At the sight of the ax she quickened her pace after the groundskeeper, the sound of their footsteps echoing eerily off the walls.
The groundskeeper stopped at the fireplace and motioned for her to sit down in one of the antique arm chairs. “You sit,” he instructed. “Get warm.”
Jane had never been so grateful to see a chair in her life, and she quickly took a seat. “Thank you.”
“Wait here. I will produce Herr Kramer.” The groundskeeper shuffled away, vanishing from the great hall.
The silence in the hall was deafening. Shifting uncomfortably in her seat Jane shrugged off her coat, pulled off her gloves, and held out her hands in front of the fire. Blissful warmth spread through her, chasing away the chill.
Sitting in front of a warm fire at last made the long trip up the hill worth it. Going through the castle archives and proving her claim to Wintergarten would make it even more worth it.
She’d finally be able to wipe the smirk off that attorney’s face. Ugh, just thinking about Gabriel Ross was enough to drive her batty. The Wall Street banker who also had a claim on the castle was rich enough to hire a big-shot lawyer. And Gabriel was the most annoying man she had ever met.
All his phone calls and unannounced appearances at her workplace to try to coax her into relinquishing her right to Wintergarten had driven her round the bend from the minute she had found out about the inheritance. He refused to give up no matter how many times she told him to piss off. He was truly the worst.
Arrogant, intelligent, with a razor-sharp tongue, Gabriel was the kind of man that women dreamed of and his legal opponents no doubt feared. He was devilishly handsome and probably knew it. With that blush-inducing smile and savage elegance, Jane was keenly aware that whatever tingling sensation he inspired between her legs was going to remain in her pants. First of all, he was way out of her league. Secondly, she had a castle to win.
No matter what legal tricks he had up his sleeve, she was going to beat him. Now that she was here in Germany and he was in New York, blissfully unaware, Jane had a few tricks of her own.
She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Hopefully, she’d be able to turn in soon and get some much needed sleep. The ten-hour flight and subsequent two-hour drive to the castle had exhausted her. Jet lag was definitely setting in.
“Good evening to you.”
She nearly jumped out of her skin.
A tall, skeletally thin man emerged from the nearby shadows. His head was balding except for a few wisps of salt-and-pepper hair at the sides. He didn’t make a single sound as he crept closer, his footsteps on the stone floor so silent she couldn’t believe he was actually walking. That was more than a little unsettling.
Her mouth went dry and she swallowed hard. “Good evening.”
The thin man gave a hurried bow and stood up to his full, jaw-dropping height. “Welcome to Schloss Wintergarten. You must be our master’s American cousin, Fraulein Westen. I am Emmerich Ernst, Herr von Westen’s manservant.” He paused, giving her an awkward show of crooked teeth she guessed was an attempt at a smile. “Or should I say, I am the former manservant to our former master.”
“Oh. Of course. Nice to meet you.” She rushed to her feet and held out her hand.
The manservant stared at it, seemingly at a loss for what to do next. Finally, he let out a cough and reached out to give a half-hearted handshake before quickly releasing her hand. “I met with our groundskeeper on his way to fetch the solicitor for you. Unfortunately, Herr Kramer is in a meeting at this moment. Perhaps you can take dinner in the dining hall while you wait for him to finish.”
“Sure, I don’t mind having something to eat,” she said with a nod. Even though she was tired, she was eager to speak with the solicitor as soon as possible. Besides, she had gotten pretty hungry on the drive over here.
He ran his hands down the front of his suit, smoothing over invisible wrinkles. “Our maid is currently preparing your bedroom, so allow me to take your bag upstairs for you while you wait for dinner to begin.”
“Uh…thank you so much.” She offered him a grateful smile. Though Jane worked at a motel, she had never been waited on like this before.
The manservant didn’t return her smile. Instead he stared at her blankly with large, owlish eyes as he reached for her suitcase. “Dinner will be served in twenty minutes. In the meantime, I shall return with some warm cider for you to drink if you wish.”
“I like the sound of that,” she said eagerly. “Thanks again, Mr. Ernst.”
Without another word the manservant disappeared back into the shadows, leaving her alone again.
The second he was gone Jane forced out an exhale. For some reason she had felt tense in the manservant’s presence. It was probably a combination of nerves about meeting strangers and being in a new environment. She’d get used to servants appearing out of nowhere soon enough. In a castle this big there were bound to be unexpected surprises. With time, she’d be accustomed to it. Especially once she claimed her inheritance and started spending more time here at Wintergarten.
She spent several more minutes warming herself by the fire, some of the stiffness in her limbs going away.
The sound of footsteps drew her attention and she turned to see if the manservant was coming back.
At the sight of the tall man striding up to her, Jane’s mouth fell open.
Luxuriously tousled thick black hair. A harsh but kissable mouth. Green eyes framed by long, dark lashes. Cheekbones that could cut glass.
No. It couldn’t be. Not here. Not now. Not him. Anyone but him.
A man so devilishly handsome that she crossed her legs at the sight of
