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“I wonder what lies below. ” I admit I can be rather foolhardy at times.

“Please, Glynis, please, do not go down there. ”

I stared down the stairs, my eyes wide and full of curiosity. I felt a strong desire to set my foot down upon that first step, and yet, I was very afraid. May’s hand slipped away from mine as she drew away from the shadows.

“Glynis, please stop. You are frightening me!”

I heard her voice, but I could not heed her words. I was mesmerized by the darkness below, drawn down to it. Hesitantly, I began to descend the stairs. I found myself in absolute darkness.

A soft, gentle breathing filled my ears. My sister’s cries faded away as the soft whispering I had heard the night before began once more. Strange soft, madly whispering voices. Voices of such sweetness, I felt compelled to move on. A cold chill swept through my body, strangely arousing, yet terrifying.

“Lady Glynis!”

I was startled out of my trance-like state and whirled around. As the top of the stairs, staring down at me, was the old gypsy woman, Ilona. Her hands were on her hips and she looked quite angry. Behind her, May cowered nervously.

“Come to me at once. This area of the castle is not safe. You should not be here!”

The voices stirred around me, gentle and comforting. Somehow, I knew in the darkness below me something exotic, beautiful, and seductive was stirring. The whispers danced on my skin. I suddenly felt afraid.

“What is down there?”

I could still feel the dark power stirring, drawing closer. Yet, I could not bring myself to move.

“Just empty rooms. Old rooms that are falling apart. Now, come here! Come here,” the Gypsy ordered in her thickly accented English. “You must come at once!”

A little put off at being spoken to in such a manner by a servant, I haughtily lifted my chin. I considered dashing down into the darkness, but suddenly, I knew I did not want to know what lay below. With firm steady steps, I walked up to my sister and the angry servant.

“Come, May,” I said taking my sister’s hand.

As we walked away, I could feel Ilona glowering at me.

I turned one last time to look at the mysterious doorway and the servant woman before we returned to our parents. She was holding out her hand in front of her and moving down the stairs, speaking in another tongue.

I could have sworn I heard something …nay … someone answer her in a soft whispering voice.

We found our way back to the library, holding hands, as I mocked the bizarre gypsy woman. By making May laugh, I was able to break her free of fear and see her smile again. But despite my gaiety, I was unnerved by what we had encountered and felt ill at ease.

The library was a large room with a vast fireplace and many shelves stacked full of books. My father sat at a large table looking over a stack of papers while my mother sat on a nearby couch reading a book. The sunlight was streaming in through the diamond paned windows, yet the room seemed cold and gloomy.

Father realized we had entered the room and looked up to smile at us. “Oh, my darlings, did you enjoy your little adventure?”

“It was quite dreadful! Very foreign. And quite old and very dirty in places,” May said.

“I thought it was marvelously uncanny, Father. ” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then flung myself onto the couch next to my mother.

“I do not think it was proper for you two to go off without the Prince to escort you. ” My mother’s reprimand was gentle, but her eyes were wary. “How do we know it is safe?”

“It was safe enough,” I assured her.

“The Prince has obviously left us to our own devices. I do not think they did any harm. ” Father smiled as May sat next to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

In the warmth of my family, our adventure did not seem as fearsome.

“Oh, we just stirred up the ghosts and sent them whispering through the castle,” I said gleefully.

“Glynis!”

I grinned at my mother before rising to sit next to my father at the table.