The closer that Esi got to her destination, the more she convinced herself that what she was doing was above and beyond. Luka could have come to her. Well, more like they could have found a central location or something.
The whole dinner thing was strange now that she thought about it.
What was he planning?
Her suspicions were aroused a little too late as her GPS showed that she had ten minutes before she arrived at her destination.
There was such a distinct difference as she drove into Westport. The high hedges and even higher trees that acted as walls for these large estates.
Esi knew that the Danvers were well off—Porte with his various vehicles.
However, this was borderlining on ridiculously rich.
She turned onto Greenbriar Lane, barely able to see the houses through the thickets. It was so dark with minimum street lights, very unlike how it was in the city. Her GPS eventually announced the destination on her right.
She turned her car into the driveway, only to be stopped by a gate flanked by a high stone wall.
Esi squinted her eyes and realized that there was a wire fence running through the trees, protecting the property.
There was a device with a flashing red light built into the wall with what appeared to be a camera.
She rolled down her window.
Click.
"Good Evening," came a deep voice from the intercom. "Could you please state your name and your reason for being here?"
Esi felt a little awkward with her head sticking out of her window into the cold Connecticut weather.
"Good Evening. I'm—she cleared her throat—My name is Esi...Elizabeth Solomon, and Luka Danvers should be expecting me for dinner," she answered.
"Ahh yes, Miss Solomon. We were expecting you," the voice responded. "Could you please hold your ID up to the camera?"
Esi dug her license out of her bag and held it up to the camera.
"Thank you... and could you please look directly into the camera."
A red light scanned down her face.
She hadn't anticipated security or even biometrics just to have dinner.
"Thank you again," he said. "You now enter."
Click.
Esi drove up the crushed stone driveway—she could hear the crunching of the stones as her car drove over them. There were soft lights on either side. When she glanced up, she noticed that the design of the lamps were reminiscent of the late 1700s' gas lamps.
Up ahead she could see the makings of a large fountain and behind it an even larger stone structure—a large sprawling house. The windows of which were lined with vines.
She would have loved to see it in the day—to be able to properly admire the architecture. But even now, illuminated by the soft yellow lights, shadows dancing against the stone walls, the twinkling night sky as a backdrop, it was a sight to behold despite the biting of the wind.
The car neared the fountain in the middle of what she could only describe to be a courtyard.
Where was she expected to park?
The driveway went around the fountain and led back out into the direction that she came from and along a path to the right. She could spy several closed garage doors to the side.
She turned right to drive around the fountain. As she was doing so, one of the large double doors at the front of the house flew open, and a figure scurried out towards the driveway.
Esi slowed down the car as they approached.
She came to a stop.
"Good Evening again, Miss Solomon." It was the same voice that had come through the intercom. She was able to quickly observe the gentleman. He wore a thick black coat over pressed grey trousers. There were white gloves adorning his hands which he now had clasped in front of him. Esi would estimate his age, in this dim lighting, to be in his early 60s.
"Good Evening," she murmured.
"Welcome to the Danvers Estate...My name is Theodore Turner,"He started with that deep timbre that she was still trying to pinpoint. "If you could please park your car at the side—he gestured slightly ahead of where she was currently stalling—and I'll direct you inside."
She nodded her head in understanding and said 'thank you'.
Esi drove her car forward and parked adjacent to the circular sidewalk.
She exited her vehicle.
"Is this fine?" She asked Mr. Turner, gesturing towards how she had parked.
"Perfectly acceptable," he responded.
What age were they living in? She mused to herself at his manner of speaking.
She stepped onto the paved sidewalk and made her way towards him. Esi tugged her coat even closer as she was assaulted by the chilly air.
She couldn't wait for spring.
"This way, ma'am," he instructed, pointing towards two large wooden doors.
She followed him. As they approached the doors, she realized that they were rectangular wooden doors built into an arched frame. At the sides of the doors were stained glasses. Before she could figure out what the artistry was, Mr. Turner had already opened the door. He held it open for her to pass through.
"Thank you, Mr. Turner."
His hand faltered on the door for a second, and when she looked up at him, there was a strange look in his eyes.
She stepped onto the carpeted floor and looked around. There was a semicircular desk that looked eerily like a reception area and a few waiting chairs. Stairs led upwards to another opening.
"Your coat please, ma'am." She was able to see Mr. Turner clearly in the brighter indoor lights. A clean shaven face with a few crow's feet, framed by thinning dark hair. There were tufts above his ears that were peppered with grey.
Mr. Turner's arms were out stretched waiting for Esi to remove her jacket, but she was stalling. For some reason, she began to second guess her choice of outfit. Or rather, Lena's choice.
From what she'd seen so far, the place was a bit posher than she'd expected.
They had a butler for goodness' sake.
"London!" A voice exclaimed the greeting from the entrance ahead. Esi saw Luka bundle down the stairs towards where she and Mr. Turner stood.
She observed him wearing a long-sleeved button up shirt and trousers. Esi couldn't recall a time where she'd ever seen him dressed so 'uncasual'. It's a good thing that she'd decided to dress up a bit because he didn't even have the decency to let her know the dress code.
She glanced down at his feet and saw a pair of Converses.
And of course there were the two small hoops adorning his ears.
There's the Luke that she knew. The sight of those shoes relaxed her nerves slightly.
"Good evening, Luke," she smiled at him.
"Good evening," he responded. Then, he turned to Mr. Turner. "I hope she didn't give you too much trouble, Teddy."
Her mouth fell open at his teasing.
"None at all, Master Luka," Mr. Turner responded. "She's rather polite unlike...others."
A look passed between the two men.
What was that about?
"Well..lucky you. You don't know the extent of her stubbornness," Luke was filled with glee as he continued to disparage her. "Just look at how she's holding her purse...if you weren't here...I'm sure I'd be getting smacked with it."
Esi was clutching her purse tighter, and she knew that the smack would be justified.
"I do not for a second believe that Miss Solomon would assault you in such a manner," Mr. Turner interjected on her behalf. She could see the twinkle of mirth in his eyes.
"Why thank you sir," she grinned and added a slight curtsy to Mr. Turner.
Luka shook his head, the left corner of his lip with the beauty mark above it moving upward into a full blown smile.
Her stomach swooped at the fact that his smile was eerily similar to that of his brother's.
"I see that she's enthralled you as well," Luke smirked to Mr. Turner. "She seems to have that effect on members of this family."
Esi felt her cheeks heat up from his words.
It was a pointed comment, but as he gave her that soft smile, her mind flashed back to when he asked her to come to dinner, and she hoped that she wasn't currently making a mistake.
"I'll help her with her coat,Teddy," Luke offered. "Delphine's waiting for you in the kitchen."
Mr. Turner looked exasperated. "I won't be able to eat dinner, if she continues to ask me to sample her cooking."
Luke held his hands up. "I know better than to get involved."
"Fine," Mr. Turner acquiesced. Then, he turned to Esi. "Do enjoy your dinner, Miss Solomon."
"Wait!" Luke stopped him, his face suddenly serious. "You're not staying for dinner?"
Mr. Turner shook his head. "I'm sorry...I hadn't intended to."
"You have to stay, Teddy," Luke gritted out. "He's here—
Please don't let the person that he's referring to be Porte.
"Teddy...please," Luke was almost pleading.
Mr. Turner sighed. "You won't always have a buffer, Master Luke...one day words will have to be said."
There was a beat that passed between them.
"I know. I'll figure it out by then," Luke said unconvincingly.
Mr. Turner hummed in disbelief then turned to Esi.
"It would seem as if I will be seeing you at dinner." He dipped his head slightly in acknowledgement, then pivoted on his feet up the stairs and through the doorway.
"Are you okay?" She asked Luke.
"I'm fine."
He said the words, but he didn't look it, as he clenched his fists at his side.
Luke relaxed.
She was hesitant to even ask, but putting her own feelings aside, she remembered the tension between him and Porte at the cafe. "Are you sure you're okay?" She looked up at him. "Did Porte do something?"
She cringed to even ask. Even though she and Porte hadn't spoken in a while, it felt wrong to even insinuate that he had done something. On the other hand, she could see that something— someone was bothering Luka.
The Luka Danvers that was always smiling and teasing.
Luka snorted and shook his head. "Can't even tell the last time I've seen my brother."
If his family hadn't seen much of him, then who was she to be graced with his presence or responses.
Still, she wondered how he was doing.
Luke must have seen the look on her face.
"Don't worry about Porte," he said resignedly . "He does this sometimes...disappearing."
Luke smiled at her— a contrast to what really lay in those honey brown eyes.
"Let me help you out of your coat," he murmured and came to stand behind her.
She caught a whiff of his scent as she shrugged out of her coat, switching her purse from one hand to the next. It was automatic for her mind to stray to his brother—to the subtle whiffs of bergamot.
He took her coat and she realized that he hadn't moved from behind her.
Esi whirled around in her boots.
"What is it—" she started to ask.
Luke was staring at her with her coat thrown over his hand. He looked at her from head to toe.
She ran her hand self-consciously against the side of her dress.
"London..." he said softly. Luke ran a hand through his soft brown hair, slightly darker at the damp roots. She could see the tick in his jaw.
"Maybe I should've been serious about the dinner invite," he said. " You look...lovely."
Not a word that she'd ever heard come out of his mouth or even expected to hear.
"Thank you," she replied. "You look nice as well. Esi smirked. "Especially the Converses."
Luke laughed and mumbled his thanks. He then walked towards the coat closet to hang her coat.
"Shall we?" He extended an arm towards her, and she didn't hesitate—he seemed like he could use a friend.
They walked up the stairs together, her arm tucked in his. As they entered the foyer, Luke halted their stride and peered down at her.
"For what it's worth, Esi...whatever my brother did that caused you to be avoiding him," he said softly. "He'd be an idiot to not let you be a part of his life."
Luke would never know how his words affected her then. How they would replay in her mind in the future. How they hinted to her what she had been beginning to realize—that maybe Porte had walls built up. That he would push away people that he cared about.
Esi had two options—She could delude herself into thinking that she was important enough and hope that she was the one to break through or she could hold on to her pride and forget about him completely.
A/N
Hello! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Any feedback is welcomed.