His Hope [Zayn][Completed]

Chapter 22-The Manor

"Welcome home."  Colin smiles leading her up the stairs to the front entrance. 

He was still keeping up the pretenses.  Hope had the urge to roll her eyes. 

The entire staff was waiting in a line ready to greet her.  Women dressed in gray uniforms, men in suits with white gloves greeted her warmly and kind smiles. 

Hope immediately felt out of place.   She always did. 

One of the females stepped forward and curtsied.

"My lady, welcome back, my name is Greta.  I have been appointed your personal maid."

Hope tried to keep the frown off her face.  What happened to her last one, she wondered?  Better yet what happened to the entire staff when she was last there?  She didn't recognize one face.

"Pleased to meet you, Greta."  Hope replied with a tight lipped smile.

What had Colin told them of her arrival?  

Searching the half dozen faces, not one stood out to her. She had hoped seeing the house again after such a long absence would have sparked a memory of some kind.  An inkling of recognition or a sense of deja-vu but that didn't happen.  Even though the doctors believed she would never get her memories back, in her mind she always hoped.

It was all so strange and out of place for her.  Would she ever feel welcomed?  She felt like a stranger, as though she did not belong.

Hope's stomach was in knots as two footmen opened a pair of large doors.

Colin patted her back fondly. 

Hope stiffened at the contact.  She didn't want him touching her in any way. 

"I will be in shortly.  I have some matters to attend to.  In the meantime, accustom yourself. . . at home."

She could feel Colin's eyes burning into her back as she slowly followed several of the staff carrying her luggage as they moved in one solid line up the stairs. 

Hope stopped in the middle of the grand staircase, a hand on the banister to keep her anchored.  The stairs were flanked by a pair of antique vases, each as big as a person and from the looks of them worth thousands of dollars. 

The manor was huge.  The foyer was two stories in height.  The ceilings were so high and ornately carved, Hope had to squint to see all the intricate plasterwork and the chandeliers draped in glittering glass. The pale marble floor at her feet was polished.  The walls were painted a beige that contrasted with the dark oak circular staircase. 

It all appeared the same from when she was last there. 

It was all so beautiful with the light shining through the glass all around her, but it felt cold, foreign.  Still, nothing she saw awakened her senses of nostalgia.

Suddenly, an inexplicable wave of apprehension passed through her and she shivered.

It felt wrong.  She didn't belong in this house. 

She recalled the tour Colin gave her upon her arrival. 

On the first floor there was a ballroom at the back of the house where Hope imagined held numerous extravagant parties.  Passed a set of double doors, furnishings were less lavish and there was a hive of activity.  Hope realized they'd entered the staff quarters.  Women were wheeling laundry carts and trays carrying the leftover food from dinner. 

There was a huge pantry and a large kitchen bustling with activity as the chef ordered his staff while they cleaned up for the evening. 

The chef greets them with a beaming smile and slight bow.  "May I fetch you anything, my Lord?"