olding its breath. The fog lay thick across the grounds, curling like smoke around hedgerows and cli

hill had crept in overnight, sinking into the wooden panels, into the rugs, in

d not

d. She had spent hours sorting them by date, by handwriting, by tone. Most were written in a

t returns, the house

now what or who the Hollow Guest was. A metaphor, perhaps. Or a code name. Maybe even a title, something u

9 twenty-three years before t

n here, it had st

re tall and warped slightly by time, fogged at the corners. A modest table had b

the fog-covered garden. The mist made him seem part of the ston

ered. "The heir is arriving

brow. "I thought h

u arrived. Supposedly to collect documents

f tea. It was weak but hot. She drank it s

ust him?"

ed. He didn't an

st. "Spent years abroad. Rumor is he refused the

d n

wick name," Leo said. "Which means

r tea. "That wo

s expression she hadn't seen before a flicker of something too careful, too gu

owed names before," Leo

the dust seemed thicker than ever, the curtains still

gold. It stretched over five generations, branching in elegant calligraphy from the first Lord Edmund Thornwick dow

r eye: Aster Thornwick

nin

cause o

igned only with an A. And two referenced so

st Hollow Guest? Cast out of

h

ed the estate at twenty-two. But there was a strange blankness between 1849 and 1852-three years

ay have been recent, but the

e in both posture and expression. Her gray dress was plain but clean. Her dark hair had been twisted into a ti

woman said. "I'm called Heddi

less?" Mi

Heddie replied with a shrug. "But

but old-fashioned, like someone who ha

"Were you here...

uth tighten

ew Toma

"He was a good man. Quiet.

... do you think he was t

ers spread across the table, then at the Tho

aid after a long pause. "This house bur

turned

e fog had b

lled through the gates. The wheels moved slowly over the stone drive. A footman

r Tho

ale, and his hair beginning to thin at the temples. He had the posture of a man who had grown

d him to gla

did

e steps. The two exchanged brief words. Mira

to the drawing room, and t

see him aga

feel it someth

through the long-abandoned halls. The fire damage was worse here-c

ircase where Tomas had

aled off now boards nailed over them, warning signs pos

e die

he been

the village. Mira wandered toward the rear

she s

uling crates toward the servant's entrance. His shoul

she cal

boy

owly. Their

Niall,"

crate. "I....I

etter," she said g

round, color drain

d softly. "I just want to under

ips parted, but no sou

, she deserves to know.' He look

what he was

was going to confront them. He went upstairs with a letter

th caught.

ered. "And angry. But Toma

still

ad. "Died the wint

n into fists. Too many sec

ired to their quarters. The hearth in the drawing roo

rned beside her. The letters were spread out like a batt

cked u

e, but carrying the same ruin. I

it thre

out Elias

out G

er they were-had never

e, the ashes had

in

ad begun to