The Sibylline Oracle (6 page)

The fall colors were even more spectacular as they gained elevation. It was early evening when Alex, driving like a professional racecar driver through the sharp mountain curves, finally turned off the highway onto a private, tree-lined road. He pulled the car to the front of a beautiful stone and wood cottage that was lit by what appeared to be firelight, as if someone were there.

Alex jumped out and opened Valeria’s door. They walked
past a massive row of hydrangeas that seemed to surround the house. Alex led her up the stone steps and onto the cedar deck that had a porch swing and flowerboxes. Valeria noticed the details of the entrance. It had a double cedar door with two circular, iron knockers, and an intricate, hand-carved design that looked like two large C’s facing each other. Alex took a deep breath and swung open the door. Valeria’s eyes got even larger and her mouth fell open with a sigh.

“Alex! This is…” She turned to him. “I don’t even know how to describe it. Breathtaking doesn’t seem to be enough.”

Leaning on the doorframe, Alex glowed as he watched her reaction with nervous anticipation. She looked up in awe at the wood beams high above her and the wrought-iron candelabras on each wall. Wandering across the great room, she lightly trailed her fingers along the massive library full of leather bound classics. She noticed
Sense and Sensibility
and
Walden
at eye level. The other wall was home to a stacked stone fireplace that was already ablaze and encircled by a comfortable cream colored couch, loveseat, and two overstuffed chairs. The floors were dark and spotted with colorful rugs.

Arriving at the marble kitchen island, her eyes darted from the hanging pots and pans to the state of the art, stainless steel appliances—not that they would do her any good. She had never been much of a cook. She also noted the doorless arch to the bedroom. Carrying the remainder of their bags, he dropped his by the door and continued with Valeria’s suitcase toward the bedroom.

Suddenly feeling awkward, she wondered if Alex understood what a big step it was for her, just going away with him. The expectation might be that she was ready for intimacy but, for some reason, she didn’t feel that was the case. Valeria knew Weege would call her naïve. Especially if she could see this extraordinary cottage—and this extraordinary man, who most certainly had never been told no.

She followed him into the bedroom cautiously and watched as Alex sat her suitcase on a bench at the foot of the four-poster feather bed. “Here’s your room,” he said, uncomfortably. “There’s the bath and there’s the closet,” he indicated, pointing to a walk-in and abruptly exiting back into the great room.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll be sleeping on the couch.” Alex brushed his hand through his hair, obviously ill at ease. “Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to make other arrangements.”

Feeling unexpectedly let down again, Valeria realized that, suddenly, the feeling of intimacy was gone and this romantic setting seemed wasted. She followed him back to the great room and into the kitchen area.

“The others are up the hill at the main house. Lars thought it might be best to give you a night to yourself. So, I thought I would pour you a glass of wine while I meet with them. You can bathe or sit on the porch.” Alex drew in a deep breath and hesitated before exhaling. “But, don’t worry. We’ll be keeping an eye out to make sure you’re safe,” he said, as he pulled a bottle out from under the marble countertop.

“You’re leaving? Won’t you join me for a glass of wine?”

“No,” Alex said, absentmindedly, his hands fumbling with the normally simple task. Finally, the cork released with a pop. “I need to stay sharp.”

Valeria could barely hide her disappointment. “I guess I’m just surprised that you're leaving. You drink wine don’t you? Yes, you drank today.”

“Yes, and I really shouldn’t have. I guess I got caught up in the…” Alex’s voice faded as he pulled down a wine glass from a cupboard. “I drink occasionally. I like Scotch. I’d join you but, as I said, I really need to stay sharp.”

“Why?”

“You’ll understand later.”

The musical ping of the wine being poured into the glass told Valeria that this was very fine crystal. Not that she knew much about fine crystal, but she knew she hadn’t heard that sound before. Alex came around the counter to where she was standing by the fireplace and passed the glass to her, careful to avoid contact. Then he stirred the fire, averting his eyes from her gaze.

“It’s just for a few hours. But I’ll be keeping an eye out. So, you don’t need to worry about anything.” Alex put his hands in his pockets for something to do with them. “Just make yourself at home.”

Valeria felt the sting of disappointment as Alex turned and went out the door. Why would he bring her to this beautiful place and then desert her? What was going on and why was she even here? Her head spun in answerless circles. And that comment about someone keeping an eye on her? She didn’t need anyone’s help! She had done quite well for most of her life keeping an eye on herself. Granted, she would have been squashed yesterday if not for him. But that didn’t mean she was an imbecile or incapable of defending herself!

Her irritation dampened as she took her first sip of wine. It was very good! Valeria opened her suitcase and took out her toiletries and journal. She knew she should hang up her clothes but, instead, she laid back on the bed, setting her wine down on the table and staring into the fire.

She wrote in her journal,
I met a man.
Then her eyes closed for a moment and she was out. She dreamt of
him.
She dreamt of him holding her in this bed.

Sometime during the night, Valeria felt a blanket cover her. Later, her eyes opened to see Alex there. But her mind drifted back to sleep, making her question whether she’d dreamt the past twenty-four hours. In her near dream state, she thought she saw a beautiful, redheaded woman sitting with Alex drinking a glass of
wine. Her arm touched his as if there was an intimacy between them. Valeria caught some of the conversation but was too tired to process any of it. She quickly drifted back into a deep slumber.

“Good morning,” Alex said, a bit roughly. “I’m sorry to wake you, but the family is waiting for us.”

“What?” Valeria said, startled as she bolted straight up in bed. Then there was a moment when she couldn’t quite figure out where she was and then, with some embarrassment, she realized that she was in Alex’s bed. Her next thoughts had to do with her appearance. She cringed when she realized her ponytail had partially fallen, leaving stray hairs all around her face. Her mascara had probably smudged under her eyes, too. She quickly tried to pull her hair out of the ponytail and then realized that she was fully dressed. She noticed Alex looking awkwardly at her. He was already showered and dressed but carried a hint of stress in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to barge in on you like this. I really should have put in a door here.” Alex looked down at his boots before returning her gaze. “If you’re up to it, the family is up the hill at the main house waiting for us.”

There was an odd mood stirring in her, one she wasn’t
familiar with. To Valeria’s surprise, she realized that she was upset with him, even though she knew it was ridiculous. She could not think of one reasonable excuse for her mood. Pressing her lips together, she wondered if this was what people meant when they spoke of waking up on the wrong side of the bed. She always woke feeling at least somewhat pleasant, so there must be a reasonable explanation, she justified.

Then it hit her—the redheaded woman! Valeria’s slight moodiness quickly escalated to anger. Did Alex really ditch her here, at this beautifully romantic cottage, to go meet up with another woman—and then bring that other woman
here
...while Valeria slept in his bed? Suddenly she felt violated as if someone unwanted had snuck into her own bedroom.

Then the words the redhead had spoken began to take shape. “Alex, you must know she expects more from you.”

How does this woman know anything about me?
Valeria tried to recall Alex’s response. Why hadn’t she paid more attention?

Then, the redhead had laughed in a condescending manner. “Just look at her! She’s in your bed for Christ’s sake. What do you think she expects?”

Now, Valeria was not only angry, but mortified. She had, in fact, been in Alex’s bed.

Despite her outrage and humiliation, deep down she knew that all of this made more sense now; her relationship with Alex was platonic and he was with the beautiful redhead. She was probably his wife and was wondering why a strange woman was sleeping in her bed. Now, Valeria needed to adjust to the fact that, although there had seemed to be something more, Alex was just a friend. Maybe he had brought her here, all the way from New York, to fix her up with one of his friends. Who knows? Although, Italy didn’t seem to have any shortage of beautiful women.

Besides, Valeria reminded herself...she was engaged! What the hell was she doing running off with another man? And why had it never occurred to her to ask Alex where exactly they were going, or why? Valeria felt beyond ridiculous.

Then, Alex made a perfectly marvelous amend that improved her disposition, slightly. “I’m sorry for intruding but…well, here.” He stepped into the bedroom and handed her a cup of coffee, in a perfectly over-sized mug.

Valeria looked down and saw the blanket, realizing that Alex had covered her during the night. As she pushed it off and grabbed the cup of coffee, he quickly turned. She glanced down and saw that her dress had pulled up in her sleep, revealing most of her thighs. She quickly pulled the blanket back up and her dress down, feeling her face flush a deep purple. One look at him told her that he had most definitely noticed and had covered her to save her embarrassment.

Wow! She was not usually one for black moods, but one certainly had bit her this morning. Alex retreated from the room to start breakfast. It smelled wonderful. Coffee was one thing, but enjoying
anything
else he prepared was simply condoning this whole, awful situation.

Sipping the brew, Valeria appreciated the perfect ratio of cream to coffee. Then it hit her—this was the absolute, most perfect cup of coffee! She took a deep breath and her eyes rolled back in bliss. “Thank you!” she said apologetically, loudly enough for Alex to hear.

She heard Alex, sounding distracted, say, “Sure.”

Alex’s wife must be upset that she had fallen asleep, or that Alex had volunteered their bed. Valeria glanced at the clock on the night table and saw it was after ten o’clock in the morning. They had arrived at seven the previous evening and she was asleep within the hour. That was a record amount of sleep for her.

Fighting the urge to throw on a pair of sweats and a wrinkled T-shirt, Valeria grabbed a white blouse and jeans from her suitcase, then showered and changed. She didn’t need to be that nervous now. Alex was most certainly sloughing her off on some ne’er do well friend or brother. She would thank Alex and explain that she was engaged to a diplomat and really wasn’t so desperate that she needed to fly half way around the damn world—escorted at that—to find a man!

Pulling her wet hair into a ponytail, Valeria resisted the hair dryer. She was aware that it was a desperate attempt to prove that she didn’t really care how she looked. Still, vanity forced her to add a touch of make-up.

When she stepped out of the bedroom, having made the bed and folded the blanket, she saw that Alex had a full breakfast set out for her with freshly squeezed orange juice, half of a grapefruit, a frittata, and all kinds of pastries. Their smells wafted into Valeria’s nose and she could feel the hunger pangs in her stomach. But she would not, for the life of her, let Alex believe that this incredibly luscious display of food would change anything.

So what if he was this
incredibly
sweet,
incredibly
caring guy whom she could
so
easily fall for? She watched as he turned to get jam from the refrigerator. She realized that Alex wasn’t just nice looking, he was
beautiful
. Even now, it was work to avoid swooning. But with his obvious game playing, and his girlfriend or wife or whatever the redhead was, Valeria decided to cool it all down. Besides, she thought, even if there was a competition, which there wasn’t, the redhead was far more beautiful than Valeria’s simple looks. She saw the empty bottle of wine on the counter that confirmed that the redhead was real.

“I’ll just have the coffee. But I’d like a refill,” Valeria said. She quickly grabbed a croissant, not wanting Alex to know that she would enjoy any of it. He poured cream into a metal cup and
then filled it to the top with fresh coffee before he screwed on the lid. She thanked him when he handed it to her and then walked to the door, letting him know that she was finished.

Alex nodded hesitantly, and then placed the juice back in the refrigerator. He helped Valeria put on her light coat and led her onto the deck. The air was pleasantly crisp—not as cool as New York in the fall. The sun fettered down through the golden, red, and green leaves in a lacy pattern. Valeria took a deep breath. The air smelled so fresh and felt so delightful that somehow, instantly, her mood improved.

As she stood in front of the cottage, she noticed the heavy woods of evergreens juxtaposed with brightly colored deciduous trees. When Alex led her around the corner of the house, her jaw dropped.

“Is that...oh my God—I’ve never seen such a beautiful Gingko!” she said, wishing that she could suppress her enthusiasm. “I’ve never seen one near this size. It must be ancient.” She glanced at Alex and saw that he was beaming and then lowered his gaze as if attempting to hide his pleasure in her response to the tree. It was a giant, with beautiful, even branches...like something out of a fairy tale. Its red, yellow, and green triangular leaves erupted from every portion of the branch. Valeria was certain it was the most beautiful tree she had seen in all of her life.

Suddenly, she felt a bit sad; she would have loved to see this incredible tree in the spring and summer—even in the winter. Now, unexpectedly, on the verge of tears, she swallowed back the flood of emotion for the amazing cottage that was everything she could ever want but would never have...and the man. She shook her head in an attempt to free her mind from that thought. She would not think about Alex that way, not now.

They walked through the woods in silence as she walked along side him on a trail that wound around giant Beech and Chestnut trees. The canopy of dense trees darkened the woods, but she noticed path lights along the trail and hoped she would have an opportunity to wander it at night.

Within minutes, they were off from the trail and now in a large field of cut grass. Up above on the hill, Valeria got her first glimpse of the main house, which looked more like a ski resort with its river stone and redwood. There was a giant deck in front where a massive, arched entry held massive double arched doors.

Alex led her up the stairs to the deck and then through the front door. She stepped onto the golden, travertine floors and noticed the large, woven area rugs; they were shades of red, blue, and gold with American Indian designs. She stared up at the thirty-foot cathedral ceilings and caught sight of the log staircase with black, wrought-iron accents. It wrapped around the edge of the living area and seemed to lead to bedrooms at the back of the house. Valeria glanced at the enormous river stone fireplace, with mission-style rocking chairs placed neatly in front. Two long, leather sofas extended from the fireplace, its cushions and blankets perfectly matched the area rugs and a leather ottoman served as the coffee table.

Valeria walked to the full wall of windows that dominated the living area with their spectacular view. She peered into the adjoining dining room and noticed a long dark-wood table. She ran her hand along it, peeking into the kitchen that was on the other side of the pass-through window. Like the living area, the dining room also offered exemplary views of the woods. Valeria thought she could almost see a portion of Alex’s cottage from the window.

A dark-haired boy of about twelve came in from the kitchen, smiling brightly. “Hi! I’m Caleb.” He walked toward Valeria with a mischievous smile and extended hand. She heard both Alex and a woman’s voice anxiously admonish the boy. “Caleb!”

Caleb tucked his hands into his pockets before bounding off to one of the rocking chairs by the fireplace. “I wasn’t really going to do it. I just wanted to see what you guys would do.” Then the boy pushed off with his feet to give the chair a forceful rock.

Before Valeria could respond, a tall, beautiful black woman with long, straight hair and bright blue, Kewpie doll eyes entered. “Good Morning! I’m Camille.”

“Nice to meet you both, I’m─” Valeria started, and was immediately interrupted by the redhead with her overly bored, British accent.

“We got the message. You’re Valeria.” The comment was a blow-off.

The redhead was even more beautiful than Valeria had remembered, with intense, Kelly Green eyes and a creamy complexion. The woman sauntered directly to Alex and leaned her elbow on his shoulder, possessively. She seemed to be ensuring that Valeria was watching. Other than that, the redhead avoided Valeria.

Camille rolled her eyes and continued pleasantly, “Valeria it’s very nice to finally meet you!”

The redhead added, “Again.” Valeria noticed both Alex and Camille glaring at the redhead with unspoken words. The woman responded with an irritated expression as if they had actually spoken to her, and then moved to sit on the couch.

“Oh, and that’s Daphne,” Camille added, pointing at the redhead.

The redhead now had a name.

Noting Daphne’s ‘again,’ Valeria decided that she was referring to the previous evening when she had fallen asleep in Alex’s bed. She would gather her courage and apologize for that when they had a moment alone. Though, Valeria also had the urge to defend herself, and to inform Daphne that Alex had invited her to sleep there. But she decided that would only cause more problems. She would take responsibility for her actions, even though Daphne seemed like the kind of woman who would hold a grudge. It was difficult to imagine a man as kind as Alex caring for a woman like that. With a sideways glance, Valeria found herself searching their hands and noticed neither wore a wedding ring.

A boyishly handsome man with blond curls, a light, freckled complexion, and the frame of a football player, entered with an air of confidence that struck Valeria as the leader.

“Valeria, I’m Lars,” he said. His eyes sparkled with life as he offered his hand. “And we are all very pleased to officially meet you.”

Loud footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. She turned to see a tall, bearded man with dark-gray hair and an irritated expression. He came in and leaned against the fireplace mantel. Valeria thought with a grimace,
so that’s the one who can’t get a date
. Alex pointed to the man. “That’s Tavish.”

Tavish grumbled a hello.

Caleb laughed. “Tavish is upset because Camille told him he couldn’t wear his kilt.”
No wonder Alex had to bring her all the way from New York!
Poor Tavish’s disposition would run off most women.

“It is my traditional dress!” Tavish snorted.

“Yes, but it is inappropriate for this informal setting. We don’t want to scare poor Valeria too badly,” Camille insisted.