And a lot had probably walked, since the weather was halfway decent. Cold, but not raining or sleeting. And it wasn’t about to, Cassidy decided as she trudged up the hill. She could see, through the bare-limbed branches of the gigantic oak trees sheltering Nightmare Hall, millions of tiny, silvery stars shining overhead. No rain tonight.
That seemed like a good omen. It would be nice if Sawyer could yank himself away from his studying to come to the party for a while, but even if he didn’t, she was going to have a good time. She needed to have a good time.
As she climbed the wide, stone steps and stepped onto the wooden porch, she could hear laughing and talking inside. Sounded like a good time. Great.
She didn’t bother ringing the doorbell. No one rang doorbells at parties. The door was kept unlocked, and you just walked in. That’s the way it was done. Otherwise, someone would have to keep running to the door every few seconds until all the guests had arrived.
The front hall at Nightmare Hall was huge, with a high ceiling and a faded Oriental runner making its way across the hardwood floor. Cassidy had expected to see people gathered there, as they always were at a party, but the foyer was empty.
Music, she thought, surprised, where is the music?
The laughter and low-voiced chatter seemed to be coming from a room to her left. She followed the sounds until she stood in the open doorway of a large, square room. It wasn’t an attractive room. The walls were painted a dark color, the window draperies and furniture old and faded. But there was a fire in the fireplace and the soft glow of lamplight gave the room a welcoming look.
There were a dozen or so people sitting on the old furniture or lounging on the carpet.
They looked up in surprise as Cassidy appeared in the doorway.
She took everything in very quickly.
There was no music.
There were no tables loaded with food and drinks.
The floor wasn’t cleared for dancing.
There were no decorations of any kind, and the people in the room didn’t look at all like they were partying. Not one of them had a cup or a plate of food in hand.
If there was a party at Nightmare Hall tonight, it hadn’t started yet.
“Hi,” Cassidy said, frowning slightly. “I’m…I’m here for Cath Devon’s party. Am I early? Did I get the time wrong? I thought the invitation said eight.” Of course, she thought suddenly, feeling a little sick, I thought my clock said eight, too. But it didn’t.
A tall, pretty girl with very short, dark hair stood up and came over to Cassidy. “Oh, Cassidy,” Jess Vogt said with a gentle smile, “that party isn’t tonight. It’s not until next Friday night.”
Chapter 8
C ASSIDY WAS PAINFULLY AWARE that everyone in the room already knew that she had recently shown up an hour late for a class. News like that traveled around campus faster than the common cold.
She drew herself up to her full five feet, two-and-a-half inches. “But I’m sure my invitation said the party was tonight,” she protested. Even as she said it, she could hear again her own voice saying, “But I’m sure my clock said eight, not nine.” Right.
But she was sure this time. Tonight’s date had been on the invitation, printed neatly in black ink. She remembered thinking that it was pretty short notice for a party. She wouldn’t have thought that if next Friday’s date had been on the purple card.
“Maybe Cath made a mistake and put down the wrong date,” Jess said in that same gentle voice. Her dark eyes were sympathetic.
She sounds like she’s talking to someone who is feebleminded, Cassidy thought with a flash of resentment. She was immediately ashamed. Jess was just trying to be kind.
“I didn’t make any mistakes,” Cath Devon said, getting to her feet to join Jess and Cassidy in the wide doorway. “I don’t make mistakes like that. You must have read it wrong, Cassidy.”
As any feebleminded person would, Cassidy heard. She felt suddenly
That seemed like a good omen. It would be nice if Sawyer could yank himself away from his studying to come to the party for a while, but even if he didn’t, she was going to have a good time. She needed to have a good time.
As she climbed the wide, stone steps and stepped onto the wooden porch, she could hear laughing and talking inside. Sounded like a good time. Great.
She didn’t bother ringing the doorbell. No one rang doorbells at parties. The door was kept unlocked, and you just walked in. That’s the way it was done. Otherwise, someone would have to keep running to the door every few seconds until all the guests had arrived.
The front hall at Nightmare Hall was huge, with a high ceiling and a faded Oriental runner making its way across the hardwood floor. Cassidy had expected to see people gathered there, as they always were at a party, but the foyer was empty.
Music, she thought, surprised, where is the music?
The laughter and low-voiced chatter seemed to be coming from a room to her left. She followed the sounds until she stood in the open doorway of a large, square room. It wasn’t an attractive room. The walls were painted a dark color, the window draperies and furniture old and faded. But there was a fire in the fireplace and the soft glow of lamplight gave the room a welcoming look.
There were a dozen or so people sitting on the old furniture or lounging on the carpet.
They looked up in surprise as Cassidy appeared in the doorway.
She took everything in very quickly.
There was no music.
There were no tables loaded with food and drinks.
The floor wasn’t cleared for dancing.
There were no decorations of any kind, and the people in the room didn’t look at all like they were partying. Not one of them had a cup or a plate of food in hand.
If there was a party at Nightmare Hall tonight, it hadn’t started yet.
“Hi,” Cassidy said, frowning slightly. “I’m…I’m here for Cath Devon’s party. Am I early? Did I get the time wrong? I thought the invitation said eight.” Of course, she thought suddenly, feeling a little sick, I thought my clock said eight, too. But it didn’t.
A tall, pretty girl with very short, dark hair stood up and came over to Cassidy. “Oh, Cassidy,” Jess Vogt said with a gentle smile, “that party isn’t tonight. It’s not until next Friday night.”
Chapter 8
C ASSIDY WAS PAINFULLY AWARE that everyone in the room already knew that she had recently shown up an hour late for a class. News like that traveled around campus faster than the common cold.
She drew herself up to her full five feet, two-and-a-half inches. “But I’m sure my invitation said the party was tonight,” she protested. Even as she said it, she could hear again her own voice saying, “But I’m sure my clock said eight, not nine.” Right.
But she was sure this time. Tonight’s date had been on the invitation, printed neatly in black ink. She remembered thinking that it was pretty short notice for a party. She wouldn’t have thought that if next Friday’s date had been on the purple card.
“Maybe Cath made a mistake and put down the wrong date,” Jess said in that same gentle voice. Her dark eyes were sympathetic.
She sounds like she’s talking to someone who is feebleminded, Cassidy thought with a flash of resentment. She was immediately ashamed. Jess was just trying to be kind.
“I didn’t make any mistakes,” Cath Devon said, getting to her feet to join Jess and Cassidy in the wide doorway. “I don’t make mistakes like that. You must have read it wrong, Cassidy.”
As any feebleminded person would, Cassidy heard. She felt suddenly
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