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She turned to him and huffed out a laugh. “Living here, far from everyone?”
“I don’t always live here.”
“And when you don’t, you’re an expert on the human condition?”
“Yes. I have ample opportunity in my position.”
She huffed another laugh. “Right.”
“But I can’t tell your story from a glance. Perhaps over dinner I will piece it together.”
She’d hoped she’d be able to go straight to bed, lock the door to keep herself safe from temptation, and hibernate until the storm was over. But it seemed he had other ideas. Plus, her stomach rumbled at the thought of food.
“You have snacks here?” she asked hopefully.
“I have more than snacks, believe me. If you follow me, I’ll show you to your bedroom, and you can get showered and change if you wish.”
“Changed? I’ve nothing to change into.”
He waved a hand airily. “You will find clothes in the wardrobe.”
“I can’t wear someone else’s clothes!”
“Of course you can. Think nothing of it.” He indicated the stairs. “This way.”
She walked up the stone steps, which hugged the side of the wall. At the top, they opened out into a wide landing and they walked side-by-side until he stopped at the first door. “This room is always kept ready.”
“Really?” She didn’t believe him. “For strange women turning up in the desert.”
His expression didn’t change. “Exactly that.”
He opened the door. She wasn’t prepared for the glamor and luxury within. The rest of the castle was grand on an austere scale, but whoever used this bedroom was accustomed to grandeur on quite a different level.
“Wow,” she said. “What an amazing room.”
He went to a cupboard and took out another couple of lanterns, lit them, and placed them on either side of the room.
“There’s a bathroom through that door, and you should find something to wear in the wardrobe.” He opened a door to reveal a walk-in-wardrobe whose contents sparkled and shimmered under the lantern light.
She ran her hands along the luxurious materials. “Does someone usually live here? These clothes don’t look as if they’ve been here long.”
“They haven’t.”
“Oh.” She looked at him, curious to hear the rest of the story, but it didn’t appear as if he were about to give her it.
She turned to see fabulous lengths of glittering jewelry reflected in a mirror. “Wow!”
“Help yourself to anything.”
“No way. They look expensive. The real thing.”
“If they were of value, you can be sure the person to whom they belong would have taken them with her.”
Before Sarah could ask anything further, Kadar checked the bolt on the shutters and, apparently satisfied, walked over to the door. “When you’re ready, retrace your steps and come into the main hall. Dinner will be served there.”
He left immediately, without waiting for a response, leaving Sarah with more questions than answers. Dinner will be served? By whom? And who was it who’d left a closet full of glamorous clothes—a woman who Kadar obviously strongly disliked? And who was this man who appeared to be the castle’s only inhabitant? A man whose guard had dropped when she’drevealed her identity. She had more questions than answers, but was determined to change that over dinner.
After a long soakin the bath—which also had an incongruously glamorous addition of thick towels and exquisitely perfumed soaps—Sarah felt wonderful, and bold enough to do as Kadar had suggested and look through the exquisite dresses which lined the wardrobe.
