Nevaeh strolled beside the butler as he led her around the house. Her eyes glinted with wonderment as they dashed through every turn and corner. She was amazed to discover the house was far more extensive than she had thought it was. Its transcendence was above her imagination. But what surprised her more was the huge library at the east end of the mansion. In all her years, she had never seen a place like this. It wasn't as big as the national or school libraries she had visited, but it was unique.
Its content and arrangements made her wonder if it was indeed a library or an exhibition hall.
The shelves were arranged in a spherical manner at one side of the library, while the portraits were arrayed at the opposite side till they reached the ceiling. A single table and chair were placed in the middle of the room with a bright light centred on it.
'How did he collect so many books and paintings?' She asked herself as her eyes wandered across the paintings that hung on the large walls until the very high ceiling.
How does he even get up there? How does one get to the top to see them all?
Nevaeh was awestruck. Dale kept surprising her with the different sides of him she didn't know or instead hadn't heard of.
Who'd think he was a lover and fervent collector of art too? What great eyes he has, she sighed in her heart.
She took slow and light steps towards the left side of the room where the portraits hung. She stared at them with admiration. They were such pure arts.
She felt her heart thud at the mere sight of them. There was this feeling in her heart as she stood before these great works. It was the beats of excitement. She had been to several exhibitions, but none of the work she had seen could be compared to what stood before her eyes.
She could feel it told a story. The first four paintings showed a beautiful world with the most beautiful things; Love, peace, family, and unity.
She followed each painting as she tried to tell the story to herself. A lovely couple with love burning in their eyes, who seemed to be contented and happy. They had the world at their feet, and nothing but being in the arms of one another mattered to them. They could slay a billion galaxies with each look they shared.
Ah, what a way to tell a love story. Nevaeh exclaimed in her heart.
The artist chose the colours perfectly. The detail of each painting told you just how the painters felt.
'What geniuses could have made these?' She pondered to herself as her eyes trailed to the bottom of the portrait, where she saw the artist signature with an initial of E.H. Attached to the initial was a red heart pierced with a cupid arrow.
She hasn't heard of this person before. She looked to the next, and the next, and she was surprised to see that all the portraits had the same initials. Does this mean one person made all these? Her eyes widened in disbelief as she scanned her eyes across the wall full of portraits. It must be a life-worth of work.
She turned to Mr Simon, who was a few feet away from her.
"Did he buy all these?" She curiously inquired.
"No. The master owns them." She knew the master owned them, but she was asking-
Wait! Was that the answer itself? No, he didn't buy it. Then did he make them? Impossible! She didn't think he could do this.
As if reading her thoughts, Simon spoke, "They were handed to the master."
Handed to him? That meant he didn't buy them but were given to him. Who would do such a thing?
"By whom?" She inquisitively asked.
"Only the master can tell you," Simon replied with an apologetic smile.
A slight crease crossed her brows for a brief moment before they relaxed, but the inquisitive look on her face remained. He could tell she had a myriad of questions to ask, and he could understand why.
The master was an enigma to ordinary eyes.
Nevaeh slowly returned her gaze to the portraits as she scanned her eyes through the first row till she got to the last. How she'd love to see them all and know what happened to this couple.
"I'll show you to the garden now," Simon said after she looked around for a while. She nodded and let him lead the way.
Once again, her jaws dropped when they arrived there. The garden wasn't large, but it was beautiful. It had all the details she'd have painted in her dream garden.
The overpowering and lovely scent of marigold mixed with lavender among other flowers lingered in the air and soothed her very well. A beautiful wooden garden seat was mounted in the heart of the garden, and she could already imagine herself relaxing on it.
How was Dale doing all this? Who was this man she had been married to?
Everything about him and everything she had seen stirred up more questions in her heart. She didn't know this man at all, and it seemed no one did know who he truly was.
Maybe he was as bad as they said, but even the worst of us has a part hidden from the eyes of people. A good side waits to be unlocked by that person who becomes both an Achilles heel and a source of strength. And in his case, it must be Elle. He seemed to have done everything with her in mind.
Oh, how lucky her sister was!
But wait! Why again was she been swayed by these little acts of his? These could all be a ploy - a facade to hide his true self. No! she shouldn't let herself be swayed by any of these. She reprimanded herself.
Soon the evening came, and Nevaeh was once again in the depths of her fear. She had just shared a table with Dale at dinner, and the real question that brought her immense fear was throbbing in her mind.
How she wished those few moments of calmness she had enjoyed at the kitchen while she assisted in making dinner could have lasted a little more.
For the first time since she stepped into this house, she felt peaceful in her mind. Cooking helped her escape the war going on in her mind. It brought the peace she desired, but even that didn't last as she was now tensely lying on the bed with her eyes fixed on the door awaiting his arrival.
He was going to come in any moment now. She thought.
Her heart skipped when she saw the doorknob turn, and she instantly pulled the quilt up and closed her eyes while she held her breath in an attempt to even it, but it wasn't working.
She listened to the sound of the closing door and his light footsteps on the ground, which told her where exactly in the room he was. Her heartbeat increased when she heard him approach her. She tightly gripped the sheet.
Was he staring at her? She couldn't tell, but she knew he was close.
She felt a bit calm when she heard him move again and the sound of a closed door followed by running water reverberated in her ears. But soon her anxiety returned when she heard him opening the door again. She tried to listening to his steps again but there was none. Where was he?
She strained her ears but nothing came through. All she could hear was her wildly beating heart.
Slowly, she opened her eyes to peek from underneath her long lashes. But what awaited her left her frozen.
"You're quite an actress, Wife." He said with a dangerous smirk.