Deception at Dark Hall (The Briony Martin Mystery Series) Read Free Page A

flowing.” That was the truth. But she really had no desire to go out into the cold rain, meet a strange woman, and participate in a séance. She’d rather enjoy conversation with Paige and Mark over dinner and coo at the baby all evening.
    “Briony had some unusual experiences not long ago when she was in Maine,” Paige revealed. “She saw ghosts. One of them interceded when she was about to be murdered.”
    Briony couldn’t believe Paige just said that. She pursed her lips and shot her friend a look that implied she had a big mouth. Mark didn’t appear surprised, so Paige had evidently shared Briony’s secret with her husband. Daniel, however, took notice. His interest suddenly grew.
    “Really? So you believe in communicating with spirits from beyond.”
    “Uh, yes. Now I do.”
    “I’m curious about your experience in Maine. Whose ghosts did you encounter?”
    Briony swallowed and glanced at Paige, who nodded her encouragement to go on. “Let’s see. There was a girl named Sally, some babies who had passed over, a woman named Mira—she’s the one who saved my life—and my father.”
    Daniel’s eyes enlarged. “Did you talk to your father? Was he able to speak?”
    She nodded. “He materialized in front of me and yes, he spoke. He apologized for causing our family grief many years ago, and he asked for forgiveness.”
    A smile quirked the corner of Daniel’s mouth. Then his smug gaze moved from Mark to Paige. “Will you believe me now when I tell you Monica has been communicating with me through Sharlyn? Your friend just confirmed there are supernatural occurrences that take place in this world, even if you don’t understand how they happen.”
    Neither Paige nor Mark commented. Their faces looked made of stone, and the silence was awkward. Briony felt compelled to address his remark. For Paige and Mark’s sakes, she hoped to further convince Daniel to let her tag along tonight.
    “When Paige told me about Dark Hall, I became excited and asked if I might finagle an invitation to go with you. Ever since my experiences in Maine, I’ve been fascinated by the paranormal and have even considered visiting a medium. But I haven’t found the courage to go alone. This seems like the perfect opportunity.”
    Daniel urged her to continue. “Is there someone else, aside from your father, you’d like to communicate with?”
    She cleared her throat and felt a quickening in her chest. “Paige probably hasn’t mentioned it, but I had a twin brother, Ben. He passed away five years ago. I’m wondering if Miss Dark might be able to invoke his spirit.”
    The words spilled from her mouth without thought and before realizing what she was saying. She studied the myriad emotions that crossed Daniel’s face and felt stirrings within her own body. She sensed her twin was always with her, but never had she considered conjuring him up from the other world. A prickly feeling niggled beneath goose-fleshed skin at the thought.
    Daniel smiled broadly. “I’d be pleased for you to go with me tonight. I’m sure Sharlyn—Miss Dark—won’t mind another guest.”
    Briony heard the exhalation of breath that Paige probably didn’t know she’d been holding. The two women exchanged a cunning glance.
    When Paige asked Daniel to reconsider staying for dinner before heading out to Dark Hall, he relented. “I should have realized she’s planned something special for your first night in Chicago.”
    “Yes, I have,” Paige announced, “and it’ll be much better than a greasy burger. I’m glad you’ve decided to join us.” She grinned. “Dinner will be ready in an hour.” She winked at Briony and then set about pulling pots and pans out of the metal cabinets.
    ~ * ~
    The rain had tapered to a slow drizzle by the time Briony and Daniel set off for Dark Hall in his older Dodge Coronet. Along the drive, he pointed out a few city landmarks, but he didn’t converse beyond his narration as a tour guide. However, once they