A Light in the Fog
A young governess uncovers the chilling secrets of her new employer
London, 1888
Before the morning fog lifted its misty paws from the cobblestones outside, the young woman was standing in the entrance hall of 48 Belgrave Square, London. She wore a modest, navy-blue dress, (store-bought, an extravagance that dipped precariously into her dwindling sum of savings), with a high collar and long sleeves. Her dark hair was neatly pinned up, revealing an oval face with delicate features. Her large, expressive grey eyes were framed by long lashes, and there was a hint of determination in her gaze despite her nervousness.
The entrance hall itself was grand and imposing. From her position, Amelia could see a sweeping staircase with a polished mahogany banister that curved gracefully up to the second floor. Red carpets lined the stairs, and intricate molding adorned the high ceilings.
The walls were decorated with oil paintings in gilded frames. One depicted a serene landscape that reminded her of her Cotswolds home, with its winding country lanes and bluebells in the yard. Strange, wasn’t it, that rich people placed those pictures in their fine mansions, she reflected. Another artwork depicted an elegant young man in a manorial pose, standing confidently with one hand on his hip and the other resting on a cane. That was more like what she…