structure,” she said fixing me with a cool stare. “The whole lot could come down at any time.”
“So no one goes into that part of the house?” I said just wanting to make sure.
“No one,” she said, turning away. “It is forbidden.”
Now why did she have to go and say that? I mean that was like waving a red flag at a bull – my curiosity dial had just gone crazy. Smiling to myself, I said, “Okay, yeah – sure, it does look kind of creepy back there.” In fact the whole house looked eerie, but perhaps like she said, in daylight it would look more welcoming and friendly.
Reaching the top of the second flight of stairs, Mrs. Payne – as she insisted on being called – led me down a narrow corridor. The walls on each side had doors set into them. I didn’t know what lay behind these doors and guessed that perhaps they were bedrooms. Either way, if anyone were behind them, they were asleep, as I couldn’t see any light seeping from around the door frames. At the end of the passageway, Mrs. Payne stopped outside a white-coloured door. Turning the handle with her frail-looking hand, she pushed it open. Standing outside the open doorway, she peered at me from the gloom and said, “This will be your room for the duration of your stay, Kiera. Please make yourself comfortable. I hope I’ve thought of everything for you, but if there is something that you should need, just ring the bell.”
“The bell?” I asked feeling bemused. “You’ll find a bell cord beside your bed,” she said. “Just pull on it should you require anything. The bell will alert me.” “Don’t worry,” I said stepping into the room, “I won’t disturb you tonight.” “Oh don’t worry your pretty head about me, dear,” she smiled. “I don’t sleep as well as I used to. You’ll find that I’m awake most of the night.”
“Still,” I said, “I’m a grown-up, I think I can look after myself.”
“Whatever you wish,” Mrs. Payne said, and then seemed to almost curtsy at me before leaving the room.
Closing the door, I held the candle out before me and inspected the room. It was huge. Against the far wall, and seeming to take up most of the space, was the biggest bed that I’d ever seen. It was a four poster, with ornate pillars at each corner that reached up into the dark. What looked like drapes had been fastened with white ribbons to each post. Beside the bed was a wooden dressing table with a mirror. Placing the candle on it, I sat on the edge of the giant bed. The mattress felt wonderfully soft.
Getting up, I crossed the room, the single candle barely penetrating the darkness that seemed to wrap itself around me like a blanket. On the opposite side of the room to the bed was a set of windows, and as I made my way towards them, my boots sank into a soft white rug that was spread out across the floor. The windows were as big as a doorway, and they opened outwards onto a small balcony. Pushing them open, a chilly breeze circled me and made the curtains whisper. Standing on the balcony, I looked out into the darkness. In the distance, I could hear the sound of lapping water and I guessed it was the sound of the moat rushing around the grounds of Hallowed Manor. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and let the wind cool me as I enjoyed the silence. I felt a million miles away from my poky flat with its walls covered in clippings and its piles of newspapers. Then the silence was broken by the sound of gravel being crunched under foot. Leaning over the balcony, I looked down to see a dark figure crossing the grounds below me, a lantern held in the hand to light their way. From my hiding place, I watched, and as my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and shadows, I could see the curved-shaped spine of the figure below and I knew it was Marshal. Then without any warning, Marshal stopped dead in his tracks, held the lantern above his head and turning he looked up at me. In the orange glow of the lamp, I could see
“So no one goes into that part of the house?” I said just wanting to make sure.
“No one,” she said, turning away. “It is forbidden.”
Now why did she have to go and say that? I mean that was like waving a red flag at a bull – my curiosity dial had just gone crazy. Smiling to myself, I said, “Okay, yeah – sure, it does look kind of creepy back there.” In fact the whole house looked eerie, but perhaps like she said, in daylight it would look more welcoming and friendly.
Reaching the top of the second flight of stairs, Mrs. Payne – as she insisted on being called – led me down a narrow corridor. The walls on each side had doors set into them. I didn’t know what lay behind these doors and guessed that perhaps they were bedrooms. Either way, if anyone were behind them, they were asleep, as I couldn’t see any light seeping from around the door frames. At the end of the passageway, Mrs. Payne stopped outside a white-coloured door. Turning the handle with her frail-looking hand, she pushed it open. Standing outside the open doorway, she peered at me from the gloom and said, “This will be your room for the duration of your stay, Kiera. Please make yourself comfortable. I hope I’ve thought of everything for you, but if there is something that you should need, just ring the bell.”
“The bell?” I asked feeling bemused. “You’ll find a bell cord beside your bed,” she said. “Just pull on it should you require anything. The bell will alert me.” “Don’t worry,” I said stepping into the room, “I won’t disturb you tonight.” “Oh don’t worry your pretty head about me, dear,” she smiled. “I don’t sleep as well as I used to. You’ll find that I’m awake most of the night.”
“Still,” I said, “I’m a grown-up, I think I can look after myself.”
“Whatever you wish,” Mrs. Payne said, and then seemed to almost curtsy at me before leaving the room.
Closing the door, I held the candle out before me and inspected the room. It was huge. Against the far wall, and seeming to take up most of the space, was the biggest bed that I’d ever seen. It was a four poster, with ornate pillars at each corner that reached up into the dark. What looked like drapes had been fastened with white ribbons to each post. Beside the bed was a wooden dressing table with a mirror. Placing the candle on it, I sat on the edge of the giant bed. The mattress felt wonderfully soft.
Getting up, I crossed the room, the single candle barely penetrating the darkness that seemed to wrap itself around me like a blanket. On the opposite side of the room to the bed was a set of windows, and as I made my way towards them, my boots sank into a soft white rug that was spread out across the floor. The windows were as big as a doorway, and they opened outwards onto a small balcony. Pushing them open, a chilly breeze circled me and made the curtains whisper. Standing on the balcony, I looked out into the darkness. In the distance, I could hear the sound of lapping water and I guessed it was the sound of the moat rushing around the grounds of Hallowed Manor. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and let the wind cool me as I enjoyed the silence. I felt a million miles away from my poky flat with its walls covered in clippings and its piles of newspapers. Then the silence was broken by the sound of gravel being crunched under foot. Leaning over the balcony, I looked down to see a dark figure crossing the grounds below me, a lantern held in the hand to light their way. From my hiding place, I watched, and as my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and shadows, I could see the curved-shaped spine of the figure below and I knew it was Marshal. Then without any warning, Marshal stopped dead in his tracks, held the lantern above his head and turning he looked up at me. In the orange glow of the lamp, I could see
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