Page 21 of The Defiant Curse

Well, then, she wanted to meet him. If Michael was calm and at peace, someone had some good energy.

“Show me around,” she said.

Because he knew where his husband was in the castle, back in the kitchen, he knew the shortest route to him would be to head to the back of the castle.

It looked as if they were taking the scenic route.

“How about we visit the animals first, and then, we’ll go inside? Ravensmire is big, and I know you want to see a goat faint.”

She snorted.

How did he know?

Yeah, she really did. That was so absurd a thing, how could she NOT want to see it in action?

“That works for me,” she said. “You’re the tour guide on this adventure. Lead away.”

Well, then, it was settled.

Taking her backpack, he pulled out his phone and locked the gate at the bottom of the driveway so that no one else could come up.

Now that they were all present and accounted for, they were locked in.

Per necessity.

If word got out in the US as to where she was, the paparazzi would make an appearance, and Ravensmire was OFF LIMITS to the vultures.

There were no bones here to pick.

Tucking his phone away, he walked with Elizabeth around the outside of the castle.

The fountain in the front was making water sounds, and it was lit up with some lights.

“It’s pretty,” she said.

She saw the fish swimming in the bottom of the heated fountain, and they were also adorable.

“Callen wanted to make sure that when the family came here, or people stayed here, it was an experience. It’s right out of a book,” Michael offered.

She laughed.

Why was she not surprised that her slick husband had his fingers all over this?

“I hope not one of his books. We all know how that ends,” she joked.

That amused him.

Yes, yes, he was well aware.

Bloody.

“Well, the place is haunted,” he joked. “That’s up his alley too.”

She sighed.

“Yeah, so I’ve heard. I’ve come to grips with it, I think,” she admitted.

He reassured her.