The Haunting of Josephine by Kathleen Whelpley Read Free Book Online

my best to make sure the guest list was perfectly even. That every single man was equally countered with a single female. I wanted to make sure it was even so there would n o t be any problems for everyone to find a dance partner if they so choose.” Katherine kept scouring through the papers this time counting the number of females and comparing it to the number of males.
    “Well, to me the list seems to have one more male name than females. I am sure that should n o t cause a problem more females tend to want to dance then males so an ex tra should make it easier.” Katherine looked at Jo as if she were daft for suggesting such a thing.
    “Josephine even if that were completely true I still want everything to be even and an extra male just would not do. It would throw off the balance at the table for our meal as well. It is not just about having an even number for dancing you see there is even more to it than that. You want an even table. Now let me see. I think that we should take this person off of the list.” Katherine leaned over and showed her husband the person she had selected for his approval.
    “ Now how do you think that is going to look to others? He is fairly involved with our family. Do you believe it would be proper? Is there not anyone else whom you could consider? ”
    “I do n o t care how it looks to others. That man makes me uncomfortable and never bothers with dancing or properly mingling with others anyway so why invite hi m ? Besides I never did like the way that he would look at Josephine.” Jo thought about what her a unt was sa ying and feared the she had to agree. He had always managed to make her rather uncomfortable.
    “Uncle Joseph , I am sorry but I am going to have to agree with Aunt Katherine . Ever since I have gotten engaged he has always managed to make me feel ver y uncomfortable . He looks at me as though I have done something to make him mad. Plus would n o t it be easier to disinvite someone that you a re closer to who is less important than it would be with someone who has more standing in society? Or even to have to disinvite a relative ? ” Jo’s u ncle thought about what she said and realized that he too agreed that Katherine had picked the most logical person to disinvite to the party.
     
    Later that night when lying in bed Jo awoke to a rustling noise. She could n o t place what it was but she felt rather cold and quickly grabbed at her covers and tried to better wrap them around herself.
    “Jo, Jo, help me. I need you.” Jo thought that she heard her a unt calling out to her though she knew her a unt would forever insist on always calling her Josephine. She got out of bed pulling on a heavy robe and slipping into a pair of slippers.
    I will just peak into her room and assure myself that she really is just sound asleep and then come back to bed. Jo was n o t two feet from her bed when a scream resonated thr oughout the house. It chilled her to the bone and she went running toward the sound. Oh my G od that sounded like my aunt .

 
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
    That night it easily came to him who he was going to get his revenge on and how he was going to get it. The ease in which his decision was made should have come as a shock to him but it almost seemed so obvious that he would go with his signature moves in order to teach the family a lesson. It would also insure that he got to have a bit of fun before he got to the messy part.
     
    After listening outside of the sitting room with his temper slowly building at all the discussion about the engagement party and then about the wedding he was pushed farther then he could recover from when he heard not only Katherine but Jo talk about how he should be disinvited.
    The nerve of those people deciding that I should be disinvited just because I do n o t dance and I make Josephine uncomfortable! Uncomfortable?! I love Josephine enough to have restrained myself from taking her already and this is how they repay me? I can no t