Chapter Four

 

Dinah huddled between the wardrobe and the wall of an old room that hadn’t been used for a long time. She rarely made it a habit of coming in here. Once a year, several maids would clean the section of this manor that was safe for her to use, but it’d been months since they had come to this room. Even now she was trying to wipe a cobweb that had gotten into her hair when she came here to hide from the creature she’d heard outside.

Don’t think about it. It didn’t see you. You didn’t even see it. All you did was hear it. You’ll be all right. It can’t hurt you if you don’t see it.

She exhaled a shaky breath and renewed her effort to get the cobweb out of her light brown hair. Usually, she wore it in a braid. It was much easier to care for when it was in a braid, but she had taken the time to wash it that morning. Her hair reached her ankles, and it took considerable time to dry it out. The breeze from outside always helped in this matter. So she had opened the window, sat against the wall, and let her hair hang out of the window. She’d done it so many times in the past that she had no reason to think she’d hear a strange sound under the window today.

She couldn’t quite make out what it was, though there was something familiar about it. She had the distinct feeling that she’d heard it as a child. It might be safe. It was possible the thing wasn’t one of the creatures.

But then, what if it had been? And what if it had noticed her hair?

She shivered and cowered further into the corner which served as her hiding place whenever she got scared. She never hid in her bedchamber or in the library. Those rooms were too frequently used. They were the first places a creature would look.

She managed to get the cobweb out of her hair. She pulled the rest of her hair onto her lap and waited for any indication that something had found its way into her sanctuary.

All was silent.

She shifted around the wardrobe and peered around the old room. The bed, the dresser, and the desk and chair were just as they should be. She’d left the door open so she could see into the hallway that was lit by the sunlight. Everything looked normal out there.

After a moment, she got to her feet and let her hair fall in soft waves behind her. She took a step forward. Then another. And another.

Stay silent. Remember to breathe. Go slow.

These were tricks to make sure a creature didn’t know she was nearby.

She was probably all right. She was sure she got her hair back inside before that thing moving under the window noticed her.

She walked down the hall, her slippers soft on the old wood floor as she made her way back to the window. She stopped a foot away from it. It was secure. She’d closed it all the way.

She took a deep breath. Did she dare open it and look down to see if the creature was still there?

“Dinah?” her brother called out.

She jumped and turned toward the voice. It came from the first floor. Her brother had returned from London!

“I’m up here,” she called out to him as she ran down the hall.

By the time she reached the stairs, he was almost on her floor. She waited for him to reach her and hugged him.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered.

“You’re shaking. Did something frighten you?” he asked as he patted her back in a comforting manner.

She pulled away from him and nodded. “I think I heard one of those creatures.”

He offered her a smile, cupped her elbow in his hand, and led her back down the hall. “The creatures don’t come out during the day. I explained that.”

“It had to be one of them. I heard something walking below the window.” Her steps slowed as she approached it. “That one.”

“I was riding a horse over there. I suppose you couldn’t see me since I was so close to the wall.”

“I didn’t look outside. I was too scared.” She gave him a good look. “You were riding a horse? How long have you been back from London?”

“I came here late last night. There wasn’t time to pay you a visit before now.” He stopped and turned to face her. “Dinah, I have good news. I found someone to marry you. I know how lonely you’ve been since everyone died, and now that you’re grown up, you’re ready for a husband.”

She frowned. “Can’t you just take me to London with you? I hate it here.”

“You know I can’t. London is no place for a lady.”

“But I’ve been here in this wing of the manor since I was eight.”

“And you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

Her hope deflated. She’d held out for the possibility she might be able to leave this place once she turned eighteen, but apparently, she’d been wishing for that in vain. She’d recalled something from her childhood that her mother once told her. It had something to do with her going to London for an event called a ‘Season’. The problem was that the conversation had happened when she was six or seven. She couldn’t remember the details.

“Wouldn’t you like to have someone who’ll be here with you?” Donald asked.

“Can’t you be here?”

“I’m afraid I can’t. Not as often as you’d like. Someone has to take care of the estate and make sure the servants are doing their jobs. The maids need to come in and clean the rooms once in a while, and they need to leave your meals at the entrance of the door downstairs every day.”

“Yes, I know, and I’ve been careful not to get in their way as you’ve instructed me.”

“I know. You’ve always been careful to stay in another room so as not to disturb them, and I appreciate that.”

She smiled at his compliment.

He gave her a sympathetic look then asked, “You get lonely here all by yourself, don’t you?”

“Yes. I try to get lost in the books you’ve given me, but sometimes it’s difficult to remain indoors.”

“But it’s necessary you do so. You remember what happened when you were fourteen and went to the trees. I ran out there to warn you that a creature had spotted you, but you didn’t believe me until that night.”

She shivered. She recalled waking up to the hairy beast at the foot of her bed. Only her ability to run and hide had prevented her from getting mauled.

“We must not let that happen again. I had a couple of servants create that wall to keep this side of the house safe, but I can’t guarantee that the creatures can’t get in. Now, I was careful today when I took the gentleman around the property. None of those things saw us. You’re young and inexperienced. You don’t know what to look for like I do.”

“Can’t you teach me what I need to know?”

“I will, but I’d feel better if you were older first. Perhaps when you’re twenty-five, you’ll be ready.”

Maybe he was right. It was probably best not to take the risk yet.

“Dinah,” her brother continued, “the gentleman I brought here is excited to meet you. He’s a kind person. I think he’ll be a good companion for you. But I didn’t tell him about the creatures. It’s very important you never mention the creatures. If you do, he’ll leave, and then you’ll be all alone again, and this time, I won’t be able to bring anyone else here. As soon as people learn these creatures roam the grounds at night, no one will want to come here. So the creatures will remain our secret. Understand?”

She nodded. “I understand.”

“Good. I think this will be a good match. I’ll feel much better when I go to London knowing that you’re not alone anymore.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll bring him to you in an hour. Why don’t you wait for us in the library?”

“All right.”

She got ready to turn from him when he snapped his fingers. “There’s one more thing.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “What is it?”

“I hate to do this since I know you love your hair, but it might be time to cut it.”

Her hands went to the long strands. “You want me to cut my hair?”

“Not all of it. Just some of it.”

She pulled her hair over her shoulder and held it closer to her. “How much do you want to cut?”

“I was thinking of cutting it here.” He tapped the middle of her back.

She winced. That much?

“It’s long overdue that you get your hair cut. Hair that long is for children. You’re not a child anymore. You’re a grown lady.”

Maybe he was right. As she recalled, her mother and aunt hadn’t had hair this long. If she was going to be a wife, she supposed it was time to put away childish things. She’d read enough books to let her know ladies that married didn’t act like children.

Steadying her resolve, she nodded that she’d let him cut her hair. She followed him to her bedchamber. He took a pair of shears from one of his pockets and gestured for her to sit in the chair in front of the vanity.

She had to blink back the tears as he cut her hair. In an attempt to ignore what was happening, she let her mind wander to memories of her past. She recalled being held by her mother before going to sleep. She recalled picking out flowers to put in the drawing room with her aunt. She recalled listening to her uncle tell her stories from his time in other countries.

She could barely remember her father. Her only memory of him was from when she was four, and she thought he was admonishing her brother about something, but she had no idea why her father had been upset. All she knew was that the maid had ushered her out of the room. Her brother had been fifteen at the time. He’d been home from his schooling for a season.

“All done,” Donald told her.

Her attention went back to the present, and her gaze went to the mirror across from her. Her hair didn’t even reach her elbows anymore.

“You have some curl,” her brother said. He took a few strands and showed her the way they curled around one of his fingers. “You look better this way. I think Baldwin will like it.”

“Baldwin?”

“That’s the name of the gentleman you are to marry.” He let go of her hair and tucked the shears into his pocket. “Where’s the broom?”

She pointed to the small room off to the side of her bedchamber.

“Why don’t you brush your hair and make yourself pretty while I clean the floor?” he suggested before he went to the other room.

She picked up the brush and ran it through her hair which seemed abnormally short. She sniffed and wiped a tear away. This was all part of the process of being mature. She wasn’t a child anymore. She had to grow up sometime, and ‘sometime’ might as well be now.

He returned and cleaned up the hair. She wasn’t sure what to do with her hair now that it was so short. She almost felt naked without the long strands to fall over her shoulders. She turned to the jewelry box on her vanity and sorted through the pins and ribbons. She hadn’t worn any of these in years. Ever since her hair got past her waist, she’d stopped wearing them.

Finally, she chose to put a ribbon around her hair.

Her brother finished discarding her hair and put the broom away. He took a good look at her and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Had she put the ribbon in wrong?

“I think these pins will flatter your face more,” he said as he selected a few from her jewelry box. “You want to look the best you can for your future husband.”

She accepted the pins that he held out to her. As she pulled the ribbon out of her hair, she asked, “Do you like Baldwin?”

“Is it important? I’m not the one marrying him. You are.”

“I trust your judgment. If you like him, then I’ll know he’s a good person.”

“Since you put it like that, yes, I do like him. He’s an amiable fellow, but he prefers ladies who are quiet. I don’t want you to scare him away. Let him talk first. When you respond, speak softly. All right?”

She nodded.

“It might be best if you meet him in the library,” he said. “Perhaps you should wait in the corner of the room. I’ll call out to you once he feels comfortable enough to speak with you.”

“Is he shy?” she asked, surprised he wanted her to hide.

“No, but I think it’s best if you don’t go running up to him as soon as you see him. Ladies are better off letting the gentleman take the lead. You remember that from the few love stories I’ve brought for you to read.”

She hadn’t read one of those in years. They’d struck her as rather dull and boring. Not much of anything happened in them. All she recalled was that the gentlemen courting ladies did all the talking, and if a lady didn’t understand something, she kept her thoughts to herself. She’d also read books he’d brought her on how ladies were supposed to act, but again, those bored her as well. She preferred the books he’d brought her that explained what to do when monsters attacked innocent people. That was what she really needed to know.

He patted her shoulder, an action which broke her out of her thoughts. “Don’t take long. I’ll return with Baldwin soon.”

She nodded. She wondered if Baldwin was going to be as boring as the gentlemen she’d read about in books. Her brother was a gentleman, and she didn’t consider talking to him to be boring.

From what little she could recall, her uncle had been interesting. She recalled the vivid images he’d painted of Spain and France. So not all gentlemen were boring. She hoped Baldwin wouldn’t be, either. She’d like to think she might finally have someone to spend time with whose company she could enjoy. With a mixture of hope and apprehension, she put the pins in her hair.