Halton Cray (Shadows of the World Book 1) by N.B. Roberts Page B

reason
for it. Something that her mind could accept. She would refuse point-blank to
believe anything else. I don’t believe you would.’ He paused, looking to the
door. ‘I think I hear the sceptic now, probably looking for you, her charge.’
He half-smiled and turned away.
    I realised my break was over ten minutes ago. I
rushed to the door without looking back at him. Frances met me there.
    ‘Doreen’s wondering where you are. You’d better be
quick!’
    I thanked her and hurried out to the front desk to
find the tapping noise still going on.
    When Mrs Evans walked by she never said a thing,
just chewed away on some nicotine gum (I’d seen a packet lying about).
    I was not long at my desk before –
    ‘Still being tortured?’ Amusement coated Thom’s
voice. He stopped a few feet from my desk.
    ‘As you can hear.’
    ‘It suddenly dawned on me what the cause might
be.’ He jangled his keys.
    ‘You mean aside from my mental health?’
    ‘It seemed the only explanation earlier, Cassandra .
You looked half mad with alarm, and perhaps half puzzled.’
    ‘I’m not alarmed, just annoyed – by that noise.
Now, however, I realise that there are more irritating things in this place.’ I
bit my tongue too late again.
    He stared at me, a smile tugging at his mouth. Probably
because he’d succeeded in baiting me.
    I must have given him a look, as if to say ‘what?’
    ‘Are you sure you’re only twenty-one?’ he
asked in a way that implied I looked unfavourably beyond my years.
    ‘So my mother tells me. I suppose you thought I
was older?’
    ‘Ah well, perhaps there’s some hint of maturity
reflected in that.’
    He approached the wall having selected a key.
Sliding back one of the wood panels revealed a lock and handle, hidden away, as
one of the house’s many secrets. Behind the door was a small cupboard filled
with brooms, mops, and such miscellanies. It released a gassy smell that
resembled something like boiled cabbage. If the tapping noise had come with
stress positioning and sleep deprivation, I’d still have preferred it to the
awful stench.
    A leaky tap was responsible for the sound. How
could I know a room with a basin existed behind that wall?
    ‘I suppose you know every secret room in this old
house, do you?’
    He smiled and turned the faucet until the dripping
ceased, then closed the cupboard, locking it back up.
    ‘It’s funny to lock that isn’t it?’
    ‘It’s just one less room to check of a night,
before this part of the house is closed up. With so many rooms the caretaker
would be here all night otherwise.’
    ‘I don’t suppose there are many people willing to
stay here all night either. Except you, of course.’
    ‘Of course.’ He strolled away grinning.

 
    Six
     

THE DUNGEON
     
     
    IF
YOU FEEL FAINT OR SICK PLEASE TELL A MEMBER OF STAFF IMMEDIATELY
     
     
    …Such was the sign on
entering the London Dungeon. Stacey made a queasy sound and face to match, and
then looked to us for reassurance.
    ‘Just remember that the smell isn’t real,’ I told
her. ‘It’s meant to reflect the era it’s set in and get you in the mood.’
    ‘ Oh !’ Stacey whined. ‘Look at that sign. There’s
a Jack the Ripper tour today. It’s going to be scary!’
    ‘We won’t leave your side, will we, Bee?’
    Beth’s eyes watered in a struggle to suppress
laugher. ‘Of course we won’t, silly girl!’ She chuckled, linking her arm.
    The pavement glistened under the feet of the
queuing public, from a shower of rain that fell early that morning. Stacey wore
her plum-coloured hair down and lashings of black eye makeup, more than ever.
It was probably to compensate because Mrs Evans forbade it being so extreme at
work.
    Beth was very natural and rarely wore makeup. She
was especially pretty when she laughed, which was most of the time. Stacey
acted differently around Beth than she did when just with me. She behaved like
a baby, wanting Beth to mother her.
    Stacey was