Chapter 19
For a moment she felt dumbstruck but as the adrenalin hit her system she made a dash for the door. Inside was dark and subdued, she looked around in the gloom but couldn’t see the girl, she couldn’t be far away, the scream was still fresh in her ears. She pushed a door to allow her into another room; it was bathed in dusty daylight. She heard sobbing, looking around she saw the girl huddled in a corner of the room. “Are you okay?” She almost whispered.
“Don’t come in.” The girl replied. Her eyes flitting around the room.
“Come here child don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you.” She followed the girls eyeline and looked behind her, out of the shadow of the door stood a face she knew. “You… What have you done to this child!”
“Nothing yet.” Carl said calmly.
“Leave her alone! What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you, I missed you.” He smiled at her, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
She looked over at the girl. “Go, get out! He will not harm you, just go.” The girl looked wary but got to her feet and ran out of the open door. “What did you do to her?”
“Oh, nothing she’s just a stupid girl.” He looked down at her neckline. “Where’s your necklace?”
“Never mind that, why are you following me, what are you doing here?”
“I’m not following you, I’m in York for a party and I saw you come in here.”
“Then why did that girl look so terrified, she knew you and she was scared.”
“Oh forget her, why are you in here, this is not the place for a lady, let me escort you out.”
“No thank you I’ll find my own way.” With that said she turned and left the way she had come, not looking back. Still she felt his eyes on her. Her head was swirling with mixed emotions, she had no idea what to do now, but she had been right to think she shouldn’t trust Carl. Then she remembered George, she needed to know he was alright. She turned back towards the door the sign now gone and the door was closed to the street, she looked around but there was no sign of Carl. She shrugged, knowing that he would find her when he wanted to. She headed back to the house, she had lost her interest in looking around the streets of York, she needed some breakfast and to meet her host.
S C Richmond 
Hey Steph, Namaste 🙂
Such a surreal moment for your heroine to deal with and contemplate its meaning, but she seems otherwise distracted, engrossed in the mystery surrounding her.
Carl appears at the most significant moments: either there as a catalyst to encourage her movement – both physically and emotionally – or to thicken the sauce of the plot. I find him sinister and his motives not easily determined: there is far more to him than meets the eye of the reader! 🙂 One wonders why he thought the Astrological Society were unsuitable for a lady?
And so the story continues, as must I continue to read…
Enjoy your evening.
Namaste 🙂
DN
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: The Charade…Chapter 19 | Retired? No one told me!
The plot thickens ….
LikeLiked by 1 person