Page 13 of The Haunting
Maggie looked up, and I smiled. “Because I wasn’t born into nobility. Once, I was a receptionist at a hotel that fired me. I won the lottery and bought six inns for my friends and myself. Weall decided to manage one each. That’s where I met Lucian. The Jekyll and Hyde had belonged to him first.”
“Nice. Do you still run it?”
“No. I’ve a manager there now, but we spend a lot of time between it and Wollscombe.”
“Wollscombe?” Huh, was that an English town?
“Sorry, Wollscombe Hall. The family seat Lucian heads.”
“You mean an old English manor house? Wow, you live in one?” I was awed at the thought. Sure, Phoe had Reading Hall, but a real English Manor? I’d love to visit one.
“Yes, and Daniel and Sabine live in Oakwood Manor,” Maggie elaborated.
Clio joined us at the table, holding up suet and flour. “Hey, I can make dumplings,” she said happily.
“All good stews need dumplings,” Maggie agreed with a warm smile.
“I’ve found tea and coffee!” Kate exclaimed and hugged a jar. Maggie raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t want to meet the guys if they’ve not had their coffee fix in the morning,” I teased, and Maggie laughed.
“Lucian prefers tea, but he can be a real grouch, too!”
As we worked and chatted, Phoe washed up two huge stew pots, which we’d need judging by the amount of food we were preparing. Maggie took them from her and placed them on the Aga stove. She began mixing spices and water together and discovered some tins of beef broth. She opened and poured them in as she threw in the chopped-up vegetables.
Just as she put everything on a low simmer, a growl ran through the house.
We all froze in position. It wasn’t a normal growl; it lingered, infiltrating the stone walls. There was a darkness and hunger to it that sent a chill running through me.
“What the hell?” Clio muttered, wide-eyed, as she looked around.
“Everyone heard that, right?” Nanci demanded.
“Yeah. Was that a dog?” Chance asked.
“That’s no dog I’ve ever encountered,” Calamity stated before I could.
A loud bang sounded from somewhere close, making us all jump. Then a scream raced through the house, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
“Was that Eden?” Kate gasped.
“No, that didn’t sound human,” Emmaline replied, and I stared as she snapped her mouth shut.
“What do you mean?” Chance demanded.
Emmaline looked lost, and Vladimir came to her rescue. “Emmaline means it sounded like something from a horror movie.”
I spun to Phoe, who was standing wide-eyed by the stove. “Is this your doing? Another fright night?”
“No!”
Suspiciously, I stared at her, and Phoe growled at me. “Did I make Drake take the wrong turn? How could I arrange for strangers to arrive? Rosie, why would I invite people I don’t know to a fright night?”
Okay, Phoe had a point.
“What is happening?” Calamity demanded.
A series of banging doors echoed, and several of us screamed.
