Family Secrets (Young Adult Edition) (Davenport Manor (Young Adult Edition)) (4 page)

She shrugged off his jacket, “Here,
I’m good now and you’re cold! Thank you for lending it to
me!”

“
Now, you’ll be cold! Keep
it, I’ll survive.”

“
No, really I’m
toasty-warm now. Take it,” she laughed and shoved it into his
hands.

She led him to the other side of the
property where the horse stables were located that currently housed
five horses. As they walked inside, Todd breathed in the typical
barn scent that, unlike most people, he actually liked. He liked
the sound and the feel of walking along the dirt floor. He welcomed
the dusty air around him and the sight of each of the horses poking
their heads out from their stalls to see who had come to visit
them. Emma walked up to a glistening black Arabian who seemed to
thrive in her presence.

“
This is my horse,
Phantom,” she told Todd while using her arms to cradle Phantom’s
entire head. The majestic horse gently nuzzled his face into Emma’s
torso. “I have always been a fan of
Phantom of the Opera
, hence the
name. However, Michael Crawford never did it for me—it was Gerard
Butler that made me weak-in-the-knees!”

“
Well, hello there,
Phantom,” Todd introduced himself to the animal while petting his
silky mane. “He’s beautiful!”

“
Thank you, he comes from
a bloodline of Arabians that date back to the original Emma
Davenport’s horse, Lady. Just like us, their family has lived here
for generations.” She looked up at Phantom who had raised his head
proudly. “Do you ride, Todd?”

“
It’s been years, but I
think being back in the saddle would be much like riding a bicycle;
you never forget how.”

“
One day when you’re off
we should go riding. You can ride any of the horses; they’re all
very well behaved…except for Casper over there, he can be a bit
squirrely!” She nodded towards a white horse that looked as though
he’d be in hysterical laughter if he could. “He’s playful, a silly
guy who kind of does what he wants on his own time. He’s fun to
ride if you’re experienced!”

Emma introduced Todd to all the horses
and he pet each one as they went along. Emma could sense he had a
gentle soul just by the way he spoke to the animals, which made her
beam internally. He spoke to them as if they could understand what
he was saying, complimenting them on their beauty.

As they exited the stable, Emma
pointed to a baron area just outside, “There used to be a small
cottage here that was built along with the Manor where the stable
boy would live. But, since we live in the Midwest, storms would
roll through and take a toll on it. One storm took it completely
out decades ago. I have often thought of building a new one, but
there really isn’t a point now.”

Todd stood and looked at the space
with grass sparsely growing. “I wish I could go back in time and
spend just one day here,” he said while examining the area. “To
live the way they lived back then, a completely different way of
life.”

“
Trust me, so do I,” Emma
responded bluntly. “Come on, let’s head back, I think the rest of
the cast and crew are arriving today.”

They leisurely strolled arm-in-arm on
the gravel pathway that lead through the field and back towards the
Manor. Several cars were parked out front and people running in and
out bringing suitcases inside.

She let go of his arm as they walked
up the front steps. When they pushed open the over-sized front
door, they found that everyone working on the film had arrived and
all were greeting each other in the foyer area. Luggage all around,
everyone’s belongings scattered about. Some people were new to the
film, just like Todd, and others were old friends.

In the midst of all the chaos of
voices, hugging, and introductions, Todd noticed that same guarded
glare from Zachariah directed at him. Todd raised his eyebrows and
gave him a small smile and short wave from across the room.
Zachariah returned with a wave and turned and resumed to speak with
a petite, beautiful girl with chestnut hair and a guy with dirty
blonde hair that was slicked back. Todd immediately recognized
them; it was Vivienne Conrad and Declan Fitzgerald.

Chapter 3

They were one of
Hollywood’s current, young golden couples. Declan was built like a
professional athlete and Vivienne was small and curvy with the face
of a pixie. She had delicate features, naturally arched eyebrows,
and deep brown eyes shaped like almonds. She was not only gorgeous,
but was a triple-threat on the big screen with her ability to act,
sing, and dance. They had joined the regular cast of the
Ticking Through Time
films in the third installment with Zachariah.

“
Thanks for coming on the
tour, Todd,” Emma said. “It was really nice getting to know you,
you’re good company.”

“
No, thank you for taking
me!” He exclaimed. “I love learning about the property’s history
and spending some time with you.”

Emma gave Todd’s arm a quick squeeze
and departed to join Vivienne, Declan, and Zachariah across the
room. As she approached them, Todd saw Declan give her a bow and
Vivienne curtsied, which he thought was a bit outdated. He saw
Daniel walking towards him and gave him a pat on the
back.

“So, did she give you the tour of the
property?” Daniel asked.

“She did! I’m still in amazement;
there’s so much history here. I was fascinated with Cottage Number
One,” he replied with enthusiasm.

“Isn’t it wild? I don’t think anyone
has even opened the door to Cottage One since the incidents. Did
you look in the windows?”

“We did and it’s so tempting to go in
there. You’ve never had the urge to go in and have a look
around?”

Daniel made a face of disgust and
shook his head, “Noooo. It’s so full of cobwebs and dust and who
knows what else in there. I’m perfectly content just looking in
from the outside. I think my dad tried to get the door open once,
but it has sealed itself shut over the decades.”

Emma strode up next to Zachariah and
he gave her a devilish grin.

“So, how did your date go?” He asked
sarcastically.

Vivienne raised an eyebrow and gave
her a look, “Date? With who?”

Emma rolled her eyes, “It wasn’t a
date. I just took the new guy, Todd Foster on a tour of the
property.”

Zachariah interjected, “She has a
sweet spot for him for some reason. I don’t get it, he’s nothing
out of the ordinary.”

Emma lightly elbowed him in the gut,
“Shame on you. He’s a very nice guy that just so happens to be good
looking and talented.”

Vivienne looked over at Todd and one
side of her mouth raised in a smile. She noticed how tall he was;
she had a thing for tall men despite her small stature. “Well,
well, well, isn’t he a cutie,” she remarked while still staring at
him from the side. Daniel was introducing him to some of the other
cast and crew, so he took no notice of the eyes watching
him.

“That can’t ever happen, you know,”
Declan interjected with his smooth Irish accent. “You remember what
happened last time…” and he looked over at Zachariah.

“I know, I know,” Emma grudgingly
replied. “I’m going to make an announcement, I’ll be right
back.”

She walked forward and climbed a few
steps of the stairs so she could be seen by everyone.

“Good afternoon, everybody!” All the
guests turned to look at her and quieted their
conversations.

“I’d like to welcome all of you to
Davenport Manor--some of you have been here before and for others,
this is your first visit,” she looked directly at Todd and smiled.
Daniel moved through the crowd to join her on the steps. “Everyone
is welcome here and we are always delighted to have guests in our
home. We will help you find your rooms throughout the house and
give you the rundown of how things work if you have never been here
before. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served in the dining
room at 8:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. You are welcome to help
yourselves to any snacks in the pantry. If you need anything extra
please be sure to let Daniel, myself, or any of the staff know.
Also, so everyone can get acquainted, we will throw a party
tomorrow night in the grand ballroom! So, dress to impress and be
ready to drink, dance, and have a great time!”

Daniel added, “Like she said it is
great to see so many familiar faces and I’m excited to get to know
the new ones. Now for the nitty gritty,” he scrunched his face.
“You all signed the contract before entering the property and we
will hold you to them. We try to remain as private as possible,
especially after the events that have taken place in our family in
recent years.” A solemn look spread on everyone’s faces throughout
the room. Unless one had lived under a rock, everyone knew Daniel
and Emma’s tragic story. Not wanting to dampen the excitement for
the guests, he quickly shifted gears, “With that aside, be ready to
party tomorrow night!”

The following evening approached and
the staff had prepared the grand ballroom for the night’s
festivities. The DJ had set up his equipment, the bar was open, and
trays upon trays of hors d’oeuvres were waiting in the kitchen. As
people began filling the ballroom, the DJ started spinning his own
mixes and there were the select few people who hit the dance floor
immediately.

Todd was hanging out with Daniel while
waiting for Emma to show up. He imagined what she was going to wear
and knew undoubtedly that she would look stunning. He casually
glanced around the crowd to see if she had slipped in, but she
wasn’t there.

He said to Daniel, “You guys sure know
how to throw a house party!”

Daniel laughed, “We throw a party at
any chance we get! Plus, if people get too trashed they can just
stay here. We don’t want anyone drinking and driving.”

Todd nodded in agreement. “So, where’s
your sister? She’s coming, right?”

A sly grin spread across Daniel’s
face. “You fancy my sister, don’t you?”

Todd felt his face get hot, no doubt
blushing. “She’s a great girl…and gorgeous if you don’t mind me
saying so.” He shook his head and ran his fingers through his wavy
hair, not believing he just said that out loud to her
brother.

Daniel chuckled, “She is
pretty…”

“Is she seeing anyone?”

Daniel hesitated and breathed in
deeply through his teeth. “That’s a little complicated. I’ll let
you get the details from her. I’m not going there!” He waved his
hands in front of him.

He glanced up from the corner of his
eye and saw a vision of beauty coming down the grand staircase out
in the foyer. Emma…wearing a tight, red, sequin dress that hugged
every curve in her chest, waist, and butt perfectly. His stomach
dropped when he saw that she was accompanied by Zachariah – her arm
linked into his, they were talking and laughing.

“Okay, let me ask you this,” he turned
back to Daniel. “Is she with Zach?” He asked while giving a quick
nod in their direction.

Again, Daniel winced and slightly
backed away, “So not going there! You’ll have to talk to
her!”

Frustrated, he dropped the subject and
continued to make his way around the room talking to people. He
kept a continual eye on Emma waiting for the moment she wouldn’t
have Zachariah by her side. She was kept in a tight circle with
him, Vivienne, and Declan; all them toasting with their glasses of
red wine. He figured instead of just waiting around, since she may
never be alone, he would just join their group. Zach, Vivienne, and
Declan were all in the film with him, he may as well get to know
them.

“Hello everyone,” he began as he
sauntered up to them.

“Hey!” They all said in
unison.

“I’m Todd, I’m playing the part of
Tony Duncan in the film.”

“Cheers, Todd,” Declan said as he
raised his glass. “I’m Declan and this is my girlfriend,
Vivienne.”

“Cheers! Good to meet you, Todd,” she
smiled. “What part of England are you from?”

“I was born and raised in London and I
live in a flat there now. How about you all, where are you
from?”

Declan answered first, “I’m from
Shannon, Ireland, but moved to Los Angeles a few years ago since my
career took off. I go back every now and then; it’s always nice to
go home.”

“What about you Vivienne?” Todd asked,
glad that they were welcoming him in to their
conversation.

“I’m from Waukesha, Wisconsin. I was
bit by the performing bug when I was a kid and decided to move to
L.A. and try my hand at acting. I like being able to come back to
the Midwest, it’s who I am. How do you like it here so
far?”

“Chicago or the Manor?” he
laughed.

“Both!”

“I’ve always liked the U.S. since most
of the movies I’ve filmed have been here, either in New York or
L.A. But, this is my first time in Chicago, so I hope to get some
time to go into the city and do some exploring before it’s time to
go home. As for the Manor…there’s nothing in the world like it!
It’s going to be very hard to leave.” He looked at Emma with a
wistfully.