Ribbon of Steele: A Romance of Suspense (5 page)

15

At five before six o'clock, the antique Duesenberg slowed to a stop in front of Nicole's apartment. Out of the car stepped Mackenzie's driver James. He quickly ascended the six steps to Nicole's door and rang the doorbell.

"He's here," Nicole yelled under her breath from the living room. She opened the door, and James waited patiently in the foyer with his arms laced behind his back.

Lizzie entered the living room. She wore a long formal black dress she had borrowed from Nicole, and her hair was tied back with a black satin ribbon. She felt sexy, but unsure. It seemed like everyone else knew more about this guy than she did. It was too late to turn back now. She stood in front of the door so James wouldn't see the couch full of laundry.

"Mr. Steele wished that I might escort you to Pemlilly as he is detained with the preparation of dinner," said James.

"I hate it when that happens," said Nicole jokingly from the living room.

Lizzie shot her a glare while trying not to laugh.

Quietly, she wondered if Mackenzie was actually cooking dinner. She pictured him in an apron, flying around the kitchen and barking out orders to chefs in white coats
.
Why does he never have a shirt on in my thoughts.

"Shall we go ma'am?", James asked politely.

The air had grown cold as she stepped out onto the street, and she was happy she had remembered her shawl. James held her door, and she stepped into the back seat of the Duesenberg. The chestnut leather seats were luxurious, and the wood grain trim added a richness seen only in a fine antique.

As James began the drive to Pemlilly, Lizzie was deep in thought. She was out of her comfort zone, and it made her highly uneasy. The only thing higher than her anxiety was her desire to see Mackenzie again. She thought about how foolish she had been after their first meeting. There was no way she could put him out of her mind, but the thought of feeling desire again left her head swimming
.
It's just dinner. I can do it if it's just dinner.

To quell her anxiety, she began following the scenery. The car was now in a steep climb as the road became more winding and the lights more sparse. Trees overhung the road in a perfect high canopy making it seem much later in the evening. The Duesenberg traveled around one more curve and slowed just shy of two massive iron gates. The gates slowly swung open, and the powerful engine of the Duesenberg pushed them forward into Pemlilly. The car circled around the driveway, and Lizzie got her first look at the massive estate. The stone arches and spires made the estate look more like a castle than a home. The main yard was perfectly flat, and a large fountain sprayed a plume of water high into the air. Perfectly kept gardens flanked the car on both sides as it rumbled confidently up the driveway.

As the car rolled towards the massive front entrance, Lizzie felt another pang of anxiety.

Its ok Lizzie. Relax. Deep breaths.

James opened her door, and she exited the car. She felt small as she entered the house through two large oak doors. James took her shawl, and she looked up at the ceiling of the great room just beyond the large stone entryway. The ceiling was breathtakingly painted with mythological scenes. The waning light of the day shone in from the front windows, and the ceiling looked almost alive. She took two steps forward and strained her neck upward.

"It's Roman," she heard a voice say as she moved her gaze from the ceiling.

"Roman mythology," Mackenzie said taking a quick glance at the ceiling before smiling at her. He took two strides towards her, and held out his hand. She took it, and he raised it slowly to his lips. Locking eyes, he kissed her hand.

"Thank you for coming," he said. "I'm sorry I was detained, but I..."

"You were cooking," finished Lizzie smiling.

Mackenzie turned his gaze towards James who was staring directly ahead without showing expression.

"I'll bring Dizzy back to the garage, sir," said James cracking a small smile.

"I'm sure dinner will be wonderful," Lizzie said to Mackenzie as she wondered who James was referring to.

He smiled and looked deep into her eyes. He was dressed in a starched white dress shirt and neatly pressed navy wool pants
.
God he's sexy
.
Her insides stirred
.
Easy Lizzie, easy.

"Shall we?", Mackenzie asked as he motioned to a doorway far down the massive great room.

As they walked through the great room, Lizzie could see a double staircase at the opposite end and four large doors on each corner of the room. She wanted to stop and marvel at the intricate stone carvings and rich mahogany that adorned the room, but there was too much to take in.

Good lord this place is amazing. You could spend a month here and not see it all.

As Mackenzie led her through the archway of the door, she realized she was now in a sitting room. Several comfortable chairs were placed around the room, and the tapestries, drapes, and large woven carpets gave the room a cozy feel in spite of its size. On the far end of the room, a large fireplace was glowing, and produced a loud crackling that could be heard from across the room. Two leather chairs with a small table between them were placed in front of the fire.

"I must admit Lizzie, I am bit embarrassed," said Mackenzie. "You're an interior designer and I don't think we've had anything done here since the 80s."

"The 1880's?", Lizzie quickly quipped without thinking.

Mackenzie looked at her for a moment, and broke into a laugh.

"You know, you might be right," he said pretending to ponder.

"Mackenzie, this place is breathtaking," she said.

He escorted her to her seat, and James entered with a silver tray and two glasses.

"Wine, Miss. Fox?", he asked.

Lizzie hesitated for a moment to give James a small nod.

"Thank you," Lizzie said as she removed a glass from the tray.

"Thank you James," Mackenzie said removing the second glass.

He sat forward in his chair, and raised his glass towards her.

"To new and unexpected friendships," he said with a boyish grin.

She raised her glass slightly, and took a small sip. The dryness of the Cabernet bit her tongue as she swallowed, and she wondered if he had chosen the wine based on their first conversation. She watched as Mackenzie also took a sip without removing his gaze.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me again Lizzie," he said smiling. "To be honest, I really wanted to see you again."

"Me too," Lizzie said.

They sat for a moment in silence, both gazing into the fire.

"And what has the chef prepared us for dinner this evening Mr. Steele?", she asked, smiling and winking in his direction
.
Did that come off as too flirty
?
She didn't know where her confidence was coming from, but she took another small sip of her wine.

"I just took care of dessert," he said smiling. "They stopped letting me cook at this restaurant years ago."

Lizzie shook her head. "Well, your restaurant makes a hell of a first impression," she said smiling. "Tell me about Pemlilly," she said.

Mackenzie swirled his wine and looked up at the ceiling. "My great-grandfather bought the land. Actually, the legend is that he won it in a poker game, but either way...," Mackenzie said laughing. "He built the main estate. My grandfather was a pilot in WWII and he basically just used the estate for hunting," Mackenzie said, pausing to take a sip. "And my father had to bring the estate back to where you see it today. It was a real wreck, but he put it back together brick by brick." Mackenzie paused, appearing to be deep in thought.

"When my father passed away, he left me Pemlilly and the antique Duesenberg you rode in tonight."

Lizzie remembered what James had said earlier as he left to park the car.

"Who's Dizzy?", she asked after a moment.

"I was hoping you didn't catch that," said Mackenzie smiling. "It's a bit embarrassing."

Lizzie laughed, "Ok, now I have to know."

Mackenzie shook his head.

"Yes!", laughed Lizzie urging him on.

"Ok," said Mackenzie throwing up his hands and grinning.

"When I was a little kid, I couldn't say Duesenberg and I called it a dizzy. I guess the name sort of stuck," he said.

"What?", he asked Lizzie after a moment. She was studying him with one eye closed and a thin smile.

"I was just wondering what you were like as a little kid," she said. "I bet you were a terror to your poor mother and father."

Lizzie studied Mackenzie further
.
He was probably adorable as a kid.

He laughed, "Maybe a little. I've never been what you would call a calm person."

"Well, you seem pretty calm to me," Lizzie said as she looked deep into his eyes.

She hadn't thought about what they might talk about or how she would feel. If she had, she might have been more worried, but the conversation seemed to come so naturally.

Lizzie listened as Mackenzie talked about being a kid at Pemlilly. He had Lizzie rolling when he told her about riding down the main staircase in a pedal car. For all of the opulence, it seemed like Mackenzie had a pretty normal upbringing.

When he had asked, Lizzie told him about school and how she fell in love with design.

"I just sat there one day and realized that it was how I wanted to spend my life," said Lizzie. "Wow, that came off as really corny, didn't it?", she said laughing. "It's true though."

Lizzie talked about the museum and how she had worked tirelessly on designing the ceiling.

It was if he had a way of bringing things out of her. It made her feel confident and sexy and she liked it. She didn't even hear James enter the room calling them to dinner.

Mackenzie rose from his chair and extended his hand. She took it, and remembered its warm strength from their first meeting. He didn't release her hand this time, and led her from the sitting room into a smaller more intimate room towards the rear of the house.

The windows extended from floor to ceiling, and she could see the skyline of the city twinkling far below the expanse of the estate. A small candle lit table was immaculately dressed in fine linens and china. Mackenzie followed her to her chair, and pulled it out for her to sit.

James entered and placed their plates in front of them. The chef had prepared bacon wrapped fillet mignon, seasoned mashed potatoes and a spinach salad. Lizzie placed her napkin in her lap and looked across the table.

At first, she had been nervous about coming here for a first date, but now she couldn't imagine it any other way. She had to keep reminding herself that she was on a date at all.  This wasn't a typical first date at a slightly upscale restaurant and an awkward first kiss. She looked down at what the chef had prepared.

"This looks amazing," Lizzie said with a smile as she took a small bite.

Mackenzie grinned and sat back in his chair studying her. "So tell me about Lizzie, where did you grow up?"

Lizzie looked back at his smiling face and took a deep breath. "In a small town," she answered softly. "I think there were only like three-thousand people. I'd probably still be there if it wasn't for Nicole dragging me here."

Lizzie told him about growing up and going camping with her dad. He laughed when she told him that her town didn't even have a street light.