Caught In A Name

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It took a while before Charmaine finally decided to sleep probably because she must also feel the newness of the surroundings. Because of that, Nicomaine decided to put off the shower she was longing for till later, after she and the brothers have their talk. Mainly, because she knew that once she takes a shower, her body would just shut down and she wouldn't be able to think straight. So as she settled Charmaine in the crib in the middle of the room, she looked around the nursery.

A nursery that is fully equipped with the state of the art baby equipment and top notch baby products. One corner of the room stood three bookshelves lined up against the wall, containing nursery books. The first bookshelf contains all first edition nursery rhymes, much to Nicomaine's delight when she discovered it. They were lined up in alphabetical order too. Whoever took the time to arranged the books must have a huge case of OCD! Sheesh. The other side contains a play area with a shag carpet and numerous stuffed toys lined up from biggest to smallest. On the wall closest to the main door stood a day bed with side tables. Nicomaine noticed too that each corner of the room, on the ceiling, contains a camera. WOW! This is probably the most secured nursery she's ever been into.

Then finally, Nicomaine caught a glimpse of the clock on the daybed's bedside table and realized that she's stalled long enough. It's time to face the music. She needs to tell her story to the two brothers downstairs and trust that they will not stab her in the back. It's a little scary trusting somebody with her story because she's not only handing over her safety but also her baby's safety to a virtual stranger. But, if she was being honest with herself, she's damn near exhausted from running, hiding and looking over her shoulder. This is not the life she's used to. But then again, its not just her life that's at stake. It's also Charmaine's. The baby she didn't ask for but she got nevertheless. The baby she wasn't ready to protect but she will anyway. Because Hanna and Anton trusted her with this most precious cargo. Dear heavens! To think that the day before Hanna gave birth, I was planning on taking off to God knows where again. What if I did? Oh my goodness, thank goodness I didn't! What would've become of Charmaine then? Enough Nicomaine! You are here now! Make the most of what you've got!

After grabbing the handheld monitor attached to the bigger monitor in the room, beside the crib, Nicomaine quietly stepped out of the room, leaving the room slightly ajar. She headed towards the end of the hallway, and descended the elaborate staircase.

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Richard and Daniel were busy taking a sip of their drinks when Nicomaine walked in. She spotted the brothers by the leather sofa on the left side of the room but as she walked further in, she was stopped in her tracks because she felt like she just walked into one of the ancient libraries she had visited in Greece. The set up, the setting and the ambiance of the room was totally different from the rest of the house. It was a room where one can come in and be lost to the rest of the world. It was a room of perfect peace.

Richard was the first to notice Maine when she walked in the room since he was the one facing the door. He looked up and watched as she looked around. Her face transformed from confused to utter awe. Her eyes glazed over and her mouth agape as she looked around the room. His library is one of Richard's pride and joy. When he was building this house, he spent a lot of his time designing the library of his dreams. He loves books in general but he especially has a soft spot for ancient manuscripts. He spent thousands and thousands of dollars in purchasing the books in his library. He scoured the world, sometimes heading to remote places just to obtain a book. So to say that he is proud of his library and its contents is an understatement.

Daniel noticed his brother look up and noticed the look on his face. He turned around to see Maine, stopped in her tracks, looking around the room with a look of wonder on her face. Uh oh! It looks like Richard has finally found the one woman that actually appreciates his library.