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Authors: Steele Alexandra
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minute.”
“I don’t
think so. They reopened the wing just for Rathbone,” Daphne said. “Grandmamma
wanted him isolated.”
Spencer
couldn’t imagine what the man must have gone through, alone all night
suffocating in this horrible place. The sisters had filled him in on the tale
of the unfortunate Rathbone on their way down to the dungeons, and after seeing
the place where the man had passed the night, he wasn’t the least bit surprised
that the physician had been babbling by the next morning. It was horrifyingly
claustrophobic down here, just cell after cell, and then, at the very back of
the chamber, a single wooden door. Spencer stared at it and felt something cold
travel down his spine. He realized suddenly that it was fear. “What’s beyond
that door?”
Daphne
and Lorna shared a furtive glance, and Daphne giggled slightly, a little
hysterically. Lorna only looked upset. “That’s where the Beast came from— or so
the doctor said.” Lorna was beginning to regret telling her sister Rathbone’s
story. If she hadn’t, it would never have occurred to Daphne to set this little
melodrama in the recently reopened cellblock. “It’s just a story though. Stop
snickering Daphne. We’re supposed to be hiding the book.” She found this latest
debacle of Daphne’s particularly stupid. Daphne glared at Lorna as if she could
read her sister’s mind, her pretty face screwed into a hateful expression.
“Well,
where do we hide it?” Spencer stared at the dungeon around them. “I know this
sounded like a good idea at first, but I don’t know. I mean, it’s a prison.
It’s not exactly going to have a lot of hiding places, is it? I mean the whole
point of a prison is that everyone stays exactly where they’re supposed to be,
in plain view. Nothing is supposed to be hidden in a prison.”
“Don’t
be so dull,” Daphne ordered, coughing slightly over the dust in the air. “This
place is hundreds of years old. You can’t tell me that there isn’t one good
hiding spot in here.”
“All I
see are cells, and we can’t hide anything in those. As that poor doctor found
out, they’re back in use.”
“What
about behind that door?” Daphne suggested. Her tone was deliberately casual.
She might as well have dropped ice down his spine. His undeniable mistrust of
her, combined with his vehement dislike of the dungeon, made him more than
reluctant to venture beyond the door.
“Daphne,”
Lorna sighed loudly. “Why must you always push ?”
“It’s in
my nature,” Daphne snipped. “How about it, Spencer? Should we seek a hiding
place back there?”
She had
a way of discerning exactly what frightened him, and then forcing him into
close quarters with his fear. It was disconcerting how she seemed to enjoy
witnessing his turmoil. “Why don’t you go find a nice hiding spot and leave
Spencer and me alone?” Lorna piped up.
But
Daphne ignored her sister, and Spencer couldn’t help himself; he wanted to know
where the book would be hidden. “The door’s probably locked,” he said instead.
Daphne
feigned surprise. “If it was locked how could the beast come through?”
“There
is no beast, and you should stop repeating the ranting of a madman.” Lorna
argued.
“And you
should stop being so prissy. Check the door, Spencer.”
Wondering
how she had conned him into any of this in the first place, Spencer obediently
crossed to the door. Daphne was on his heels when he reached out and felt the
knob turn under his hand. As the door opened there was a great sighing sound, a
gust of rank wind rushed over them and Spencer could not help the uneasiness
that took root in his chest as they took a few steps inside the dark chamber
that opened up before them.
“Ladies
first,” he said, stepping back for Lorna and Daphne. Lorna quickly jumped back
as well, so Daphne sighed wearily and took the first few steps inside.
The
light of her torch revealed a small, windowless chamber that looked as if it
had
“I don’t
think so. They reopened the wing just for Rathbone,” Daphne said. “Grandmamma
wanted him isolated.”
Spencer
couldn’t imagine what the man must have gone through, alone all night
suffocating in this horrible place. The sisters had filled him in on the tale
of the unfortunate Rathbone on their way down to the dungeons, and after seeing
the place where the man had passed the night, he wasn’t the least bit surprised
that the physician had been babbling by the next morning. It was horrifyingly
claustrophobic down here, just cell after cell, and then, at the very back of
the chamber, a single wooden door. Spencer stared at it and felt something cold
travel down his spine. He realized suddenly that it was fear. “What’s beyond
that door?”
Daphne
and Lorna shared a furtive glance, and Daphne giggled slightly, a little
hysterically. Lorna only looked upset. “That’s where the Beast came from— or so
the doctor said.” Lorna was beginning to regret telling her sister Rathbone’s
story. If she hadn’t, it would never have occurred to Daphne to set this little
melodrama in the recently reopened cellblock. “It’s just a story though. Stop
snickering Daphne. We’re supposed to be hiding the book.” She found this latest
debacle of Daphne’s particularly stupid. Daphne glared at Lorna as if she could
read her sister’s mind, her pretty face screwed into a hateful expression.
“Well,
where do we hide it?” Spencer stared at the dungeon around them. “I know this
sounded like a good idea at first, but I don’t know. I mean, it’s a prison.
It’s not exactly going to have a lot of hiding places, is it? I mean the whole
point of a prison is that everyone stays exactly where they’re supposed to be,
in plain view. Nothing is supposed to be hidden in a prison.”
“Don’t
be so dull,” Daphne ordered, coughing slightly over the dust in the air. “This
place is hundreds of years old. You can’t tell me that there isn’t one good
hiding spot in here.”
“All I
see are cells, and we can’t hide anything in those. As that poor doctor found
out, they’re back in use.”
“What
about behind that door?” Daphne suggested. Her tone was deliberately casual.
She might as well have dropped ice down his spine. His undeniable mistrust of
her, combined with his vehement dislike of the dungeon, made him more than
reluctant to venture beyond the door.
“Daphne,”
Lorna sighed loudly. “Why must you always push ?”
“It’s in
my nature,” Daphne snipped. “How about it, Spencer? Should we seek a hiding
place back there?”
She had
a way of discerning exactly what frightened him, and then forcing him into
close quarters with his fear. It was disconcerting how she seemed to enjoy
witnessing his turmoil. “Why don’t you go find a nice hiding spot and leave
Spencer and me alone?” Lorna piped up.
But
Daphne ignored her sister, and Spencer couldn’t help himself; he wanted to know
where the book would be hidden. “The door’s probably locked,” he said instead.
Daphne
feigned surprise. “If it was locked how could the beast come through?”
“There
is no beast, and you should stop repeating the ranting of a madman.” Lorna
argued.
“And you
should stop being so prissy. Check the door, Spencer.”
Wondering
how she had conned him into any of this in the first place, Spencer obediently
crossed to the door. Daphne was on his heels when he reached out and felt the
knob turn under his hand. As the door opened there was a great sighing sound, a
gust of rank wind rushed over them and Spencer could not help the uneasiness
that took root in his chest as they took a few steps inside the dark chamber
that opened up before them.
“Ladies
first,” he said, stepping back for Lorna and Daphne. Lorna quickly jumped back
as well, so Daphne sighed wearily and took the first few steps inside.
The
light of her torch revealed a small, windowless chamber that looked as if it
had
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