“I’m delighted to finally meet all of you,” he said, as they climbed out of the car. He spoke in a monotone, and his expression was morose as if he had suffered countless wrongs. “My name is Owen. I’m the caretaker of Hamilton Estate, and I’ve been Graham’s friend for many years.” He took Molly’s hand. “You must be the lady I’ve heard so much about. It’s a privilege to invite you into this beautiful historical building to begin your happily ever after.”
Lisa looked around. Beyond the entrance where they were standing, she saw a lavish room filled with expensive furniture and decorated with sculptures, some of which were rather grotesque. A chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Owen led them up the staircase that twisted around the perimeter of the room, and as Lisa went up the carpeted steps, she gazed at the portraits lining the walls. It wasn’t long before she caught a glimpse of George Hamilton’s heartless visage surveying her with a malevolent glare from an enormous canvas hanging in the place of honor above the landing. His shiny bald head was as pale as a skull, and his cheeks appeared to be melting off his face, hanging down in flabby rolls around his rectangular jaw.
“I’ve prepared a special place for the bride,” said Owen, guiding Molly along with a hand on her arm. “I’ll show you where it is. It was originally the bedroom of George Hamilton’s beloved daughter. She was a marvelous woman, as you probably noticed from her portrait, but she died of a broken heart.”
“Do you know much about the family?” said Lisa’s mother.
“Only bits and pieces,” said Owen. “When I was young, my mother used to tell me stories about the house and its occupants. That was the beginning of my interest, and when I got the opportunity to live here, I couldn’t refuse. It’s rewarding to preserve such a colorful piece of history, but it’s not easy. I had to fight long and hard to prevent this place from being destroyed. Believe it or not, there are some people in this town who would like nothing more than to obliterate any memory of the Hamiltons.”
Molly had somehow managed to get away from Owen. She lagged behind the group, carelessly allowing her dress to drag along the floor, and gazed at her surroundings with admiration. Owen didn’t say anything, but Lisa sensed he was eager to get rid of them. She wondered why. Maybe he was hiding something.
“What are all these rooms for?” said Molly, gesturing at the doors that lined the hall. “I feel like a princess in a castle. This is so much fun. I wish I could explore.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” said Owen. “Many of the items that belonged to the original owners are very fragile. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done before they’re ready to be viewed by the public. I’m planning to organize a museum of sorts in the library downstairs, but I’m still figuring out the details.”
“What’s in here?” said Molly. Before Owen could stop her, she flung open the nearest door. Lisa looked in and saw a splendid room with a Persian rug on the floor and heavy red curtains covering the windows. The room was occupied by an ancient desk made of carved wood and a set of parlor chairs upholstered with gold satin cloth. A bookcase stood against the far wall beside a gaping fireplace.
“Don’t go in there!” said Owen. “It’s not allowed.” He slammed the door in Molly’s face and stood in front of it, glaring at her with no hint of his former benevolence. Lisa was astonished by his transformation. Molly backed away.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know.”
Owen regained his composure.
“It’s not your fault,” he said. “I forgot to lock the door when I came out. That’s George Hamilton’s private study. There are important papers all over the desk—documents that need to be protected at all costs. I’ve spent the last few days sorting through them, trying to construct a timeline of the business deals he made during the height of his success. He was a genius when it came to that sort of thing.”
“I just knew it was something special,” said Molly, not at all flustered by his hostility. “It’s so fancy. Maybe after the wedding, Graham and I can come back, and you can show us around properly.”
Owen didn’t reply. Molly allowed him to lead her to the door at the end of the hall, which opened to reveal a bedroom with a vaulted ceiling. Lisa thought it was the most exquisite room she had ever seen, and it was so spacious that it made her feel small. A rug with floral designs covered the floor, and a canopy bed decorated with purple curtains stood near the window. A wardrobe took up most of the space in the near corner, and a vanity with a tall mirror occupied the far corner.
“I hope this will suffice,” said Owen.
“Oh, it’s wonderful,” said Molly. “I feel right at home.”
“Good,” said Owen. “In that case, I’ll take your friends downstairs so you can change into your dress.”
Lisa’s mother promised to come back after confirming the other preparations were in order, and she and Richard left without another word. Lisa reluctantly focused her attention on the task at hand. It was up to her to make Molly presentable, and it wouldn’t be easy. She hung up Molly’s wedding dress in the wardrobe and tried to smooth out the wrinkles while Molly gazed around with shining eyes.
“This place is amazing,” she said. “I was a little worried about not having a rehearsal because I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s so much better this way. Graham knows how much I love surprises. I trusted him, and he came through. It makes me love him even more. There’s just one thing that’s missing.”
She reached into her purse, pulled out a tiny garden gnome, and
