CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX - UNCOVERING SCHEMES

Erik chuckled, but there was a hint of tension in his voice. "Define unusual. I once caught the gardener talking to the rosebushes as if they were old friends. Does that count?" Anna couldn't help but smile at the image, but she persisted. "I'm serious, Erik. Haven't you ever wondered about some of the locked rooms? Or why certain areas of the mansion are off-limits?" Erik's expression grew more serious. "Anna, in a house this size, with as much history as it has, there are bound to be areas that are private or simply unsafe due to age. It's not unusual." Anna nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Erik was deflecting. She decided to change tack. "Tell me about the history of this place. How long has your family owned it?" Erik seemed to relax a bit at this question. "The mansion has been in my family for generations. It was built by my great-great-grandfather in the late 1800s. He was quite the eccentric, from what I've heard. Had a passion for architecture and supposedly