Read Online A Witch's Feast by C.N. Crawford - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C.N. Crawford
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man,” Munroe cut her off. “He helped with the medical treatment of women driven mad by their dubious moral virtue. You know, women of the night.” She turned to her classmates again.
“Wait—who?” asked Jonah.
“Prostitutes,” said Fiona.
“Hot,” Jonah chuckled, raising a hand for a high-five that no one returned.
Fiona raised a hand again. “Edgar sounds amazing. How did he cure his hookers?”
Mariana piped up, “I saw a show about female hysteria in the Victorian era, and doctors used fire hoses aimed right at the women’s—”
“I don’t know the details,” Munroe snapped. “He just cured them. There was no fire hose. Now if you follow me up these steps, I’ll take you on a little tour of the lower level.”
They followed a brick path to an arched glass door that led back into the house. When Fiona’s eyes adjusted to the dimly-lit interior, she glanced around at the dark-wood, vaulted hallway with a faded Persian rug.
Munroe led them through an open door into an enormous rectangular room with patterned gray wallpaper and stained-glass windows. From a player piano somewhere in the house, a waltz filtered through the air. An old rug covered the hardwood floor, embroidered with an image of a bonfire—swirling flames of orange and yellow thread. Orderly rows of high-backed chairs faced a chalkboard on wheels in front of an empty marble fireplace.
Munroe opened her hands. “This is the room where we’ll be having our classes. In the evenings, we’ll study in the drawing room. There are only nine of us, so we’ll all be following the same schedule. My parents have hired tutors. We start tomorrow morning at 7:30 with math.”
Math at 7:30 . If any doubts lingered in Fiona’s mind about the sinister cult-like quality of Munroe’s family, this put them to rest.
“Follow me to the informal dining room.” Munroe turned on her heels and opened a door opposite the chalkboard.
Along with her classmates, Fiona shuffled into a red-walled room with a round table. High above, carvings in the ivory ceiling depicted angry animals and chalices wrapped in vines. From a painting on the wall, a mutton-chopped man glowered, his cheeks sagging.
“This is where we’ll eat breakfast and lunch. And that—” She pointed to the portrait. “—is Edgar. He was quite handsome in his time.” She cleared her throat. “They had different standards then. There’s one more important room.” She glanced at Tobias and grabbed his hand, leading him out into the hallway.
Fiona stifled a gagging noise. Why did she need to hold his hand?Was this a sign of some kind of complicity between Tobias and the cult?
The students followed their new leader across the hallway into a long, rectangular dining room that contained a banquet table large enough for twenty people.
A dull light glinted off golden wallpaper decorated with red and blue star-shaped flowers. A great gnarled and gilded chandelier hung over the white cloth and china on the table. Alan whistled as he looked around the room.
“This is the formal dining room, where we’ll eat dinner. Dinner is at six every night. You’re supposed to dress up.” She grimaced at Fiona’s tight-fitting cartoon princess T-shirt. “Well, I’ll be dressing up anyway. Any questions?”
Sadie flung a hand in the air. “What about the rest of the mansion?”
Munroe pointed across the hall. “Sitting room and office over there. And in the northern wing…” She counted with her fingers. “There’s the morning room, ballroom, music room, tea room, and the red drawing room.” She forced a smile. “Happy?”
Jonah raised his hand. “Where are the computers? Mine burned in the fire.”
“My parents don’t believe in computers,” said Munroe. “I mean, like, they believe they exist. But they don’t want us to use them.”
There was a low muttering, as though Munroe had just confessed her parents would be conducting unsanctioned medical
“Wait—who?” asked Jonah.
“Prostitutes,” said Fiona.
“Hot,” Jonah chuckled, raising a hand for a high-five that no one returned.
Fiona raised a hand again. “Edgar sounds amazing. How did he cure his hookers?”
Mariana piped up, “I saw a show about female hysteria in the Victorian era, and doctors used fire hoses aimed right at the women’s—”
“I don’t know the details,” Munroe snapped. “He just cured them. There was no fire hose. Now if you follow me up these steps, I’ll take you on a little tour of the lower level.”
They followed a brick path to an arched glass door that led back into the house. When Fiona’s eyes adjusted to the dimly-lit interior, she glanced around at the dark-wood, vaulted hallway with a faded Persian rug.
Munroe led them through an open door into an enormous rectangular room with patterned gray wallpaper and stained-glass windows. From a player piano somewhere in the house, a waltz filtered through the air. An old rug covered the hardwood floor, embroidered with an image of a bonfire—swirling flames of orange and yellow thread. Orderly rows of high-backed chairs faced a chalkboard on wheels in front of an empty marble fireplace.
Munroe opened her hands. “This is the room where we’ll be having our classes. In the evenings, we’ll study in the drawing room. There are only nine of us, so we’ll all be following the same schedule. My parents have hired tutors. We start tomorrow morning at 7:30 with math.”
Math at 7:30 . If any doubts lingered in Fiona’s mind about the sinister cult-like quality of Munroe’s family, this put them to rest.
“Follow me to the informal dining room.” Munroe turned on her heels and opened a door opposite the chalkboard.
Along with her classmates, Fiona shuffled into a red-walled room with a round table. High above, carvings in the ivory ceiling depicted angry animals and chalices wrapped in vines. From a painting on the wall, a mutton-chopped man glowered, his cheeks sagging.
“This is where we’ll eat breakfast and lunch. And that—” She pointed to the portrait. “—is Edgar. He was quite handsome in his time.” She cleared her throat. “They had different standards then. There’s one more important room.” She glanced at Tobias and grabbed his hand, leading him out into the hallway.
Fiona stifled a gagging noise. Why did she need to hold his hand?Was this a sign of some kind of complicity between Tobias and the cult?
The students followed their new leader across the hallway into a long, rectangular dining room that contained a banquet table large enough for twenty people.
A dull light glinted off golden wallpaper decorated with red and blue star-shaped flowers. A great gnarled and gilded chandelier hung over the white cloth and china on the table. Alan whistled as he looked around the room.
“This is the formal dining room, where we’ll eat dinner. Dinner is at six every night. You’re supposed to dress up.” She grimaced at Fiona’s tight-fitting cartoon princess T-shirt. “Well, I’ll be dressing up anyway. Any questions?”
Sadie flung a hand in the air. “What about the rest of the mansion?”
Munroe pointed across the hall. “Sitting room and office over there. And in the northern wing…” She counted with her fingers. “There’s the morning room, ballroom, music room, tea room, and the red drawing room.” She forced a smile. “Happy?”
Jonah raised his hand. “Where are the computers? Mine burned in the fire.”
“My parents don’t believe in computers,” said Munroe. “I mean, like, they believe they exist. But they don’t want us to use them.”
There was a low muttering, as though Munroe had just confessed her parents would be conducting unsanctioned medical
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