A Dreadful Splendor (87)

“My deepest apologies for doubting you, Miss Timmons,” he said. “You’re nothing less than remarkable. Do you know where it leads?”

I beamed. “Only one way to find out.”

The narrow passageway could only fit the width of one person. I insisted on going in first with the lamp while Mr. Pemberton followed close behind. We made our way past massive cobwebs thick as cotton and cracked stone walls that seemed they might crumble at the slightest pressure. The tunnel soon came to a dead end, but there was a ladder nailed to the wall that went through a hole in the floor.

“Wait.” Mr. Pemberton reached down and gave the ladder a good tug. His arm brushed mine, and I had a faint memory of being carried in his arms up the staircase. The ladder held fast. “I’ll go first,” he said.

“Be careful,” I told him, holding the lamp above his head.

He made his way down, hand under hand. Before he disappeared completely, he paused with his face looking up at me from the floor. “I stand by my offer to give you enough money to start over anywhere you like,” he said earnestly.

“I appreciate that,” I replied, smiling a little. “No matter; I think you’ll agree it’s impossible for me to walk away at this point.”

“Well, yes. But I wanted you to know, in case.”

“In case there’s a murderer waiting for you at the bottom of this ladder?”

He rolled his eyes at my response and disappeared downward. The thud of something heavy hitting the floor echoed from below. He grunted and called up that the bottom few rungs were missing, so I’d have to jump the last part, but it was safe.

With the lamp in one hand, I descended. Once I came to the bottom rung, I passed the light to him, which he placed on the floor. I was still a few feet over his head.

“Let go,” he said. “I’ll catch you.”

I hardly had time to gasp before I felt his hands on my waist and my feet lightly landing on the floor.

“Good?” he asked. I nodded and picked up the lamp, glad he couldn’t see my blush. My second rescue in one day. I was learning the secret to getting Mr. Pemberton’s attention.

We cleared another long hallway until we spotted a pinprick of light cutting through the darkness up ahead. Familiar voices echoed through the walls. I came to the source of the light and saw someone had drilled a small peephole.

I looked through the opening and saw the library below. The room appeared rounded on the edges. I must have been spying through the glass eye of one of the mounted animals.

Flora stood by the circular table I had planned to use at the séance. She was twisting the dust rag in her hands. William paced in front of her, a glass in one hand and a bottle in the other.

“I warned you this would happen,” he said. “I told you she had to be taken care of, but you couldn’t do it. Now the whole house is feeling sorry for her.” He took a drink.

Flora winced and took a step backward. “But it’s not that easy, William. She’s too smart for me to fool. She’d know in a second somethin’ was wrong.”

Mr. Pemberton came closer, angling his face toward mine as we listened together.

William laughed at this. “I know you’ve done it before. Don’t give me that innocent, wide-eyed act. You couldn’t do it because you think she likes you.”

“No.” Her voice trembled. “I wasn’t sure of how much to use. I’d never forgive me’self if the same thing happened again. I’ve been havin’ dreams! I’ve been hearin’ her call out to me at night!” She made a move to step around him, but he cut her off.

“Don’t be stupid,” he hissed. He looked at the closed door of the library. “And keep your voice down.”

“I’m scared.” She clutched the rag to her chest. “I hates this room. I think the ghosts know, William. Maybe I should just tell someone. It was a mistake. And everyone will finally know the truth.”

I turned briefly to Mr. Pemberton. Our stunned expressions mirrored each other.

Choking down a mouthful of wine, William set the bottle on the table and went to Flora. “No. What’s done is done. We can’t change the past.” He gripped her shoulders. “As long as you do what I tell you to, everything will work out.”

Flora stiffened, but she gave him a weak smile. “And we’ll be in charge of Somerset Park?”

He snorted. “How can you doubt me? I’m the one who made sure you didn’t end up going to jail the first time, remember? I kept you safe for a reason.”

“Because you love me?”

“Because I know you are the only one clever enough to help win back what is rightfully mine.” He leaned closer, laying a hand on her waist. “And you only have to do one thing for me. Can you do it? Can you give us our happily ever after?”

She hesitated. Her eyes glanced cautiously at the grandfather’s portrait.

“Flora?” His voice was hard, a threat disguised as a prompt.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Good.” He let her go, returning to the wine bottle once more. “I expect Miss Timmons won’t feel a thing.”

My chest rose and fell as if I’d been running. A hand cradled my elbow. In the faint light of the lamp, Mr. Pemberton’s face was paler than the moon, yet there was an intensity in his eyes.