AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thankfully, I don’t have to conjure an appropriate response to that as he sweeps out of the room in a flurry of velvet and jangling jewelry. I allow myself a quiet chuckle, shaking my head at the bizarre fellow before getting back to the task at hand. I pull out my notebook and start jotting down a few ideas, wandering around the vast space as I brainstorm how to bring it to life in a way that isn’t too corny.
I’m in the middle of sketching out a rough floor plan when I hear a soft creak from behind me. I freeze, pen poised in mid-air while I fight an internal battle over whether or not to turn around.
“Hello?” I manage to call out, the slight tremor in my voice echoing off the walls. “Cornelius?”
No response comes. I shrug it off, dismissing the noise as a regular occurrence in such an old house. Its bones must shift often.
But then I hear it again.
This time the sound is closer. The hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention as if commanded by some phantom General. I turn in a slow circle, my eyes scouring every nook and cranny for a possible lurking guest.
“Okay, you can come out now. Ha, ha, very funny.”
But nothing but mocking silence answers me, yet again.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, I look back down at my notes, determined to finish up my work and get the fuck out of here. Though I’m sure I just have an overactive imagination, there’s no part of me that’s keen to hang around long enough to find out if Cornelius really does have a host of ghostly friends living within these walls.
But just as I’m scribbling down a few more notes, the chandelier above me flickers. My heart kicks into a canter, almost breaking free of my ribcage in the process.
Probably time to call it a day…I can always come back with Jemma another time.
I take a few steps back, more than ready to make a hasty exit when something flickers in my peripheral.
A ragged gasp slips between my lips as I catch sight of a dark figure hovering at the opposite end of the room, half-shrouded in shadows where the dim chandelier can’t reach. Tall, imposing, draped in a black hooded robe that obscures any hint of a face. Before I can even process what I’m seeing, an almost maniacal giggle bursts from my lips.
“I didn’t realize Cornelius employed costumed actors! Well done, you really got me. The flickering lights were a nice touch.”
The figure doesn’t answer. Instead, they raise an outstretched hand clad in a black leather glove. I watch withbated breath, intrigued to see where the performance might go next, because that is whatthisis…right? But when they start to move, rushing straight at me, my automatic fight-or-flight instinct kicks in.
“Nope!” I squeal, immediately spinning around to head straight for the door. I burst out of the ballroom, the sound of my thundering footsteps ricocheting throughout the empty hallway. A quick glance over my shoulder shows me my pursuer is not slowing down, so I race on, skidding across the floorboards as I try to remember which turns will lead me back to the foyer.
I can barely huff out a sigh of relief when I spot the front door, my lungs still seized with fear. Just as I’m about to collide with the splintering wood, Cornelius steps out of a room to my left.
“My, my, what’s all this racket?” he asks, one curly, gray eyebrow raised high.
“Cornelius, what the hell? Why would you have one of your employees chase me out of the house when I’m trying to work?”
He looks almost offended. “Employees? My dear, I have no idea what you’re talking about…I work alone.”
“You what? But I–there was…” I sputter incoherently for a solid minute before I resort to just gesturing wordlessly to the corridor behind me.
“Oh ho ho, did someone have their first supernatural encounter?” He claps his motherfucking hands. “How exciting! It’s been so many years since my own awakening, I’ve almost forgotten the thrill of it all.”
I have to make a concerted effort to pick my jaw up off the floor. There’s no way this wacky dude is trying to convince me I just saw my first ghost.Absolutely not.That thing was solid, creaking across floorboards and fucking around with light switches just to scare me.
“You might want to be a little more wary of who’s coming and going in this place, Mr. Prescott. It seems your security is a little lax if any random idiot in a cloak can waltz in and start chasing people,” I grumble to him as I try to smooth down my ruffled hair.
“A cloak?” He’s unfazed by my suggestion. “How bizarre! None of the residents here are known to cavort in a cloak.”
“Yeah, it’s a total mystery.” I roll my eyes, suddenly very irritated by the quirky character I found so amusing only half an hour ago. “I’ll be seeing you, Mr. Prescott. I trust I’ll be able to work undisturbed next time I visit.”
With that, I wrench open the door and march back to my car, thoroughly sick of being the butt of yet another mean joke. One of these days I’ll stop expecting anything to ever change around here.
10
DOMINIC
I givethe street a cursory glance before strolling up the short path to Shiloh’s porch, conscious that there might be someone around who would take note of my visit. This is the first time I’ve dared to come here during daylight hours. Sneaking around at night simply isn’t interesting enough anymore.
