Chapter 12Blanche, Tillie, and Zofia sat in the opulent Restormell family dining room at one end of a twenty-foot mahogany table set just for the three of them, since they were the only guests remaining in the castle. A storm raged outside. Thick curtains were drawn over the large windows to diminish the flickering lightning. Fifteen feet above them, a huge chandelier threw off plenty of golden candlelight, along with several branches of flaming candelabras down the center of the table, two on the sideboards, and three to each of the two mantles of the massive floor to ceiling, triple marble fireplaces at either end of the long room.
At the beginning of their meal, they had been informed by the very stiff-backed butler who served them now, that Stephen regretted not being able to dine wit
