What I Miss About You

Zufrieden - Natalie

I stared awestruck at the three story federal style manor house, its buff colored natural stone facade broken up by belvedere window casements of the purest white. The portico was dome-shaped, like a pagan temple and supported by six stone pillars. Two matching wings flanked the main part and  Although it was a little worn in places and the ivy grew over the balustrades here and there, it was the stuff of gothic romances. My imagination went wild.

After crossing a dilapidated stone bridge that looked as if it might collapse at any moment, Ben put the car in park a respectable distance from the porch, I immediately got out, craning my neck to look up and up...and...was that a curtain twitching in one of the upper story rooms? And did I see a shadowy figure looking down at us?

I blinked and the image was gone, the curtain still. It must have been a trick of the light. I turned to Ben and saw he was frowning suspiciously at the house as he slammed the driver door shut. He strode up the walkway and then up the steps without a word to me. I scrambled after him.

Just as I reached his side, he found the doorbell and rang it. A deep Westminster chime resounded within and Ben looked at me biting his lip in amusement. I frowned up at him. In seconds the door was opened by a pleasant-faced woman who I judged to be in her mid to late forties, with glossy dark hair worn in an elaborate braided bun at the back of her head. She wore a plain black housedress that harkened back to the atomic age but flattered her trim, spare figure. A gold watch pinned to her bodice and plain gold band on the third finger of her left hand were her only adornments. She smiled at us, genuine pleasure showing in her warm brown eyes.

"Ah, you must be the two writers we've been expecting," she said, her decidedly English accent and polite tone exuding gentility. "I'm Emma Standish, the Doctor's housekeeper and personal assistant."

Ben spoke first. "Ah, Ben Collins from the magazine, Disculture," he replied, ever cool and dispassionate when meeting people. As if sensing my initial shyness, he volunteered, "And this is Natalie Winters...my...uh..."

"Partner," I supplied, smiling at Emma Standish as I offered her my hand. "We're collaborating together on the story. It's nice to meet you Ms. Standish."

"It's Mrs," she supplied with a kind smile. "I'm so sorry Dr. Heinrich cannot see you at the moment but if you'll follow me, I'll show you both to your quarters. Have you any luggage?"

Ben indicated the car. "I'll get the bags," he said to me.

Rather than opening the door wider to admit us, Mrs. Standish confounded me by stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind her. It was then that I noticed the set of keys in her hand. She descended the steps and started walking towards a small footpath that led through a shadowy copse of trees.

"Very, good, Mr. Collins," she said briskly as she passed him. "Then if the two of you will just follow me..."

I sought Ben's gaze as he shut the door to the Lexus with his foot, both our bags in his hands. He was as confused as I. He joined me as I followed Mrs. Standish down the path away from the house.

"Fuck's going on?" he murmured to me.

I shook my head in bewilderment. 

He decided to speak up. "I thought we'd be staying in the house," he said to Mrs. Standish's straight, narrow back.

She turned a gave us a scandalized look. "Oh no!" she said. "No, no...the doctor likes his privacy, you see, and he's provided you both with a very comfortable place to stay, I can assure you."

Why then was a knot of dread growing in my belly? Somehow I knew even before I saw the small cottage on the other side of the trees that this arrangement was not at all what we had been promised and that things were about to get even more awkward between Ben and me.