“She visited the town every day? How did she get there?”
“Walked,” Beth said. “Always first thing in the morning, too, so that she arrived in town just as the shops opened.”
“Wow, she must’ve been fit. It’s a long driveway.”
“There’s a shortcut.” Jayne pointed towards the window and the trees that blocked their view of the town. “Through the woods—it’s only about fifteen minutes as the crow flies. We call it Ashburn Walk because she was the only one who ever used it.”
Adrienne felt as though a weight had been lifted from her. Fifteen minutes was more than manageable. Provided she could find the walkway, she and Wolfgang would no longer be in danger of starving.
“What other rumours were there?” Adrienne asked. “You made it sound like people were scared of this place.”
Jayne shrugged. “Some were, I guess. Others said Edith was just eccentric. Mostly people avoided her because she avoided them. But yeah, there are some strange stories circulating about this house. I don’t know how true they are.”
Adrienne raised her eyebrows in a silent request for more information. Beth was more than happy to oblige.
“Not to brag, but I’m a bit of an Ashburn expert,” she said. “I used to inhale the stories when I was a kid, and I still keep an ear out now. The best-known mystery—and the only one that is undeniably true—is the Friday light.”
“We all saw it,” Marion continued as she helped herself to another scone. “Every Friday, just after sundown, a light was lit in Ashburn’s highest room. Because this place is on a hill, it was hard to miss. It looked a bit like a lighthouse.”
Adrienne’s mind flashed to the phrase carved into the dining table. IS IT FRIDAY LIGHT THE CANDLE. She suddenly felt cold despite the sunshine coming through the windows. “How long did that happen for?”
“Since way before our time.” Beth’s dark eyes shone as she leaned nearer. “Dad says it’s always happened—every Friday—since Miss Ashburn moved into the house. That’s how we knew she was dead. Friday came, and the light didn’t appear.”
“Oh.” Adrienne swallowed the unexpected nausea. She hadn’t expected to hear about her great-aunt’s death so soon.
Jayne glared at Beth again then gave Adrienne a small smile. “I’m so sorry. She’s not all that great at tact.”
“No, it’s okay. I want to know more about Edith.” Adrienne took a breath and returned the smile. “Do you know how… uh… how she passed?”
Glances were exchanged. Beth looked desperate to answer, but Jayne stepped in first, speaking carefully. “Well, she hadn’t been to town at all that week. It was a bit unusual but not unheard of; sometimes she skipped days if she was feeling unwell, so no one really paid attention. But when the Friday light didn’t come on, people started to talk about going up and checking on her. No one really wanted to approach Ashburn at night, so they agreed to wait until morning. Sure enough, she didn’t come to town again, so they sent out a search party a bit before lunch.” Jayne licked her lips and squeezed her hands together in her lap. “She was… significantly decayed when they found her, so the post-mortem couldn’t be completely accurate, but the doctor said it was most likely a seizure or an embolism. He didn’t think she suffered.”
“Okay.” Adrienne felt light-headed. “Uh, when you say significantly decayed—”
“Black ooze leaking ev-er-y-where.”
“Beth! Please! ”
A hysterical laugh was boiling in Adrienne’s chest. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she struggled to keep herself collected. “Do you know—I mean, I guess it doesn’t really matter—I know it shouldn’t—but do you know where—?”
“Sorry.” Jayne shook her head. “I don’t know which room.”
“Okay. That’s okay.” She inhaled deeply and took her hand away from her face. “It shouldn’t really matter. As long as she didn’t
“Walked,” Beth said. “Always first thing in the morning, too, so that she arrived in town just as the shops opened.”
“Wow, she must’ve been fit. It’s a long driveway.”
“There’s a shortcut.” Jayne pointed towards the window and the trees that blocked their view of the town. “Through the woods—it’s only about fifteen minutes as the crow flies. We call it Ashburn Walk because she was the only one who ever used it.”
Adrienne felt as though a weight had been lifted from her. Fifteen minutes was more than manageable. Provided she could find the walkway, she and Wolfgang would no longer be in danger of starving.
“What other rumours were there?” Adrienne asked. “You made it sound like people were scared of this place.”
Jayne shrugged. “Some were, I guess. Others said Edith was just eccentric. Mostly people avoided her because she avoided them. But yeah, there are some strange stories circulating about this house. I don’t know how true they are.”
Adrienne raised her eyebrows in a silent request for more information. Beth was more than happy to oblige.
“Not to brag, but I’m a bit of an Ashburn expert,” she said. “I used to inhale the stories when I was a kid, and I still keep an ear out now. The best-known mystery—and the only one that is undeniably true—is the Friday light.”
“We all saw it,” Marion continued as she helped herself to another scone. “Every Friday, just after sundown, a light was lit in Ashburn’s highest room. Because this place is on a hill, it was hard to miss. It looked a bit like a lighthouse.”
Adrienne’s mind flashed to the phrase carved into the dining table. IS IT FRIDAY LIGHT THE CANDLE. She suddenly felt cold despite the sunshine coming through the windows. “How long did that happen for?”
“Since way before our time.” Beth’s dark eyes shone as she leaned nearer. “Dad says it’s always happened—every Friday—since Miss Ashburn moved into the house. That’s how we knew she was dead. Friday came, and the light didn’t appear.”
“Oh.” Adrienne swallowed the unexpected nausea. She hadn’t expected to hear about her great-aunt’s death so soon.
Jayne glared at Beth again then gave Adrienne a small smile. “I’m so sorry. She’s not all that great at tact.”
“No, it’s okay. I want to know more about Edith.” Adrienne took a breath and returned the smile. “Do you know how… uh… how she passed?”
Glances were exchanged. Beth looked desperate to answer, but Jayne stepped in first, speaking carefully. “Well, she hadn’t been to town at all that week. It was a bit unusual but not unheard of; sometimes she skipped days if she was feeling unwell, so no one really paid attention. But when the Friday light didn’t come on, people started to talk about going up and checking on her. No one really wanted to approach Ashburn at night, so they agreed to wait until morning. Sure enough, she didn’t come to town again, so they sent out a search party a bit before lunch.” Jayne licked her lips and squeezed her hands together in her lap. “She was… significantly decayed when they found her, so the post-mortem couldn’t be completely accurate, but the doctor said it was most likely a seizure or an embolism. He didn’t think she suffered.”
“Okay.” Adrienne felt light-headed. “Uh, when you say significantly decayed—”
“Black ooze leaking ev-er-y-where.”
“Beth! Please! ”
A hysterical laugh was boiling in Adrienne’s chest. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she struggled to keep herself collected. “Do you know—I mean, I guess it doesn’t really matter—I know it shouldn’t—but do you know where—?”
“Sorry.” Jayne shook her head. “I don’t know which room.”
“Okay. That’s okay.” She inhaled deeply and took her hand away from her face. “It shouldn’t really matter. As long as she didn’t
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