Free Love Isn't Blind 1 by Sweet and Special Books

 
    Part One
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Chapter One
    ASHLEY STEPPED OUT OF the taxi and looked up at the rather modest Victorian-style house. She wasn't sure exactly what she expected to find in this small town in northern Virginia, but the simple and unassuming look of the place caught her a little off guard. The house's owner, Anthony Lang, had quickly risen to fame in recent years as one of the world's best-selling authors of suspense thrillers and mysteries, and it was easy to assume that he would have used the money from his book sales to buy something much more grand. Here he was, though, living in a house that looked a little run down and considerably smaller than what many people with his kind of money might own. It had a certain charm, she had to admit, and this job wasn't about the money or living in a lavishly appointed mansion; it was about working for a man whose work she'd admired since she'd found a copy of his first novel in a laundromat. Ashley had taken the book home and read it from cover to cover, taking breaks only to boil a kettle of water and make a cup of tea every hundred pages or so.
    Now, standing before the door that would usher her into an opportunity she still couldn't believe she'd been offered, she smoothed down the front of her dress and breathed deeply before knocking with the large brass ring mounted in the center. She could hear footsteps approaching and did her best to stifle the nervous giggle threatening to escape from her throat as she realized she was about to meet her literary idol.
    She was greeted by a kindly old woman who swung the door wide and waved her in. "You must be Miss Randall," said the woman. "I'm Helene, Mr. Lang's housekeeper. Just leave your bags and I'll help you bring them up to your room."
    "Oh, thank you," said Ashley, taking one of her two bags in hand, allowing Helene to pick up the other. It was a strange feeling to have someone carry her bags, but the woman had the sort of commanding voice that seemed sweet and kind while it challenged you to dare deny its authority. It was immediately clear that Helene was the one who ran this household and made sure everything was kept in order.
    "I'll show you to your room so you can have a moment to freshen up. Where is it you came in from again?" asked Helene.
    "New York," Ashley responded. "I took the train down this morning. This is a lovely house. Has Mr. Lang been living here long?"
    "As long as I've been with him." The housekeeper led Ashley up a staircase that deposited them in a second floor hallway. "I can't say much about how long he lived here before I came, oh, about four years ago, but I think the house came down through his family even though he didn't live here most of his life. Mr. Lang is a man of many secrets, something you'll come to realize right quick. I know him better than most, yet I feel I don't know him hardly at all.”
    Here we are."Helene stopped at the end of the hallway and opened the door to let Ashley enter. It wasn't a spacious room, but it had a large south-facing window that provided the room with plenty of natural light, and there was a quaint, sturdy-looking writing desk that someone had placed directly beneath it. The bed was an older four-poster canopy, but someone had taken the time to add modern cream-colored curtains which were tied around each of the posts. The bedding was piled high and looked incredibly warm and comfortable.
    "It gets cold in this house during the fall and winter," said Helene. "You'll want to invest in some comfortable slippers and bedclothes if you don't have any already. Is everything to your liking? A slightly larger guest room is also available, but it's on the other side of the house and it doesn't get the same light. Mr. Lang felt you'd prefer this one."
    "It's perfect," said Ashley.
    The housekeeper placed Ashley's bag on the floor next to the bed. "I'll give you a few moments' peace to get settled. The bathroom is at the end of the hall next to the stairs. The hot water