Read Online Deception at Dark Hall (The Briony Martin Mystery Series) by Stacey Coverstone - Free Book Online

and a man’s button down shirt and bow tie. The aura she emitted was one of suspicion and protection, like a bulldog shielding its owner.
     “Daniel! How wonderful of you to visit. And I understand you’ve brought your friend, Miss Martin, with you as well,” Sharlyn said.
    “Hello, Sharlyn.” He cupped her small hand in his and held it a moment.
    “Thank you for seeing us on the spur of the moment,” Briony said.
    Miss Dark’s bright eyes fused with hers. Like the night they met, her gaze delved deep. Briony’s pulse skipped a beat. The few blind people she’d come into contact with wore sunglasses or they squinted and moved their head around as they spoke. In some cases, their pupils rolled upward in their sockets. Not so with Sharlyn. The ocean blue depths of her eyes were as clear as glass, and her steady gaze held Briony in an iron grip. Most likely, Miss Dark had become blind later in life, as opposed to being born without sight. Even so, her direct gaze was unsettling.
    “Please have a seat,” she said, indicating with a wave of her hand the two club chairs positioned across from the settee. Her strawberry blonde hair was fashioned into one side braid and tied with a ribbon at the end. Elegant in a forest green skirt and white cashmere sweater, she was not at all the woman Paige feared was some kind of witch.
    Her pink lips lifted into a smile, and her voice teased. “I know you’re watching me, Miss Martin.”
     Briony’s shoulders grew rigid as steel. “How rude of me. I’m sorry.”
    Sharlyn chuckled. “Don’t be. It’s natural to be curious as to how a handicapped person functions in daily life. It’s not as bad as you might imagine. When someone has lost one of her senses, all the others become heightened to an almost extrasensory degree. I suppose it’s God’s way of overcompensating for the loss.”
    “That makes sense,” Daniel said.
    Sharlyn’s head turned toward Lee. Her assistant hadn’t uttered a word, not even a hello. Her tense frame spoke volumes.
    “Say hello to our guests, Lee,” Sharlyn said, sweetly.
     “Hello.”
    Briony and Daniel exchanged a subtle glance. What was this relationship about? Briony wondered.
    “What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Sharlyn asked. She flipped the book on her lap closed and placed it on a tea table beside the settee.
    Daniel spoke up. “I’m afraid we have some—”
    “What were you reading?” Briony interrupted. She tossed a knowing glance at him, hoping he’d understand why she’d cut him off. Suddenly, she felt it very important to learn more about the relationship between the two women before her.
    “We were reading one of my favorite poems, The Raven , by Edgar Allan Poe,” answered Sharlyn. “Many of the classics have been translated into Braille.”
    “Nevermore, nevermore,” Daniel crowed, causing Briony to jump. When no one laughed, the tips of his ears grew pink.
    “Are you familiar with Poe, Miss Martin?” Sharlyn asked, ignoring Daniel’s silly outburst.
    “Please call me Briony. And I am, although he’s not a favorite. Do you often read literature that focuses on the supernatural?”
    “Because I’m a medium, do you mean? The Raven is often noted for its musicality and stylized language, Briony. Not only for its supernatural atmosphere. It also makes use of a number of folk and classical references.”
    “So I understand. Poe claimed to have written the poem logically and methodically, intending to create a piece that would appeal to both the critical and popular tastes of the time.”
    She nodded. “Its publication made the author widely popular, even if it didn’t bring him much financial success.”
    “Nevertheless, it remains one of the most famous poems ever written.”
    Sharlyn clapped her hands like a child, evidently enjoying the banter. “I daresay you’ve studied Poe more than you’d led us to believe, Briony.”
    “I said he wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t say I hadn’t