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pronounced li was shorter than his left When he stepped down on his left foot, his right leg rose and fell al around He was a tall, thin ray hair like one of the Marx Brothers His face was long with a narrow chin so far below his lip it looked like it was slowly dripping away as he grew older He had delicate lips that were tucked down in the corners and eyes set deeply in his skull I thought he rese that fear seized his features and froze theside the car for Boggs to come around and open the door for Great-aunt Leonora

"Get the bags out of the boot," Boggs snapped at him The butler bobbed his head like a horse and started around to the trunk of the car Boggs helped Great-aunt Leonora out and then stood back as I eed

"This is Rain Arnold, Leo," Great-aunt Leonora told the butler He poked his head around the trunk lid and struggled to produce a weak slared at him so fiercely, Leo moved led with it all Boggs didn't make any attempt to help

"There she is," Great-aunt Leonora cried when the maid appeared in the doorway Toat the front s to watch for our arrival "Mary Margaret will show you to your quarters, dear"

I looked at the petite young woman who stared at me with interest in her soft blue eyes She looked childlike and stood no more than four feet eleven at most Her facial features were as perfect as a doll's and as diainst her dark blue uniform blouse, her small bosom looked to be no ile, her wrists so narroondered how she could be anyone's servant I thought she began to ss, she stopped her lips fro and an icy fear slid over her eyes Instead, she did a small dip of a curtsey and stepped back

Behind us, Leo groaned and squeezed one of my suitcases between his ar his hip bone to keep the luggage in place The weight of the other two pulled his shoulder down so that the lines in his neck becaainst his pale white skin as he clenched his teeth with the effort to hold on to thes didn't offer him any help, and I was afraid to say a word

"Mary Margaret will find you a proper unifors will describe your duties to you Well, don't just stand there like soaret Say hello to her She doesn't bite, you know," Greataunt Leonora said

Mary Margaret's eyes went from her to ave her my best smile, but she looked

down and waited We entered the house I was immediately surprised at how dark the corridor was The walls were a shade of burgundy There were pictures everywhere, all dark oils hung in dark fra lined the entryway floor and a very di Ahead of us was a staircase that wound to the right It had a any balustrade, but the steps looked like stone When I drew closer, I saw they were actually covered in a thin silvery gray carpet

Mary Margaret started into the house with Leo banging e into the door fra, yet still no one apparently cared It seemed I was the only one who even noticed

"Wait," Great-aunt Leonora cried as I started after Mary Margaret "I've decided to show Rain the house first That way it will be easier for her when Boggs describes her duties As soon as you settle her in, Mary Margaret, you'll take her to see Mrs Chester and get her some tea"

"Yes,of her eyes as if Great-aunt Leonora was soazed at directly She added a tiny curtsey like a punctuation ain

"Over here is the drawing room," Great-aunt Leonora said

I gazed in without stepping through the doorway There was a small fireplace with a white marble s and soray wigs The ere draped in cream silk curtains and every table, every available space in fact, was occupied with soures, or miniatures There were footstools in front of the chairs and the furniture was done in a dark brown chintz Against the wall to randfather's clock with the hands stuck on twelve

"All these pictures were collected by et their hands on theh