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

reached North Lake Shore Drive, she sensed a change in his mood. He became more animated and somewhat giddy.
    He mentioned that it had taken three years to build Dark Hall. Construction had begun in 1882 and finished in 1885. “Sharlyn’s ancestor, Palmer Dark, built the mansion for him and his wife to use for social gatherings. They entertained many famous people of the time, including the former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. Palmer had been a prominent businessman who was responsible for much of the development of State Street. At the time, Dark Hall was the largest private residence in Chicago. The construction of the mansion, which faces Lake Michigan on Lake Shore Drive, established the Gold Coast neighborhood. It’s still one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city. Be prepared to be bowled over,” he said, smiling.
    Daniel wasn’t kidding. Briony looked through the windshield and gasped.
    As he turned off the street and drove through a wrought iron gate with brick pillars on each side, her mouth dropped open. Up ahead was a three-story mansion built of stone that looked more like a European castle with its many turrets and minarets.
    “Pretty spectacular, isn’t it?” he said.
    She was stunned beyond words.
    He stopped the car in the circular driveway in front of the manor. Two men dressed in gray coats and billed caps appeared at each of their respective doors. The one standing at the passenger side opened the door and assisted Briony out by the hand.
    The other valet bowed and then opened the door for Daniel and outstretched his palm. “Good evening, Mr. Collier.”
    Daniel placed his car keys in the man’s hand. “Good evening, Dawson.”
    Briony noticed the subtle change in Daniel’s voice, and even the adjustment of his posture once he was outside the vehicle.
    “Have a good evening, Mr. Collier,” the valet said, nodding.
    “Thank you, Dawson.”
    The valet folded his long body into Daniel’s Dodge, pressed upon the gas pedal, and disappeared around the corner with the vehicle.
    Daniel stepped toward Briony and offered her his arm. “Everything at Dark Hall is high class. Sharlyn’s ancestors knew how to properly entertain, and she has continued their traditions. It’s all in the breeding, as you’ll see when you meet her.”
    He appeared to have transformed from a typical middle class man with a seven-year-old car to a fellow of culture, simply by walking into the shadow of the Gothic mansion. Briony’s head angled when she realized the mansion’s massive outside door had been constructed without a lock and knob.
    Daniel followed her gaze and chuckled. “The only way to get into Dark Hall is to be admitted from the inside. Wealthy people can’t be too careful.” He pushed a buzzer next to the door. When a voice crackled through an intercom speaker, he gave their names. “Daniel Collier and Miss Martin here for the séance.”
    The door creaked open a moment later and an unsmiling butler in full regalia admitted them. Briony found herself squeezing Daniel’s arm a little too tightly. The setting was straight out of a Gothic novel, and the mansion seemed cold and unwelcoming, especially on a rainy March evening.
    Something Paige had said ran through her mind quickly. One of Paige’s concerns was that Daniel might be handing over significant amounts of his hard-earned money to this woman, Miss Dark. As Briony stepped into the three-story central hall that had been built under a glass dome and had a spiral staircase rising eighty feet into the tower without a center support, that theory flew out the window. There was no way Sharlyn Dark needed anyone’s money. The place resembled a museum or a European castle more than a home. However, just because someone was rich, she reasoned, that didn’t mean they didn’t need or crave more.
    “Wait here,” said the butler in a monotone voice. He took their jackets and vanished down a dimly lit hallway.
    “This place is incredible,”