silver
hair was piled high atop her head and she wore a scarlet shade of lipstick,
which only served to make the paleness of her skin more apparent. When the old
woman spoke, only her lips moved, the rest of her face apparently frozen. Li
noted that she had a pronounced Adam’s apple, as well – an unusual feature for
any woman.
“Money, you say?” the old crone asked, emitting a
laugh that sounded equal parts bark and cough. She stopped and regarded Li with
interest. “And you are--?”
“Li Yuchun. Distant relation.”
“I should say so.” The woman straightened and
offered a leathery hand. “My name is Myrtle Hendry. Maxwell was my cousin.”
“Nice to meet you. I brought papers.”
“The lawyers can sort through them later,” Myrtle
said. Her touch on Li’s hand was brief but the young girl was surprised by how
cold the old woman’s fingers were. Turning to the butler, she said, “Take these
bags up to one of the guest rooms, Sebastian, while I show Miss Yuchun to the
parlor.”
Sebastian lifted the bags easily and began
ascending the stairs, which creaked with each and every step. The interior of
the house was illuminated only a few sparse candles, which threw frightening
shadows along the walls.
Myrtle put an arm around Li’s shoulders and led
her into the living room. A large fireplace was crackling, giving much needed
warmth and brightness to the environs. There were three people in the room and
Li was glad to see them, as she loved making new acquaintances. She was even
happier to see that all three were male.
The first man was in his early fifties and well
dressed. He had a roundish face, a thin moustache, and one droopy eyelid.
Engaged in a game of solitaire, the man looked up when Li and Myrtle entered.
His scowl vanished immediately and he stood up, bowing low. He smiled a bit
lasciviously at Li, chuckling when Myrtle introduced them. Named Marlowe Wayne,
the man was related to the Hendry’s through his grandmother.
A bald man named Nicholas Koepp was the next to
say hello to Li. He looked surprisingly young to be so bereft of hair. He
greeted Li respectfully though a bit coldly – Li wasn’t sure if it originated
from her race or from the fact that every newcomer meant that the estate’s pie
was now being sliced into thinner slices.
The third and final man was by far the most
handsome. With dark hair, deep-set eyes and a square jaw, Cedric Hendry was a
businessman from Pittsburgh. He held Li’s hand and gallantly kissed it.
“Thank you, Miss Yuchun, for bringing a ray of
sunshine to this dreary old house,” he said.
Myrtle gave an unladylike snort. “Maxwell didn’t
believe in electricity and refused to have it installed. Whoever ends up with
the house will have quite a time retrofitting this place.”
Li glanced at her. “Surely Maxwell left the house
to someone in particular?”
“If he did, we don’t know it yet,” the old woman
answered. “Maxwell insisted that all his relatives be assembled in one place
and then everything would be made clear. His lawyer, Jenkins, is already in
Maxwell’s old office upstairs, getting ready for tonight’s ceremony.”
“Any reason why he wanted to do it at midnight?
I’m normally getting my beauty sleep at that hour!”
“My cousin was quite the night owl… he used to
tell me that most of his important work wasn’t even started until The Witching
Hour. I suppose in death, he thought it amusing to force us all to keep his
schedule.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Cedric said. “You
look like you could miss whole weeks of beauty sleep and still be the most
attractive woman on the East Coast.”
Li stifled the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she
lowered her head and looked embarrassed. “You’re much too sweet, Mr. Hendry.”
“Please call me Cedric.”
Li agreed to do so and then she turned to Myrtle.
“Do you think it’s possible that I could see my room? I know we have over three
hours before the reading of
hair was piled high atop her head and she wore a scarlet shade of lipstick,
which only served to make the paleness of her skin more apparent. When the old
woman spoke, only her lips moved, the rest of her face apparently frozen. Li
noted that she had a pronounced Adam’s apple, as well – an unusual feature for
any woman.
“Money, you say?” the old crone asked, emitting a
laugh that sounded equal parts bark and cough. She stopped and regarded Li with
interest. “And you are--?”
“Li Yuchun. Distant relation.”
“I should say so.” The woman straightened and
offered a leathery hand. “My name is Myrtle Hendry. Maxwell was my cousin.”
“Nice to meet you. I brought papers.”
“The lawyers can sort through them later,” Myrtle
said. Her touch on Li’s hand was brief but the young girl was surprised by how
cold the old woman’s fingers were. Turning to the butler, she said, “Take these
bags up to one of the guest rooms, Sebastian, while I show Miss Yuchun to the
parlor.”
Sebastian lifted the bags easily and began
ascending the stairs, which creaked with each and every step. The interior of
the house was illuminated only a few sparse candles, which threw frightening
shadows along the walls.
Myrtle put an arm around Li’s shoulders and led
her into the living room. A large fireplace was crackling, giving much needed
warmth and brightness to the environs. There were three people in the room and
Li was glad to see them, as she loved making new acquaintances. She was even
happier to see that all three were male.
The first man was in his early fifties and well
dressed. He had a roundish face, a thin moustache, and one droopy eyelid.
Engaged in a game of solitaire, the man looked up when Li and Myrtle entered.
His scowl vanished immediately and he stood up, bowing low. He smiled a bit
lasciviously at Li, chuckling when Myrtle introduced them. Named Marlowe Wayne,
the man was related to the Hendry’s through his grandmother.
A bald man named Nicholas Koepp was the next to
say hello to Li. He looked surprisingly young to be so bereft of hair. He
greeted Li respectfully though a bit coldly – Li wasn’t sure if it originated
from her race or from the fact that every newcomer meant that the estate’s pie
was now being sliced into thinner slices.
The third and final man was by far the most
handsome. With dark hair, deep-set eyes and a square jaw, Cedric Hendry was a
businessman from Pittsburgh. He held Li’s hand and gallantly kissed it.
“Thank you, Miss Yuchun, for bringing a ray of
sunshine to this dreary old house,” he said.
Myrtle gave an unladylike snort. “Maxwell didn’t
believe in electricity and refused to have it installed. Whoever ends up with
the house will have quite a time retrofitting this place.”
Li glanced at her. “Surely Maxwell left the house
to someone in particular?”
“If he did, we don’t know it yet,” the old woman
answered. “Maxwell insisted that all his relatives be assembled in one place
and then everything would be made clear. His lawyer, Jenkins, is already in
Maxwell’s old office upstairs, getting ready for tonight’s ceremony.”
“Any reason why he wanted to do it at midnight?
I’m normally getting my beauty sleep at that hour!”
“My cousin was quite the night owl… he used to
tell me that most of his important work wasn’t even started until The Witching
Hour. I suppose in death, he thought it amusing to force us all to keep his
schedule.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Cedric said. “You
look like you could miss whole weeks of beauty sleep and still be the most
attractive woman on the East Coast.”
Li stifled the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she
lowered her head and looked embarrassed. “You’re much too sweet, Mr. Hendry.”
“Please call me Cedric.”
Li agreed to do so and then she turned to Myrtle.
“Do you think it’s possible that I could see my room? I know we have over three
hours before the reading of
Similar Books
