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  A little while later he had a nice fire going, a bottle of milk heating in a pot of water, and a steak from the supermarket grilling in the open flame.

  “This ain’t so bad, is it baby? You and me taking care of each other? We’ll be okay up here, won’t we?”

  Destiny fell asleep after her bottle and he ate his steak in silence, watching the flames of the fire. He put her into his bed and climbed in next to her, mentally noting that he needed to make her a crib of some sort the next day.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Autumn

  The next few days were the most difficult for Autumn since leaving home. Every morning she woke with the knowledge that she was alone with the Hildegards. Every night she went to sleep knowing she was practically a prisoner in their strange castle. She went about her chores as diligently as possible, she kept to herself and tried to avoid the Hildegards when she could, she ate alone quietly in the kitchen, and she read.

  Reading was what kept her sane. She made her way through one book after the next on Mrs. Hildegard’s bookshelf and to her surprise, Mrs. Hildegard didn’t give her a hard time about it. For some reason she’d been nicer to her in the days since Grady had checked out.

  It was as if he’d left a warm feeling in her heart.

  There were no guests, something which wasn’t unusual for that time of year, and that meant Autumn had a lot of free time. She’d sit in her nook, her little fire crackling in the corner, and drink tea while she read. In the afternoons she walked into town hoping to see Grady but so far she hadn’t come across him. She’d have treated herself to a coffee or sundae at the diner but she didn’t have money, not a penny, and refused to ask the Hildegard’s for any.

  They were sending her mother what was needed for the medical bills and that was more than enough in her eyes. After all, that was the agreement they’d made. She wasn’t going to start asking them for a little extra just because she needed a diversion.

  Besides, there was plenty of good food and snacks in the staff kitchen at the hotel.

  She often thought of Grady and wondered how he was getting on in his new cabin with Destiny. She wanted to walk up to the cabin, it was only a mile or so further up the road and it would have been a simple enough walk, but she was too shy.

  What would she say when she got there?

  How would she explain the visit?

  Would he think she was silly?

  She could always say she was visiting Destiny, but her shyness still kept her from doing it. Besides, she told herself she was saving it. Just knowing his cabin was there, up the road, and that she could visit him eventually if she ever got too desperate, was enough to keep her going.

  A few times, she even decided she was going to visit him but when she got to the end of the driveway, she always turned downhill toward the town instead of up toward the cabin.

  She was sitting in her window nook pouring through yet another historical romance novel and sipping hot tea when a knock on her door brought her back to reality.

  “Autumn?”

  “Yes, Mistress?”

  “A package arrived.”

  Autumn leapt up and opened the door.

  “A package? For me?”

  Mrs. Hildegard handed her a brown cardboard box and stood there waiting, nosy to see who it was from. Autumn read the return address but it only had the details of the department store the package had been ordered from. An expensive department store.

  Autumn was confused. No one in her family shopped in a place like that and they never would have been able to spare the money to send her a gift. If her mother sent anything, it would have been hand-knitted or homemade, and she doubted even that was possible at the moment with the way her health was going.

  “Thank you,” she said to Mrs. Hildegard.

  “Aren’t you going to open it?”

  Autumn hesitated. She wanted to take it over to her bed and savor it, opening it in private.

  “Go on,” Mrs. Hildegard said.

  There was an insistence in her voice and Autumn knew she had no choice.

  “Yes, Mistress,” she said and pulled the tape that sealed the box.

  Inside, once she got through the packaging, was a pair of the most beautiful winter boots she’d ever seen. They were black, went a little higher than the ankle and had a small heel. They were of very fine Italian leather and lined with white fur. Autumn couldn’t believe it.

  “Did you buy me these?” she said to Mrs. Hildegard.

  Mrs. Hildegard was watching with great interest.

  “Of course not, idiot. I’ve got better things to be spending my money on.”

  Beneath the boots were numerous pairs of rich, wool socks, the most luxurious Autumn had ever felt. There must have been silk in the wool to make them so smooth.

  “Those are very fine,” Mrs. Hildegard said.

  Autumn rubbed the soft wool. “I’ll be very warm this winter.”

  “What’s that?” Mrs. Hildegard said, pointing at the next item in the box.

  Autumn pulled it out and her jaw dropped as she held it up. It was a fine coat, long and black, with soft lining and a stylish cut that flowed from the fur collar down to the hem at her knees.

  “Your family obviously isn’t as destitute as you made out,” Mrs. Hildegard said, admiring the coat. “I’d say this coat is worth over a thousand dollars.”

  Autumn believed it. She’d looked at coats like that in department stores before, although just for fun. She’d never in her wildest dreams imagined she’d ever be able to afford one.

  Next in the little box of goodies was a leather purse that went perfectly with the coat, some cashmere sweaters in various neutral tones, white and grey and tan. There were even a couple of dresses, just like the plain one she wore every day, but made by an expensive French designer and of vastly superior quality to what she was used to.

  “This doesn’t make any sense,” she said.

  “There’s a note,” Mrs. Hildegard said.

  Autumn was about to grab it but Mrs. Hildegard was too fast. She snatched it up and held it away when Autumn tried to grab it from her.

  “Please,” Autumn said.

  “I just want to see,” Mrs. Hildegard said, and tore open the envelope.

  It was a slightly impersonal note, typed neatly on a card that bore the logo of the department store.

  “Courtesy of Mr. Grady Cole. No more cold feet,” Mrs. Hildegard read, and as she read it, Autumn’s flash of joy was tempered by the look of complete anguish on Mrs. Hildegard’s face.

  “I thought,” Mrs. Hildegard stammered, “I thought …”.

  “You thought what?” Autumn said, confused.

  “I thought … I thought he wasn’t that interested in you.”

  Autumn suddenly realized, to her surprise, that Mrs. Hildegard was jealous. She looked down at the ground and said nothing, trying to dispel the tension in the air.

  Mrs. Hildegard stood there, ruminating. She was genuinely hurt. Autumn thought of apologizing for receiving the gift but realized that would only make the matter worse. It was best to pretend she hadn’t noticed.

  “Make sure you clean all the toilets today,” Mrs. Hildegard said.

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  “And then come to our private quarters. I’m sure Mr. Hildegard will have some chores for you.”

  Autumn looked up at her. She had no doubt that was a punishment for being the one Grady had sent the gift to, but she didn’t show it.

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  Mrs. Hildegard left and Autumn shut her door. She took another minute to admire her gifts. She’d never received anything so nice and couldn’t believe that Grady had been thinking of her enough to order everything. He’d taken his time and really thought about what he was sending her. It was as if he’d wanted to make her feel cared for and looked after. She’d be very comfortable in the snow.

  Despite having to spend the next four hours cleaning all the bathrooms in the entire hotel, she ha
d a smile on her face that wouldn’t wear off. It was only when she was finished and had to report the Mr. Hildegard that she began to feel a sense of foreboding. She’d done her best to steer clear of the old man, ever since his attempt to feel her up in the car. Now she was knocking on the door to his private quarters, her heart pounding in her chest, while she waited for a response.

  “Come in,” he said.

  Autumn opened the door and saw him sitting in an armchair, smoking a pipe.

  “Mistress said you might have some chores for me,” she said, standing in the doorway.

  “Come in, child, come in,” he said. “I don’t bite.”

  Slowly, she stepped into the room.

  “Shut the door and come in, girl.”

  She obeyed and walked over to him. He stood up and looked her over, taking his time to admire all the details of her appearance.

  “What would you like me to do?” she said.

  “Well, your Mistress told me that you’ve been falling short on some of your duties.”

  “Oh?” Autumn said, certain that the only reason she was there was Mrs. Hildegard’s jealousy.

  “Yes, and let me remind you, we take the performance of our employees very seriously here at the Raven’s Nest.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “As I’m sure you do too,” he said.

  “Yes, Master.”

  “I know how much your dear mother depends on your paycheck every week.”

  Autumn nodded.

  “So how do you suppose I’m to deal with your failings?”

  Autumn looked him in the eye.

  “I’ll do a better job,” she said.

  “A better job? Yes you will. But I was thinking of a little corporal punishment too.”

  “Corporal punishment?” she said, not liking the direction the conversation was taking.

  “Yes, a spanking I think.”

  “A spanking?”

  “Didn’t your daddy ever spank you as a child?”

  “My father died when I was a baby.”

  “Well that explains it,” Mr. Hildegard said. “You’ve been completely undisciplined. I find that the only thing to keep a girl in line when she’s acting up is a spanking.”

  “I bet you do,” Autumn said.

  “Excuse me? Was that insolence I heard?”

  Autumn said nothing.

  “Unless you’ve decided your mother no longer needs her treatment, I’d advise you to watch your mouth, young lady.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “Now,” he said, a look of gleeful anticipation on his face. “Please remove your panties and bend over the side of this chair.”

  Autumn looked at him and then looked at the leather arm chair he wanted her to bend over. The dirty man wanted to put his hand on her bare butt and she knew it had nothing to do with punishment. She looked at his crotch and saw the bulge of his erection clearly in his pants.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said.

  He drew himself up taller, trying to project an air of authority.

  “I assure you I am not kidding.”

  “If you think I’m going to take off my panties and let you put your hands on me, you’re wrong,” she said.

  “Wrong? I’m your Master, how can I be wrong?”

  “Oh, you can be wrong, Mr. Hildegard. And what’s more, you can be sorry.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  “If you think I’m going to let you do what you’re thinking, then you’re damn right it’s a threat.”

  “I could have you fired for such insolence,” he spat. “What would your mother do then?”

  “She’d be proud of me, Mr. Hildegard. She didn’t send me here to be your plaything, she sent me here to do fair work for a fair pay. That’s the arrangement we had and if you no longer want me to work for you under those terms, you can give me what you owe me and I’ll be on my way.”

  Mr. Hildegard was flabbergasted.

  “Your mother’s treatments,” he stammered.

  “My mother would die a thousand times before seeing any daughter of hers mistreated by the likes of you.”

  Autumn didn’t know what had come over her. She’d never stood up to anyone in a position of authority over her like this before and the act both thrilled and terrified her. She knew what she’d said was the truth. Her mother really would be proud of her for standing up for herself and not letting him fondle her, but she was also terrified she’d lose her job and then lose the one thing that was keeping her mother in hospital.

  She left Mr. Hildegard’s quarters and went straight to her room, half expecting at any moment to be turfed out onto the street. She sat on her bed, wondering when Mrs. Hildegard would show up and give her her marching orders but she never came. Autumn didn’t know if it was because Mr. Hildegard hadn’t told her about the incident or if he’d told her and she’d decided not to take any action, but as she got ready for bed that night, she was grateful she hadn’t lost her job.

  She was woken in the middle of the night by the little bell that had been installed. She threw on a housecoat and slippers and hurried to the front desk.

  “There you are,” Mrs. Hildegard said, as if she’d been waiting an eternity.

  Autumn looked up to see a customer checking in.

  “This is Mr. Jones,” Mrs. Hildegard said. “He’ll be staying a few nights. I’ve put him in room seven.”

  Mrs. Hildegard gave her a conspiratorial wink.

  “Room seven, yes, Mistress.”

  “The name’s Jackson,” Mr. Jones said to Autumn.

  Autumn gave him a polite curtsy and led him to his room. She could see exactly why Mrs. Hildegard wanted him in room seven. This Jackson Jones was as good looking as Grady. In fact, the two men could have been brothers. Jackson had rippling muscles that were visible beneath his white shirt, and tattoos that covered his arms and peeked out at his neck.

  “Nice place you got here,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Autumn said, not sure whether she agreed or not. “This is your room, Mr. Jones. There’s a fireplace and wood which you’ll probably need to keep warm tonight. If you need anything else just call the front desk.”

  “Thank you,” Jackson said.

  Autumn left and went back down to the front desk to see if Mrs. Hildegard wanted anything else from her.

  “He’s a bit of a looker, isn’t he?” Mrs. Hildegard said.

  Autumn nodded.

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into the place lately. First Mr. Cole, now this hunk. I feel like I’m on the set of Baywatch.”

  Autumn laughed. She’d never watched the show but knew what it was.

  “Right,” she said, and went back up to her room.

  A few minutes later she heard Mrs. Hildegard creeping into the room next door.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Grady

  Grady woke early as he had every morning since moving up to the cabin. He did his chores, cut wood, worked on a few things around the cabin that needed work, and then went inside to boil water for coffee and to make breakfast.

  He kept the baby with him throughout the day while he worked, and he liked to think she was getting a healthy taste of the outdoors. She certainly seemed to be doing well. She was growing by the day, looking happy and healthy and strong. She was always smiling or laughing at him. When she was outside, she looked around with curious eyes that were full of wonder and amazement at the world she was gradually becoming more aware of.

  Grady was tentatively beginning to feel that his child might not be in bad hands after all. By no means did he think she didn’t need a mother in her life, but he was at least coming to terms with the fact that she probably wasn’t in any urgent danger by being in his sole care.

  He played with her on his lap and fed her a bottle of formula while his bacon sizzled on a cast iron pan over the fire and his coffee brewed in a little metal pot next to it. He loved the rustic lifestyle the cabin afforded. He felt like a cowboy cooking bac
on and brewing coffee over an open flame.

  Destiny grabbed his finger and he looked into her eyes.

  “What do you say we go get you some ice cream today, little monkey?”

  He still remembered fondly the morning he’d spent in town with Autumn. For such a small thing, Autumn sure did devour her sundae. Ever since, he’d had a fondness for ice cream he’d never had before. He knew Destiny was partial to a little whipped cream too.

  He packed Destiny into the car and made his way first to the hardware store, where he’d placed an order for a big, brass bathtub. He was glad to see it had arrived and he paid them for it. They said they’d drop it off at the cabin and he told them to go right inside and leave it in the bathroom if he wasn’t home. He couldn’t lift it alone.

  From the hardware store they went to the grocery store and he stocked up on a few essentials they were running low on.

  Then they went to the diner and he took a booth as far from the door as possible. He didn’t want Destiny catching a chill.

  “What can I get you?” the waitress asked.

  Grady recognized her.

  “Could I get the same ice cream sundae I had last time I was here?”

  “You certainly can,” the waitress said, “and will your other daughter be joining you?”

  Grady looked up at her and laughed. “Oh, that girl wasn’t my daughter,” he said.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” the waitress said, tripping over her words. “Girlfriend, I mean.”

  “She’s just a friend,” Grady said, “and unfortunately she won’t be joining us.”

  The waitress left as quickly as she could and Grady chuckled to himself while he waited for the ice cream.

  Daughter!

  She was only eleven years younger than he was. Maybe he wasn’t as dapper as he liked to give himself credit for.

  “Did you hear that?” he whispered to Destiny. “Even the waitress thinks I’m losing my edge.”

  Grady wasn’t really bothered though. He was more amused. He knew Autumn’s innocence gave her the air of someone even younger than she was, and him having the baby made him seem a little older and more settled than he was used to. It was all just part of life and he wasn’t one of those people obsessed with appearing young. He’d seen so much in his life that the thought of growing into maturity with grace appealed to him. He had no desire to relive his turbulent youth.