The Governess by Camille Oster

Author:Camille Oster [Oster, Camille]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2016-10-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21:

* * *

Estelle froze as a distant clattering sound filtered along the corridor. Intently, she listened, trying to discern where the noise came from. It was definitely not imaginary. Creaks and scrapes might be her overactive imagination, but this sound was prolonged and it was definitely not her imagination. Her mouth had gone bone dry as she listened, her ears ringing with the silence.

More noises were heard and even distant voices.

Staring down the darkness, Estelle listened, each noise only confirming that something was happening in the castle in the middle of the night. She blinked for a moment, thinking of what she should do. This was serious now. There was someone in the castle. Those were unmistakably voices she’d heard.

But this was unlikely to be some madman crawling around the halls, unless he was talking to himself, but it had the flow and stops of a conversation. The voices were too distant to hear any actual words.

Carrying her lantern ahead of her, Estelle walked down the corridor toward where the voices were coming from. She took care not to scare herself with her own reflection again as she walked past the mirror, eventually emerging silently on the mezzanine floor around the great entrance hall. Two figures were below, barely lit in the darkness of the castle. One of them was clearly Balog, but the other was too darkly dressed to see, until her lantern drew his attention and he looked up at her. It was the count. In a way, she was relieved because the master of the house returning wasn't exactly out of the ordinary, even if at such a curious hour.

His eyes traveled down her form, taking in her nightgown, then he looked back up at her almost belligerently. "Your presence is not required, Miss Winstone," he said sharply and dismissively.

It occurred to her that she was actually standing around in her nightgown. "I heard a noise."

"I suggest you return to your room immediately."

He looked away from her as if he were disgusted. She felt the censure like a sting across her skin. The two men walked out of the main doors, leaving them open. Cold wind rushed into the entrance hall, the smell of snow whirling around the cavernous space, icing her bare arms.

Taking a step back, she lowered her lantern. He had no interest in the noises she heard or the concern that had driven her to check on Thomas' welfare. She couldn't figure out whether she was embarrassed or angry. And why was he returning home at such an ungodly hour and scaring her half to death? He must have traveled through the night.

Quickly, she returned to her room, but made a detour past Thomas' and checked that his door was indeed locked. Her sheets were cold by the time she slipped into her own bed. She had little idea what time it was, but knew she had poor chances of falling asleep again. Staring at the ceiling, she lay awake.

*

Estelle was tired by the time she made it down to breakfast.

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