“There’s not an easy way to say this,” he said, rubbing the side of his face. He glanced around at the high balconies overlooking the main room, at the windows, and amidst the drizzling rain outside, he said, “Someone’s trying to kill me. And it’s one of the guests here tonight.”
Chapter Two
Violet stared ather uncle. “Are you mad? Do you mean to say you accepted a bet to hunt down a ghost, and by the way, someone is trying to kill you, so you decided to throw a party?”
“And invite all the suspects, yes,” he said. “What better way to sort out the innocent from the guilty?”
He is not a retired county magistrate for nothing, she supposed.
“And you have reason to believe one member of the party here wants you dead?”
“They all do,” he said. “Well… Maybe not all. Perhaps only one. But… each, other than you, has a reason to dislike me, I think. I could be wrong.”
“Uncle…”
“Look. Hear me out, and help me through this little party of mine tonight. I trust you. Then if you don’t believe me or want out, you can take a carriage home tomorrow morning with the others. At least you’ll be one hundred pounds richer.”
“What’s this I hear about one hundred pounds?” a male voice asked.
Edwin and Violet looked up. There on the balcony stood a well-dressed young man. In a day suit of green jacket, golden-cream colored waistcoat, and beige trousers, he looked every inch the young rake, ready to dash about town.
“Ah, Mr. Ludlow. Done at the bookmaker’s, eh? Looks like you lost your pocket watch,” Uncle Edwin teased. “Do join us. I never even heard you coming. But then my old ears aren’t what they used to be.”
Mr. Ludlow’s face was cold for a moment at her uncle’s words, then quickly shifted to a smile as he ran a hand through his combed, black hair.
“Griffin, you sly dog, your ears are better than mine, I dare say.” Mr. Ludlow crossed the balcony and descended the grand staircase. “Now, who is this lovely, young woman and where can I pick up my one hundred pounds?”
“All will be explained at dinner,” Uncle Edwin said. “Violet, meet Mr. Albion Ludlow. Ludlow, my niece, Miss Violet Thorn.”
They bowed and curtsied to one another. “Charmed,” Mr. Ludlow said.
Edwin said, “Violet, I suspect you’d like to freshen up before we eat. If you go up the stairs and through the corridor, your room is the third on the right, at the end of the hall. Mr. Ludlow, would you be so kind as to show my niece the way?”
“It would be my pleasure.” Mr. Ludlow extended a hand for her to precede him, and she walked up the stairs. The more gentlemanly thing would have been for him to offer her his arm, but never mind.
It wasn’t long before Violet felt eyes on her. She glanced back at Mr. Ludlow, who was glancing at her bottom. Meeting her eyes, he smiled at her sheepishly and raised his gaze to her face. “This is a lovely house,” he said. “Rather Gothic.”
“Yes. My uncle likes it. How did you two meet?”
Mr. Ludlow’s grin widened. “Looking after the old man, eh? We met at the racetrack. He likes a good bet, your uncle. He remembered me from long ago—he once picked me up for theft as a child, but I’ve since changed my ways. Anyway, we got to talking about the horses and he’s a jolly good chap, so he invitedme up for the night. I didn’t think it would be so dark and dreary, though. It’s enough to scare anyone.”
They crossed around the balcony and entered through a narrow, curved doorway that opened to a long corridor. The corridor was lit with small candles dotting the walls in between aged portraits, but at the very end of the hallway stood a woman.
She was tall and wore a rustic patterned shawl, like what one might see a peasant woman wear, or a mystic. She looked like some sort of Romani fortuneteller out of legend. Even though she must be at least fifty feet away, there was no mistaking her hard stare.
Violet stopped in her tracks. She and the woman stared at one another, and Violet felt a chill run down her spine as if a breath of cold air whispered against the back of her neck. The air in the corridor felt chilly, and damp, as if she stood somewhere dark.
“Miss Thorn?” Mr. Ludlow said.
“Yes?” Violet turned to look at him.
“You are distracted.”
“What?” She looked back at the woman, but she wasn’t there.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m fine. That woman scared me.”
