Dreams of Eden (Ace of Queens # 4)

CH.3 Good Luck Cookies

Chapter 3

After dinner, as Marshall cleared the table, the dark clouds outside opened up and began to pour. The band had made their escape before the rain had started to pour. Alec envied those bastards. He wanted to bang his head against the table when Lady Charlotte announced she had cancelled their hotel reservations and that they would all be staying in the Heywood manor for the rest of their stay.

Alec tried to look for any excuse to get out of the ordeal but Lady Charlotte would not have it.

"Nonsense," she whispered. "It's raining horses outside....you can't leave."

"Just a little rain," Alec tried with the lady. "Nothing I wasn't trained for."

Eden watched him through her lashes over Lady Charlotte's shoulder. Her chin rested on the woman's bony shoulders as she swayed to some music only she seemed to be hearing.

"Should I show him to his room, grandma?" She asked.

"Yes, darling," the old woman said nodding. "Take him upstairs."

"Okay," Eden perked up. She looked at Alec and beaconed with her hand, "Follow me."

Alec looked to Rose for any type of help but she just frowned and mouthed how sorry she was.

As she did so, Alec suddenly felt cold hands wrap around his wrist. He jerked in surprise as Eden began to tug at his arm.

"Let's go," She said.

Alec bit down on his jaw as he pulled his hand away from her. Did she have no sense of prive space? He had hoped his scowl and action would have sent a loud message to her. But to his luck, she didn't seem to notice anything. The smile on her face didn't waver.

"Lead the way," Alec said, defeated.

He followed the girl out of the room, his frown deepening with each step he took after her. She zigzagged through the living room, going out of her way to avoid certain spots. Various times she knocked over picture frames, vases, lamps..... Alec was beginning to notice how everything in the house has at least on crack or dent.

"Does thunder bother you?" Eden asked as she began to climb the stairs.

"No." Alec said in a clipped tone.

"It doesn't bother me either," The girl said as she swung her arms from side to side. "I like loud sounds."

Alec rolled his eyes. "I've noticed."

"You have?" Eden looked over her shoulder.

"You asked the band to play louder over and over throughout dinner."

"Yeah," Eden laughed. Her brown eyes fell on her fingers as she began to pick at the skin around her nails. "The music helps."

Alec almost asked her what the music helped with, but he reminded himself she would never shut up so he kept his mouth shut.

"Tell me about your father,"

Eden's sudden request caught Alec off guard. He stopped where he was on the stairs and peered up at her, "Excuse me?"

"What was he like?" Eden asked. She turned around on the step she stood on in front of Alec. Her bare feet hung off the edge of the step as she balanced herself. Alec knew she would fall any second, given her clumsiness. He was annoyed to his bones knowing she would probably fall towards his direction.

To avoid such a headache, he side stepped her quickly and climbed ahead. But just as he passed her, his senses felt the air shift around Eden. It was as if someone had moved the still air between them. Eden's body hunched forward and her arms flared. Alec watched as she was headed for the bottom of the stairs head first.