Elephants and Ever-Afters [Dark Desires 5] (Siren Publishing Sensations)

by Suzy Shearer

  “I think I know what you mean. I bet that sung to that kinky side of you that loves a woman in control.”

  “Oh, yeah you got that right,” he answered blissfully, just thinking about it excited him.

  Julian cleared his throat. He seemed to be about to say something but not sure how to phrase it.

  “What, Jules?”

  “Er…Toby you have to realise that even if you do manage to meet up, take her to dinner…well, things may not work out the way you want. She may not be the sort of woman you need. She mightn’t be into control. Let’s face it, not a lot of women are.”

  Tobias nodded. “I do know that, but I need to take that chance.”

  “Fair enough. As long as you understand the chances of meeting someone out of the blue who shares the same, shall we say, kinks, is highly unlikely.”

  “I get that, but I’m sick of the women you meet at clubs. Most aren’t looking for something long term, not to mention the ones that are way over the top.”

  “Ha, ha, bet you’re thinking about Mistress Lisa.”

  Tobias gave an exaggerated shiver.

  “Don’t remind me! I think I still have the scars from those six-inch heels in my back.”

  Julian’s laughter filled the car and Tobias found himself joining in.

  “Fuck, Jules, there’s no way I’m going back to BDSM clubs in the future. Some of those women were downright dangerous. Hell they take great delight in making you bleed. I’d fear for my life with a few of them.”

  Julian couldn’t contain his laughter. Tobias hoped he had control over the car, because he certainly had no control over his mirth. Fortunately, he gave a couple of loud snorts, a deep breath or two, and stopped.

  “Anyway, Jules. The ones that were my style weren’t looking for a long-term relationship. No, I’ll just take my chances and. if I manage to meet Laura, well I hope she’s the woman for me.”

  Tobias looked around the passing scenery.

  “This is a nice area, quiet, countrified without being too far away.”

  “You should check with your real estate agent, maybe there’ll be something out this way you’d like.”

  “Good idea. I’d never even considered around here. It’s not too far out either, only take twenty, maybe twenty-five minutes, to get down to the office.”

  Tobias pointed to a large country-style house they passed, “There’s some lovely homes here, too.”

  They managed to get back to the office without incident, and found Jake working on a computer in the apprentice’s common room.

  “Jake. Hi, just the man we wanted to see. You up for a little private detective work?”

  He looked up at the sound of Tobias’s voice and grinned. Closing down his laptop, he picked it up and followed the two men to the lifts and then into Tobias’s office. Between Julian and Tobias, they managed to get the story out, although they didn’t actually say why they needed to know where Laura lived.

  “Do you think you can do it? It’s only about a one kilometre stretch and there aren’t many houses, they’re all on acreage.”

  “Let me get this right. You need to know which house a woman named Laura lives in without actually letting her know who you are.”

  “That’s about right.”

  Tobias held his breath as Jake thought.

  “Okay, sounds easy, but I can’t do it tomorrow. I have tech so it will have to be on Wednesday.”

  “That’s fine. Anything you need just shout. Take one of the company utes, it will look professional with our logo on.”

  “Alright. I’ll get it first thing Wednesday and report back when I’ve finished.”

  “Good man.”

  Tobias handed him a sheet of paper which he’d written Laura’s name and the road she lived on.

  “This is her name. She’s in her mid-fifties, long hair, cute plus-sized figure, very attractive with light aqua eyes. Oh, and she’s got a broken wrist so she’s wearing a cast.”

  “Right and I have to play it cool so she doesn’t get suspicious?”

  “Yes.”

  “This isn’t anything illegal, is it? I mean shit. Um…”

  Tobias laughed.

  “No, nothing like that. We just need to know her actual address, my uncle Peter Bailey knows her. We want to send her some flowers because of her broken wrist.”

  “Oh, then that’s okay.”

  Most of the staff had met Peter at some time or other, so the fact Tobias could honestly say Laura and Peter knew each other held sway. With a huge grin on his face, Jake left the office promising to report back as soon as he finished the task on Wednesday.

  * * * *

  Much to Tobias and Julian’s disgust, Jake had no luck. He’d gone around all the local houses, but didn’t find anyone named Laura or matching her description. Two houses were empty, their owners obviously at work, but Jake had been able to find out the occupants’ names from their neighbours.

  “One house is a married couple in their seventies, lived there for years and their kids are all grown up and moved away. None of the kids matched Laura. The other house is owned by a single man around seventy. Apparently, he works in the city and spends most of his time in his apartment in Sydney, just comes to the house very occasionally. Neighbours said he hasn’t been back for months, and they have never seen a woman there. I did knock on the door but there was definitely no one at home.”

  “Shit. Where the hell did she go?” Tobias asked the room in general.

  “Maybe she was just visiting someone?” Julian said. “It’s possible.”

  Jake shook his head.

  “I don’t think so. I managed to drop in about broken arms in the conversations and no one mentioned having one, having family member or visitor with one, except one house. That was a guy with a broken leg, so I have no idea where your mystery lady went. I even went further afield but still no luck.”

  “Well, thanks anyway, Jake, really appreciate your hard work. Buy yourself lunch on us.”

  Jake thanked Tobias and left the office. The two men looked at each other, both disappointed.

  “How the hell could she just disappear?”

  “Beats me, but looks like you’ll have to find another way to locate the beautiful Laura.”

  Chapter Eight

  The taxi driver put Laura’s suitcase in the boot, she gave him the address of the house and settled into the cab. As the cab began to move she looked out the window and could have sworn she saw the elephant, Tobias, racing toward the cab. She looked back but the trees near the station and in the McDonald’s car park blocked her view. She shook her head, how on Earth could he be in the same area that she was? No, it was probably a mistake. Doubtless someone who looked similar to him trying to hail the cab, not realising someone was already in it.

  Yes, that made more sense than seeing Tobias. Mind you, she wished it had been him. Despite ignoring him, she really wished she were game enough to contact him.

  No, it was better this way—at least better for her heart.

  The cab took her through the busy streets of Richmond then over a wide river. When the driver discovered she was new to the area, he pointed out various places. He told her it was the Hawkesbury River and it was part of the Nepean Catchment area for the big Warragamba Dam that supplied most of Sydney’s drinking water. Once over the bridge, they travelled through North Richmond—more shops and housing, then through a more rural area.

  Once again, the cabbie filled her in on the local area. He was like a talking travel book giving her all the local knowledge. The road they were on was called Bell’s Line of Road and it ran for almost sixty kilometres, winding all the way through to Bell, high in the mountains. Another seventeen kilometres and you were in Lithgow, or you could drive ten and be in Mount Victoria on the Great Western Highway. He told her Bell’s Line was famous for the many orchards where you could pick your own fruit right off the trees if you wanted to.

  “There’s some good marketplaces for fresh fruit a
nd vegetables, and the famous Pie in the Sky along the road not far from you, maybe fifteen minutes’ drive at the most. It’s the best pie shop in Australia. You go there and try it when you get the chance.”

  “I will. Is this road busy?”

  “Yeah, it’s an alternative route over the mountains, gets a lot of tourist traffic, too.”

  The driver pulled off this main road.

  “This is Kurmond Road. Your place is about a k and a half along.”

  Within a few minutes they drove through wide gates and along a short tree-lined drive. The first look at her new home had Laura breathing fast. She pinched her hand to remind herself it was hers. The two-storey house was set above the road with a long, wide staircase made from sandstone rocks, leading up to an equally long veranda. Five very large gabled windows stared down at her from the second level. Climbing wisteria of various shades were planted and twined up and along the eleven pillars that held up the roof of the veranda and house. The flowers were just starting to burst open and it already looked amazing.

  The driver turned up a side drive and parked on the same level as the house. Three extra-sized garage doors faced her. Here was plenty of parking, maybe enough for half a dozen cars set to the front and alongside the wide garage. As well there was a gravelled access to the rear of the property alongside the garage near the boundary fence line.

  Laura saw that the veranda wrapped around the whole building as the cabbie got her luggage from the boot. After paying him, she thanked him for driving her and telling her about the area. He handed her a card.

  “If you need a cab, just give me a call. Harry’s the name.”

  “Thank you, Harry. I will.”

  She watched as he backed down the drive then along the road. Turning back to the house she tugged on her suitcase, pulled it up a step, and walked along the veranda to the front door. All along the front of the house were leadlight French doors leading from each room, then came the impressive double entry doors—beautiful hand-painted stain glass. The leadlight beckoned her inside. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was like walking into a fairy tale.

  This wide entry way had doors off either side. She peeked into one, discovering a huge dining room with a massive antique table for sixteen as well as two matching cupboards, one more like a dresser with beautiful china and crystal. While the other side was a large formal living room complete with enormous flat screen television, beautiful welcoming couches, a wood burning fireplace and one wall of bookcases filled with novels.

  Leaving her bag at the front door, she first turned off the alarm then walked ahead through a wide doorway. In front was a broad staircase leading up and alongside the large and well-appointed laundry. She had to grin—the laundry seemed almost as big as her three bedrooms in the Canberra unit. On the wall opposite the laundry was a large linen press.

  Turning right led to a large room, although it stood empty. Alongside was a small bathroom then a very large office complete with filing cabinet, a vast wooden desk and two leather chairs. Laura choked back a sob when she saw a framed photograph of herself on the desk. It must have been taken by the private investigator when she was sitting in the park she often went to at lunchtime. It took her a few minutes to compose herself before she could continue exploring.

  Going back past the wide linen press, Laura entered the main area of the house. Here were a massive kitchen, breakfast nook-cum-meals area, and family room—all open-plan. Another wood burning fireplace was on the wall opposite. She ran her hand over the very long black granite kitchen bench—actually, there were two.

  One bench held a massive cooking range with a hood above in the middle. The splashbacks throughout the kitchen were sunny yellow rectangular tiles. On one end of the bench sat a coffee machine that Laura thought needed a pilot’s license to operate.

  Opposite was another longer bench with the sink, she thought at least six people could work along it without touching.

  Alongside was a huge three-door fridge, with more cupboards above and below. Above the bench, a microwave was set in the corner nearest the refrigerator. While alongside the fridge, facing outward, was a floor to ceiling glassed fronted two-doored cupboard, and alongside it was another door. Opening it, Laura discovered a vast walk-in pantry that was as large as the bathroom in her unit was.

  Wow, and this is just the kitchen!

  Excited that this was now hers, Laura investigated the pantry and found only a few staples—rice, pasta, sugar and flour in large clear glass jars. She did find an open packet of tea bags, a jar of instant coffee that had gone hard, a half jar of peanut butter, two tins of soup, and a small can of baked beans.

  There was a large shelf along one wall that held all manner of gadgets. Her father had obviously been a man who liked to cook and had to have all the latest gear. There was everything from sandwich makers to blenders, from handheld mixers to slow cookers and rice cookers.

  Closing the pantry door, she opened the freezer section of the fridge and found it rather empty—a half tub of rather doubtful looking ice cream, an almost empty packet of frozen peas that looked dried out, and an ice pack.

  The fridge didn’t hold much, either, but she wasn’t surprised. There was water, a bottle of white wine, and a quarter tub of mouldy butter. At the back of one of the shelves was an unidentifiable lidded glass container. Laura threw it away without opening it in case some alien disease got out and infected the entire world.

  Somehow, she’d have to get things like milk, bread, butter, and meat for meals, which was rather awkward with one hand and no car.

  Venturing upstairs, she found four bedrooms, three of which were empty and had their own bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. The bedroom on the end had a small sitting room attached and Laura had the feeling her father had intended it for her use.

  All the bathrooms had similar features—claw-foot tubs, old-fashioned maroon and white tiles on the floor, white tiles on the walls with a maroon feature band, as well as beautiful stain glass windows.

  The master bedroom suite was amazing. Set in its own wing, she walked through a retreat area with a comfy-looking sofa and a reading table and lamp. The large stained glass window looked out onto the side of her property filled with native trees.

  She entered the huge bedroom with so much space for the king-sized bed. It was a four poster with lovely carved details on the posts and headboard. There were another two soft chairs with a small table settled in a nook created by a side gable window. The room was decorated in silver-grays with all but one wall painted cream. The wall behind the headboard was painted in the same silver-gray. On the wall opposite the gable window was a large window overlooking the back area of the house.

  The bathroom had a vast spa bath, a shower big enough for a football team, and a bench with two sinks. Another huge window meant Laura could lay in the tub or stand in the shower and watch the treetops and sky.

  Opening another door, Laura was delighted to find a vast walk-in wardrobe with plenty of hanging space, as well as drawers, open shelves, and a full-length mirror and chair.

  There weren’t many clothes there—obviously her father had been living in Sydney. Laura brushed a tear away as she looked at his things.

  More tears followed, and before she knew it, Laura was sobbing. She cried for the man she’d never known, for the years lost, for his death too early. If only he’d contacted her sooner, if only he didn’t have cancer. If only…

  Laura let it all out and cried for what seemed like ages. Finally, she gave an almighty sob and stood. Going into the bathroom, she washed her face then looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen and her face blotchy from tears. There was a hand towel next to the basin and she wiped her face and dried her hands. Tomorrow she’d tackle the wardrobe.

  Feeling rather overwhelmed and not sure if she could face more lovely rooms, she went down to the kitchen. Laura decided to have a cup of tea. Fortunately, she drank her tea black, so after opening every cupboard in the kitc
hen till she found the kettle, Laura made herself a mugful. She’d drink it first and try to get her emotions under control, then continue her exploration. While waiting for the tea to brew, she tugged her suitcase into the open stairwell. She’d drag it upstairs later.

  Pulling out her phone and the letter her father had written, Laura settled with the tea in the family room. A lovely old wooden table and chairs for six was in the breakfast area, and here in the family room were two long couches and two pale, mushroom-grey leather chairs—very comfortable, as Laura discovered when she sank into one. She propped her feet on one of the leather ottomans in front of each chair.

  Looking around the vast room, Laura smiled to herself. The entire house was painted in neutral shades, but bright splashes of colour from original artworks brought life into the room. The floor downstairs was matt-polished light floorboards, she could see marks on them and realised they were reclaimed wood. Upstairs had the same plush carpet as in the Sydney apartment. The house felt like an old, luxurious mansion—much of the furniture lightly stained wood, the wooden floor boards, stained glass on every window. Really the only modern-looking part of the house was the amazing kitchen and the bathrooms.

  There was another closed door leading off somewhere, she’d have to check, but first tea. She took a sip of her drink then put the cup down. For the umpteenth time she reread the letter her father had written. She had to put it aside in case she started crying again—it just wasn’t fair that he’d found her only to die before they could meet. Sighing she faced reality. There was nothing she could do to change the past, but by living here in this amazing house she felt close to him.

  As she was finishing her tea her mobile rang.

  “Hello Laura, Peter Bailey here. Did you find getting to the house okay?”

  “Yes, thanks, Peter. It’s so beautiful. I love it already.”

  “I’m so glad, it would make your father so happy to know you were living in it.”