VOLKO

Chapter Six

After the interaction with my father and Dean in the hall I went and found Jake. Reluctantly, he took me up on my suggestion to tell me about the paintings and statues father had collected over the years.

In all honesty, I really didn't care that much about art. I found the whole thing kind of boring. But Jake did, and the thought of spending another day laying around doing nothing wasn't an option.

So I said my wow's and Oh's in all the right places to keep Jake eager. Funny, how he disliked our father so much yet knew practically every detail about when, where and why Robert had brought the art.

When my phone beeped to inform me I'd walked ten thousand steps we called it a day.

Later in the evening, the atmosphere at dinner was considerably lighter than it had been the last three nights. Robert had patted the chair next to him, indicating for me to take a seat. If the action had bothered Jake he didn't show it.

Robert then spent the majority of the dinner asking me a number of questions, most about my plans after the summer and the Cotton's. Jake's unusual quietness didn't go unnoticed by me, he often reacted badly to any mention of the Cotton's. A number of times I tried to steer the conversation away, but Robert's persistence was unwavering.

The non-stop questioning began to feel like an interrogation. Not helped by Dean's sudden lack of response, he barely spoke to anyone unless asked something directly.

What was up with the men in this house?

Laying in bed that night, I told myself I should be grateful. Robert was clearly making an effort, his keenness to get to know me made the decision to spend the summer here finally feel like the right one.

The next day I woke at half seven, much earlier than my normal time. One look out the window and the sun shined so brightly the idea of going back to sleep would be a sin.

Knowing that Jake wouldn't be up yet, I dressed quickly into my jean dungarees with a simple grey t-shirt underneath. The outfit was nothing special but perfect for exploring the grounds.

As I walked through the house, an eerie silence hung in the area. Every now and then I'd spot a guard, but they were few and far between. I'd begun referring to the men that worked here as guards because of their unfriendly, and unapproachable manner. There were some who'd merely walk around the grounds endlessly like they'd lost something. Those who stood on certain spots all day like guard dogs and others who always had somewhere to be they'd rush by.

Not forgetting the men who seemed to be in some sort of training camp. Once I reached the garden they were hard to miss. Something they did every morning, and never at the same time.

I looked for Dean amongst the men, his absence was noticeable. The men weren't sweating anywhere near as much as they would if he was there. I hated to admit it, but I began to wonder where he was. His sore expression each morning had become the only consistent thing around here.

Conor was the only one who acknowledged my presents with a nod of his head. The others kept themselves focused on the task at hand. What they were training for was beyond me, Robert flat out played deaf whenever I mentioned it. And Jake's 'just to keep fit', didn't ring true. Nobody trained this hard just to keep fit.

Or perhaps they did, what would I know? I didn't exactly have the figure of a supermodel. The last time I ran I'm pretty sure I had a mini heart attack.

I picked up my pace as I walked past them and within ten minutes I was surrounded by trees sixty feet tall, and greeted by hundreds of singing birds. The further I went the more animals I spotted along my way. Their fearless curiosity told me how little people ventured into the woods.