The boots retreated out of her vision. A burst of music came from below, followed by a shouted argument.
The room was quiet.
She was shivering; if she was going to spend the night hiding, she needed a blanket. Shed better get it now. She eased herself away from the wall.
But as she slid her hand out, a rough hand grabbed it.
So there you are!
He yanked her outshe clutched at the bed frame, cold steel scraping her hands, and began to scream. Her terrified cries filled the room, filled the house
And she woke, sweating, screaming, hearing Jesss worried voice. Hey, Cassie, are you OK?
The tendrils of the nightmare still lurked, waiting to draw her back in. She could feel the raw grazes on her arm where the rusty bed frame had cut her. She pressed her fingers there and was relieved to find unbroken skin. Opening her eyes wide, she switched on the overhead light to chase the darkness away.
Im fine. Bad dream, thats all.
Do you want some water? Some tea? I can call the flight attendant.
Cassie was going to refuse politely, but then she remembered she should take her meds again. If one tablet didnt work, two would usually stop the nightmares from recurring.
Id love some water. Thank you, she said.
She waited until Jess wasnt looking and quickly swallowed another pill.
She didnt try to sleep again.
During the planes descent, she swapped phone numbers with Jessand just in case, she took down the name of the family Jess would be working for, and their address. Cassie told herself it was like an insurance policy, that hopefully if she had it, she wouldnt need it. They promised each other that the first chance they got, they would tour Versailles Palace together.
As they taxied into Charles de Gaulle Airport, Jess gave an excited laugh. Quickly, she showed Cassie the selfie her family had taken for her while waiting. The attractive couple and two children were smiling, holding a board with Jesss name on it.
Cassie had received no messageMaureen had just said she would be met at the airport. The walk to passport control seemed endless. She was surrounded by the babble of conversations in a host of different languages. Tuning in to the couple walking alongside her, she realized how little spoken French she was able to understand. Reality was so different from the school classes and language tapes. She felt scared, alone, and sleep deprived, and she was suddenly aware of how crumpled and sweaty her clothes were, compared to the elegantly clad French travelers around her.
As soon as she had her bags, she hurried to the restroom, put on a fresh top, and fixed her hair. She still didnt feel ready to meet her family and had no idea who would be waiting. Maureen had told her the house was over an hours drive from the airport, so perhaps the children hadnt come along. She shouldnt look out for a big family. Any friendly face would do.
But in the sea of people watching her, she saw no recognition, even though shed placed her Maureens Au Pairs backpack prominently on the luggage cart. She walked slowly from the gate to the arrivals lounge, looking anxiously for someone to spot her, wave, or call out.
But everyone there seemed to be waiting for someone else.
Grasping the carts handle with cold hands, Cassie zigzagged around the arrivals hall, searching in vain as the crowds gradually dispersed. Maureen hadnt said what to do if this happened. Should she call someone? Would her phone even work in France?
And then, as she made one final, frantic pass round the floor, she noticed it.
CASSANDRA VALE.
A small notice board, held by a lean, dark-haired man in a black jacket and jeans.
Standing near the wall, absorbed by his phone, he wasnt even looking for her.
She approached uncertainly.
HiIm Cassie. Are you? she asked, the words trailing off as she realized she had no idea who he could be.
Yes, he said in strongly accented English. Come this way.
She was about to introduce herself properly, to speak the words shed rehearsed about how excited she was to be joining the family, when she saw the laminated card on his jacket. He was just a taxi driver; the card was his official airport pass.
The family hadnt bothered to come and meet her at all.
CHAPTER THREE
The cityscape of Paris unfolded as Cassie watched. Tall apartments and somber industrial blocks gradually gave way to treed suburbia. The afternoon was cold and gray, with patchy, blowing rain.
She craned to see the signboards they passed. They were heading toward Saint Maur, and for a while she thought that might be their destination, but the driver passed the turnoff and continued on the road out of town.
How much further? she asked, attempting conversation, but he grunted noncommittally and turned the radio up.
Rain pattered on the windows and the glass felt cold against her cheek. She wished shed taken her thick jacket from the trunk. And she was starvingshe hadnt eaten breakfast and thered been no opportunity to buy food since.
After more than a half hour, they reached open countryside and drove alongside the Marne River, where brightly painted barges provided a splash of color in the grayness, and a few people, swathed in raincoats, walked under the trees. Some of the trees branches were already bare, others still clothed in russet-gold leaves.
Its very cold today, isnt it? she observed, giving conversation with the driver another try.
His only response was a muttered Ouibut at least he turned the heater on, and she could stop shivering. Cocooned in the warmth, she slipped into an uneasy doze as the miles flew past.
Sharp braking and the blare of a horn startled her awake. The driver was forcing his way past a stationary truck, turning off the highway onto a narrow, tree-lined road. The rain had cleared and in the low evening light, the autumn vista was beautiful. Cassie stared out the window, taking in the rolling landscape and the patchwork tapestry of fields interspersed with huge, dark forests. They passed by a vineyard, the neat rows of grapevines curving round the hillside.
Slowing his speed, the driver passed through a village. Pale stone houses with arched windows and steeply sloped, tiled roofs lined the road. Beyond, she saw open fields, and glimpsed a canal lined by weeping willows as they cruised by a stone bridge. The tall church spire drew her gaze and she wondered how old the building was.
This must be close to the chateau, she guessed, perhaps even in its local neighborhood. Then she changed her mind as they left the village behind and wound further into the hills, until she was totally disoriented and had lost sight of that tall spire. She hadnt expected the chateau to be so remote. She heard the GPS give a Lost Signal notification and the driver exclaimed with annoyance, picking up his phone and glancing closely at the map while he drove.
And then, a right turn through high gateposts and Cassie sat straighter, staring down the long, gravel driveway. Ahead, tall and elegant, with the setting sun highlighting its stone-clad walls, was the chateau.
Tires crunched on stone as the car stopped outside a high, imposing entrance and she felt a stab of nerves. This home was far bigger than shed imagined. It was like a palace, topped with tall chimneys and ornate turrets. She counted eighteen windows, with elaborate stonework and detailing, on the two stories of its commanding frontage. The house itself overlooked a formal garden, with immaculately trimmed hedges and paved pathways.