London Shadows (#1 Penderry's Bizarre)

Chapter Sixteen

"Snap," declared George, slapping his card down on the pile.

Tabitha sighed. "You win again. It's hardly a fair game, though. I'm still feeling rough."

George smirked and scraped up the deck of cards. "You surrender, then?"

"One more round if we can have a warm drink," she replied then glanced at the crib beside them. Felicity was holding onto the wooden rail and laughing at them through the cot bars.

"That's not a bad idea." He checked his pocket watch. "It's nearly four o'clock. Do you remember anything yet?"

Tabitha shook her head, frustrated by the veil of amnesia that cloaked her memories.

He stood up from the floor where they'd been playing the card game. "Well, maybe tea will help."

Felicity gurgled, her eyes scrunching up when she gave another squeal of laughter.

Propping his hands on his waist, George stared at the baby. "And I suppose you'll want something too."

A ragdoll flew over the rail and landed on the floor.

With a light-hearted roll of his eyes, he wearily picked up the toy and returned it to the cot. "Not that game again. I never knew being an uncle was such hard work."

"You're her uncle?"

"Yes. Well, in a manner of speaking. My older brother took her in. Saved her from some horrid orphanage."

"I can keep an eye on her," she offered.

"Thanks. I'll go and see about the tea."

Jack, who'd been sitting with them on the rug, wagged his tail and followed George out of the room.

His grandmother's house was quiet, except for the clock ticking in the downstairs hallway. Poking his head round a doorway, he found Primrose dozing in a chair.

Without disturbing her, he headed for the kitchen to find the maid or the cook. But no sooner had he entered the deserted kitchen, the door slammed shut behind him. With a start, he spun around and twisted the handle, but it wouldn't budge. On the other side, he could hear more doors banging shut.

Jack growled and sniffed the gap beneath the door.

What on Earth's going on?

A draught?

He recalled the last time such a breeze had appeared out of nowhere and his stomach turned with alarm.

"Hello," he shouted through the wood, continuing to shake the handle. "Grandmother, can you open the door? It's stuck from this side. Edgar? Sally? Hello?"

The fur on Jack's neck bristled, and he barked before scrabbling furiously at the threshold.

***

Tabitha looked towards the commotion with unease.

Doors banging and Jack barking? Something isn't right.

A draught was building. She felt it enter the nursery and snake across the floor. Her fingers pressed into the rug and she shivered when cold air crept over her knuckles. Quickly, she got to her feet.

They'd found her. Maybe she hadn't been quick enough to cover the mirror earlier. That's how they saw things. Mirrors were like windows, showing whatever they asked to see.

Fear squeezed her heart while instinct urged her to escape, but she hesitated and looked at the baby. She couldn't leave her here alone, especially if something was wrong. And Tabitha had the inexplicable feeling that something dark and dangerous was closing in on the house, seeping through the walls. It might let itself in through the front door, like it had at the shop, breaching the place with a chill breeze and skittering of dead leaves.