Beatrice: An Alarming Tale of British Murder and Woe by Tedd Hawks (the reading list book .TXT) 📕

“Hullo, MissWinterbourne,” Crockett said dreamily. Brontë suppressed a smile into hernapkin.

Petrarch tsk’d quietlyviewing the interaction. He took a seat and gave Crockett a look, which hehoped reminded him of the futility of his flirtations. Crockett, however,failed to notice. His gaze remained fixed upon Brontë.

The only other personin the room was May, whose expression was, if possible, even more pinched inthan when she appeared the previous evening.

“If you’d like to jointhe séance, you better eat quickly,” May said, judgment dripping from her tone.

“Grandmother hasalready taken up the biscuits she keeps exclusively for the ghosts,” Brontë added.

May snorted withcontempt. “Mother used to be religious; she was the one who coerced us to attendservices and taught us from the Holy Book. I don’t understand her newpropensities for the occult. It’s diabolical—absolutely wicked.”

“Well, according toher, she’s heard things during thenight which indicate a spiritual presence,” Brontë said.

Crockett nervouslyplayed with his napkin, the reverie born of his attraction for Brontë replacedby his fear of the occult. “I told you Kordelia mentioned ghosts yesterday. Shesaid Petrarch and my rooms are full of them.”

Brontë looked at him,her eyes smiling. “Crockett, have you seen the windows in those rooms? Even agentle spring breeze would howl through them like a screaming banshee.” The mirthin her eyes faded. “To be honest, it’s Grandmother who got Kordelia into allthat ghost nonsense, hence the arson and now her exile on the continent.”

“Well, I would muchrather enjoy breakfast than talk to ghosts, even if they do have good taste inbiscuits.” Petrarch said, ladling a heaping mound of porridge into his bowl topunctuate this statement.

Crockett was about to reachfor some jam, when he suddenly thought the better of it. He had never been to aséance and, even with the wily Kordelia leading it, the experience would benovel.

“You know, I would liketo join,” he said. “Where are they gathered?”

May groaned. “In thestudy. Be careful when you barge in; they lit enough candles to be seen fromthe moon.”

#

May’s remark on thecandles was not exaggerated. They were arranged on every empty space in thestudy—the desk, the carpet, the couches, the window ledge. They had not pulledthe drapes over the large window; it was needless as an expansive oak tree grewoutside. Its long shadow fell through the clear panes, keeping the room deep inshadow. In the center of the room, the participants gathered around a circulartable draped in a blood-red cloth. Corinthiana wore a similar costume to Kordelia,a silk dressing gown but with a more ostentatious turban. Beside her, swimminghappily in her bowl, was Beatrice (a tiny, flamboyant headpiece matchingCorinthiana’s placed on top of her transparent home). June and August lookeddisinterested but nevertheless occupied spaces next to Kordelia. Facing them,across the table, were Robert and, to Crockett’s surprise, Martha. In thecenter of the small group was Kordelia, a large book with yellowed pages openbefore her.

“Welcome, our beggaaarlyfriend. They haaad saaaid yooou maaay aaarrive.” Although Corinthiana spoke toCrockett, her gaze was fixed on a point above his head.

“They?” Crockett asked.

“The spirits,” Kordeliasaid. Her eyes sparkled in the candlelight.

“Mummy was in touchwith them this morning, evidently.” June threw an embarrassed glance at hermother.

“Zey have been very chattyrecently vith ze passing of Master Hawsfeffer.” Robert looked over at Crockettand smiled. Something about the gesture was off, the rising of his mouthdelayed just a moment too long after speaking. Although he wore a new set ofclothes, a pinstripe suit of black and gray, it retained the gothic-horrortones of the previous evening. On his neck he wore a tie covered in uglyskulls, while a chain hung from his jacket pocket. In the nascent morninglight, he looked even more haggard than Crockett previously thought, his beardragged and unkempt, almost as if the hairs had all twisted in his sleep. Hisface resembled a child’s painting, the nose slightly off-center and his eyebrowat a bizarre forty-five-degree angle above his right eye.

“I’m sorry I’ve beenremiss as to not comment on how very stylish you are,” Crockett said, employingPetrarch’s lesson from the previous day of insulting compliments.

Robert’s eyes flashed.

“Get on with it!” Marthagrunted, munching on one of the biscuits reserved for ghosts.

Corinthiana reached outand swatted it from her hand. Her vowels plumped with rage. “Steeealing whaaatis not yours aaagaaain as aaalwaaays, Maaarthaaa.”

A proper row would haveerupted had the table not jumped beneath them.

Terror seized thegathered party. June clutched August. Martha’s mouth dropped open, biscuitcrumbs falling onto her lap. Crockett goat-froze, as he was wont to do underduress; being at the table, however, kept him from fully collapsing.

“What was…” Augustlooked around nervously.

“The dead.” Kordeliasaid softly.

“I told yooou! Weeemust entooomb deeear Bixby or weee will continuaaally faaace theeese terrors!”

A pregnant silencefilled the room. In the quiet, the group noticed a great number of sounds theyhad not hearkened upon entering—the slight, eerie twitter of a bird outside thewindow; the wraithlike mutter of an unseen draft; the crackle and hiss of thecandles, so many lit that it sounded as if they were surrounded by snakes.

“Very interesting,” Robertsaid, the chain on his suit rattling.

“Jumbiminy jumochamaraxes twiddle haux,” Kordelia muttered as she read from the tome beforeher.

“Silence,” Corinthianasaid in a low tone, which shook with a rising fear. “Kordeliaaa will now reeeadfrom theee aaancient texts.” She paused for a moment, then quickly added, “Yoooumaaay leeean in closer. I haaave given her some herbs for her haaalitosis.”

Everyone was verypleased by this effort to make the young girl’s breath more bearable.

“What are we hoping tolearn?” August asked, his mustache lightly shaking in terror.

“We are attempting tospeak with Grandfather.” Kordelia’s eyes did not lift from the book. “It ishoped he’ll tell us where his body is.”

What followed was along reading from the shadowy book before Kordelia. Although at first Crockettwas filled with terror, as the reading went on and questionable words arose inthe ancient tongue (“pettifogerry,” “tea cozie,” and “philanderer” allsprinkled in), the fear subsided. August joined Crockett in renewed skepticism,along with June and Martha who exchanged suspicious glances across the table.

Finishing the speech, Kordeliathrew up her hands. Corinthiana looked up to the sky, her fingers clutching alarge, gold necklace that was around her throat.

“Theee gaaatewaaay oftheee