Chapter Five
The week flew by with all the daily activities. Kaitlyn had loved so much of it, and once she’d figured out the different card games, she had enjoyed beating Cyrus ninety percent of the time. She had been surprised at how attentive he was and at times she wondered if he was actually enjoying it as much as she was. They’d gone riding and target shooting with both hunting rifles and archery equipment. The quiet walks through the garden in the evening were some of her favorite moments.
He often offered her his arm as they walked, and she enjoyed the feel of his muscles beneath the fancy coat he wore. She sometimes wished they could have spent more time alone in the gardens, but when it seemed like they could have a quiet moment, someone else found them on the pathways, completely ruining the illusion of romance … which was probably a good thing. She really shouldn’t be crushing on him, no matter how much her heart told her it would be good.
Throughout the week, they had gone through a few different classes to make sure they understood the rules of the time and Kaitlyn had a hard time keeping all of it straight in her head. Every night they sat down to a nice meal, though not as fancy as the first, and from what she understood, nowhere near to what it would be like tonight at the ball.
Kaitlyn was going a little crazy with all of the rules. Although she knew it would be frowned upon, she felt like she had to do something to get away from all the structure.
Since Cyrus was “officially” her cousin for the time being, she wouldn’t be shunned in public if someone discovered her sneaking around the manor with him. And the way the servants always tried to keep the guests to the bottom three floors, Kaitlyn was dying to see what was up on the top floor.
“Mr. Manning,” Kaitlyn said, getting a kick out of using his surname instead of just calling him Cyrus like she’d always done.
“Yes, Miss Taylor?”
“I was wondering if you would do me the honor of escorting me on a little expedition today.”
Cyrus smiled and offered his arm. “Of course, my dear. I am always at your disposal. Please instruct me what your heart desires, and I shall do all in my power to make you happy.”
She placed her hand on his arm, loving the way the fabric felt over his strong forearm. She’d never touched Cyrus as much as she had recently as he played the part of a gentleman. She tried not to be too obvious in her appreciation of the way he looked dressed as he was.
“Oh, is this a game,” Cyrus said. “I am to guess what you wish me to do?”
Kaitlyn smiled at the way he so easily teased her in the way she imagined a man of that time might with her distraction. “No, I’m just hoping you won’t find my plan scandalous. Or I should say wrong. You see,” she pressed on, hoping her words wouldn’t make him think she was flirting or suggesting they do anything scandalous. “I want to go explore the top floor and need someone brave enough to help me avoid the servants who are always trying to keep us down here.”
Cyrus’s eyes lit up and he looked up the staircase. “You know, I’ve been wondering about that myself. I would be pleased to assist you in this most important of endeavors.”
They leaned close to whisper their plans as one of the other lady’s maids passed by. As moments passed, and no other servants were visible, they decided to move. “I think if we walk casually, as if we are planning on just looking at the paintings and the statues Aunt Nellie has in her gallery, we can then go from there to the next floor. The more boring we look, the easier it will be to sneak into the places we don’t belong.”
It was odd to hear Cyrus talking in his normal way instead of the proper language of an English gentleman, but Kaitlyn eagerly agreed. Together, they worked their way through the public rooms of the house.
Each time they saw another guest or a servant, they put on their boring faces as if just looking at the things the house had to offer. When they reached the staircase that led to the upper floor, no one was there to stop them. The two of them grinned as Cyrus reached for Kaitlyn’s hand. “You ready to break the rules?”
Kaitlyn placed her hand in his, surprised at the way it felt ― sure and firm and full of adventure. “Absolutely.”
They hurried up the stairs, her holding onto her skirts to keep them from making her trip and they reached the top floor without seeing anyone. Her heart pounded with the thrill of something new. When they reached the top, she dropped Cyrus’s hand. “Where should we go first?” she whispered.
“Left?”
Kaitlyn nodded. They turned to head down the hall. The sound of footsteps on the stairs below made him grab her hand again and pull her quickly with him. A door was cracked open, so he pushed through and they hid behind the door, not letting it close in case it made a sound.
The footsteps didn’t get any closer, indicating whoever it was had turned right. Cyrus wiped his forehead theatrically and Kaitlyn stifled a giggle. The room was lit enough from just the windows lining the far wall. She scanned the room and realized it was full of large wardrobes and closets. They didn’t look anything like the normal wardrobes in any of the rooms she had seen where the guests stayed.
She peeked inside a few and saw dresses from the different time periods. Oddly, one large closet held a variety of current day clothes, things she would have worn before coming here.
“What do you think this is all about?” she asked Cyrus. He moved to join her and raised his brows at the sight.
“I don’t know. It’s kind of odd. It’s almost like a clothing store in there.”
“Aunt Nellie is a little odd,” Kaitlyn said, “but why would she have a bunch of modern clothes here if she’s running a full immersion experience?”
“Maybe she does other weeks with other groups?”
“But why wouldn’t they provide their own clothes?”
Cyrus shook his head. “No clue.” They took a few more minutes looking at all of the clothes. When they reached the end of the room, a large door stood closed. Cyrus looked at her and she smiled. “What do you think is behind that door?”
“I don’t know. Maybe something that isn’t from the past. Like a television or theater room.”
Cyrus chuckled. “Are you missing your show?”
“No,” Kaitlyn said, not wanting to clarify it wasn’t even playing during the summer. “But whatever is behind here, might be more secret than just a bunch of clothes. Why else would she tell everyone the top floor is off limits?”
“Let’s find out,” Cyrus said.
Kaitlyn reached for the handle and pressed the thumb lever, expecting it to be locked. It opened easily with no sounds from the well-maintained hinges.
The room was large but minimally furnished with just a few small chairs near a little writing table. The designs in the molding reminded her of more Gothic style, and a variety of portraits hung between the decorative dividers.
Cyrus moved a few steps and then turned around. He touched her arm. “Kaitlyn, come look at this.”
Kaitlyn turned around and looked at where he pointed. On the far wall, a life-size portrait with a group of five people dressed in fancy ball gowns and suits was painted on the wall itself, with a gilded frame surrounding it.
“What on earth?” Kaitlyn asked as she stepped closer, gooseflesh covering her arms. “They look just like us.”
“Right?” Cyrus said. “That’s you, that’s me. And here’s Jem, Reese, and Cora.”
“Why are we in a painting?” Kaitlyn asked.
“I don’t know, but we’ve got to show the others.”
“Has Nellie been up here frantically painting since we arrived?”
“But she’s not met Jem yet. Why would she draw him?”
“She did have us send our pictures. Maybe it’s something she does?” Kaitlyn stared at the images of herself and her friends. The details were too perfect to have been done in a short time and there was almost something extra added to the paint. Something that made it look incredibly lifelike, as if she could reach out and tough Cyrus’s painted hand and feel the same warmth she would feel if she grabbed it now.
Cyrus shook his head. “She’s odd, but this is just crazy. Let’s go find the others.”
They left the room through the door on the other side of the massive hall, not going back through the room with all the clothes. They moved down the hallway, managing to still avoid detection. Before they could reach the second floor where the guest rooms were to search for the others, Maggie rushed over to Kaitlyn.
“There you are. We’ve only got a little time before you have to dress for dinner. And this one is the big one. We’ve got all the guests from the neighboring estates joining us for the meal before the ball begins.” She pulled on Kaitlyn’s arm and practically dragged her back to her room, not even giving her a chance to say anything to Cyrus.
She managed to glance behind her in time to see him being approached by his manservant Harvey. He wouldn’t have a chance to find the others either. They were probably all stuck in their rooms being dressed for the night. She would have to wait until they had a moment alone before dinner started.
Because that painting meant something. She could feel it when she stood in front of it.
***
Harvey poked and prodded Cyrus as he made sure the clothing was exactly right. Cyrus couldn’t figure out why that portrait was there. As Harvey put the finishing touches on Cyrus’s wardrobe before he stood in front of the full-length mirror, Cyrus turned to ask Harvey about the upper floor.
“It’s time, Mr. Manning.” He handed him the gloves. “Have an enjoyable evening.” Harvey slipped out of the room before Cyrus had a chance to stop him.
He shook his head and left the room, eager to find Kaitlyn and see if she had had a chance to talk to any of the others. Jem’s flight landed and he’d arrive in time for the ball.
The butler nodded at Cyrus. “Mr. Manning, if you would be so good as to wait in the library with the other gentlemen while the ladies finish their preparations.”
That stopped the fleeting thought Cyrus had about going back up to the top floor. He did as the butler asked and moved into the library, not in the mood to try to socialize with the others. He grabbed a random book from the shelf and sat down on one of the soft chairs in the corner. It might give him a little time to contemplate what he’d seen.
He was no closer to coming up with any plausible reason why it was there. He considered pretending he needed the restroom so he could leave the group, but before he had even closed the book, the ladies were ushered in. Cyrus stood with the other men as the women entered the room. Nellie had Cora on an arm and was giggling with her, while Miss Annette Price was standing close to Kaitlyn as if telling her secrets.
Cyrus caught her eye. She shook her head after glancing at Cora. She hadn’t had a chance to tell her about it. Cyrus looked for Reese but couldn’t see her in the group. He’d heard Jem was taking some quick dance classes so he could attend the ball.
Cyrus moved to join Kaitlyn and Miss Price, but one of the other men intercepted him and began a conversation, introducing him to one of the visitors from the estates near Nellie’s.
As the butler indicated that dinner was ready, the group prepared to leave the library and enter the intimate dining room. One of the new guests Nellie had invited for the dinner offered to escort Kaitlyn. Cyrus looked for someone and saw Miss Annette Price open and in need of a partner. Cyrus approached her.
“May I have the honor of escorting you to dinner?”
Miss Price smiled and nodded her consent, placing her hand on his arm as they walked into the dining room.
The servants motioned where he needed to sit. He realized all of the girls in his group were separated in the arrangements. He was too far away from Kaitlyn to discuss anything without involving the whole table. He didn’t think he’d be able to lean across any of the others to whisper about some strange painting.
As the meal progressed, Cyrus watched the others in the room. He glanced at Kaitlyn now and again. She would open her eyes wide as if asking what they might do, but he couldn’t think of a way they could do anything until dinner was over and they were allowed to move about more freely.
After dinner, the women were excused to go visit while drinks were brought to the table. Someone who acted important led the discussion about something Cyrus wasn’t even listening to. He struggled to participate even when spoken to directly, so he acted aloof enough that not many people tried talking to him. Acting the snob was an effective tool to avoid unwanted attention. If only it would allow him to leave the room and go back to that painting. When he’d stood in front of it, staring at the familiar faces, something felt off about it. As if he should have remembered posing for it. But that was impossible.