𝙱𝙻𝙰𝙲𝙺 𝙼𝙸𝚁𝚁𝙾𝚁 || Original Story

6 - mirror

On my next available free day, which was two weeks after my trip to London, I decided to take up Liesel's offer to see her spectral mirror. I spent the morning reorganising my files and then made my way to Whitemarsh just after midday. I was pleased to see Apollo lying in the sunshine on the grass opposite the door; she got up immediately when I opened the car door to get out, bounding over and jumping gleefully.

"Hello again, Apollo," I greeted, petting her head.

A split second later, another dog came padding from around the side of the house. A springer spaniel, whose name I remembered to be Artemis. He was a lot bigger than Apollo and Liesel was right when she said he wasn't as energetic as his breed should be. He approached, sniffing my shoes and then my hand, undoubtedly to check if I'd brought any treats. I, too, then patted him on the head before making my way to the front door and ringing the bell.

Lizzy- the maid- answered a short while later, smiling as she opened the door. "Hello, Doctor Hillenbrand."

"Good afternoon," I replied, entering the house as she stepped aside to let me in.

"Is anybody expecting you, sir?" She then asked.

"No, but Miss Catesby said that I could pop round as she wanted to show me something."

"Oh, yes, of course. She mentioned something about that. I'll just go and get her."

I gave Lizzy my thanks and watched as she hurried upstairs. I was then left alone in the hallway, revelling in the silence and observing the paintings on the nearby wall. One was of a respectable-looking gentleman from the early Georgian period, who was dressed in fine clothing decorated with gold trimmings and with a sabre held boldly in one hand. His hair was styled typically for the time and was a chestnut-brown in colour. A springer spaniel sat beside his feet, looking on into the distance. They ran in the family, it seemed.

The painting beside it was of an elderly Victorian gentleman and his wife, both dressed finely in a suit and silver cravat and a maroon dress, respectively. Their expressions were stiff, almost condescending with their dark eyes fixated ahead. I guessed that they must have been Liesel and Thomas's great-grandparents- elite figures in the high society of mid-Victorian England with the world at their feet.

After a long while of intrigued staring, I glanced up to the staircase to see Liesel descending with a skip, a smile on her rosy face. She was wearing a plain grey dress with a shawl wrapped around her and her feet were bare. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, the end of which fell off her shoulder. She seemed to be in high spirits and it was nice to see her in this way again, especially after the first time we met.

"Good afternoon, Doctor," she greeted chirpily.

Courteously, I nodded. "Miss Catesby."

"So, you've come to see the spectacular and mysterious mirror, then? I was wondering when you'd be tempted."

"It better be good now that you've dragged me all the way out here," I said jokingly.

"I dragged you? You have a dry sense of humour."

"I'm notorious for it, unfortunately."

Liesel laughed and then offered tea, which I happily accepted after quickly realising that I hadn't even had so much as a glass of water this morning. She shouted orders upstairs to Lizzy and then me through to the drawing room.

The room appeared brighter than it was the last time I had visited it. The curtains weren't on their rails and the windows were open, letting in a draught. I could now see that the walls were painted a duck egg blue and that the empty mantlepiece was covered in a thin layer of dust.