Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Author:Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Walking Dead;Downton Abbey;Zombieland;mash-up;paranormal romance;historical romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Published: 2018-04-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Grace sat before the mirror in her bedroom, watching her reflection as Becky arranged her hair from behind.

Just two nights ago, she’d been in the same spot, only Lizzy had been with her then and the atmosphere had been playful; happy, even.

How much had changed in such a short time.

Then, if there had been the prospect of a dance ahead, rather than just another chance for a couple of new rivals to take up positions against each other in the hopes of winning Kate’s hand, no doubt she and Lizzy would’ve been even happier.

But now?

How could anyone think it a good time to have a dance?

How could she?

And yet here she was.

Grace had first learned of the dance from Kate, who’d taken the time to come to the sickroom to tell her, although Kate had seemed reluctant to step over the threshold, as though whatever was wrong with Merry might be catching, which of course it wasn’t. He was merely wounded. A person couldn’t get sick from simply being around someone else’s wounds.

“How’s our patient doing?” Kate had asked brightly from the doorway. “Much better, I hope?”

“It’s hard to tell,” Grace said. “I think he is. Mostly he sleeps, drifting in and out. When he’s awake, he tells me stories.”

“Really? How fascinating!” Grace was sure that despite Kate’s bright smile, she found it anything but fascinating. Kate had never had much patience or sympathy for other people’s illnesses, nor even her own come to that.

Oh well, Grace had thought. At least Kate’s trying.

“What kind of stories?” Kate asked.

“Oh, nothing earth-shattering, I suppose. Just tales of growing up in London, ambitions he once had, dreams he’d hoped to see fulfilled.”

“And he still will!” Kate had said with surprising vehemence. “Now, let me tell you about the dance Father is planning for this evening…”

That’s when Kate had explained that it was to be no ordinary dance. Apparently, Father was upset there were so few in the party. He did want there to be something festive, to take people’s minds off the unpleasantness of the day, but he also wanted to make up the numbers so it wouldn’t look too depressing in terms of the sparseness of attendants.

“He said,” Kate had told her, “that he wants it to be like the Servants’ Ball.”

“How do you mean?”

“You know what the Servants’ Ball is! During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, we let them have their own party so that there’s a festive occasion for them, too, and the family pops in but only stays for half an hour, just to put a jolly face on things.”

“Yes, I do know all that. But how is this supposed to be like that?”

“Well, not exactly. More like the reverse.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to speak clearer, Kate, because you’ve really lost me now.”

“I swear, you’re getting dimmer than Lizzy, Grace!”

“Actually, it’s seemed to me that Lizzy’s been getting a bit brighter lately. Who knows? Maybe Lizzy has been bright all along, only none of us ever gave her a chance.

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