Chateau of Secrets: A Novel Read Online Free

blackness, the smoke, she ran west. Back toward the safety of her home, toward her father and brother.
    Hundreds of people dashed back over the bridge alongside her, but on the other side of the river, she ducked into a narrow passage between the towering hedgerows. Her legs burned as she ran down another passage and then out into the forest of tangled hawthorns and apple trees.
    Branches slapped against her body, the thorns snagging her arms and clothes. She shielded her face, rushing past the dozens of wooden beehives among the trees. She didn’t stop until ahead of her, concealed in the forest, she saw a cottage. The home of her friends, André and Nadine Batier.
    An aeroplane dipped over the trees, and she shivered. The château was still a kilometer away.
    If the Batiers hadn’t run away, perhaps she could wait with them until first light. Then she would meet Philippe back at the château.

— CHAPTER 4 —
    A crystal chandelier rained shards of light over the crowded ballroom. Columns of red, white, and blue balloons swayed at the front, on each side of the podium. There were two rows of chairs along the walls and in the middle of the room was an open space crowded with several hundred people. Under the archway at the back of the room, a buffet table teemed with hors d’oeuvres, but no one in the room seemed to be eating.
    I eyed the table of food from afar. No one on Austin’s staff wanted to insult me by explaining protocol, but on nights like this it would have been nice if Olivia Larson, Austin’s campaign manager, handed me a brief list of the dos and don’ts. The most pressing question being, was the candidate’s fiancée allowed to eat the stuffed mushrooms and crab wontons? Or was she simply to stand and smile?
    It seemed such a waste to leave all that food on the table, especially when I’d had no time for either lunch or dinner. My tight dress wouldn’t allow me to do anything except nibble, but it wouldn’t pay for me to pass out during the function either.
    Austin’s parents were at the front of the room, and as I inched toward the buffet, Mrs. Vale eyed me from afar. With her slow nod of greeting, I knew she was scrutinizing my appearance aswell, from my heels up to my hair. Like I was a package for display.
    Perhaps I should have worn a bow.
    Austin stood near his mother, hemmed in by admirers. With his wavy black hair parted on the side, his tuxedo a perfect fit, he breathed confidence. I admired him for a moment, like the hordes of women who gawked whenever we went out. Then I stepped closer.
    His familiar laughter sounded genuine, his gaze focused on the man he spoke with, like his colleague was the only person who mattered in the world. The older constituents liked to compare his charisma and his appearance to JFK’s. The younger ones said he looked more like Patrick Dempsey. Personally I thought he was even more handsome than either man.
    When Austin’s gaze met mine, he greeted me with his smile, his gaze admiring my dress. After clapping the shoulder of his friend, he turned and kissed me on the cheek. “You look amazing.”
    I smiled back. “Thank you.”
    “I was worried.”
    “I’m sorry.” I reached for his hand, lacing my fingers through his. “Last day of school, you know.”
    “I thought your day ended at three.”
    “Tommy Dawson stayed after. He—”
    Austin’s attention wandered over my shoulder. Fifteen seconds into the conversation, and I’d already lost him. He let go of my hand, stepping around me to greet one of the trustees from the University of Richmond. Sighing, I inched back toward the banquet table. Sometimes it seemed as if I was the only person who couldn’t hold his attention.
    But it was only a season. After the wedding, we’d have a whole week together, not a constituent in sight. And then a lifetime of nights to ourselves.
    I reached for a plate on the table.
    “Chloe!” Olivia, the thirtysomething woman whom Austin had hired to be his campaign