course, sir. And for madam?”