Tremorra Towers — Helen York

Malverne Manor seemed better at the time than this could ever be--this stay at Tremorra Towers where son Brandon is alleged to have killed his wife. Carissa comes there as a seamstress-companion to Brandon's dowager mother, Lady Gwiniath, and after endless fussing about a pageant and hemstitched handkerchiefs, there are two real tragedies at the end. Here today and gone tremorra which seems like more than 24 hours away at any time.

I stumbled along the darkened storage space, getting tangle among the hanging garments. When I reached the wardrobe door, my hands groped for a latch or knob to let myself out. There was none.

I began to shout and pound on the door. When I stopped shouting for an instant to get my breath, I was struck by the silence on the other side of the door. Whoever had played the malicious trick had evidently left. I wondered whether the door to the room had been closed. Would anyone hear my cries?

With my ear pressed to the door, I listened to the silence, to reassure myself that there was no one in the room.

Then the silence was broken. I heard a light footfall. The sound I heard next sent a cold shudder through me. Someone was removing one of the implements which hung on the wall. I remembered with terror the array of sharp swords and spears that hung on the wall.

I wanted to cry out but no sound would come from my throat. Whoever it was at the other side of the wardrobe door had begun to lift the metal hasp…