12
Even in the bright light of day the study was as dark as a tomb. The wide window was covered by a black curtain as thick as cotton, but with the elegance of silk. The only source of light was a lamp on the desk, but even its small bulb barely lit up the area around the wooden desk. The tall oak bookshelves that stretched along the walls cast their shadows over the lone figure in the chair.
A knock was heard on the door. “Enter.”
The door opened and the handsome man in the top hat slipped inside. A young girl of sixteen trailed behind him. She had long black hair that hung far past her shoulders. A large band of those silken locks covered half her face so that one could only see a small brown eye peeking out from beneath her long bangs.
She hung back near the door with her hea
