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Analisa forced a smile as Dr Martinson took her hand in his and wished her well The smile lasted until she left the hospital and stepped out onto the street What now? she thought The epide the lives of her parents and her two brothers, as well as the lives of es of the diseased had been burned to halt the spread of the disease leaving those who survived hoo, no place to stay, no faht For the first tihtened her al Never in her entire life had she been without friends or fahtmare come true
"Analisa!"
She turned to see Dr Martinson hurrying down the street toward her He was a tall, austere er It was his eyes, she thought, always so kind and coot," he said, pulling an envelope out of the pocket of his coat "This was left for you"
"Forit over in her hands It was sealed with a dollop of dark red wax that renized her name, written in bold script "Who&039;s it from?"
"I&039;m sure I don&039;t know"
"Would you would you read it to me?"
"Of course" Dr Martinson broke the seal and opened the envelope Withdrawing a letter written in a bold hand on fine ivory-colored parch on an extended holiday and it is my wish that you occupy my family home at Blackbriar Hall It is an old residence, but I am confident you will be co, feel free to purchase whatsoever you ements with my creditors to cover your expenses, h they were my own I have included a small amount of cash to cover your transportation and meals until you arrive
Your servant,
Lord Alesandro de Avallone
Master of Blackbriar Hall
Dr Martinson withdrew a handful of currency and a few coins from the envelope and dropped them into her hands, then folded the letter and put it back in the envelope
"It see her the envelope
She looked at the money in her hands, then up at the doctor "How , Analisa Your bill has been paid for Please take care of yourself"
"Paid for? But how? Who - "
"Lord Avallone has settled your account, and enerous donation to our hospital
"But who is this Lord Avallone? Why should he wish to provide for h I have never hborn Italian nobleman His title is one of respect" He patted her shoulder "Please, don&039;t hesitate to send for me if you should ever have need of me"
Analisa slipped the money into her skirt pocket "Thank you, Doctor"
"Go with God, ht He had cared for her day and night, knohen she arrived that she had no rateful that the mysterious Alesandro had paid her debt Grateful and extre?
She watched Dr Martinson walk back toward the hospital, her hands nervously worrying the envelope in her hands She watched hiht, then turned and walked down the street, avoiding the shallow puddles left by an earlyThere was a decided chill in the air Yesterday she&039;d had nothing, no place to stay, nowhere to go Last night, steeped in despair over her future, she had tossed and turned, wondering what she would do when she left the hospital She had never been employed, never lived anywhere but at hoether in spite of their poverty Even when food was scarce, when the future looked bleak, Ma to look forward to, soone, Mama, Papa, Thomas and Arthur Why had she been spared and they had not?
Who was Alesandro Avallone, and why had he offered a penniless stranger the hospitality of his hoh a sht-iron bench, the envelope still clutched in her hand If she had the nerve to accept Lord Avallone&039;s offer - if he truly meant what his letter said - all her troubles wouldbe over, at least for the ti
She couldn&039;t believe it, didn&039;t dare believe it Why would this er, offer her shelter? Blackbriar Hall The very na down her spine Even in her se, they had heard of Blackbriar Hall A dark, sinister place ray stone atop a ept hill A place wreathed in mystery and superstition So the money from her pocket, she counted it The letter had said there was enough to cover transportation and h for her to live on for al
She sat there a er, and then beset by doubts Why would Lord Avallone offer her his home? Was it some kind of ploy? But if it hat could he possibly hope to gain? She had nothing of value, nothing save the shabby clothing she wore and the iven her
She looked up as a few fat drops of rain landed on her cheek There was a crack of lightning, a crash of thunder, and the heavens opened, unleashing a torrent of rain
Jue stand on the corner and flagged down a passing coach for hire The driver pulled over, took one look at her ragged apparel and orn shoes, and shook his head
"Not working for charity today" Tugging his cap down, he clucked to the horse
"Wait!" she called, running after him "I can pay"
The coachman drew back on the reins He squinted down at her, his expression skeptical "Show me"
She withdrew a coin fro down from his seat and opened the door for her "Where to, miss?"
"Blackbriar Hall"
He looked at her, his close-set blue eyes widening beneath heavy brown brows "Are ye daft, girl?"
"Maybe so," shebefore they had left the city far behind The neat, well-tended roads turned into narroinding paths lined by tall trees bent by the storrew sether and there was nothing to see but rolling countryside and an occasional herd of sheep clustered together against the store, the lap robe pulled up to her chin, the letter clutched, like a talisrew more and more nervous with each ue overtook her and she drifted to sleep, her drealowed like indigo fire
She aith a start as a bright flash of lightning lit the interior of the coach Thunder raged across the heavens, shaking the ground She shivered, not so much from the cold, but from a sense of unease The storm was like none she had ever seen before
A short time later, the coach came to a halt She heard a rap on the top of the coach and then the voice of the driver "There&039;s an inn ahead," he shouted, his voice muffled by the wind "Will ye be wantin&039; to stop for the night?"
The thought of staying at an inn, surrounded by strangers, sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, filled her with apprehension "How much farther is it to Blackbriar Hall?"
"About an hour"
"Let&039;s go on then"
"Very well, miss"
She drew the curtains over the s, then huddled deeper into the lap robe, shivering now as the wind picked up, sneaking through whatever cracks it could find Belatedly, it occurred to her that she would be a in an unfae in the pace of the coach, knew they had begun the long upward climb to Blackbriar Hall She drew back the curtain and peered out, though there was nothing to see but darkness, nothing to hear but the pounding of the rain on the roof of the coach She felt a ret for the driver and his horse, coht that she had the ht her eye Leaning forward, she peered into the darkness, her eyes widening in surprise Was that a wolf running alongside the coach? A black wolf? A flash of lightning lit the sky, and for a aze ain, but the creature was gone, if indeed it had ever been there With a shake of her head, she let the curtain fall back into place
As they neared the top of the hill, agrayaround the coach like smoke The road leveled out, widened, ran between a forest of ancient oaks and ele shapes by the wind
And then, in a burst of lightning, she saw the house, standing dark and sinister in the oyles leered down at her; tall, arched s, black in the night, stared at her like sightless eyes
The coach came to a halt A moment later, the driver jumped down and opened the door "We&039;re here,to do with the chill of the night "Blackbriar Hall"
She paid hienerous tip, then climbed out of thecoach and ran up the thirteen stone steps to the front door Thirteen, she thought Unlucky She stood there aif she shouldn&039;t climb back into the coach andreturn to the city, but when she looked over her shoulder, she saw that the coach was already on its way back down the path
Taking a deep breath, she prayed for courage as she turned back toward the door It was an ih The head of a snarling as carved into the heavy dark wood Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, and then knocked again Was no one hoers creeping up her legs
Aa tall, regal-looking woh-necked black dress Her hair, once brown but now non at her nape
Raising her laray eyes "Miss Matthews?"
"Yes"
"Co sound as she took a step back to allow Analisa entrance to the house "We have been expecting you"
Analisa followed the woe parlor
The woestured toward a curved sofa covered in rich dark green da tea to war your room I am the housekeeper, Mrs Thornfield"
Analisa sat down, shivering in spite of the heat radiating fro her roo when she hadn&039;t known herself? Or that she would be arriving tonight, and at such a late hour?
"Would you care for soratefully "Thank you"
"Cook , but if you would prefer so else, you need but ask"
"No, that will be fine, thank you"
"If you will excuse me, I will tell Cook you have arrived"