My Beastly Billionaire (The Grimwood Legacy Series Book 1)

by Jackie Castle

  Once the tree was nearly finished, except for the skirt and fake presents that were to be placed along the bottom, Elisa looked around the empty foyer. Was it lunchtime already?

  She came down the metal stairs the crew had set up to reach the uppermost branches. The side rooms were also empty. Elisa didn’t feel hungry at the moment. She had stuffed a few granola bars in her purse. Her lunch was out in the Jeep. No, she’d eat later and keep working.

  The theme song from The Polar Express played in her ears. She swayed to the song, admiring the tree and the line of tin soldiers that grew in height along the wall of the staircase. She still needed to work on hanging the wreaths.

  Elisa vaguely recalled Kelly coming in to report that snow was starting to fall. She’d said that anyone who wasn’t absolutely needed should go on home. At least, that’s what she thought Kelly had said. But that wouldn’t have included everyone, would it?

  Elisa had been so wrapped up in her work, she’d not paid attention to what was going on along the floor level. Had everyone already left?

  She wandered through the silent rooms, finding them mostly decorated, but not finished. She checked her watch. Only three in the afternoon! Lunch was long over. Through one of the tall windows surrounding the front door, drifting snow had begun to fall. But it wasn’t much and the circular drive still looked fine.

  Kelly wouldn’t want to risk wrecking her precious Lincoln, but Elisa knew her Jeep could handle rough roads. She would finish up the entrance and get those wreaths hung while there was nobody around to bother her.

  The large, empty mansion was starting to give her the creeps. If she finished all her tasks today, then she’d not have to worry about returning. If the snow continued to fall as it was now, they would most likely have to wait until after Thanksgiving to finish.

  Elisa found her purse and pulled out an energy bar to snack on. She didn’t care to go outside in her leather boots to retrieve her lunch box. Nope, another hour or two worth of time and she’d be able to head home. She’d eat later.

  She admired her work on the main tree and decided it didn’t need any tinsel, which Kelly marked as optional. It was near being overboard for her tastes. Instead, she lined up the wreaths along the stairs, then gathered the lights, swag, and other items needed. Making slow progress up along the circular stairs on one side, she draped, tied and hooked her way up to the second floor.

  When she reached the landing, she took a careful look around and found the walkway dark and completely empty. Good. Maybe she could get this done without getting caught.

  Jingle Bells played and she hummed along, enjoying the upbeat rhythm that helped her work faster.

  About halfway toward the second set of stairs, the sound of a slamming door sent Elisa’s heart into her throat. She yanked one of her earbuds out and looked around nervously. She was right in the middle. Which way should she run if someone came along?

  After a couple of quiet minutes, she breathed again. Perhaps it was the wind on the upstairs windows. She worked faster. This needed to be done so she could check off the last item on her lists.

  Securing the next wreath, she wrapped the fake pine bough around the banister. Her jacket pockets were stuffed with silvery bows and twine. Plugging in the next strand of lights, she moved down a few more paces. The creaking of a floorboard sounded from behind her. She spun around, but nobody was there.

  “Please don’t be a haunted mansion,” Elisa whispered, her throat dry. “Please?” She didn’t even like watching scary movies. Her imagination was good about running off on wild tangents, and thinking she heard noises that weren’t there or shadows that were nothing more than a branch blowing in the wind. It was especially worse when she was alone. Like now.

  Maybe returning later wasn’t such a bad idea. No, she was so not coming back to this place. Not if she could help it. Kelly might need to send a crew out Monday to finish up, but Elisa wanted to be far away from here and working on that sky-rise apartment in the city next week. That job had been in the planning since March and would be a breeze to put together.

  “What are you doing here?” A gravelly male voice said. The tone was wary, tired, and a little shaky. She turned to find a shadowed man standing in the darkened hallway. His wrinkled shirt hung loosely over a pair of sweatpants. The man leaned heavily on a cane.

  Kelly had mentioned that the House Managers were still in residence. That must be who the strange man was. Perhaps Mr. Grimwood wasn’t even here at the moment.

  “I’m sorry, I know we weren’t supposed to come upstairs, but I’m trying to hurry and hang these wreaths.” As she spoke, Elisa slowly moved back toward the steps. If the shadowy man started yelling at her, she’d make a run for it. He was seriously creeping her out. “I’ll be done soo—”

  “No, what are you still doing here. Everyone was ordered to leave!” He shouted before stepping out into a beam of light coming from the hall window. Elisa gasped. The man’s face was covered in an unkempt beard. His dark blue eyes were practically rounded into perfect circles. He reminded her of a mugshot of a psycho serial killer.

  He hobbled toward her, his glare menacing and full of fury. “I ordered that everyone leave an hour ago. Why are you sneaking around my home?”

  “I’m not,” Elisa defended, stepping away from him.

  The floor gave out from under her heeled foot and she tumbled backward.

  Chapter Two

  Duncan Grimwood stared out the window at the bustling, and boisterous, decorating crew crowding his front yard. More of them had invaded his house with their banging, chattering, and laughter. How long had it been since he’d heard or even felt like laughing?

  Far too long.

  The falling snow thickened by the minute. He called downstairs to tell the House Manager, Samuel Gladstone, to send everyone home early. The sooner the better. He wasn’t ready to welcome laughter into his home. And he had no way of escaping it.

  Darn Barbara for insisting that he decorate so elaborately for that so-called gala-party he was supposed to host.

  Duncan rested his warm forehead against the cold glass. Maybe after he got through this week, he’d feel better about everything.

  If he didn’t get the showpieces finished by next weekend, he wouldn’t have enough new items to offer his prospective clients. Letting out a deep breath, Duncan returned to the stool and bench where he’d been working on finishing the rose brooch. What if people thought it too gaudy?

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, Duncan pushed the usual doubts from his mind. The petals of the rose were lined with the most exquisite pink diamonds he’d been able to find. Silver surrounded leaves that were adorned with emeralds. It would be his most expensive piece yet. Probably much too expensive, but it was his showpiece.

  Fitting the viewer to his left eye, he bent down to continue adjusting the tiny diamonds around the outer edge. He’d managed five before the trembling started up again. He squeezed his fingers into a fist, willing them to relax and bend to his will.

  To his dismay, they were still subject to the intruder that had invaded his body after the motorcycle accident. Well, he’d battled that intruder and had come through the worst of it still in one piece. Eventually, he’d beat it completely.

  He had to. There was so much at stake. His work and the Grimwood Jewelry stores that Father had left in his care. Five years to make a profit and he’d spent the first year and a half trying to walk again. At least, he’d been able to keep his shattered leg.

  First, he needed to mend and get his health back, then he’d worry about the inheritance.

  After several trying months of physical therapy and enduring the pain of his healing bones, he was now nearly ready to tackle the business. Except for this one lingering problem.

  With hands trembling too much to work, Duncan stood to stretch and walk around his study. The wall of glassed-in shelves held his collection of rare jewels and heirlooms. Along the workbench, he’d lined up his recent works, wanting ti
me to study and contemplate his designs before calling them finished. There were three diamond rings, one surrounded by sapphires in gold bands. Two opera necklaces, one made with rubies and the other a simple strand of white and black pearls. His workroom was fortified with bulletproof windows, an extensive security system, and hidden away where one who wasn’t aware of the space would be hard put to find the entrance.

  An hour passed since Duncan had given the order for everyone to leave. Maybe he could walk through the house in peace without the concerned looks the skeleton staff usually gave him. He’d need to hire a cleaning crew to sweep through the mansion’s first floor where he planned to host the event. Why couldn’t his assistant have waited until after the holidays to plan this?

  As if bidden by his thoughts, Barbara Larson called. Duncan answered with, “I really think we should postpone—”

  “Absolutely not,” Barb answered in her curt tone. “The invitations have already been sent out and ninety percent have said they will be there. Do you want me to schedule the maid service for Wednesday? I have time before I board my flight. We need to let them clean the second floor—”

  “Nope. Nobody comes up here except for you and Sam. I’ll not have guests up here, either, so there’s no point in hiring an extra crew. Besides, this is all temporary. Right?”

  Barbara had been his assistant for the past five years and despite how she often annoyed him, she and her husband had been right at his side all through his hospital stay. The Larson couple were true friends, and Duncan had so few of them, he gave Barb more leeway than he would most people.

  “Your family agreed to let you stay at the Manor because of the security system. But there are other places you can live, too. Except you’re closest to your Headquarters if you stay where you’re at. You will have to start taking control of the stores soon, Duncan, unless you decide to sell.”

  “The others would never forgive me if I sold out, would they? And I’ll be off the Board of Directors if I don’t show a profit in the next couple of years. I’ll be an outcast to my own family. Selling is not an option.”

  “Good. Then suck it up, buddy. How are you feeling? Are you sure this is a good time to—”

  “I’m past the worst part. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, you enjoy your vacation.” She’d certainly earned the time away.

  Duncan returned to his work-stool, wincing at the dull ache shooting down his leg. It always flared up when he sat hunched over the bench for too long. And was worse in the cold, damp weather. But cutting himself off from the pain medications was better than allowing those blasted pills to completely take over his life.

  “Well, you know where to find—” Barb started, but he quickly cut her off.

  “Nope, I flushed them all. I’ll be fine and it’s better this way. There’s nothing to distract me from finishing these pieces. Once I have everything done, I’ll be able to relax and get through that infernal party you talked me into.”

  “Right.” Barbara was quiet for a long moment. He figured her flight would soon be called. Hopefully, she’d get off the ground before the storm grew worse. “I’m praying for you, Duncan. Just relax as much as possible, hear me? You’ve made it through three weeks already.”

  Barely. He’d reached for the bottle so many times and even had the top off and several pills cupped in his palm when he forced himself to dump them in the toilet. Then he’d dumped the rest of the bottle, as well. If they were gone, they couldn’t call out as loudly.

  “I’ll be fine. Nobody is here, except Sam and Margaret. They stay in their cottage next door, and I’m staying in my cave where bears like me belong. When I can act like a human again, then I’ll come out.”

  Duncan slowly paced around his workroom, leaning heavily on his cane. Soon he’d work out the kinks and would feel better. His sister who was into oils had sent him some kind of cream that was supposed to help achy joints. It did help some. He needed to figure out where he’d left the bottle.

  “I’ll be fine. You enjoy the weekend with your family. You are officially off the clock, lady. Stop worrying about your cranky boss. I’ll still be here when you get back Monday.”

  An announcement came over the phone line, but he couldn’t make out the words.

  “That’s us,” Barb said and he could hear her gathering her bags and speaking to her husband. “Even if I’m off the clock, I’ll be calling to check on you when I can. And you better answer or I’ll call Sam. I mean it!”

  “I know you do. I’ll keep my phone nearby.” He tried to hide the tenseness in his voice. Darn leg! Maybe if he propped it up for a while.

  After wishing his assistant a safe flight, he decided to stretch out on the couch in his sitting room. He tried to get interested in a football game on the 82-inch television. Duncan was sure once the effects of those pain pills completely filtered out of his system, he’d feel better and hopefully not hurt as much. At least he hoped.

  The doctors had said he should be walking with the aid of his cane with ease by now.

  He needed to be more dedicated to his exercises, but he’d been in a fog for the past six months. Now he felt like ants were crawling over his skin.

  After a half hour of twitching and trying to find a comfortable position, Duncan gave up. He needed a distraction. A stroll around the quiet house might do him some good. He’d have to maneuver the stairs without Barbara there to catch him if he went off balance.

  He could ask Margaret to make him some of her calming tea, but he really didn’t wish to trouble her. The elderly couple who had watched over Grimwood Manor for the past twenty-five years didn’t need to know his problems. They were like family, but even his own siblings had no idea what he’d been going through. He’d not seen any of them since he was released from the hospital and only spoke to them over the phone once a month. Except for his sister, Suzette, who called every other week.

  Out of all the children, she’d been closest to Father and probably felt his loss the most.

  Duncan had been much too numb to feel anything.

  “Time to return to real life!” He slowly eased himself off the couch, switched off the television, and decided a stroll around the house would do him some good. Barbara had made sure the upstairs and downstairs kitchens were stocked with food and snacks. He’d make himself a cup of hot chocolate, grab something to eat and head to the library. Maybe he could lose himself in a good book and enjoy the snowfall in peace next to the fireplace.

  He should probably also check on the decorations. Hopefully, they were done tastefully. Barbara said she’d gone down her lists of the best in the business and, toward the bottom, had finally found someone who was willing to take him on at the last moment.

  “You don’t have time to be picky, Duncan. At least the house will look nice, that’s all that matters. They can come and take it down after the party if you hate it.”

  Right. He hadn’t been fond of any holiday decor since Mother passed five years ago. She was the one who made this place shine. And she’d done it without hiring an expensive company to do the work for her. Mother loved Christmas and tried hard to make it a special time for her children. And her grandchildren, since his older brother Colton married and had the twins.

  At least Mother had been spared watching her one married son go through the pain of losing his wife to a virus that had damaged her heart. She’d also been spared from seeing Duncan practically destroy his life while showing off on his Ducati. Two-hundred grand totally destroyed when the semi-truck drove over it. He’d been lucky that he’d jumped off in time.

  Unfortunately, his friend hadn’t been so lucky.

  Duncan had been such an idiot.

  Barbara was often quick to remind him when he was continuing to be an idiot, too.

  Duncan slipped on a long sleeve shirt to ward off the chill of the large house. He set the lock on his suite, then headed down the hallway. It was probably silly to lock up since he was the only person in the main house, but habits were hard to
break.

  Out in the hallway, he heard a strange noise. Someone humming.

  Margaret? No, she hardly ever came upstairs because of her sore knees. She’d send Sam up to deliver messages to Duncan when necessary. His heart sank. Everyone was supposed to be gone. As he rounded the corner, he spotted a girl up on his floor.

  Nobody, except Sam and Barb, was allowed upstairs.

  Who was she?

  Several wreaths were draped over her arm as she tied one to the banister, then wound the lights and garland around the railing. He needed the railing unobstructed so he could hang onto it when he made his way downstairs!

  “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” he barked. “I told everyone to go home! Why are you here?”

  She gasped and spun around, yanking a pair of earplugs from her ears. The sound of music filtered from them. She must have had the volume all the way up. “I…I…”

  “I ordered that everyone leave an hour ago.” Duncan moved closer, his anger exploding like fireworks inside his head. This was his time of quiet and solitude. “Why are you sneaking around my home?” He’d given explicit instructions to stay off the second floor! He should have known better than to hire a company out of desperation. It never turned out well.

  “I’m not,” the girl backed toward the stairs, looking genuinely frightened. Her silky brown hair swung around her shoulders. She had gorgeous full lips and an intriguing face with pretty green eyes.

  She was also dangerously close to taking a nasty tumble down the steps. “Watch out!” Duncan lunged toward her.

  The girl stumbled backward. The wreaths flew into the air as her arms propelled to help her keep balanced. By the time he reached her side, she was clutching the banister and had only stumbled down a couple of stairs before catching herself. The wreaths rolled down the stairs and spiraled to a stop before the most garish monstrosity of a tree he’d ever seen in his life.