I look at him with furrowed eyebrows. How can he be so mean?
I’m about to say something but someone else speaks first.
“Welcome back to Northup Manor, Dr. Knight.”
I turn my head and see a man in his fifties standing in front of me. He’s wearing a pair of eyeglasses and coattails to go with his grey shirt, white gloves and black pants. His lips curve into a smile beneath his mustache.
“Are you one of the Northups?” I ask him.
“No,” he answers. “I’m merely a member of the household.”
“Oh, you’re more than a member,” Rainier says. “Ellis, this is Norman. He’s the butler.”
The butler? Come to think of it, he does look like one and he doesn’t seem to match anyone in the portrait. How silly of me.
“And this is Ellis Smithson.” Rainier puts his arm around me. “My fiancee.”
I force a smile as I try not to tense at the word, which feels heavier as it’s said to someone else. It feels… real.
“Ah, congratulations.” Norman shakes his hand, then mine. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Smithson.”
He presses his lips to the back of my hand.
“Dr. Smithson,” Rainier corrects him.
Norman smiles. “Of course. No wonder you two seem perfect for each other.”
“You’re very kind, Norman,” I say.
It’s not what I want to hear, though.
“How long have you been working for the Northups?” I ask.
“All my life,” Norman answers.
“Really?”
That means he must know the family well. Good. Maybe he can help me.
“As you know, it’s my fiancee’s first time here,” Rainier says. “She’s heard much about the Northups, though, and is eager to meet them.”
I glance at the portrait. “I wish I could know a bit more about them before I meet them, though.”
Norman turns to it and points to the old man. “That is Samuel Northup, the patriarch of this family and a man I truly admire. The man to his right is his son, Gabriel, and that’s his daughter, Suzannah, from his first marriage.”
My eyes grow wide. “I thought I recognized her.”
She looks younger in the picture, maybe ten or eleven, but even then, she seems to have had impeccable fashion sense with her red beret and her pink denim jacket with the sheepskin collar.
“Ms. Suzannah does like being recognized,” Norman says.
“That she does,” Rainier agrees.
“Then on the other side of Samuel, we have his daughter, Vivian,” Norman continues. “And her twins, Christine and Calvin.”
Twins? No wonder they look so much more alike than the rest of the people in the portrait.
“And that’s the Northup family,” Rainier sums up the discussion.
“That’s all of them?” I can’t resist asking.
Norman’s eyes narrow. I can tell I took him by surprise and now he’s trying to figure out why I want to know. He doesn’t ask me the reason, though.
“Yes,” he just answers my question. “I’m afraid they’re all that’s left.”
All that’s left. Which means there used to be more. Maybe one more.
Samantha Northup.
“Believe me, six Northups is enough,” Rainier whispers in my ear.
I ignore him. “What happened to – ?”
“Would you like some food and refreshments before you head to your room?” Norman interrupts me. “It’s still a while before dinner.”
“I think I’d like something to drink,” Rainier says. “What about you, Ellis? Would you like some coffee or hot cocoa?”
“We have both in the dining hall,” Norman says. “We also have some hors d’oeuvres, some sandwiches and some pastries. Our pastry chef makes excellent chocolate croissants.”
In truth, I’d rather keep talking to Norman, but he seems to be trying to get rid of us and I don’t want to get in the way of his work.
I nod. “Sounds good. I love chocolate croissants.”
“I had a feeling you would,” Rainier says.
Norman steps back and extends his arm. “This way to the dining hall, please.”
Rainier offers me his arm once more. I take it and we start walking in the direction Norman pointed. I pause, though, when I notice someone peeking from upstairs. A woman with short blonde hair and a copper-colored dress whom I recognize from the portrait. When our eyes meet, she quickly hides behind a pillar. I wonder why.
“What is it?” Rainier asks as he follows my gaze.
“I think I just saw Christine Northup,” I say. “But she seems to be hiding now. Why would she be hiding?”
Rainier shrugs. “Who knows why the Northups do what they do? You might go crazy if you try to figure it out.”
I frown.
He pats my hand. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get your chance to meet your beloved Northups.”
Chapter 12 ~ Close Call
Rainier
One of the hardest things about being a doctor is dealing with the patient’s family. Some of them think they know better than you do and try to get in the way of you doing your job. Some breathe down your neck, constantly demanding more of this and that. Some get way too emotional and then end up making the patient feel bad. Some have weird rituals and beliefs, which they try to force on you. Some are too noisy; some are too quiet and won’t tell you what you need to know.