Chapter 8

Sophie

“Come with me, Miss Sophie,” Liam said firmly.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and spun me around, pushing me gently toward the hallway. I stumbled out awkwardly. As Liam led me quickly out of the office, I sputtered my confusion.

“I don’t understand,” I said. “What’s going on?”

“Mr. Andrew is on a call,” Liam said simply.

“I don’t mind waiting,” I said. “I have some questions for him. Plus, I found something in the books that I think might help. He should really take a look.”

“Mr. Andrew wishes for you to stay in the other wing of the house,” Liam said. “He doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

“That doesn’t make any sense…” I trailed off with a frown.

Liam had finally released my shoulders and was walking beside me as we made our way toward the far staircase. My office and room were on the opposite side of the mansion. It took almost five minutes to walk from my office to Andrew’s. Suddenly, I realized there was a reason for the distance. I didn’t understand it at first, but Andrew’s reaction to me being in his study was nothing short of outrage.

“How am I supposed to do my job properly if Andrew won’t speak to me?” I asked as Liam held open my office door.

“Any questions you have can be directed to me, Miss Sophie,” Liam said kindly.

I nodded, but still didn’t fully understand. Something didn’t add up. If Andrew wanted me to sort out his books, I needed to talk to him about it. Speaking through his butler was only going to confuse and complicate things further.

“Why is he so cold?” I asked softly. “What’s wrong with him?”

Liam sighed and gestured for me to sit down. I slid into my chair and pulled myself closer to my desk. Liam sat in an empty chair across from me. His brown eyes shone with kindness and warmth. Liam had a grandfatherly presence about him, a quality that put me at ease without effort.

“He’s just working right now,” Liam said. “He’s inherited quite a mess from his late father. Mr. Andrew isn’t always this way. The stress is getting to him.”

“I understand that,” I said slowly. “I really do, but if he wants me to do this job, then this set up seems difficult for no good reason.”

“Just do your best, Miss Sophie,” Liam said. “I can answer most of your questions, and those that I can’t, I’ll consult Mr. Andrew for you.”

“This just seems so juvenile,” I said, shaking my head. “We need a go-between just to do business?”

“It’s the way Mr. Andrew wants it,” Liam said.

He didn’t say anything else, but I could tell he didn’t agree with his boss’s behavior. There was something hidden behind Liam’s eyes, something dark and full of frustration. I wanted to ask him about it, to find out more about Andrew Hopper, but I thought better of it. The last thing Liam needed was for me to get him in trouble.

“Thank you for your help, Liam,” I said with a smile. “And for picking up my bag of clothes for me. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here. This place is…”

“It can feel quite cold at times,” Liam said with a nod. “Give it a chance. You may warm up to it faster than you think.”

I scoffed. “Doubtful.”

“Try the back courtyard,” Liam said. “Whenever you’re ready for a break, just go down the stairs and to your left. You’ll see the glass doors. You can’t miss them.”

I nodded as Liam got to his feet. He smiled at me one last time before leaving me to my work. It wasn’t easy to focus, not after my latest encounter with Andrew. All I could think about was how angry he looked. His anger didn’t make sense. Whatever my father did, surely it wasn’t bad enough to make Andrew hate our entire family with such intensity.

Not for the first time, I thought about calling my father. He still needed to explain exactly what happened between him and Andrew. If I knew the whole truth, maybe I would finally be able to understand Andrew’s animosity toward me.

I picked up the phone and dialed my dad’s number. On the first ring, I changed my mind. Dad would tell me everything when he was ready. Forcing the issue would only make us both that much more upset. Besides, there was a small part of me that wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. I tried to familiarize myself with Hopper Antiquities’s books, but they were muddled and unclear. Whoever was running their accounting department obviously didn’t know what they were doing. Everything from the past five years was off by at least a few thousand dollars.

My head was spinning. There was only so much I could wade through before I needed a break. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes and trying to center myself. It wasn’t easy. Everything about this mansion made me tense and nervous. I couldn’t stand to be here, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I would last. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that I was helping my father.

It wasn’t yet time for dinner, so I decided to take Liam’s advice and spend some time in the back courtyard. He didn’t show it to me on our tour, but I was sure I could find it. Getting to my feet, I stretched my arms upward and took a deep breath. I’d only been in this house for two days, and already, I missed my own home.

“Heading out, Miss Sophie?” Liam asked when I passed him in the hallway.

“I thought I would check out that courtyard,” I said with a smile.

“Excellent idea.” Liam smiled and pointed me down the hallway.

I hurried forward, my eyes quickly falling on the glass doors. When I stepped outside, I was hit with a familiar smell that brought a smile to my face. I spun around, my eyes scanning the grounds until I saw the source of the smell. Horses.

My grin widened as I hurried forward. The courtyard was more like a huge backyard. I knew it was enclosed, but it was so large that I could see only land extending in all directions before me. The stables were positioned to the right of the glass doors. I ran toward them, already seeing a few horses poking their heads out of their stalls.

“Hey there,” I said softly when I reached the first stall. “How are you doing?”

I rubbed my hands over the horse’s face while she whinnied and nestled against my hands. I laughed and played with her a bit more, taking in the sight of her beautiful brown coat and warm eyes.

“You’re so pretty,” I said softly. She whinnied again and pressed her heavy head into my palms. I laughed and kissed the side of her face. “I wish I had something to feed you.”

As if on cue, I heard a pair of heavy footsteps coming up behind me. I spun around, afraid that it would be Andrew. Luckily, it wasn’t. It was a young woman, not much older than me, with long strawberry-blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

“Hi,” the woman said. “Can I help you?”

“Oh,” I said nervously. “I’m sorry. I’m working for Andrew, and I just came out here for a break. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course,” the woman said with a smile. “These guys need some company. Most of the time, it’s just me.”

“No one rides them?” I asked with a frown.

She shook her head. “Not in years.”

“Wow.” I looked back at the horse in front of me. “I can’t imagine owning horses and not spending all my time with them.”

“I feel the same way.”

She smiled at me again. I took a step toward her and extended my hand, realizing that I hadn’t yet introduced myself.

“I’m Sophie,” I said.

“Amy,” she said, shaking my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” I smiled.

“Do you want to feed her?” Amy asked, gesturing toward the horse. “I have some carrots and sugar cubes inside.”

“Please,” I said eagerly.

Amy nodded and hurried inside the stables. When she came back, she had a few carrots and a bag of sugar cubes in her hands. She handed the carrots to me and watched while the horse ate from my hand.

“That’s Gemma,” she said. “She’s the baby of the bunch. Only about a year old now.”

“Hi, Gemma,” I said, cooing at the horse.

“Come here,” Amy said. “I’ll introduce you to the others.

Amy walked me through the stables. There were only four other horses: Tucker, Heidi, Mac, and Donna Lee.

“Donna Lee?” I asked with a laugh. “Who named her?”

“That would be the late Mr. Hopper,” Amy said, grinning. “He thought it was only fitting that we have at least one country girl out here.”

“He sounds like fun,” I said, smiling with her. “Much more so than his son.”

Amy’s face fell at my words, and I instantly regretted them. Was she friends with Andrew? If I had to guess, I would say Amy was only a few years older than me. Was it possible she and Andrew were romantically involved?

“I’ve never met him personally,” Amy said.

“Never?” I frowned. My suspicions were obviously wrong. “How long have you worked here?”

“Six years,” Amy said.

I blinked. She couldn’t be serious.

“I know,” Amy said, shaking her head. “It sounds insane, doesn’t it?”

“Incredibly,” I said. “How is that even possible?”

She shrugged. “He keeps to himself. I don’t venture inside the main house much. My job is out here, and I like it that way. I keep up with the horses, I get a paycheck. It works.”

“But still,” I said. “That’s so odd. You knew George, though, right?”

“Yes,” Amy said. She smiled sadly. “Mr. Hopper was a kind man. He loved these animals so much.”

“Did he ride?” I asked.

“Not while I’ve been here,” Amy said. “He was too old. His body couldn’t take the strain.”

“So, who rides them?” I asked.

“Me,” Amy said. “I rotate them once a week. It keeps them active, but it’s not enough. They need more attention than one person can give.”

“I can help you,” I said quickly. “I’d love to ride.”

“Do you know how?” Amy asked, not unkindly.

I nodded. “I took lessons as a kid.”

“That would be great,” Amy said brightly. “I’d love the company, and I know the horses would, too.”

Amy and I spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the horses and getting to know each other. She was kind and warm, just like Liam. She was also young and vibrant. I could easily see us becoming good friends.

“What do you know about Andrew?” I asked as the sun began to set. “I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about him that gets under my skin.”

“He’s a really difficult person,” Amy said. “At least, that’s what everyone tells me. Honestly, from the stories I’ve heard, I’m not at all upset that I’ve never met him face to face.”

It was so strange how Andrew behaved. When Amy and I said goodbye, I slowly made my way back toward the glass doors. As I walked, I could feel someone watching me. I looked up just in time to see Andrew’s face appear in an upstairs window.

He was staring down at me with a deep frown etched on his face. I’d never taken the time to really look at him before. As he stood in the window, I realized how attractive he was. His dark hair was styled well, making his features stand out. He had broad shoulders that were made more prominent by the tight sweater he wore. Our eyes met for a split second, and then, he was gone.

I stayed there for a few minutes, wondering if he would come outside or maybe reappear in the window. He didn’t. The glass doors remained closed, and the only thing in the window were a pair of blue curtains.

Shaking my head, I hurried back inside.