Samantha Knight swallowed hard, nervously trying to tame the wild gallops of her heart. The mansion looked forbiddingly opulent, like the French château she had seen in the travel books about Europe. Grand and dark. Screaming old money. Dark ivy vines climbed the walls, giving the illusion this place had been around for more than a few decades. But everything seemed to be in pristine condition. There were multi-car garages on the side. A tennis court. An Olympic-size swimming pool. Separated guesthouse. Gated entrance. Her gaze drifted upwards. The mansion even had its own freaking turrets. Sam could have imagined Rapunzel looking down from one of the arched windows, her long, golden braid cascading between the climbing roses, waiting for her knight in shining armour to save her. She shook off her wild imagination. Here we go. Sam took a deep breath and hoisted her luggage up the three dozen steps to the magnificent entrance. She stopped and searched for a doorbell. She didn’t find one.
