Otherworldly by Beth D. Carter EPUB & PDF – eBook Details
- Author: Beth D. Carter
- Language: English
- Formats: PDF / EPUB
- Status: Available For Free Download
- Series: None
- Price: Free
- File Size: 1 MB
The house reminded her of a long-forgotten museum. As Charlotte
drove through the large opulent gates, she caught a glimpse of the BraddockMasters mansion through the heavy foliage lining the curving driveway. It
had just finished raining and everything shimmered with new dew drops,
making it seem like a whimsical fairytale. Big. White. A castle for a princess.
A castle, maybe, but an empty one. Not a soul stirred. The wind
whispered through the trees, shaking down onto her car the lingering drops of
water. It reminded her of tears.
She pulled around the circular drive and parked at the base of the
marble steps. Golden urns sat as book ends on every other step with vibrant
flowers breaking up the color palate. As she stepped out of her rental, she
took a moment just to take in the enormity of the palace in front of her,
something that seemed so out of place in this lush forest of green.
She’d never had such a wealthy client and butterflies fluttered in her
stomach. No matter the outcome of her visit, this was going to be a highprofile case. No one this wealthy could disappear without media attention.
Charlotte climbed the steps and rang the bell, waiting. A moment later a man
opened the door and gestured her in. He had the dour look one expected of a
butler, bland features smoothed without expression wearing an impeccably
pressed suit. She half expected him to bow.
“I’m Charlotte Perth, here to see Mrs. Braddock-Masters.”
“This way,” he said in a scratchy tone, as if his voice didn’t get much
use. “She is expecting you.”
As he escorted Charlotte through the home of Mrs. Alice BraddockMasters, her footfalls echoed on the marble floor, and she felt something
drawing her. Not a pull, but something…intangible. She caught a glimpse of
herself in an ornate mirror, heavily gilded with the corners turning foggy
from time, a silent testament to stories it held within its reflective surface.
The paintings on the walls showed the long line of Braddock-Masters
ancestors, a pictorial history ripe with handsome men and regal women.
At the far end of the foyer a grand staircase curved to the second
floor, but the butler stopped at a set of French doors on the left. He opened
them to the den, an affluent room with Carpathian elm wainscoting and
mahogany furniture.
Mrs. Alice Braddock-Masters came from old money, and it showed in
every line of her distinguished face, from the perfectly coiffed hair to her
delicate bone structure. She sat ramrod straight, her ankles crossed, and her
hands folded demurely in her lap, her blue eyes assessing Charlotte up and
down. Charlotte took a deep breath and didn’t fidget, knowing a positive first
impression was key in her line of work.
“Welcome, Miss Perth,” Mrs. Braddock-Masters greeted. She waved to
the chair opposite her. “Please, sit and relax. Tea?”
A tea service rested upon the coffee table, the cups already on the saucers,
with cream, sugar, and honey nearby. Even the China tea set laid out on the
coffee table had the cracking of age and not from modern décor.
“Yes, please,” Charlotte answered. “Just cream.” She crossed the room
and sat in the plush velvet-covered chair. She placed her purse on the floor
next to her before concentrating on the older woman who watched her
curiously.
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