No rats. No people. She could move forward.
She took a step into the next room, remembering what Mrs. Hocking had said. The castle was round, but half of it was unsafe. The center of the circle was a courtyard, then there were wooden steps into the main hall which was a huge empty room except for a long table and a stone fireplace. To the right was the kitchen, through the door to the left was the master’s chamber. To Li-Na’s shock, they’d walked straight through the master’s bedroom, bypassing stacks of books and what appeared to be paintings stacked against the wall. Then through that to the master’s workroom and then another door into the lady’s salon where she slept.
Two steps into the master’s workroom now. A dark figure loomed to her left and she jumped backwards. The figure moved weirdly on the far wall, and she bit back a scream lest she attract its attention. It was…it appeared…
A shadow.
From a statue. A figurine of a lady with a fan as she gazed into the distance.
And now that Li-Na looked, there were other small figurines set in a crate on the far wall, some packed, some half out. But this lady stood on top of a small table near enough to Li-Na to cast a shadow.
No vermin. No people.
She should look around some more.
She noted the framed paintings set against the wall such that she only saw their backs. There was an open ledger on the center table which she found very reassuring. Numbers in an account book were familiar to her. She wanted to study it, but she wouldn’t do such a thing while the dark void of the master’s chamber remained open. She walked through the workroom to cast her light into Lord Daniel’s bedroom.
She waited at the edge of the doorway first, listening for the sound of breath, the rumble of a snore, or the skitter of tiny paws whether from vermin or maybe a dog.
Nothing. She dared to cast her light into the room. Everything remained exactly as it had been when Mrs. Hocking took her so quickly through the man’s bedroom. Bed. Books. Dark fireplace. And shoes.
Li-Na smiled at the sight of those shoes. Heavy, work boots sat in order next to glossy hessians beside a pair of buckled court shoes. Two different court shoes, in fact, one with a silver buckle and the other sporting an older style shoe rose.
Four pairs of shoes which told her without a shadow of a doubt that Lord Daniel was wealthy. Five pairs, she now realized, unless the man was up and about without anything on his feet. And if the size of his wardrobe was any indication, then he had an equally large amount of clothing. Also, his bedding seemed lush given the curtains that surrounded it, and the carpet beside his bed was…
Her breath caught. It was an animal pelt of some sort and she had no wish to step upon it. Fortunately, the head was turned away from her, so she didn’t have to see the outline of eyes and mouth. She was more taken with the scent that filled the room. It was earthy, she thought, unlike anything she had encountered before. Not unpleasant, just different from anything she’d encountered in London. She smiled as she inhaled again.
“Crotchety beast!”
Li-Na jolted as she heard what she thought was a man’s voice. Her body tensed and that set the candle flame to dancing which made the shadows pulse and leer. She shut her eyes to them, straining to hear more.
Was that a whinny? Impossible to tell. But whatever it was, she had no desire to be caught standing here in the master’s chamber. She could return backwards to her room and wait or press ahead. It was a hard choice, but she reminded herself that ignorance helped no one. Knowledge lay ahead in the great hall, and so she went there.
No vermin. No people. But she saw an abundance of black squiggles made huge in the cavernous room.
She remembered the large table in the middle of the hall, and even if she didn’t, it was hard to miss because the squiggles seemed to love it. They rose from the bench or curled around the edges, but only in her peripheral vision. She skirted the whole thing as she walked steadily to the doorway. But long before she got to it, she heard the conversation.
“As if I’m to blame for the wind! He’s got a better bed then I do in this ramshackle place and still he must complain. Every. Single. Time.”
The door was hauled open, letting a gust of wind blow the large hall. She’d been standing near enough that her candle blew out. The sudden darkness wasn’t startling. The bite of hot wax on her hand was, and she gasped.
“Who’s there!”
It wasn’t a question as much as a demand. She knew better than to remain silent since this wasn’t a situation where she could slink away. And still the words were hard to push through her constricted throat.
“No one important, my lord,” she said.
He snorted at that as he brought a lantern inside and lifted it high. She remained still, her breath short and tight as he peered at her. He was no doubt inspecting her from top to bottom, but as the light was next to his face, she got a better view.
He had a broad face and thick eyebrows which gave him a dour look, especially as his eyes narrowed to look at her. She also saw that his nose and forehead were long and strong, reflecting the wealth he had now and that he would undoubtably maintain well into the future. A glance at his earlobes confirmed that as they were also full enough to indicate great luck.
According to the Chinese way of thinking, he had a fortunate face, but Li-Na knew to look closely at a man’s mouth. Too toothy a grin, and he was a liar. Too thin in lip, and he would suck sourness into every aspect of his life. A pursed mouth tasted and tasted and never committed to anything. And a mouth that moved constantly meant the man was chewing on grievances until he grew bitter.
And what did this man do? Everything in a fluid motion of sourness, commitment, grievance, and welcome. As if he would not settle on one thing but wished to feel it all. The smile was where he landed at the end. A curve of his lips without showing teeth as he rocked back on his heels.
Even frightened as she was, she saw that he was handsome. Especially when he spoke her name in a gentle tone.
“Miss Lina?”
