reason, he thought. On the other hand, this was a lady who feared the ghost of
a murdered husband. He thought about the stout shutters and warning bells she had installed in her home.
What diabolical fate had put him in the hands of this female? But he could not turn away from her, and it
was not just her father's journal that chained him now.
"Calm yourself," he said in what he hoped were soothing tones. "I shall return in a moment."
He entered the Haunted Mansion. The light from his lamp flared on the imitation stone hall, creating
pockets of deep shadows beneath the twisting staircase.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Damnation, how can you be so bloody stubborn?" Madeline picked up her skirts and rushed up the
steps to follow him into the attraction. "I really did see someone in the window."
"I told you that I do not doubt you."
"Do not pretend to humor me, sir. You are now in my employ. If you insist on confronting the intruder,
then it is my responsibility to accompany you."
He briefly considered and rejected the notion of forcing her to go back outside. She was obviously
overwrought by whatever it was she had glimpsed in the darkened window. She would only grow more
anxious if he made her wait alone out on the path. It was unlikely that the intruder, if he actually existed,
would present a serious threat.
"As you wish." He started up the narrow staircase that led to the next floor of the castle. The light of the
lantern danced eerily on the walls.
"No offense," Madeline muttered behind him, "but I, for one, have no intention of ever paying good
money to view this ghastly attraction."
"It is rather effective, isn't it?" He glanced at the bleached bones dangling in a stone recess. "What do
you think of the skeleton?"
"Perfectly dreadful."
"It was Short John's contribution to the decor. When the attraction is completed, there will be several
ghosts hanging from the ceiling and a rather nice display of a headless corpse. One of the other lads
suggested some cowled figures for the top of the stairs."
"Artemas, for God's sake, this is no time to conduct a guided tour. There is an intruder up there
somewhere. He may be waiting to pounce on us."
"Highly unlikely. Zachary and his friends are well aware that I would take a dim view of that sort of
thing." A very dim view. When he got his hands on the urchin who had interrupted his passionate
interlude with Madeline, he would let him know just how much he objected to such interference. "By and
large, the Eyes and Ears are a good lot, but once in a while—"
He broke off abruptly, distracted by the shadowy movement at the top of the stairs. The lamplight
caught the edge of a cloak, but the figure was already moving away. The intruder vanished down a long
hall on near-silent feet.
"Artemas," Madeline breathed.
He ignored her, vaulted the last of the steps, and raced after the fleeing figure. He heard Madeline
behind him. For the first time he questioned his decision to allow her to accompany him. He had caught
only a glimpse of the intruder, but that was enough to tell-him that the person he was chasing was a man,
not an urchin.
At the end of the hall, a door slammed shut. Artemas came to a halt in front of it, set down the lantern,
and twisted the handle. It turned but the door did not open.
"Bastard has wedged something heavy up against it," he told Madeline.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He leaned his shoulder against the panels and shoved hard.
"Let me help." Madeline moved into place behind him and planted both hands on the wood.
Artemas felt the door shift as the heavy object that had been placed in front of it scraped across the bare
floor. He heard movement inside the room.
"What the bloody hell is he doing in there?" he muttered.
He gave one last shove against the door. It opened far enough to allow him to slip into the
a murdered husband. He thought about the stout shutters and warning bells she had installed in her home.
What diabolical fate had put him in the hands of this female? But he could not turn away from her, and it
was not just her father's journal that chained him now.
"Calm yourself," he said in what he hoped were soothing tones. "I shall return in a moment."
He entered the Haunted Mansion. The light from his lamp flared on the imitation stone hall, creating
pockets of deep shadows beneath the twisting staircase.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Damnation, how can you be so bloody stubborn?" Madeline picked up her skirts and rushed up the
steps to follow him into the attraction. "I really did see someone in the window."
"I told you that I do not doubt you."
"Do not pretend to humor me, sir. You are now in my employ. If you insist on confronting the intruder,
then it is my responsibility to accompany you."
He briefly considered and rejected the notion of forcing her to go back outside. She was obviously
overwrought by whatever it was she had glimpsed in the darkened window. She would only grow more
anxious if he made her wait alone out on the path. It was unlikely that the intruder, if he actually existed,
would present a serious threat.
"As you wish." He started up the narrow staircase that led to the next floor of the castle. The light of the
lantern danced eerily on the walls.
"No offense," Madeline muttered behind him, "but I, for one, have no intention of ever paying good
money to view this ghastly attraction."
"It is rather effective, isn't it?" He glanced at the bleached bones dangling in a stone recess. "What do
you think of the skeleton?"
"Perfectly dreadful."
"It was Short John's contribution to the decor. When the attraction is completed, there will be several
ghosts hanging from the ceiling and a rather nice display of a headless corpse. One of the other lads
suggested some cowled figures for the top of the stairs."
"Artemas, for God's sake, this is no time to conduct a guided tour. There is an intruder up there
somewhere. He may be waiting to pounce on us."
"Highly unlikely. Zachary and his friends are well aware that I would take a dim view of that sort of
thing." A very dim view. When he got his hands on the urchin who had interrupted his passionate
interlude with Madeline, he would let him know just how much he objected to such interference. "By and
large, the Eyes and Ears are a good lot, but once in a while—"
He broke off abruptly, distracted by the shadowy movement at the top of the stairs. The lamplight
caught the edge of a cloak, but the figure was already moving away. The intruder vanished down a long
hall on near-silent feet.
"Artemas," Madeline breathed.
He ignored her, vaulted the last of the steps, and raced after the fleeing figure. He heard Madeline
behind him. For the first time he questioned his decision to allow her to accompany him. He had caught
only a glimpse of the intruder, but that was enough to tell-him that the person he was chasing was a man,
not an urchin.
At the end of the hall, a door slammed shut. Artemas came to a halt in front of it, set down the lantern,
and twisted the handle. It turned but the door did not open.
"Bastard has wedged something heavy up against it," he told Madeline.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He leaned his shoulder against the panels and shoved hard.
"Let me help." Madeline moved into place behind him and planted both hands on the wood.
Artemas felt the door shift as the heavy object that had been placed in front of it scraped across the bare
floor. He heard movement inside the room.
"What the bloody hell is he doing in there?" he muttered.
He gave one last shove against the door. It opened far enough to allow him to slip into the
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