possess a window. A few tallow candles were sprinkled about, however, offering a bit of light and a slightly unpleasant smell.
Peggy’s breath hitched in her throat, but the maid didn’t complain or beg to wait outside, and Mina’s heart filled with affection for her servant. Still, she didn’t want her maid to be uneasy. Mina cast a sidelong glance at Peggy and said, “Perhaps you should wait with the driver, make certain he doesn’t leave us.”
“But Miss—” she began at the exact moment a crackly voice from the darkness said, “Your mistress will be safe.”
Peggy leapt slightly at the sound, but Mina stared in the direction from where the voice had come. An older woman stepped forward, and the light from the candles illuminated her weathered face in the darkness. A mane of wild, black hair streaked with a bit of silver hung about her shoulders. Her brown eyes settled on Mina, piercing her as though she could see into her soul.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
A shiver raced down Mina’s spine. “Are you Madam Debardi?” she asked, not certain what else to say now that she was here. She’d been drawn to the place, had seen it in her dreams the night before, and when she’d awoken this morning, she’d known she needed to find this particular door in this particular alley, that some secret about her future lay just inside. But now that she was here…
“You want your cards read.”
Did she? Was tha t what her mother wanted her to see? Something in her cards? Something of great importance that she needed to know? “Yes,” she said after a moment. She had sought the fortuneteller out, after all. Whatever her mother wanted her to know, Mina needed to find out what it was.
“Miss Mina,” Peggy warned.
She glanced over her shoulder at her maid and smiled. “I’ll be fine, Peggy. But do make certain the driver won’t leave us.”
A second later, the tinkling of the bell over the door signaled Peggy’s departure, and at once, the room felt even darker.
“Over there,” the fortuneteller said, gesturing to her left.
Mina hadn’t noticed the small table until now. Her eyes must finally be adjusting to the dim light. She followed the fortuneteller’s direction and slid into one of the worn out chairs.
Madam Derbardi picked up a candle and brought it with her to the table. As she sat, the candlelight danced across a stack of tattered cards in the middle of the table, illuminating a depiction of a large, all-seeing eye. “Pick up the deck,” the fortuneteller advised. “Shuffle the cards, let them soak in your aura.”
Mina picked up the cards and a spark of warmth shot through her. Heavens!
“Whatever question you want answered, hold it in your mind,” Madam Derbardi said, her dark eyes boring into Mina’s. “You can turn cards upside down or leave them as they are. You’ll know when it’s time to return them to the table.”
Mina closed her eyes and shuffled the cards. What does my future hold? she wondered over and over. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open and she placed the deck back on the little table in front of her.
Madam Derbardi nodded then said, “Nothing to be worried about.”
“Oh, I’m not worried,” Mina hastened to explain, “just anxious. I…Well, I felt something in the air this morning, madam. A chill of sorts. I think my mother is trying to tell me something important. She’s the one who led me here.”
“Mmm.” The old woman nodded. “You’re sensitive to the spirit plane, aren’t you?”
Mina supposed that was true, though she’d never heard it put in such a way before. Papa and Aunt Irene generally grumbled the words mystical nonsense under their breath, not that it mattered. Mina knew there was more to life than what one could see, one just had to know where to…well, l ook . One simply needed to pay attention to one’s own heart. At least that was what Mama had always said when she was alive. “Well, I was always very close to
Peggy’s breath hitched in her throat, but the maid didn’t complain or beg to wait outside, and Mina’s heart filled with affection for her servant. Still, she didn’t want her maid to be uneasy. Mina cast a sidelong glance at Peggy and said, “Perhaps you should wait with the driver, make certain he doesn’t leave us.”
“But Miss—” she began at the exact moment a crackly voice from the darkness said, “Your mistress will be safe.”
Peggy leapt slightly at the sound, but Mina stared in the direction from where the voice had come. An older woman stepped forward, and the light from the candles illuminated her weathered face in the darkness. A mane of wild, black hair streaked with a bit of silver hung about her shoulders. Her brown eyes settled on Mina, piercing her as though she could see into her soul.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
A shiver raced down Mina’s spine. “Are you Madam Debardi?” she asked, not certain what else to say now that she was here. She’d been drawn to the place, had seen it in her dreams the night before, and when she’d awoken this morning, she’d known she needed to find this particular door in this particular alley, that some secret about her future lay just inside. But now that she was here…
“You want your cards read.”
Did she? Was tha t what her mother wanted her to see? Something in her cards? Something of great importance that she needed to know? “Yes,” she said after a moment. She had sought the fortuneteller out, after all. Whatever her mother wanted her to know, Mina needed to find out what it was.
“Miss Mina,” Peggy warned.
She glanced over her shoulder at her maid and smiled. “I’ll be fine, Peggy. But do make certain the driver won’t leave us.”
A second later, the tinkling of the bell over the door signaled Peggy’s departure, and at once, the room felt even darker.
“Over there,” the fortuneteller said, gesturing to her left.
Mina hadn’t noticed the small table until now. Her eyes must finally be adjusting to the dim light. She followed the fortuneteller’s direction and slid into one of the worn out chairs.
Madam Derbardi picked up a candle and brought it with her to the table. As she sat, the candlelight danced across a stack of tattered cards in the middle of the table, illuminating a depiction of a large, all-seeing eye. “Pick up the deck,” the fortuneteller advised. “Shuffle the cards, let them soak in your aura.”
Mina picked up the cards and a spark of warmth shot through her. Heavens!
“Whatever question you want answered, hold it in your mind,” Madam Derbardi said, her dark eyes boring into Mina’s. “You can turn cards upside down or leave them as they are. You’ll know when it’s time to return them to the table.”
Mina closed her eyes and shuffled the cards. What does my future hold? she wondered over and over. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open and she placed the deck back on the little table in front of her.
Madam Derbardi nodded then said, “Nothing to be worried about.”
“Oh, I’m not worried,” Mina hastened to explain, “just anxious. I…Well, I felt something in the air this morning, madam. A chill of sorts. I think my mother is trying to tell me something important. She’s the one who led me here.”
“Mmm.” The old woman nodded. “You’re sensitive to the spirit plane, aren’t you?”
Mina supposed that was true, though she’d never heard it put in such a way before. Papa and Aunt Irene generally grumbled the words mystical nonsense under their breath, not that it mattered. Mina knew there was more to life than what one could see, one just had to know where to…well, l ook . One simply needed to pay attention to one’s own heart. At least that was what Mama had always said when she was alive. “Well, I was always very close to
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