A week later
My new maid's name is Abigail. I give her a tour of the manor and when we reach the end of the corridor on the ground floor, I point at the last closed door.
"This room we don't use," I explain. "It's always locked."
She frowns. "Why is that, milady?"
I smile and lead her back to the main hallway. "Somehow I think we are going to get along..."
The ground floor has been cleaned and its rooms are now open, warm and lit by the wintery sunshine. As we reach the staircase, Clarence comes in through the main door, taking off his hat. His gaze softens when he sees me.
"We were just finishing our tour of the house," I tell him.
Abigail makes a face. "I was saying to her Ladyship it's like a fairy-tale house. I'm afraid I'll get lost."
Clarence chuckles and puts his hat down on a peg by the door. "I've heard this before."
"You'll learn to find your way very soon," I tell Abigail, "this is not the labyrinth it appears to be at first."
Clarence walks up the stairs, still chucking to himself.
"And the good news is," I inform Abigail before he is out of earshot, "I can promise you it's not haunted..."
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Thanks so much for reading!
I know some questions are left unanswered here, but I always meant to write this as a short story -- with some room left for the reader's imagination.
I hope you enjoyed it!
If you have, please feel free to vote / comment on it!
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The Forbidden Room
Historical Fiction**A Blue Beard retelling** Based on Charles Perrault's fairytale, this YA Historical Fantasy short story set in Victorian England mixes romance, magic and mystery. After agreeing to an arranged marriage to escape her greedy relatives, 18-year-old he...
