BiteBound *completed*

Chapter 18

Despite my room having its own Edwardian design, Arthur had given me permission to tweak it if it was something I wished. I didn't think it mattered all that much at first, but as soon as I put my down modern bedding and stuffed animals, it really did clash. It also felt a bit claustrophobic with all the heavy drapery and lack of light.

Day by day (with the help of Anne and Peterson), the room transformed into something less regal and more... me.

I replaced the velvet curtains on the bedpost for ivory lace; it matched the botanical bedding while making the room much more spacious. A fluffy ivory carpet ran down the the foot of my bed, followed by replacing the curtains by the balcony with another set of ivory lace. It looked so beautiful the way the wind made them move when I opened the doors.

Instead of the old fashioned lanterns he had on the nightstands, those were replaced with amber salt lamp. Behind the board of my bed were dimmable warm fairy lights, perfect for a calming ambiance that I needed constantly.

Like Arthur, I don't do well with bright lights. I much preferred dim lamps than a bright florescent ceiling light. Although there were lamps already in the room, the thought of using a flame as my light source did make me feel uncomfortable. I rather not be the reason if a house fire were to occur.

Luckily, this house wasn't too old that it did come with outlets and plumbing.

With the finishing touches of a new sherpa blanket and an air humidifier, my room now felt much more comfortable. Even Arthur was impressed with the makeover that he considered changing up his own room. To this day, I'm still waiting for him to invite me over.

During the daytime, Arthur was asleep who knows where in this large historical Mansion. Anne did show me in the direction of his bedroom, but whenever I got to peak through the ajar door, there was no one there. Just a very large fancy bed with royal blue satin sheets, a large vintage dresser with a new television, a small work desk and a walk-in closet followed by a private bathroom.

I don't think Anne would lie to me, but maybe there was a part of this mansion where it was strictly just for him. A place where he didn't want to be found.

I wasn't allowed to go outside on my own due to the fact someone was trying to hunt me down, though I wasn't completely banned from wandering the mansion grounds. Anytime I wanted to go outside to take in the sunlight (whenever it did come out), Peterson was there to guard me.

I tried to talk to him a few times as we walked on the dreary property, but it really was hard to understand his accent sometimes so the talking was really minimal.

On the days I wasn't working or "working out", I decided to take up a bit of gardening in the sunroom to sooth the itching boredom. Anne had mentioned that the sunroom was added decades ago, but the furniture that was in here had been sold. At least that explained why it was an empty room when I first stumbled upon it. I thought it was perfect large space for the days when I felt like dancing. Despite how open and bright it was, it did feel empty and lifeless due to the dry vines that crawled up the glass walls outside.

And so, I planned for Peterson to take me to a nursery so I could look at some options for houseplants. Before I could even consider asking Arthur if it was okay for me to leave for a few hours, Anne had beat me to it and reported it to him.

Apparently while I was caught up in a work project, Arthur had got in contact with a local nursery and ordered their bestsellers. In nearly forty-eight hours, a variety of seasonal houseplants had been delivered for me to play with.

According to Anne, Arthur had granted me access to his credit card to fulfill any kind of needs I may have. As I look down at the silver plastic that sat on the kitchen island, I wondered, How was it possible for him to trust me with how much I could possibly spend? I knew he was a generous and rich man, but just...how?