asked, holding out a hand that was so wrinkled it looked as if it had been covered in papier-mâché.
“No, thank you,” I smiled, as I got it from the car. “I only have the one.”
“Very well,” the old woman said, and I noticed that her silver hair was tied into a bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a plain, grey dress and white apron. “I’m Mrs. Payne,” she said. “I’m Lady Hunt’s housekeeper.”
“Hello,” I said back, feeling overwhelmed by the size of the manor house that loomed above me in the darkness. The Rolls Royce crept away, back down the gravel path.
Turning back to the old woman, I said, “Where am I, exactly?”
“Hallowed Manor,” she said, turning away and guiding me with the light from her lamp to the front door. Following her, I glanced at my wristwatch. It read 00:13 hours. With a quick calculation in my head, I knew that the journey from Havensfield to Hallowed Manor had taken four hours and six minutes and that I was about two hundred and twenty-five-and-a-half miles from home.
The giant oak front door was open, and Mrs. Payne ushered me inside. The manor had a strange odour. It smelt musty but yet, almost kind of sweet. It wasn’t the scent of flowers or mildew, and I couldn’t quite place it. The hallway was lit with candles and I could just make out a wide set of stairs, which led up into the darkness. I glanced up to see a beautiful chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. What a shame it wasn’t lit-up as I guessed it would have looked beautiful.
“No lights?” I asked as she shut the door behind us.
“Oh no,” she sighed. “The house has been undergoing some repairs and the workmen have somehow managed to fuse all the lights. Marshal has contacted an electrician who’ll be here in a day or two. They’re very busy, apparently.”
“Marshal?” “The gatekeeper come grounds man,” she said. I pictured his twisted back and lip, and shuddered. “So all the electricity is out?” I asked her. “No, no,” she smiled at me, “just the lights.” Leading me to the foot of the staircase, she placed her lantern on a nearby table, plucked up two of the candles and handed one to me. Throwing my rucksack over my shoulder, I took the candle and followed the old woman up the staircase. With each step, the stairs beneath me groaned and creaked, and the candle flame bobbed to and fro, splashing the orange light into the darkness. The walls were covered in large oil paintings.
Mrs. Payne must have detected my sudden apprehension as she said, “Don’t be scared Ms. Hudson. I know the old place can look a little creepy at night, but by day you’ll see what a wonderful home this is.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said, straining to see into the darkness ahead of me. “And call me Kiera. Ms. Hudson makes me sound like a school teacher or something. What about you?”
“I’m sorry, dear?” she asked, nearing the top of the stairs. “Do you have a first name?” Smiling at me from behind her candle, her eyes twinkled and she said, “Mrs. Payne, dear. Just call me Mrs. Payne.” “Okay, whatever you like,” I sighed. We reached what I thought was the top of the stairs, only to discover that we were on a small landing where the staircase divided left and right. Leading me to the left, I looked back over my shoulder in the direction of the right set of stairs that almost seemed to lead upwards into a black hole.
“What’s back there?” I asked as we started to climb again. “That’s the right wing of the house, but it’s out of bounds.” “How come?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. “Like I said, we’ve got builders working here. They’re refurbishing that side of the house.” Then stopping, she looked at me and that twinkle in her eye had faded. “Don’t go into that side of the building – it could be very dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” I asked her.
“The floors are unsafe as is the whole
“No, thank you,” I smiled, as I got it from the car. “I only have the one.”
“Very well,” the old woman said, and I noticed that her silver hair was tied into a bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a plain, grey dress and white apron. “I’m Mrs. Payne,” she said. “I’m Lady Hunt’s housekeeper.”
“Hello,” I said back, feeling overwhelmed by the size of the manor house that loomed above me in the darkness. The Rolls Royce crept away, back down the gravel path.
Turning back to the old woman, I said, “Where am I, exactly?”
“Hallowed Manor,” she said, turning away and guiding me with the light from her lamp to the front door. Following her, I glanced at my wristwatch. It read 00:13 hours. With a quick calculation in my head, I knew that the journey from Havensfield to Hallowed Manor had taken four hours and six minutes and that I was about two hundred and twenty-five-and-a-half miles from home.
The giant oak front door was open, and Mrs. Payne ushered me inside. The manor had a strange odour. It smelt musty but yet, almost kind of sweet. It wasn’t the scent of flowers or mildew, and I couldn’t quite place it. The hallway was lit with candles and I could just make out a wide set of stairs, which led up into the darkness. I glanced up to see a beautiful chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. What a shame it wasn’t lit-up as I guessed it would have looked beautiful.
“No lights?” I asked as she shut the door behind us.
“Oh no,” she sighed. “The house has been undergoing some repairs and the workmen have somehow managed to fuse all the lights. Marshal has contacted an electrician who’ll be here in a day or two. They’re very busy, apparently.”
“Marshal?” “The gatekeeper come grounds man,” she said. I pictured his twisted back and lip, and shuddered. “So all the electricity is out?” I asked her. “No, no,” she smiled at me, “just the lights.” Leading me to the foot of the staircase, she placed her lantern on a nearby table, plucked up two of the candles and handed one to me. Throwing my rucksack over my shoulder, I took the candle and followed the old woman up the staircase. With each step, the stairs beneath me groaned and creaked, and the candle flame bobbed to and fro, splashing the orange light into the darkness. The walls were covered in large oil paintings.
Mrs. Payne must have detected my sudden apprehension as she said, “Don’t be scared Ms. Hudson. I know the old place can look a little creepy at night, but by day you’ll see what a wonderful home this is.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said, straining to see into the darkness ahead of me. “And call me Kiera. Ms. Hudson makes me sound like a school teacher or something. What about you?”
“I’m sorry, dear?” she asked, nearing the top of the stairs. “Do you have a first name?” Smiling at me from behind her candle, her eyes twinkled and she said, “Mrs. Payne, dear. Just call me Mrs. Payne.” “Okay, whatever you like,” I sighed. We reached what I thought was the top of the stairs, only to discover that we were on a small landing where the staircase divided left and right. Leading me to the left, I looked back over my shoulder in the direction of the right set of stairs that almost seemed to lead upwards into a black hole.
“What’s back there?” I asked as we started to climb again. “That’s the right wing of the house, but it’s out of bounds.” “How come?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. “Like I said, we’ve got builders working here. They’re refurbishing that side of the house.” Then stopping, she looked at me and that twinkle in her eye had faded. “Don’t go into that side of the building – it could be very dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” I asked her.
“The floors are unsafe as is the whole
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