Mia
I stood by the car, waving at my family. I watched as the maids parked my luggage into the car that my father’s family had brought with them. The trunk was large enough to contain a full closet and I rolled my eyes at the car. It was as if they had anticipated my going with them that same day and I was annoyed with myself that I was playing too easily into their game. I wanted to turn back and say I wasn’t going again just to hold on to my pride.
As if Jack knew what I was thinking of, he shook his head at me. I sighed. He was right. I shouldn’t drag this for too long. After all, I had frustrated them a bit and they knew that it wasn’t easy for them to get me to move with them.
After I had agreed to accept the inheritance, they had asked me to come with them, see what I was to get so they could start the process of transfer of inheritance.
They had told me that I would be back within a week and that was why I had gone with them. A week wasn’t that long if I found something to keep myself busy. It wasn’t like I was going there to live with them forever, I wouldn’t have followed them now if that was the case. I needed time to get used to this.
I was going to miss everyone of my family here but I was sure that I could deal with it.
“Are you not going with me, mum?” I asked and frowned, seeing how she wasn’t making any move to leave Albert. She clung to him like she was his second skin.
“Oh please.” She chuckled. “Not at all, honey. I haven’t seen my husband in months. You don’t expect me to leave him again the moment I saw him.”
I snorted at her. It was okay for me to leave my comfort zone but not her. Did she seriously want me to go alone with people I barely knew? I would be uncomfortable, having no familiar faces to relate to.
She continued, obviously not done. “Don’t worry. You will be safe. They will keep you safe.” She said, pointing at my father’s family. “I trust they will.” To show me that she wasn’t going to leave her husband at all to keep me company for the trip, she held on tighter to him and placed her head on his shoulder. I rolled my eyes and Albert chuckled at my reaction.
“See you soon, dear.” She winked at me.
I snorted. What a huge amount of trust she seemed to have in them. I wasn’t sure I trusted them yet and it surprised me how easily my mum did. Scrap that. I didn’t trust them at all. I knew what mum was doing though. It wasn’t that she was trusting them, she convinced herself to. She knew they were going to look after me because I was the daughter of their late brother even if they didn’t know and like me as a professional.
I sighed. Of course, mum was a professional at believing what she wanted to believe.
“Your mum is right.” The man who had spoken first then that I knew was Sloan spoke. “You don’t have to worry. It’s going to be a week before you know it and I can assure you that you wouldn’t regret that week.”
I nodded and didn’t say anything. I didn’t think I would ever trust them but I didn’t tell him that.
The boys moved closer to me and pulled me into an embrace. “Take care of yourself, girl.”
“I will.”
“I’m sure that you are in safe hands.”
Oh please. I rolled my eyes. They shouldn’t act like mum as well. They shouldn’t tell me that they also trust the family members of my father. Why was I the only one who found it hard to trust them? They were making me seem like a witch.
“We will call you everyday.”
“I would look forward to that.”
“Please do.”
My mum and Albert also moved closer to embrace me.
“Be safe, dear.” Albert said.
“Be good, daughter.” Mum smiled at me.
I nodded at them all. “I will. You don’t have to bother.”
The drive began on a silent note and I hoped that was how it was going to be. I wasn’t in the mood to force conversations that I wasn’t interested in with anyone, family or not.
Suddenly, Sloan looked at me and smiled. “Your mum told us that you aren’t in a relationship.”
I groaned, wondering why mum would tell them that. I kept quiet and looked straight ahead, looking at the roads we would have to pass. It seemed like a long journey as we had been driving for some time now and I was bored. I was about to be more bored by them trying to pry into my life which was none of their business.
“Is that true?” He asked, insisting for an answer.
I sighed. “No, mum was wrong.”
He chuckled. “Seems like you are keeping secrets from your mother. Is it a forbidden relationship you are in?”
I snorted at his intrusion. “What makes you think I’m going to tell you when it seems like I keep secrets from my mother? Please refrain from asking me personal questions that are none of your business.”
He chuckled. “A feisty girl. You didn’t take after your father at all.”
I refused to be annoyed with his words and ignored him. If the one week was going to be like this with everyone trying to pry into my life and ask what wasn’t their business, I had no doubt that I was going to be bored already. I wasn’t going to be bored, I was going to be miserable.
“What do you think you would do as the new baroness?” Durian asked.
I scoffed. “You shouldn’t have bothered coming to find me if you knew I needed an interview for the job.”
Durian and Sloan looked at one another and burst out laughing. “It’s about to get interesting.” They chuckled.
I didn’t think so but I didn’t say anything. Finally, after a four hour drive at high speed, we got to where was once home to my father.
I groaned as I stepped out of the car and stretched my limbs. I smirked in satisfaction as I heard my bones pop back into place. That was good. The servants rushed out as they heard the sound of the car and bowed as they moved to the trunk of the car to get my luggage.
The butler moved forward and bowed to the men. “Welcome home, my lords.”
Sloan nodded and pointed to me. “This is Mia, Adrian’s daughter and the new baroness. Please show her to her room.”
The butler nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
Durian glanced at me. “Get settled in, Mia. We will talk of the business later.” He turned to Sloan. “I feel like drinking after that long drive. Are you game for a drink, Sloan?”
Sloan chuckled. “I think I might be needing more than one drink.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Durian smiled and the two men chuckled as they walked away.
I looked at the two men as they walked away, hoping that they wouldn’t be too drunk to discuss business with me tonight as they had promised. I didn’t want anything to be postponed as I would like to leave this place at the agreed time.
“This way, Miss.” The butler said to me.
I nodded and walked after him, unable to stop myself from looking at the castle and appreciating its beauty. I couldn’t believe that I would be living here. There was a time when I was younger and wished for many adventures but they didn’t come. It was unsettling that they were now popping in at a time that I didn’t need them.