Behind those icy blue eyes

Chapter 19 Library, books, and the old man

      Avery knew that Hawthorne House prided itself with having five libraries. She had no idea there was a sixth. The room she walked into consisted of three walls, lined from top to bottom with books. Old, new, mint condition, and not so mint condition. Grayson Hawthorne had his own personal, and quite impressive library as well. She wouldn't have pegged him as the bookworm in the family, as she neither had pegged him as the artist as well. Out of all of the brothers, he was the most unpredictable, and tended to shock her the most of what he liked, but also did. 

      Standing near the left side of the room was a large, shiny, jet-black grand piano. Its lid open, and music displayed, ready for use. A violin, that probably cost just as much as the piano, rested in a glass display case near the piano. A music stand, made from rich oak, stood by it. The fourth wall, that was near the piano, was all glass. Enormous glass doors led out to a balcony, that held two lounge chairs with a small table. Dark gray draperies, held back by a gray sash, was on either side of the glass wall. 

     A plush, dark gray, designer couch, on the right side of the room, faced an impressive rock fireplace. A mahogany brown desk was set behind the couch. Crystal glass cups and one bowl was near a few crystal flasks that contained light wine, graced the top of the high-end desk. Jameson might have been the family drunk, but Avery knew that Grayson and also Nash sometimes indulged as well. Though usually not to the point of drunkenness.  

    A well-worn, tan colored armchair, stood near the right side of the fireplace. The mantle, above the fireplace, barely adorned anything, except for a few books. An antique, massive, wood framed mirror hung above the fireplace. 

     In front of her, almost hidden because of the bookshelves, was a closed door. Avery guessed that it probably led to his bedroom. Avery was tempted to see if she was right but stopped herself. She had never snooped in Grayson's thing, or even his brother's, even though she owned the house which meant their rooms were hers as well. That wasn't her. She wanted them to feel as if the house was much theirs as it was her, though it technically wasn't. 

    Exploring this room would be enough for now. Walking over to one of the towering shelves, she lightly traced the old volumes. Edgar Allen Poe, Homer, Shakespeare, Agatha Christi, Arther Conan Doyle, Mark Twain, and Ernest Hemingway were just a few of the older authors that caught her eye. Modern day authors like Clive Cussler, Stewart Woods, Stephen King, David Baldacci, James Patterson, J K Rowling, and even Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts, and Cathrine Coulter graced many of the shelves near the doorway she had just walked through.

    It seemed like Grayson liked everything from mysteries to romance, and poetry to trillers. Avery wasn't much of a reader, but she did enjoy a good mystery now and then. Striding over to the wall near the other door, her eyes drifted over the other books the room seemed to offer. Instead of fiction, this seemed to be the nonfiction/biography section.

    Unlike the fiction, the selection of what Grayson had for nonfiction was specific, and easy to figure out what he liked. History consisted mostly of American, English, French, Spanish, and German. He also seemed to favor battles from all over the world. American Revolution, War of Roses, Spanish Armada, World War 1 and 2, Crusades, Russian civil war, Arab-Byzantine war in the 11th century, and also the Korean and Iraq wars. Just to name a few. Books about chess, sword fighting, violin musicians, photography, swimming, traveling, and animals. Biographies tended more toward presidents, royalty, musicians, and even sport stars. Avery wondered if Grayson had read every single book. Probably.

    She was about to turn away, when something caught her eye. A small, simply framed photograph stood on one of the shelves. Peering down, she realized it was of Grayson and Tobias Hawthorne. Grayson looked about the age he was now, so it couldn't have been but a few years old. They both were standing near a podium, wearing black tuxedos. It was hard to tell what they were celebrating, but from the look on Tobias Hawthornes face, he seemed proud.

    "That was his graduation." a fast yet exhausted voice spoke behind her, making her jump. She turned around to see Alexnader standing behind her. She hadn't seen him since coming back from the hospital. His eyes were red and puffy from lack of sleep and maybe crying. His clothes tended to be rumpled, but even more so now. What made Avery's heart bleed though, was the cheerful and happy countenance that Xander always seemed to hold was gone. Haggard face and droopy eyes replaced it.

    She wrapped him in a tight hug. Standing six foot three, he towered over her five-foot five frame, but that didn't bother her. Separating, she pointed to the photo. "You were saying that that was Grayson's graduation."

   He nodded. "The old man insisted that it be done in a public setting, though Gray hated it. Thinking about it, he didn't want to do anything." 

    "But I see your grandfather didn't listen."

    Xander sighed. "As much as I loved the old man, he didn't always listen to what we had to say, especially Grayson. He expected him to do what he told him, no questions asked."

   Avery noticed that Xander always called Tobias the old man. Honestly, most of them did. Old man she murmured to herself, then stopped when she thought about it. "Old man" she repeated this time louder. Racking her brain, she remembered seeing in the photo room two folders marked: old man. She had assumed it had meant Tobias Hawthorne 1st. But what if one of them meant Toby?  Her brain began to spin with what she saw. Before she had become rich and famous, and found out that Harry was Toby, they used to play chess in the park. His nickname for her had been 'princess' and his was 'old man'.

    She had never told them about his nickname for her, but she had told them his. What better way to hide what you don't want people to find then in the open.

    She must have been lost in thought for a while, because Xander's voice brought her back to reality. 

     "What?" she asked.

     "Are you alright? You seemed lost in a trance?"

     She nodded. "I am fine." taking out her phone, she texted Jameson I think I know where to find what we are looking for. Meet me in the photo room.

     "What are you and Jameson been up to?" Xander demanded. "I want in, whatever it is."

     Quickly filling him in, they walked toward their destination. It was time to see if she was right.

I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK LONG!!  HAVE BEEN BUSY AND HADN'T FELT LIKE WRITING AT NIGHT.  I PERSONALLY HAD FUN WRITING AND PLANNING IT OUT. HOPE YOU LIKE IT.