731c3e32dd6349cda7e9d6caf76b901f

“Shoot, Charlene!” I cried. Even if Billy and Madame Blue were in the wrong when it came to Charles’s accident, we were in the wrong too by willfully disregarding their rules.

“I have to get back up there and hide her before Billy moves all our things and locks us out. I’ll meet you at the new room as soon as I have her, okay?”

Charles gave me a peck on the cheek.“I’ll wait here and see about getting some breakfast ordered.”

“Love you,” I called before heading back up the second, unbroken staircase.

When I reached the room, Billy was already there gathering our things for relocation. The tourist woman—Madeline, apparently—was also there, observing the fireplace. “It won’t be any problem to get this lit for us tonight, would it?” she said to the porter, not really making it a question.

“Um, excuse me,” I barked, not even trying to be polite with them anymore. “Until we’re moved, this room still belongs to me and my husband, and we’d appreciate some privacy.” I returned the same daggers Madeline had thrown at me over dinner last night.

She narrowed her eyes before switching to a tight-lipped smile.“Whatever you say, honey. It will be ours soon enough.” Thankfully, she saw herself out after having stated her piece.

Once she was gone, I stepped into the bathroom where Bill was haphazardly tossing our toiletries into a plastic grocery bag.“Um, Bill, we appreciate your help, but can I please pack up my own belongings? I don’t really like the idea of a stranger handling my toothbrush… or my underwear.”

“The lady of the house wants it all moved ASAP,” he explained, continuing his work undeterred. “Between you and me, she doesn’t want to deal with the Mackenzies any more than you do.”

“I understand that, but could you just wait out in the hall for a few minutes? I promise I’ll get it done quick.”

He nodded, handed me the plastic bag, and left, clicking the door shut behind him.

“Charlene?” I whisper-yelled once I knew for sure we were alone.

A moment later, she pushed her little black head out from beneath my pillow. Oh, thank goodness!

“I don’t like it here,” she growled, surprising me with her deep rumble. “Too many scary people.”

I nodded in understanding. Frankly, I found them a bit scary too.“Charles and I will keep you safe until you’re back with your mother. You have my word, Charlene. We won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“I thought I heard my mommy calling to me last night, but it was just a dream.” This sweet kitten kept breaking my heart.

“Dreams do come true,” I offered, running my hands over her fur. “But right now we have to get you out of here. They’re making us switch rooms, but after that, we’ll head back outside to look around, okay?”

She responded by purring and asking to be picked up.

“Perfect. Let’s go.” I quickly shoved all our loose belongings—along with Billy’s plastic bag—into one of Charles’s duffle bags, then grabbed a spare sweater to wrap the kitten in while I moved her downstairs.

“Ready for you now. Thank you, Bill,” I said as I left the dream room behind. With how terrible everyone had been since we’d arrived, Bill was the only one to show even the slightest glimpse of compassion—be it exceptionally brief. “We appreciate your help.”

“Your new room is just off the kitchen. It isn’t much. We usually only book it if all the rooms are already spoken for, which hasn’t happened in a really long time. But you can easily sneak anything you need from the fridge, so there’s that,” he offered apologetically. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen. Just give me two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”

“Thank you,” I said again before heading back down the long hall and toward the second staircase. As I passed, Madeline and Fred Mackenzie watched me from their doorway with matching expressions of glee. I hated that they were getting what they wanted after such gruesome behavior, but there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.

“They’re putting us by the kitchen,” I told Charles when I joined back up with him, motioning toward the bundle that concealed Charlene with my chin.

“Excellent,” he answered calmly. “I am more than ready for those Tylenol. And that bath.”

“No bathtub in your new room,” Billy said, coming up behind us with one duffle balanced on the suitcase and the other slung over his shoulder. “No bathroom at all, actually. You’ll have to use the communal on the first floor. Thankfully, we added a shower stall to it a few years back for just such emergencies.”

That was when I finally lost it. My husband had been grievously injured and all he wanted was a hot bath. Why were they making that impossible for us in a literal mansion with multiple accommodations?

“Surely, you see how ridiculous this is?” I hissed, no longer playing nice. “Charles isn’t a liability, he’s a victim. And my parents paid for your best room, thinking they were reserving the full property, but now you’re shoving us into your smallest room because of some other guest’s unfounded complaint?”