His Hollow Heart (Fallen Kingdom Book 1)

Bella

Dinner was…meh. Cold and not exactly what I’d call a meal. Once I lifted the lid on the platter, I knew Cal had it made special for our guest, Trent. Clam chowder, which Trent hates, salad covered in onions—he also hates onions—and dry rolls.

I’m not even sure how he knew the foods Trent despised. Then again, Cal seems to know everything about everyone so I shouldn’t be surprised.

My call with Barbara went great and I’m really excited to get the contractors here after the holidays, so we can begin the renovations on the guest floors. We even went over some plans for the ground level that include an indoor swimming pool and a cozy entrance with an ornamented welcome center.

Hearing a knock has me dropping the book I’ve been reading—Wuthering Heights—and fleeing for the door. Peter is taking me to the turret and I’m grateful I let my phone charge, so I can take pictures. Not only that, but it’s also an opportunity to try and get a cell signal. I just need to call Mark and have him try and reach Trent. I imagine if Trent is alive, he’s in a hospital being treated for broken bones in his face, possibly even some ribs, but eventually, I’m hopeful Mark can reach him.

Mark and Trent have been friends since I left The Webster House, although it wasn’t until college that Trent and I got together. It was exciting at first. I saw him in a new light. He was sweet and attentive. When the honeymoon stage ended and things got difficult, my family pushed me to try and patch things up. They didn’t know how controlling Trent was and only saw what they wanted to see—a good man who could take care of me.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t result in love, and I now know Trent is not the man I want to spend my life with.

“Are you ready, Ms. Jenkins?” Peter asks when we come face to face in the doorway.

“Yes, I am. I can’t wait to see the view from up top. So, how do we get there?”

“Follow me and I will show you.”

A few minutes later, we’re standing in front of the mystery door downstairs. My palms are sweating as I push myself up on my tiptoes, peering over Peter’s shoulder. He punches in the code without a care in the world, but his fingers move so fast that all I caught was the first number—six.

The door buzzes, then opens. We’re standing in, yet another, empty room. Although, this one has an elevator. The door is exactly the same as the one I’ve been using every day since I arrived. It’s eerie to think that after weeks here, there is still so much of the castle I have not seen. There could be just about anything behind these walls. Bodies, killers, ghosts.

Peter calls down the elevator with the push of a button. We step inside and I notice all the floors are on the panel. There must be access to each floor from this elevator.

“So this can take us to any floor?” I decide to ask, rather than racking my brain trying to figure things out.

“Yes, and no. It’s only accessible to people with the passcode, which is very few. This elevator stops behind the door at the end of each hall where the staircase is and the only way through the door is with a passcode.”

So this entire time people could have been coming and going into the cellar and I wouldn’t have even noticed. It really has me wondering how many different women have been down there.

“It has to be hard to remember all these codes.”

“This is the only one here at Cori Cove, but there are others at the various hotels. After you punch them so many times, though, they stick. I’ll probably have them all in my memory until the day I die.”

“Aren’t you worried you’ll forget? I mean, you have to keep a record of them somewhere.”

“Mr. Ellis doesn’t believe in a physical trail. But, between us, I keep them in a notepad.”

I smile inwardly. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. 

It’s a short ride up to the turret level, and even though the main reason I want to be up here is to check the signal on my phone, I am excited about the view. I haven’t traveled much, well, at all, really. In fact, I’ve only visited two states and never left the country. There is so much I’ve missed out on and as I step out of the elevator and immediately look at the view, I’m reminded of the beauty in this world that I have yet to see.

At this moment, everything slips away from me. My feet take me to the covered balcony and it’s like I’m staring into the sky. There is so much out there that I want to explore. Our world has so much appeal and I feel like a caged animal, getting her first nip of the fresh air. As much as I love the life I live, I want more. More of this. More of everything. I want to travel and find beauty in the little things. Seashells and rare flowers. Untouched land and geodes.

All along I thought I was selfish for wanting to leave my parents and Trent, to follow my dreams, but now I realize that I wasn’t selfish. I have to live my life for me, not them.

I hold my phone up to look for a signal, but as I should have guessed, nothing.

“What do you think?” Peter asks, standing next to me. I didn’t even realize he was there while I was lost staring into the abyss.

“I’m speechless. It’s…amazing.”

“Sometimes I come here alone when the nights get lonely. My late wife and I loved to travel and of all the bell towers I’ve been in, this one reminds me of her the most.”

Peter has never mentioned his wife and now that he has, I want to know more about her. About him. About them.

I take a step back and look at Peter. “Why this one?”

“Because it’s where we fell in love.”

My heart squeezes and chills slide down my back. “You mean, you were here before Callum bought the place? I thought you’d been with his family for years?”

I know that sometimes a groundskeeper will stay at a location, even after the property sells, but Peter has been with the Ellises since before Cal was adopted, so how was he here all those years ago?

“When I shared the story about how Carolina and I met, Callum, err, Mr. Ellis,” he corrects himself, “was intrigued. He was only fourteen, maybe fifteen years old, and I think it gave him hope that true love really does conquer all. He’s not as hard on the inside as he is on the outside. The boy has a heart. In fact, sometimes I think it’s too big for that small head of his.” Peter chuckles.

“Tell me. Please tell me the story of you and your wife.”

Peter gestures toward a concrete bench beneath the giant bell that hangs overhead. “These old legs can’t handle my weight as long as they used to. Mind if I sit?”

“No. Go right ahead.”

Peter takes a seat and I join him on the bench. “She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. I was thirteen years old when my family came to work for the Bromley family. My mother was a maid and my father tended to the landscaping. My brothers and I were always causing mischief and I’m pretty sure we almost cost my parents their jobs a time or two.”

Peter smiles at the memories and my heart floods with happiness for him. “Carolina was an only child and her father was adamant that she was not allowed to fraternize with ‘the help.’ So we steered clear. One day, my father became ill and missed his chores for the day, so I wanted to help him. I snuck out in the night and tended to the garden, collecting all the vegetables for the next day’s dinner. That’s when I heard her. My name whispered in the wind and it was like an angel singing. I looked up and saw Carolina on that very balcony. She was a mere shadow in the night, but I knew it was her. She called me up and I flew up those stairs so fast that I’m pretty sure I tripped at least a dozen times. But it was worth it. We stayed up talking all night. Then each night after, we met up here, until so much time had passed that it felt like our conversation had just started.

His hands slap to his legs and I assume he’s finished with the conversation. I need more, though. “And then what happened?”

“When Carolina was sixteen years old, me being eighteen, we were caught. Her father forbade us to see one another, so we planned to run away together. She was the love of my life and the thought of never seeing her again was too painful to bear. We never got away.”

The sadness in his eyes sends a tear sliding down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away so he doesn’t see how emotional his love story is making me.

“Her family moved and took her away before we could make our own escape. Before they did, though, we made a promise that we would meet back here exactly two years later when she was eighteen. It was still owned by the Bromley family, but there were no plans to occupy the space.”

“You did, right? You came back?”

“I came back,” he smiles, “and so did she. She escaped the clutches of her father and we married two weeks later and moved to Boston where we lived until she passed away seventeen years ago, and I’ve missed her every day since.”

“So that’s where Cal lived? Boston?”

All this time he was so close. I swear there were times where I could feel him near and I just knew he wasn’t on the other side of the country, or the world.

“Carolina and I were fascinated with castles and historical landmarks. We traveled the world together. When I heard that the Ellis family was looking for a footman, I contacted him immediately.”

“And then Cal’s father bought Cori Cove?”

“No. It wasn’t until Mr. Ellis Senior passed away that he purchased the island. And here we are.”

“And you’re okay with him turning it into a tourist hot spot?”

“I’m just happy to be here. It doesn’t matter what I see on the outside, it’s the feeling this place brings me on the inside.”

“It is a beautiful place. It’s just a shame that you have to share it.”

“If I had to share it with anyone, it would be Mr. Ellis. He, too, deserves to find his one true love.”

“That may be true, but, Peter, I don’t think that person is me.”

“Oh?”

“I’m not emotionally equipped to handle his mood swings or his possessive nature.”

“You slept in his room, did you not?”

“Well, yeah—”

“You’ve gone against every rule he’s set in place and you’re still here. Something tells me, you’re stronger than you think. The heart wants what the heart wants, Ms. Jenkins. Don’t fight it.”

The heart wants what the heart wants. 

Butterflies swarm in my stomach when I think of Cal and his unruly ways. He can be irrational and monstrous, but I suppose he’s always been that way. He was always gentle with me when we were kids. Always wanted to protect me and save me from hurt feelings. Time changes people but people are part of that change. My Cal is in there somewhere and I’m not going to stop until I bring him back.

I don’t even think as my arms fly around Peter and I pull him in for a hug. He reciprocates with a gentle pat to my back.

“Thank you, Peter.”

Peter has been such a blessing in this scary place. He’s a reminder that I’m not alone, even when I feel like I am. He might work for Cal, but I’m starting to think I have a friend in him. It’s unfortunate that tonight, I have to do what’s necessary to steal from him.

“It’s getting late and I’m pretty tired. Would you like to have a bedtime cup of tea with me?”

“I’m not sure Mr. Ellis—”

“Oh, come on,” I chuckle, “it’s just tea. He won’t mind, and if he does, I’ll take full blame.”

Peter thinks for a moment but finally says, “Okay. That would be lovely. I’ll prepare some now and meet you in the sitting room.”

I smile at his response while my heart is crying at the fact that I have to swindle this sweet, old man.