Dark Secrets [COMPLETED]

Chapter 10: Quid Pro Quo

I would have packed my bags and left already, if I weren't so afraid of becoming homeless. But it had been over a week, and I was still stuck at Kendrick House. I hadn't slept in my old room for a while—I'd moved into a guest room down the hall—and luckily, the weird experiences stopped.

Despite that, I'd become jumpier than usual—especially at night—and I needed to leave the lights on when I slept.

The one good thing to come out of this nightmare was that it motivated me to finally apply for the waitressing job at The Evanescent Dream. Finally, an excuse to get out of the house.

Seeing Roger was my other escape. Mom's leg had healed enough that she could walk on her own—albeit with a brace—but he still came around in case she needed help with anything. He would pick me up after work and we would go get something to eat or go for walks in the park.

Tonight, we drove to the one Tim Horton's in town to get coffee. Then he drove me home.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?"

He shook his head sadly. "I can't. I'm doing the opening shift at work tomorrow."

"Aw. Well, okay. Have fun!"

We kissed and then he drove away. I smiled and went inside. The smell of spices filled the foyer and I inhaled. My stomach growled and I went to the kitchen, where Mom was cooking.

She smiled at me when I greeted her. "Hi sweetheart! How was your day?"

I shrugged. "It was good. What are you making?"

"Arroz chaufa, Abuela's recipe. I asked Robert if he wanted to try it and he said sure. Can you go to his office and tell him it's almost ready?"

Cringing, I nodded and went upstairs to get Robert. I dropped off my bag in my new room first. I'd taken up living in one of the guest rooms at the end of the hall. It was right across from our shared bathroom, which was handy for getting ready in the morning.

Robert's study was behind the last door on the right. I stopped in front of the door and, with a deep breath, I knocked.

There was no response at first, so I knocked again. When he didn't respond again, I took a chance and opened the door.

I'd never been inside of Robert's study before. I'd seen it once from looking through the crack in the door, when we first moved in, but after that he demanded that none of us go near his private quarters—not even Mom. So when I entered the room, I wasn't sure what to expect.

The walls were painted a murky shade of brown, rather than the deep maroon the rest of the house was wallpapered with. A four-poster bed and mahogany armoire sat in the corner near the window, and a fireplace was built into the opposite wall. All other objects in the room were covered with white sheets, but judging by the roundness of the standing item close to the bed, I suspected it was a globe.

Framed paintings hung on the walls. Upon closer inspection, they all looked very old, like the kind of paintings you would see in a museum exhibit on art from the 18th century.

A huge circular table sat in the center of the room, covered in miscellaneous books and papers. I skimmed some of them, surprised to see that they were in Spanish.

We didn't speak Spanish often, but Mom taught Carlos and I so we could communicate with our grandparents, who weren't fluent in English. So it was a surprise that Robert was learning the language as well. Was it because of Mom? That was...actually really sweet.

I smiled, in spite of myself, and moved to study the fireplace. It was made out of uneven grey brick, and the logs placed inside looked brand new. I looked up at the mantle and noticed two framed photos resting there. One was of a pretty brunette woman with a sixties flip-do. The other was a black-and-white daguerreotype that showed a group of people dressed in Edwardian clothes. An elderly man with a white moustache sat in a chair at the front, dressed in a three-piece suit. Behind him were a middle-aged couple: a man and a woman. The woman had blonde hair that was tied back, and she wore a white blouse with a long black skirt. The man beside her looked uncannily similar to Robert, and I realized it must've been his great-great grandfather.