Chapter 6 #2
When I woke up, I found Wickham still asleep in his bed.
I chuckled at the sight because he looked like a fifteen-year-old kid.
He lay atop crumpled blankets, still in his jeans and T-shirt, arms and legs flopped about, one sock off and one sock on.
The rock star vampire George Wickham had a little bit of a human side after all.
I took a moment to inspect the cozy rooms. Homemade patchwork quilts covered the beds.
Log-cabin-style walls, a wooden floor, and a stone fireplace made up the main living area.
Wickham must have lit the fireplace before falling asleep, because crackling flames warmed the room.
A colorful braided rug covered about half the floor.
The front of the cabin was outfitted with a leather sofa and armchair, rustic-style table and chairs, and large windows with pale blue-and-white checked curtains.
The private deck also had a hot tub, which I intended to try out later, even though significantly more snow covered the ground outside than the night before.
A thick, shimmering blanket of white buried the world.
It was nearly ten a.m., and I hadn’t texted my mom. My heart rate skyrocketed. She was going to strangle me. I pulled out my phone, and as expected, I had about thirty messages from her.
Lydia, where have you gone off to? My poor, poor nerves . . . Tell me you’re alright.
Yes, I’m fine.
Why on earth have you disappeared on us?
We decided to get out of town for everyone’s safety—give the police a little time to figure things out. Wickham’s band is obviously being targeted, so we’re avoiding the threat. I let Kitty know, but I didn’t want to wake you up.
But you know what everyone is going to say.
“Everyone” can just calm down. We’re not getting into any trouble. I’ll be home soon.
Honestly, she was acting like it was the 1800s and I’d run off and left my family in ruins. Ridiculous.
A message from Lizzy popped up. My family was not going to let this be.
Lydia, I don’t think you realize the position you’ve put us in.
What are you talking about? We had to get out of town because it looks like the killer is targeting the members of the Grey Doors.
I accidentally brought our family into it by using the bakery.
We’re hoping to give the police a little time to figure things out.
The open mic was too public and a mistake.
I get it, but people are talking. Since you left right after the fire, they’re blaming you and Wickham for it.
Oh, they’ll get over it. That’s crazy. Why would I set fire to my own house? Of all the weird things to assume.
It doesn’t matter whether it makes sense or not. You know how gossip works around here. We need you to come home.
We can’t come back to Austen Heights right now. It snowed a lot since last night, and the roads are worse than before. We’ll be lucky to make it to the little town that’s five minutes away.
Well, I don’t want you to be in danger. My boss is giving me a hard time, though. Of course the paper is covering the fire. He doesn’t want any employees connected to anything shady. I really can’t afford to lose this job.
Sorry. Try not to worry too much. We’ll figure something out, I guess.
Reality sank in a little. This was a bigger deal than I’d realized, and I hated that.
I generally did my best to avoid high-pressure, high-stakes situations.
Even in school, I only took the classes that were absolutely necessary.
When it came to the fight-or-flight response, my first instinct was usually flight.
I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and got dressed, spritzing a touch of my favorite toasted vanilla perfume. All the while, Wickham continued to snore lightly in his bed. So, I quietly opened the door and slipped out for a little walk. We’d have to discuss our situation later.
With the high elevation the air was bitterly cold and scented by the remnants of evening fires.
Taking a walk entailed stomping through snowdrifts even on the walkways, so it was good I’d brought my boots.
We’d traveled farther north than I’d realized.
Brilliant shades of blue broke through the clouds, giving us a break between the storms.
Along with our cabin, the resort offered a large lounge and dining hall in the main lodge.
The building was enormous and made of logs, like the cabins.
Inside, families wrangled their children, people read or worked on laptops, and couples enjoyed a leisurely breakfast near a fireplace.
I saw why Wickham wanted to visit the place again, and I tried to imagine him as one of the kids running about the lounge with his siblings—if he even had siblings.
There was a lot about him I didn’t know.
Wickham found me at the little café—the only café—at the lodge. I’d just ordered eggs and toast.
“May I join you?” He slipped off his sunglasses, revealing his fiery brown eyes. The hotel-brand shower gel scented his skin, and his hair was still damp—definitely a sight I could get used to.
“Of course.” I handed him the menu I’d saved in case he showed up.
The server immediately returned to take his order. Rare steak, even for breakfast.
After the server left, Wickham patted my hand. “How are you holding up?”
The idea hadn’t really crossed my mind. Of course, I knew what I was doing, but how was another question entirely.
“I don’t know. I suppose I’m conflicted.
This place is so serene and perfect. It would be easy to pretend we’re here to enjoy ourselves.
But I also feel guilty, like I should be doing something.
It’s not like we’re going to be able to solve the case from a ski resort. ”
Wickham drank from his steaming mug. “For now, we might as well relax a bit. The note said to stay out of things, and this is about as out of things as it gets. As long as your family is safe, we just need to wait a little while. There’s nothing wrong with making the situation.”
“They’re fine for now. I texted my mom so she wouldn’t call the FBI or anything. Lizzy’s a bit worked up over us ditching town, but she’ll be fine. I doubt Dad will even notice I’m missing. Most importantly, there haven’t been any more random attacks.” I sipped my orange juice.
“It could definitely be worse.” Wickham’s shoulders relaxed, and he looked around the bustling café.
With the cheery gingham curtains, checkerboard floor, cinnamon-scented air, and sunlight streaming through the window next to our table, it seemed like nothing in the world could go wrong.
This place didn’t have the magical enchantments of home.
No mop cleaned the floor on its own, and the coffee mugs didn’t refill themselves.
But it was every bit as comfortable as the bakery.
“Last night could have been much worse. Did anyone else in the band end up leaving town?” I asked.
“Hopefully. I texted everyone and suggested they leave. The only responses I’ve gotten are things like ‘good idea’ or ‘why didn’t I think of that’ but nothing concrete.”
Between bites, I questioned Wickham. “I realized I don’t know all that much about you. Do you have siblings? What were you like as a kid?”
“No siblings, but Darcy was kind of like a brother.”
“Right. I sometimes forget. You grew up in some huge estate, didn’t you?” I tried to imagine the place. It sounded like a palace.
“I lived alongside the rich with no money of my own, which is a strange place to be. It generally left me feeling displaced. My parents would probably say I was a pain. I tried to be good, but I had more energy than I knew what to do with. Never mind Dennis, I was Wickham the Menace.” He smiled and shook his head, eyes searching the distance.
Wickham’s mannerisms were entertaining to observe. Sometimes it seemed like he had to try to put on his rebel-without-a-cause persona. “I bet you were secretly a really good kid.”
He smiled mischievously. “I meant well. But the world’s not structured for a confused poor kid living in a mansion with too much time on his hands.”
Why finding out he was a bit pesky made me like him more, I’m not sure. Maybe I found him relatable. “I get it. I have the perfect family. But perfect can be hard for people who need more—you know—excitement. Adventure. I was known for being a little energetic myself.”
“That’s why we get along so well. Our energies match.” Wickham’s eyes brightened as he spoke, like he was looking right into me and was amazed by what he found.
Our auras did go fairly well together, in my opinion. “For a while, I thought you were interested in my sister Lizzy.”
“She and I are too different. I get the sense that she’s the kind of girl who would kick you in the knee if you did something wrong.”
“What makes you think I won’t? I find that to be an admirable trait on her part.” I grinned and tipped my chin in his direction.
Wickham’s rock star smile made an entrance. “Well, you probably would too. But that would certainly be more fun.”
I laughed. “You’ve got us all figured out, don’t you?”
“I mean . . .” Wickham’s eyes said something I couldn’t interpret.
“Kicking guys in the knees.” I mused.
“If they deserve it.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “We’re not that mean.”
“True.” Wickham considered, then he scooted his chair closer to me, and as softly as a butterfly, brushed my cheek with the back of his fingertips. “But Bennet girls can hold their own.”
My stomach fluttered. For a moment, I wondered if this was simply a perfect dream.
“So, what’s our plan here? We’ve made it out of town, which should protect my family and keep us alive. But what do we do now?” For the moment, it felt like we had a lot of time on our hands with nothing much to do.
Wickham’s eyes grew doubtful. “We’ve got a lot to think about. Obviously, we can’t stay here forever, but we shouldn’t hurry back either.”
“One thing we can do is to avoid being murder victims at all costs.” I ran my fingers through his hair and down his back.
His smile dropped, and his eyes grew distant, and I struggled to read the expression on his face.
“Avoiding death is certainly the highest priority for everyone involved,” he said. “I definitely want to keep you safe.”
Naturally, his response made me warm and tingly.
But the teeny-tiniest flash of doubt zipped through my mind.
If, for some reason, he really had orchestrated Alex's death very quickly while he ran to get our hot cocoa, he certainly had the perfect alibi and witness set up ahead of time.
But the idea was ridiculous and disappeared from my mind as quickly as it had appeared.