by Haley Weir
“So, what do you think of your new place?” asks Mikayla.
“It’s...I don’t even have the right words. Incredible,” Charlotte replies.
“Right? We’re so lucky we get to stay here,” adds Ellen.
“Tell us about yourself,” Mikayla gestures. “Come sit. Both of you. There’s room!”
Before Charlotte can seat herself, Mason pulls out the chair for her like a true gentleman.
“Thanks,” Charlotte mumbles, desperately hoping she’s not blushing. The last thing she needs is to seem thirsty for Mason the first day she meets everyone. That is not the type of impression wants to make here. Plus, she barely knows these women, and it occurs to her that Mikayla or Ellen could be his girlfriend or wife. It would definitely be surprising to her, given his flirtatious nature. But maybe he is just being a good host. The women look up at her expectantly.
“Well,” begins Charlotte. “There’s not too much to say.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” urges Jenna. “If you ended up here, I’m sure you have quite an interesting story.”
“I had no idea this place was a castle when I replied to Avery’s ad...but I can’t say I’m disappointed. I’m from Connecticut, a small town called River Bend. I hate it there. I live with my parents and they’re a bit...much. You know how parents can be,” explains Charlotte.
Jenna looks at Mason, who gives her a look in return. Ellen and Mikayla also exchange glances, and suddenly Charlotte’s face feels very hot. Did she say something wrong?
“I...we lost our parents when we were very young,” says Jenna, looking up at Mason.
“Oh my gosh,” Charlotte stammers. “I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t...I shouldn’t have…” she trails off. She internally beats herself up for managing to say the one thing that could ruin the mood like that.
“It’s fine,” says Mason. “It was a long time ago. We’ve found a new family since then, in a way.”
“I’m really sorry,” repeats Charlotte.
“Don’t even worry about it,” says Jenna. She puts a hand on Charlotte’s knee for a moment to reassure her. “So, you needed to get away from your parents.”
“Right,” says Charlotte. “They have this idea that they’re gonna set me up with one of the wealthy men in town so that they can get rich.”
“God,” groans Mikayla. “Sounds like the worst. I’m from Manhattan. I can imagine the type.”
“Whatever you’re imagining, it’s worse,” describes Charlotte.
“Well, I’m glad you got out of that situation,” Ellen speaks up. “I totally know what it’s like to need to get away from toxic people. I kind of found Douglas at just the right time and he brought me into the fold.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting Douglas. Is that your husband?”
“No, at least not yet. Douglas is Blake and Ethan’s brother,” Ellen explains.
“And Ethan is my man,” Mikayla says raising her hand.
“And you’ve met Blake, I assume,” says Jenna.
“I haven’t actually,” replies Charlotte.
“Blake is Avery’s husband. Penelope’s dad,” Mikayla explains.
Just like that, Charlotte has confirmation that all of these women are already dating the men of the house.
“Wait, Jenna, do you have a…” Charlotte searches for the right word. Partner? Husband? Boyfriend? Girlfriend?
“Oh, yeah. Xander. I guess you haven’t met him yet, either.”
“I basically just got here and Mason has been showing me around,” says Charlotte.
“Well, I’m glad we got to meet you,” answers Mikayla. “We’ll do a big dinner tonight where you can meet the whole gang.”
"That would be awesome,” says Charlotte. She feels genuinely welcomed by the group of beautiful women.
“Yeah, we’re quite a crew,” recognizes Mikayla. “The surprises never stop here.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Of course not,” Mason interjects. “Only good surprises. Right, ladies?”
“Right,” says Ellen. “Honestly, finding a home with all of you has made my life more fulfilling than I ever thought it could be.”
“Aw, Ellen, you cheeseball!” Mikayla gushes.
“You know what I mean!” Ellen says.
Jenna replies, “we do.”
“Charlotte, you haven’t meet Chris yet either, have you?” asks Ellen.
“Nope, no Chris yet.”
“Don’t even try,” Mikayla rolls her eyes. “He’s been such a wreck lately.”
“Don’t try what?” asks Charlotte.
“Ellen wants to play matchmaker. Chris is her friend from home, who lives here too,” explains Mikayla. “But, Chris is going through it lately. He’s...a little on edge. That’s really it.”
“Fine,” relents Ellen. “Maybe you’re right.”
“You both are going to make Charlotte feel awfully awkward if you try to set her up on her first day here, no?” asks Jenna. Charlotte’s relieved for Jenna’s interception. She does not want to seem rude or hurt anyone’s feelings, but she should not get involved with anyone during her time here. This is her job, after all. If things get messy, she can’t exactly leave. It dawns on her that for this exact reason, she needs to shake off the small crush she has on Mason. While he’s friendly, handsome, and sweet, she is not here to find a boyfriend or a husband. She’s here to bond with baby Penelope and help Avery how ever she can.
“Well, I should probably go find Avery and let you all do your thing,” Charlotte starts rising from her chair.
“You should stay and hang!” Mikayla argues. Charlotte’s flattered that they they are so willing to let her into their group, but she feels guilty. She should get to work.
“I should really let Avery show me the ropes while Penelope is down for her nap. There’s a lot about this place I need to learn.”
“More than you know,” agrees Jenna. Jenna smiles at Charlotte. Charlotte smiles back, wondering if that comment was as loaded as it seemed.
“Come on, Charlotte, I’ll help you find Avery. It’s easy to get lost in this place,” Mason says. They rise from the table and walk towards the kitchen again. Mason’s arm brushes against Charlotte’s, and she uses all the willpower she has to keep her butterflies at bay.
Chapter 6
Mason and Charlotte walk down the winding hallways, and Mason leads her up a flight of stairs. They don’t say much, but the silence isn’t awkward. In fact, it is more comforting than Charlotte would have expected. She hasn’t even started her job yet and she feels like she’s been in this castle forever. The women were so friendly, she could really see them becoming her best friends. And then, there’s Mason. The handsome and sweet man who declared himself her personal tour guide. She actively tries to bury the feelings he stirs up inside of her when he brushes past or addresses her by name.
“So,” starts Mason, breaking their comfortable silence.
“So,” Charlotte repeats when they reach the top of the stairs.
“Right down this hallway,” Mason leads her to the left. “There’s Avery and Blake’s suite, and right next to it is Penelope’s room. Come with me.”
Mason and Charlotte arrive at Penelope’s room. The door is cracked open. Peeking through, Charlotte sees Avery sitting in a gorgeous rocking chair with the baby asleep in her arms. Charlotte smiles at the pleasant image, looking forward to her own chance to rock Penelope to sleep. Avery notices Charlotte through the cracked door and slowly rises, gently placing Penelope in her crib. She quietly tiptoes to the door and out of the room to meet Charlotte in the hallway. When Avery arrives and slowly shuts the door, Charlotte realizes Mason has disappeared.
“You found us!” exclaims Avery, in a hushed tone.
“Mason showed me the way,” Charlotte replies. “I don’t know where he is now, though.”
“Are you two getting along? It certainly seems like it,” Avery says with a smile. Charlotte wonders if this is some type of set up, and fe
els sweat collecting on her hairline.
“Yeah, he’s great. But...I don’t like him like that, if that’s what you’re asking. I wouldn’t do anything to compromise my job here. Penelope and her needs are my priority, without question.”
“Sweetie,” says Avery in a soothing voice. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I was just making sure you are getting settled, but it seems like I’ve stirred something up when I asked about him, no?”
Charlotte’s embarrassed, and feels like she is being interrogated by her new boss. If she could just evaporate and disappear into the air, she would feel much better.
“I just...yeah I don’t…” Charlotte searches for the right words to explain how little Mason matters compared to her new job when Avery interrupts.
“You really don’t have to explain yourself,” she repeats. “I’m not worried. I know you’re qualified. There’s a reason I picked you to be here. I trust you.”
“Wow, thanks,” Charlotte replies as her heat rate begins to steady.
“I met Blake at work, you know,” adds Avery.
“Really?”
“Seriously. I actually answered an ad in the paper to work as his personal assistant. Now, here we are.”
“I had no idea, that’s so sweet,” Charlotte replies. Is this Avery giving her the greenlight to pursue Mason?
“I’ve never been happier,” Avery agrees. “Let’s walk and talk, shall we? I just realized I never really got you settled in your room.”
A few doors down from Penelope’s room is Charlotte’s room. Avery pushes the heavy door open, revealing a cozy room with a queen sized bed, which is an upgrade from the tiny twin she’s always slept in. There’s a wardrobe for her to put away her clothes, and a huge window overlooking the castle grounds. From her room, she can see the garden and the clear blue water of the Alexander Bay as it twinkles with sunlight. It’s such a majestic view, and she feels overcome with gratitude.
“It’s perfect,” Charlotte says to Avery.
“I’m glad. Make yourself comfortable. While you unpack, I’ll go over a view things, is that okay?”
“Great,” confirms Charlotte. She grabs one of her suitcases and starts organizing her things while Avery talks.
“So, she’s really a good baby. Not very fussy. I just...don’t know what I’m doing. I always expected my mom to be there for me with my first child, but life just didn’t work out that way.”
“I’ve worked with a few families in similar positions. There’s no reason to feel bad about having extra help around.”
“It’s so true. I know there are plenty of adults around here. But I don’t want them to feel exploited. Everyone has their own shit to handle, you know?”
“Sure,” replies Charlotte. She wonders for the first time if any of her new friends have jobs, or if their days are spent sitting by the garden, sipping tea like royalty.
“I trust them and they are great, but I need to get this baby on a routine. Eventually, I would love to get back to work but I’ll have to leave her for a few days at a time for that. I want her to have someone around she trusts.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
“Theater,” Avery says. “I was the cliche struggling actress when I met Blake. My life took so many twists and turns that I never expected. Thankfully I’m no longer struggling financially, but I miss theater so much. I would love to get back into it.”
“That’s so interesting, I had no idea you were a performer,” Charlotte stops folding her clothes for a moment to look Avery in the eyes. She wants to make sure Avery knows that she is paying attention to every word, but she can multitask as well. She starts putting her clothes in the wardrobe.
“I am. Or, I was. Now, I don’t know. I feel like I’ve changed a lot. I’ll always have a love for theater but maybe I’ll get involved behind the scenes. But that wouldn’t be for quite a while.”
“Wow, very cool. I wish I had an interesting hobby or passion.”
“Well, what do you like?”
“Honestly, I like being with kids. I’ve always worked in child care in some capacity.”
“That’s great. It really is. We need kind and bright people like you in our kids’ lives,” Avery notes.
“Thanks. I’m hoping to go back to school to get my Masters in Child Psychology or something similar. I just have to save money and find the time in my life and all that.”
“Wow, you’re goal driven, too. I love it!”
Charlotte awkwardly laughs. “Thanks,” she says quietly. She realizes this is the first time she’s talked about her desire to go back to school with someone. It’s only ever been a pipe dream for Charlotte. But in Bolt Castle, nothing seems out of reach. Maybe it’s the positive and welcoming energy of those around her, but Charlotte feels rejuvenated here.
“So, Penelope is going to go down three or four times a day. Between those naps is a lot of feeding. We kind of have her on a schedule, but it is inconsistent. I worry that it’s not best for her, so you’ll be the one that regulates that.”
“Got it,” says Charlotte.
“I’ll also be asking you to do some light chores. But you’ll only be responsible for Penny-related things, like laundry and keeping her space clean. I wouldn’t expect you to be able to clean this whole mess of a place.”
“I can do that, no problem,” agrees Charlotte.
“We had a washer and dryer brought in when we settled here, so you don’t need wash clothes in the bay and beat them on rocks to dry or anything like that. We are not into that caveman bullshit around here.”
Charlotte laughs again. Avery really is a riot, especially when she talks about the castle and old fashioned ways of doing things.
“There’s definitely more stuff that will come up, but I’m going to need to rely on you to be there for Penelope. Especially in the middle of the night. She’s been sleeping alright, but Blake and I hear her little wails through our walls and have to check on her constantly. It would be great to finally be able to get a good night’s sleep again.”
“I totally understand.”
“One more thing,” Avery began. She sounded so serious that Charlotte stopped what she was doing to give Avery her full and undivided attention. “Mason’s a catch. If you want to jump on that, you have my full support.” Charlotte turns every shade of pink and red. Was her attraction to Mason that detectable?
“That’s...thank you,” Charlotte mutters. “But, I want to keep it professional. This is my job, and I won’t let anything compromise that.”
“I really admire your professionalism, but consider the fact that there’s now a fine line between your job and your life. You live here. You’ll be part of this family. You deserve to be happy,” Avery says.
Charlotte begins to sweat uncomfortably. While she appreciates Avery’s support, it’s all a little much. Just in the nick of time, a deep bellowing voice shouts from below.
“Dinner!” they hear.
“That’s Blake! Let’s go,” says Avery before handing Charlotte the baby monitor. “Never go anywhere without this, or the baby, of course.”
Charlotte grips the monitor and exhales deeply as she tries to settle into her new life.
Chapter 7
In the dining hall, the family congregates and Charlotte gets a glimpse of them as a whole for the first time. She and Avery approach the table, where Avery takes a seat next to Blake and motions for Charlotte to join her at the open seat to her left.
“Charlotte, I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet you, yet,” apologizes Blake in a deep voice that’s equal parts soothing and powerful. He reaches a hand across Avery to greet Charlotte.
“Oh, it’s no problem. It’s really great to meet you,” Charlotte says.
“How are you settling in so far?” Blake asks.
“I can’t believe it’s only been one day. I feel so welcomed here, like I’ve been here forever,” Charlotte describes.
Charlotte looks over to greet Ethan and Mika
yla. They are hand-in-hand next to Ellen and, based on what Ellen mentioned earlier, Douglas.
“Charlotte,” Ellen says. “This is Douglas.” They are too far away from each other at the table to shake hands, so Douglas waves at Charlotte with a smile.
“I’ve heard great things already!” Douglas shouts to Charlotte, who smiles shyly.
“Same to you!” she replies.
Then, Charlotte’s eyes find Mason and two men Charlotte doesn’t recognize standing in the corner of the room, talking seriously. They must be Xander and Chris. Charlotte has a feeling the tall one with the muscles and the furrowed brow is Xander, just based on context. Sure enough, Xander and Jenna grab each other’s hands and fill in the seats at the table. Xander makes eye contact with Charlotte and his face softens.
“Hi,” says Xander. “You must be Charlotte. Welcome to Bolt Castle!” Xander’s deep voice booms.
“Thanks for having me here,” says Charlotte. “It’s so beautiful. I don’t even have words to describe it.”
“I’m glad you think so. It’s been mine for years. I can’t believe it took me so long to settle down here, but I finally did.” Xander smiles at Jenna who smiles back, and Charlotte can feel the love between them. It warms her heart.
“I can’t even imagine owning a castle,” Charlotte remarks.
“I hardly can, either,” Xander says, and the table laughs.
Mason takes the seat that was conveniently left vacant next to Charlotte. He has the slightest smile on his face, and Charlotte wonders if he’s testing her. She wants to keep things platonic. Maybe she was flirty with him earlier in the day, but she’s changed her mind about that. Despite Avery’s blessing, she feels weird about getting romantically involved with someone at her place of work. She can’t help but be reminded of the pressure of finding a romantic relationship back in River Bend, and it makes her stomach churn. There’s so much beauty out here that Charlotte wants to absorb. She wants to spend her free time outside in the garden, reading, journaling, and giving herself time to learn more about who she is.
Then again, when Mason’s leg bumps into hers under the table, she feels woozy. She looks at him for any indication of whether it was an accident or an intentional flirtation, but he’s now staring ahead, deadpan. She looks around the table and realizes she still has not been introduced to Chris. His nervous energy is palpable all the way across the table. Ellen notices Charlotte looking over at him.
