Garden of the Moon by Elizabeth Sinclair Read Free Book Online

it before leaving Harrogate with the intention of asking Clarice if it belonged to her or anyone she knew, Sara extracted the gold locket.
    Holding it up by the chain, Sara extended it to Mrs. Degas. “Could you have lost this at one of my grandmother’s parties? I found it in the harpsichord while we were opening the house.”
    Mrs. Degas’ smile vanished. Her face went sheet white. She recoiled and looked at the locket as though Sara were offering her the hand of Satan.
    “No. No. That’s not mine.”
    “Hmm. Then do you know whose it could be? I’d like to return it to her.”
    “I’m afraid that would be quite impossible. That’s the locket Jonathan gave Maddy for her birthday.”
    “Maddy? Katherine’s twin?”
    Mrs. Degas nodded stiffly.
     
    ***
     
    “I know Jonathan loved Maddy, but why would he give Maddy such an expensive gift? Especially one that says My Love Forever inside. Didn’t Maddy’s husband object to such familiarity?”
    “Didn’t I mention that Maddy never married? And she never took that locket off.” Clarice’s voice caught. “It…it was buried with her.” Her complexion had turned absolutely ghostly. “Kather–”
    The sound of shattering glass stopped Mrs. Degas mid sentence. Both women jumped and looked toward the window just as a large, black crow hurtled toward them and landed motionless at their feet. Another shattering of glass followed. Cherry had dropped the pitcher of lemonade she’d just carried into the room.
    Mrs. Degas’ maid stared in abject horror at the dead bird. “That’s a bad omen, a sign from the devil, Miss Clarice.” She backed away, oblivious to the broken glass and lemonade puddled at her feet. Her gaze never left the dead bird.
    Raina dashed into the room. When she spotted the bird, she stopped dead. Her eyes widened. She stared down at it just as Cherry continued to do.
    The feathers had turned dark crimson with the blood that seeped from its lacerated body. Beneath it, a stain grew ever wider on the Aubusson carpet.
    “Call Josiah and ask him to get this cleaned up.” Clarice shuddered, noticeably shaken by the event. She placed her linen napkin over the bird. Almost instantly, crimson seeped through the snow white linen.
    “Don’t think Josiah’ll be touchin’ dat bird, Miss Clarice. No, suh.” Raina backed up. “It’s a powerful bad omen. Crows means somebody gonna die.”
    Clarice looked from Raina to Sara with something close to hatred flashing from her rheumy eyes. As she hoisted her frail body from the chair, it shook so violently she nearly toppled over. When Sara reached to steady her, she recoiled and glared at her, her gaze filled with pure venom.
    “You brought this here, you and your questions, and your talk of things that should be left alone. Let the past be. You’re prying into something that’s none of your business.” Clarice pointed a boney finger toward the door. “Now, get out of my house, and don’t ever come here again.”

 
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
    When Sara got back to Harrogate, Clarice Degas’ stinging words still rang in her ears. The crow seemed to have sparked something in the old woman that made her…furious? No, not furious. Terrified . But not the same kind of terror the two black women had exhibited. Clarice’s terror hadn’t just shown in her expression. It had gone much deeper. Perhaps even to her soul. And somehow, she had connected Sara to that fear.
    Despite the sun beating through her bedroom window where she sat sipping tea and watching the gardeners make order of the grounds, Sara shivered. Did Clarice’s reaction have anything to do with the evil Gran had warned her about? No. Gran had said the evil was at Harrogate, not Candlewick.
    Sara shook away the many questions that buffeted her from all sides. She had enough worries right here. No need to add Clarice Degas’ to the mix. Still, Sara couldn’t erase the incident entirely from her mind. What had taken place at Candlewick had