Read Online LuckySilver by Clare Murray - Free Book Online

Chapter One
     
    Marissa Blythe grasped her reticule firmly despite the
whispers and snickers coming from the people around her. She stood
straight-backed in her ivy-green dress, hair brushed to perfection, ignoring
everyone and everything.
    The bus lurched to a stop in front of the university gates
and Marissa disembarked with a sense of relief. Soon she would be at her club’s
Victorian Party, mingling with others in costume. She had been looking forward
to this for ages.
    As she hurried to the gates, pedestrians stared at her. One,
probably another student, wolf-whistled, causing Marissa’s hand to flutter
nervously to her dark-brown hair. Picking up her pace, Marissa turned down a
lesser-used side path in order to avoid more unwanted attention.
    She hoped that the Victorian Party would be a success. Even
if only a handful turned up in appropriate costume, she would be happy. Everyone
knew that Marissa was the type of person who truly belonged in another
era…preferably somewhere in the middle of the 19 th century. In fact,
the party was probably going to be the highlight of her year.
    She strode indoors, feeling surprisingly comfortable in the
dress she had chosen. The History Club’s multipurpose room was empty save for
one person—Harriet West, the middle-aged leader of the club. An assistant
professor, Harriet had been Marissa’s rock throughout the last four years.
    “You’re early!” Harriet called. “Come help me light some
candles. I’m brewing some tea, and one of the music professors has lent us a
harpsichord. We’ll have dancing!”
    “It sounds heavenly already,” Marissa said, reaching for a
candle. “And wonderfully authentic.”
    “Speaking of authentic, look what I found buried in one of
the back rooms.” Harriet held up a tarnished silver spoon. “Since this place
was built so long ago, I think there’s every possibility it’s quite old…say
from the 1860s or so. Here, you take it. Might bring you some fame, fortune, maybe
even true love.”
    Marissa laughed and caught the spoon as Harriet tossed it. “In
my dreams. But if it’s a lucky spoon you deserve something too!”
    The assistant professor smiled and shrugged. Both she and
Marissa had experienced a bad year, so any good luck would be welcome. “We’ll
see. Can you go outdoors and check on the maze the janitor helped set up?”
    There was a real maze? Marissa tucked the spoon into her
reticule, heading toward the building’s courtyard. Just as she was about to
step outside, she heard raucous voices behind her. She winced as she caught
sight of the group entering the multipurpose room. None of them had made any
sort of effort to dress up—their costumes consisted solely of modern dresses
with shawls and scarves. One or two of them even carried their cell phones,
texting as they walked.
    Biting her lip, Marissa retreated. As the door closed she
took a deep, steadying breath of crisp winter air. Her spirits lifted; the
courtyard was looking decidedly Victorian. A large, temporary hedge maze
dominated the outside space. Although it was relatively simple, it delighted
Marissa. She entered it, walking slowly so as to savor the experience.
    “…seen that girl Marissa Blythe yet?” The voice was dripping
with disdain. Marissa paused warily, looking around, but the voice was coming
from outside the maze.
    “Isn’t she the one who organized this thing?”
    “Yeah, her and that prude Harriet West. Can you believe it? This
is soooo stupid. I’m only here because of the extra credit.”
    “Me too. I mean, look at that pathetic maze. That would take
me two seconds to get through. Come on, let’s go inside. It’s getting cold out
here.”
    Marissa found she was clutching the tarnished silver spoon. She
consciously relaxed her grip, staring down at the little Victorian relic. Her
eyes blurred with tears. She took a deep, shaky breath.
    “I wish I was anywhere but here. I—I wish Harriet could come
with me. I wish… I wish I