It doesn't take long before they leave the city limits, the driver following only the verbal directions from Corbin, several made to deliberately confuse pursuers. A few minutes later they pull into a long brick drive, flanked by tall picturesque trees. Then it looms in front of them, the Manor is huge spanning out onto the grounds. It sits dark and ominous against the dark sky.
The SUV pulls to a stop in front of the massive oak doors. Corbin climbs out, holding the door for Iris.
"M'lady, may I present to you Villain Manor."
Iris takes his hand and steps out, looking around with wide eyes. She has been quiet on the ride there, patient that he would share his secret when they arrived, and now she finds that she is not disappointed.
When she is on the ground, she steps away from him and a wide smile breaks across her face.
"I knew it," she whispers, shaking her head at the dark Manor looming before them. |
He fumbled around in his pocket and produced a ring of keys, "The Villains moved from the Manor last year after their falling out with Moreno. Of course to the public, there was no falling out. Moreno tried to dominate the family in process making enemies of them all. Once he was removed from the grounds they built a new manor down in Yorktown. I used my influence to build the new manor in the likeness of the old. It was done in a matter of months. Aside from loosing my employers, I was glad that it burned down. It never matched the majesty of the old one."
He approached the old wooden doors and unlocked a key lock box handing from the front door handle. Deftly he unlocked the door and swung it open for her.
"Would you like the tour?"
Iris looks nothing but pleased, though her excitement is much more contained now than it was when she first stepped out of the SUV.
"I would very much like the tour, thank you."
She is still smiling widely as she steps up to the front door. As she steps inside, she looks back over her shoulder at him, a cocky gleam in her eye.
"I'm impressed, Mr. Corbin," she says to him, waiting for him to follow her inside and start the tour. |
"I had hoped that this would provide you the proof you needed." He smiled as his driver handed off a flashlight to him. Stepping into the darkness of the house he flicked on the torch and proceeded down the hall.
Huge marble stairs branched to either side of the foyer, statues line the walls in little alcoves. The light illuminates empty rooms, some furniture remains here and there draped with white cloth to prevent dust from accumulating.
Corbin points out small things describing how the used certain rooms before stepping off to the side. "Here is where the Family really lived, all the trappings that you've seen were merely quarters for their servants," he said as he moved a non-descript panel to reveal a key pad. "I would show you the undermanse but I was never given the code, and I very much doubt there is power running to it anymore. I can however show you Lucien's study."
Corbin lead the way up one of the marble stairs and toward the back of the house, only to open another set of large oak doors. The light revealing bits and pieces of beautiful carvings on the doors themselves, in reality they paled in comparison to what lay beyond. The study lays virtually untouched. Rich rugs line the floors leading to massive empty bookcases that lined the walls. Beautiful marble sculptures sit in the corners overlooking the whole room, like angels guarding a treasure. The center of the room is dominated by a large desk of exotic wood covered with months of dust. And beyond the desk a large bay window overlooking the grounds. Moonlight reaching in to touch all that it can, giving the room and strange picturesque yet phantasmal look.
"The Villain's truly had an unrivaled sense of style did they not?"
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