Death of a Duchess, Nellie Steele [non fiction books to read .txt] 📗

“Yes. I can see and communicate with those who have passed from this life.” I weighed in my mind the benefits and disadvantages of revealing more. It could not hurt, I reflected and continued. “Upon learning of this, Robert collected me from the orphanage and offered me marriage in exchange for helping discover the reason the first Mrs. Fletcher flung herself to her death.”

Edwin’s demeanor changed as I explained. His posture stiffened and his face hardened. Perhaps he did not believe me. Perhaps he judged me a charlatan, seeking an easy life. I added, “So, again, as you can see, our marriage was not an attempt to defraud you of anything. Only to set Robert’s mind at ease regarding his former spouse.”

Edwin continued to ponder the information in silence. “And have you discovered anything?” he inquired after several moments.

“Nothing as yet,” I informed him.

“Have you… seen Annie?” he questioned.

“Yes,” I admitted. “She is extremely disturbed, and our communications have been limited because of it.”

“Doubtless! The woman was quite mad. That is what drove her to suicide. There is no mystery to solve, no reason to be discovered.”

“That remains to be uncovered,” I responded.

He raised his eyebrows at me. “Not in my opinion,” he argued. “I am sorry to say, my brother has been quite foolish in his pursuit of this. The woman was mad, and that is the end of the matter. It is a waste of your and his time to delve any deeper.”

“You were there that day,” I said. “And I am sure in the months preceding it. Was there anything odd about the situation?”

Edwin shrugged. “No. It was all very tragic. I found her, you know? Happened upon her while walking. I attempted to save her, but she was gone. Horrible, horrible mess, that.”

“And before that day? Was she at all despondent or erratic in her behavior?”

Edwin considered my question. “Perhaps,” he responded. “Annie was… well, she was a daydreamer. A romantic. You know the sort. I believe those types are often prone to this form of behavior. They do not view the world clearly and, henceforth, are often disappointed by it. Really, there is nothing more to tell. I would abandon the pursuit if I were in your position. There is nothing to be learned.”

I shrugged. “If I can help bring closure to the situation, I am pleased to do so.”

“I must be on my way,” Edwin said, backing away a few steps. “Though I think you shall find my assessment correct. If I were you, Lenora, I would not pursue this further. Leave the dead rest.” With that, he spun on his heel and disappeared around the corner.

I stared after him for several moments before shaking my head in disbelief at the conversation. His reversal in attitude befuddled me. Though his response to the revelation of my ability did not surprise me. I was accustomed to being shunned by people after revealing my nature.

I spun to continue on to my tower room. As I turned, I caught sight of Annie hovering at the end of the hall. Her presence surprised me, and I wondered how long she had been there. I had not noticed her when speaking with Edwin, though my mind was preoccupied with the conversation.

Our eyes locked for a moment before she disappeared up the tower stairs. I approached the stairway and ascended the steps. As I reached the top, my mouth dropped open. I gaped around the room. The chaise lay toppled on its side. The tables strewn around the room haphazardly. My books had been pulled from the shelves and scattered about. The draperies on the windows lay in a heap on the floor.

“Annie!” I exclaimed. I descended the stairs in search of help to restore the room. I fumed along the way. Her destructive behavior was becoming a nuisance. I had hoped we were past this, given the great strides we had made in communicating. Perhaps the trip to Glasgow induced another setback. Perhaps Samuel’s presence disturbed her. I did not understand the reason, but I was determined to seek answers.

I found Buchanan below stairs and explained to him the situation. Ella relieved me of Samuel, promising to lay him for a nap in his bassinet and tend to him as I assisted with the restoration of my tower room.

While the staff and I cleaned, Robert entered. “What is all this? Buchanan informed me of some sort of commotion.”

“Let us speak in private,” I suggested. I preferred most of the staff members to remain unaware of the incident’s true nature.

“What happened, Lenora?” Robert queried when we reached the bottom of the stairwell.

“I am not certain,” I answered. I stared at the floor, remaining lost in my thoughts, and fell quiet after making my statement.

Robert raised my chin to face him. “Lenora, what is it? What are you keeping to yourself?”

“Nothing,” I said. “But I can offer no explanation. After my conversation with Edwin concluded, I spotted Annie at the end of the hall. She flitted up the stairs and when I arrived at the room, I discovered it in disarray.”

“Conversation with Edwin?” Robert repeated with a frown. “How dare he seek you out to harass you further?! I shall bar him from this house, so help me!”

I shook my head. “You misunderstand. He did not harass me. He apologized and sought to better our relationship.”

Robert’s frown remained, and he crossed his arms. “Hmm,” he murmured. “I do not trust him. Do you believe him earnest?”

I considered the question. “I am uncertain of his intentions,” I admitted. “Though his demeanor suggested his earnestness in the matter. He suggested we move forward with our plans to seek godparents, saying he was pleased to remain only an uncle to the child.” Robert’s eyes narrowed as he pondered the information. I continued, “I explained to him the nature by which we adopted Samuel so he could understand that we made no attempt to defraud him. And by extension, the origins