When she opened the door, the woman tutted and gave her a stern look.
“Don’t ever open the door without first asking who’s there, dear. I’m Suzy.” She held up a basket. “Simon asked me to bring you something to eat.”
Madelene stepped aside to allow her to enter. She bustled straight to the kitchen. Not the first time she’d been in Simon’s house, then. Did she feed him often? Madelene closed the door and turned to follow her. Suzy stuck her head out of the doorway. “Did you lock it?”
She hadn’t, but she quickly turned back and did. When she entered the kitchen, the aroma made her mouth water. Suzy placed a plate full of food on the table.
“Roast beef, peas, and boiled potatoes.” She gestured toward the chair. “Eat it while it’s warm.”
“Thank you,” Madelene said quietly as she lowered herself into the chair.
“Do you mind if I sit for a few minutes, dear? My feet could use a rest. And my back, if I’m honest.”
“By all means. Is there something I can get you?”
“Your only job right now is to eat that food before it gets cold.”
Madelene nodded and took a bite of beef. It was tender and delicious.
Suzy settled herself into the chair with a grateful sigh. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “Eat,” she said after a moment.
Madelene quickly took another bite. The food was delectable, but it felt discourteous to be eating in front of someone, and she was suddenly very aware of every sound she made as she chewed.
When she eventually finished, Suzy opened her eyes. “You've never lived in the city before, have you?”
Madelene shook her head.
“Don’t be opening that door if you don’t know who’s on the other side. If I come by again, I’ll knock like this for you.” She demonstrated the pattern on the table. “If you don’t hear that, you don’t open the door.”
Madelene nodded and Suzy smiled kindly. She got up with a groan and collected Madelene’s dishes, packing everything back into her basket. They walked together to the front door.
“Be sure to lock it behind me, dear.”
“Thank you,” she said with a nod. She did as she’d been told and locked the door. She let out a long sigh. Was there really so much danger here?
She made her way up to the room she was staying in. Her room Simon had called it. Whose room had it been before? Perhaps his sister’s? Bonnie had said something about his sister, but Simon had never mentioned her.
The curtains were a cheery yellow, paintings hung on the walls, and the bed was adorned with a cream-colored counterpane embroidered with an assortment of flowers. The room was contradictory to the rest of his house, as if it had the audacity to be colorful, in spite of its drab surroundings.
If this was his sister’s room, where was she now? Why had she left all of her clothes and belongings behind? It was strange that Madelene was, once again, wearing the gown of someone she’d never met.
Inside the small writing desk was a sketchbook. The pages were filled with detailed portraits. They were of the same man, but each one felt different. In some, he appeared to be kind and good-natured. In others, he was definitely a villain. Yet another mystery.
She placed the sketchbook back in the drawer and turned her attention to the books she’d acquired today. It was awfully kind of Simon to buy them for her. She yawned. It was probably time for bed, but she would still read for a bit. Tired or not, she was unlikely to sleep anytime soon. She did change into a nightgown first, before settling into the chair. The lamplight was hardly enough, and she struggled to see the words on the page. Eventually, they faded away as her eyelids grew heavy and her mind wandered back to Simon.
Madelene was startled awake by a noise. Apparently, she’d fallen asleep in the chair, The Picture of Dorian Gray open in her lap. It was dark, her lamp no longer lit. Only a soft glow of light filtered through the curtains from the streetlamps below. Her heart jumped at the sound of movement in the hall. She gave a silent prayer that it was Simon, then put the book aside and crept from the room.
Simon’s bedroom door was open. He stood looking out the window, dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. The floor creaked as she stepped closer and he turned. Lamplight filtered in through the window and danced across his bare chest. Her gaze lingered before sweeping over his abdomen and all the way to his toes. A nervous rush fluttered through her and her breathing quickened.
Slowly, she forced her gaze up to his face. He didn’t say anything as she stared, simply lifted his glass to his lips. His hair was damp, which for some reason made the whole scene even more enticing. She should resist these wicked desires and leave, but she couldn’t seem to wrench her eyes away. Instead, she swallowed and took a hesitant step into his room.
For the love of all things holy. Even with only the lamplight that spilled in from the street below, Simon could see the hunger in Madelene’s eyes. He forced his feet to stay planted. He wouldn’t stop her, but if she wanted something, she was going to have to come to him. She was going to have to ask him for it. He would not push his desires onto her, no matter how much he wanted her.
She took a timid step toward him and he lifted the glass to take another sip of his drink. The warmth of the whisky was not enough of a distraction, nor did it stop his growing erection. One small step at a time, she closed the distance between them until she looked up into his eyes.
“You’re back,” she said softly.
“I’m back.” He smiled down at her but still didn’t move. “Did I wake you when I reached in to turn out your light?”
