The Bed You Make
Chapter 7, Continued
Dara's smug amusement at having turned the tables on her new husband disappeared the moment they entered Wyndemere. “I must leave you to your own devices momentarily,” Stefan apologized. He stopped just across Wyndemere's threshold. “There are several matters which require my attention. I shall rejoin you in our suite of rooms shortly.” Politely he waited for Dara to leave.
“Do you require assistance to commence?” Stefan inquired. “Certainly one with such highly developed powers of observation as you claim would not require it.”
“What?” Dara replied, absently. “Of course not.” Dara sensed her new groom's amusement at her hesitation. Stefan seemed to think that she was uncertain about which direction to go among the countless passageways that filled Wyndemere. But nothing could have been further from the truth. Dara was in shock from the realization that she had given no thought to the small matter of her sleeping arrangements for that night – or nights to come. Stefan's words – ‘our suite of rooms' – were a jarring wake-up call.
Straightening her shoulders, Dara gathered her thoughts and confidently set off down the hallway that branched off to the right. For nearly five minutes of twists and turns she strode briskly through the somber passageways. Only when she approached another branching hallway did the new Mrs. Cassadine realize that she had come full circle back to the spot where her husband stood waiting with a smug half-smile upon his handsome face. “ Damn! ” Dara swore softly underneath her breath.
“Perhaps your powers of observation are not as keen as you believe.” There was no mistaking the smug satisfaction Stefan took in pointing out Dara's error.
“My powers of observation are just fine,” Dara retorted. “I made one wrong turn along hallways I have only spent a few minutes traveling. If I retrace my steps and correct my original error, I am sure I will find the suite just fine.”
Stefan nodded once. “As you wish. But if you have not successfully navigated these passageways by the time I have completed my business, should I initiate a search for you? Or simply trust that your powers of observation will eventually prevail?”
“Ha, ha.” Dara leveled a withering glare at Stefan and then headed down the hallway once more. Head up and spine straight, she refused to glance back over her shoulder to see whether he watched her progress or not. With a confidence she suddenly did not feel, Dara turned left and made her way down a long, curving passageway. The light that spilled into the end of the passageway confirmed for Dara that she'd finally made her way to the family's private wing of Wyndemere. The hallway leading to the suites was lined with portraits of dark-haired, stern-faced Cassadine progenitors. The light that spilled into the other hallways came from the modern spotlights that illuminated each portrait. “ Ha! So there !” Dara whispered triumphantly as she pulled open the door to the suite she shared with Stefan.
Her pleasure was short-lived. She stood in the middle of the massive bedroom and stared at the bed so prominently centered there. It was undoubtedly custom made. Dara estimated that it was at least two sizes larger than an ordinary king-sized bed. Yet, when she imagined herself sharing it with Stefan Cassadine, the massive bed seemed far too small.
