Page 40 of Eldritch

“You’re not an asshat. You could lie down again and take a nap. We’re moving on this project pretty fast despite the interruptions.”

She filled in Letisha on her phone conversation with Doug.

Letisha’s smile wasn’t half-hearted this time. “He said he also wants to see you again? Fast mover.”

Sybil sighed. “I’m flattered, but I’m not taking him seriously on the whole I want to see you again so soon thing.”

“Why not? You gotta stop devaluing yourself like this.”

Sybil sat on the edge of the bed. Unlike her gothic room, someone had decorated this one to resemble a nursery, or perhaps a young girl’s room. “Just being realistic.”

“I can understand that. It hasn’t been long since Taggert.” Letisha lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “I’d watch out for Pauline, though. She was going on and on about how hot Doug was when she was staring at his photo. That woman...” She shook her head. “I think we should’ve fired her when we had the chance.”

“I was going to talk to you about that.”

Letisha nodded. “After this job is finished, she needs to go.”

Relief flowed over Sybil. “I’m glad you think the same.” Sybil looked at her watch. “I’m going to get back to work.”

Letisha groaned and started for the door. “Me, too.”

Once Letisha exited the room, Sybil started work in the ensuite bathroom. The entire time, though, she couldn’t stop thinking about what had transpired on the phone call with Doug.

* * *

Sybil finished three bedrooms without taking a lunch break that amounted to more than a peanut butter breakfast bar and water. No one came to check on her, but she heard the ladies laughing down below in the Great Hall. Two thoughts came to her as she headed downstairs. One, she liked the laughter, and it felt good to know they could enjoy themselves despite the bizarre things that had happened since they’d arrived here. Two, she’d spent too much time in her head since then.

She headed downstairs. Pauline and Maria sat on the two couches flanking the fireplace, and Letisha sat on the other.

As Sybil took the last steps down, the women looked over at her.

“Hey,” Letisha said. “We’re at a good stopping place on cleanup.”

“Letisha told us Thor is coming to see us again just shortly.” Pauline batted her eyelashes. “Perfect timing.”

Maria chuckled. “Yeah. We don’t want to miss that.”

Letisha grunted, and it was one of those sounds of gentle disgust that assured you that you’d just stepped over the line. “Girl, let’s not slip and call him Thor to his face, okay?”

Sybil made a face. “Too late. I already did.”

Letisha laughed. “When?”

Sybil grinned widely. “Okay, I didn’t say it out loud. I thought it, though.”

Maria and Pauline started laughing, and Sybil joined in and soaked in the feeling. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt as connected to a laugh, to a sense of belonging to the crowd.

The big door knocker sent a booming sound through the house.

Pauline whispered under her breath, “Jesus.”

Sybil grinned. “No. Thor.”

Letisha made a face-palm gesture.

Letisha stood and hurried to the front. She disappeared into the octagon room that concealed the front door, and moments later, muffled voices echoed from the front. Letisha and Doug entered the Great Hall. A mishmash of greetings went up. He caught Sybil’s eye, and the warmth in his grin made her feel less alone.

“Okay, which should I do first, the cellar or the attic?” he asked.

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