Page 51 of Hooked

My entire body started to quiver as the horror of what I was looking at smashed through my chest and ricocheted in my limbs. These weren’t tokens of love.

They were trophies.

My fingers curled into the fabric of my skirt, trying to maintain purchase on my sanity as my heart raced and my brow began to sweat. My skin felt tight and my lungs wheezed.

The telltale footsteps of another servant checking up on me sounded a few moments later and it was all I could do to quiet my breathing enough that it wouldn’t sound suspicious. My eyes had fixed on the thick lock of dark brown hair that lay on the shelf. I couldn’t seem to look away.

“I see you’ve found my memorial.”

The air that hissed in through my nose would have been all too audible if Huckley’s echoing footsteps had not started making their way toward me. I forced my fingers to unclench and did my best to even my breathing.

I wanted to throw up.

“Hopefully such sentimentality does not bother you,” he said as he came to stand by my side. “I did care for them. They each had my heart in their own way, but that does not mean I cannot give my heart fully to you. You know that, don’t you?” His hand brushed the back of my arm.

I nodded, hoping the gesture didn’t look as panicked as it felt.

“Good,” he said in a hushed tone. “I know this transition has been difficult, but I hope you can feel my devotion. Loyalty means everything to me. You must understand that if I don’t have your devotion—if you are not committed to this union—you and I will have great difficulty.”

I nodded again, knowing that if I opened my mouth I was likely to let out a keening wail.

“Good. That’s good.” He took my hand in his, giving it a pat. “Because I’m afraid I must put that loyalty to the test for both of us. There is some urgent business I must see to in Caldo. It’s not terribly far, but it will require me to leave straight away, and I won’t return until tomorrow evening.”

A shiver of relief ran through me.

He noticed and used his finger to tip my chin up, forcing me to look at him. “Now, don’t fret,” he said, apparently misinterpreting my relief for dismay. “We will have a full day to prepare for the wedding after I’ve returned. And I promise to hurry back as quickly as I can.”

I convinced my mouth to form some semblance of a smile, hoping the gesture would satisfy him and hurry him on his way.

Instead he smiled and his eyes narrowed in interest. “That’s my Wendolyn. My darling.” He tilted my chin up further, slowly lowering his mouth down to mine.

Frozen in fear, I didn’t move. I didn’t pull away as he pressed his lips to mine. And I nearly collapsed in relief when he pulled back after only a moment and dropped his hand from my chin, leaving me staring in wide-eyed horror.

“Until tomorrow, my dear.” He stepped back and was on his way, leaving me standing in front of all that was left of his previous wives. Trinkets of beauty collecting dust.

I lost track of time. Somehow my shaking legs kept me standing as my mind whirred. I’d always known Huckley had killed his wives. Or I’d believed it at least. But now with the footman’s warning, and these macabre collections of their things, it seemed confirmed, and somehow that made a difference.

It made everything worse.

And yet nothing was worse. I tried to tell myself it was the same as it had always been. Huckley was immoral, manipulative, violent and disgusting—a murderer.

And I had to find a way out.

I gathered my strength and made my way up to my room. I needed a moment. Just a few moments behind closed doors so that I could think. I needed this nightmare to end. I shut my door with fingers that barely functioned and crossed to the vanity that sat along one wall. I was unsurprised but still horrified when I saw each item lying out for my use.

The beautiful, ornate hairbrush.

A bottle of perfume.

And a pair of silk gloves.

They each sat there amid the hair pins, the jewelry box and the lace.

My legs buckled and I crumpled to the ground. My breathing was too fast and my arms felt heavy.

I told myself it would be fine. I would find a way out. I would claw my way through the stone walls themselves if that was what it took. I closed my eyes and imagined myself as a fierce warrior. Maybe even a dragon. I could transform myself into a fire-breathing monster and burn this whole house to the ground. Or I could turn into something small. A mouse scurrying along the walls until I made it outside. An insect that could simply fly out the window.

Yes. That’s what I wished for. I wanted to fly.