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Most of all, the numerous uncanny things that happened at three oh three.
Not to mention, Dorothy giving me the fatal clue as to what killed her. Or my dreams telling me about Rose and Joan before I even knew they existed.
Oh, and one couldn’t forget that something pulled that throw off my head so I didn’t tumble all the way down the stairs.
It sounded crazy, but even so. It didn’t just fly off.
This house was looking after me. I felt it. I knew it.
But…whatever.
Coincidence or supernatural, I had no argument with the results.
“One last question. What happened to Joan, George’s mother?”
“This is still a mystery, perhaps solved by what Joan wrote in the journals herself, and what Virginia discovered later. This being the butler at the time, a prim and proper man by the name of Johnson, found himself in the most unfortunate of circumstances. He fell in love with a maid. After some time of longing glances, eventually unable to resist her pull, they began an affair. Joan discovered it and had him sacked, without references, the maid too. They couldn’t find employment without references, fell on hard times, and Johnson and Joan were seen later, arguing in the village. That very night, she was hung in the buttery. Johnson, nor the maid he’d taken as his wife, were seen again.”
“So…the butler did it.”
Her lips quirked. “It would seem so.”
“A lot sure has gone on is this house.”
Her gaze slid to the books momentarily and then she gave me a small smile and said, “You can’t imagine.” She stood. “Now let’s get to bed. If you’d like to read some tomorrow before you leave, I’ll run interference for you. In the meantime, I’ll keep these safe for you.”
I still wasn’t sure they’d be mine because I wasn’t sure Ian would remain mine.
But I hoped he would, so I grinned at her and said, “Thanks.”
We turned out the lights and headed together into the hall, yes, you guessed it, arm in arm.
We made it to the foyer.
And as we did, sensing movement, we both looked up.
And at the body in the black dress plummeting down, I let out a blood-curdling scream.
Thirty-Nine
THE CULPRIT
The body careened off Persephone, and with a deafening crash, fell to the floor and flew apart on impact.
Jumping back, I screamed again.
My heart in my throat, Lady Jane and I clutching each other, I stared in shock, and it took a long moment for me to realize it was a mannequin dressed in a black flapper dress. The platinum wig on her head having flown off on landing, was resting several feet away.
I heard running steps, a commotion upstairs, a man’s grunt, and I turned to Jane and ordered, “Stay here, I’m getting Ian.”
I was halfway around the first flight when the lights came on, blinding me.
I then heard a man shout, “Stay right there!”
I looked up, my eyes adjusting to the light, and saw Sam leaning over the balustrade on the first floor, pointing at me.
When I stood still, he took off running.
Not away.
