Page 33 of A Cornish Love Story
‘Georgie.’ I heard Ethan come up behind me and turned around, dropping my hands so I could see him. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘There must be other doors,’ I said. ‘Or we could … have you left that window open in the back, for old times’ sake? Some sentimentality would really help us right now.’
He put his hands on my shoulders. ‘I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen.’
‘I know.’ I said it automatically, butdidI know that? Was he really as helpless as he was making out? ‘Your Sparks system isn’t bug-free yet, is it?’
He rubbed his forehead. ‘It’s gone through thousands of hours of testing, and I don’t know what the fuck it’s doing.’ He glanced at the fireplace. It still had its original moulding, the floral designs that had been there for over two hundred years. ‘Do you remember that first night, when Orwell said there might be something dead shoved up the chimney?’
‘I think he said there might be a dead catup there. Thinking back, he could be properly creepy when he wanted to be.’ I shook my head. ‘But I also remember that you loved this fireplace, and it’s so gorgeous, now, the way you’ve restored it.’
‘It was important to me.’
‘Did you spend a lot of time here, during the build? Or did you only visit occasionally?’
‘I came as often as I could, to see how much progress had been made, see if things were going as planned.’
I nodded. ‘Well, they’re not going as planned right now. What options do we have left?’
Ethan’s hands were still on my shoulders, and I could feel the slow sweep of his index fingers as he rubbedthe juncture with my neck. I wasn’t sure he knew he was doing it, but it was sending soothing tingles down my spine and I didn’t want him to stop. ‘I can’t get in touch with anyone,’ he said. ‘Not Sarah or anyone else from the office. Aldo’s gone, and I can’t seem to call out, either from my mobile or the house’s communication system. Your phone’s the same?’
‘It has the little SOS thingy,’ I said, not adding that it was almost out of battery.
‘Right. And Sparks is firmly in Panic Room Mode, and—’
‘Panic Room Mode is activated,’ Sparks confirmed.
‘—my override code is doing nothing.’
‘OK,’ I said, my voice suddenly smaller. ‘So then … what? We break a window? fiddle the lock on one of the doors? Open a skylight and climb onto the roof?’
‘We can’t do any of those things,’ Ethan said quietly. ‘The build is too solid. And for some reason that I don’t understand, there are things stopping us gettingout, as well as anyone getting in.’
‘So that means we …’ I blinked a couple of times as darkness slid into the corners of my vision, blurring the edges of Ethan standing in front of me. ‘We’re trapped?’
‘We might have to wait it out a little.’ Ethan’s tentative tone told me he was hedging.
‘Wait out your automated Smart system until it gets bored and gives up existing? Wait until someone misses us, and traces our movements back here?’ I wondered how long it would take Spence to worry. I wassupposed to see her tomorrow, to update her on the event, but if I was a no-show, how long would it take her to realize something was wrong?
‘Sarah will get concerned.’
‘Even though you told her you’d be back later, on the train?’
Ethan glanced away from me.
‘She won’t start worrying for hours, then.’ Dread gnawed at my stomach.
‘Eventually, she’ll—’
‘We’re trapped,’ I said again. ‘We’re … not going to get out.’ I sucked in a breath, then another, wondering why the air wasn’t reaching my lungs.
‘Georgie, it’s OK.’ Ethan squeezed my shoulders. ‘We’re fine. We’re safe here. It’s not ideal, but it’s OK.’ He bent his knees, so he was on my eye level. ‘You’re all right, I promise.’
‘It’s just that I-I—’
‘I know,’ he murmured. ‘You don’t like being shut up anywhere. But we have space here, and—’
‘How do you know that?’
