Peter Dresden, last scion of the Dresden family, stands on the precipice of happiness. He is newlywed to his beloved Amanda. His spiteful mother, who devoted her life to keeping them apart, is finally dead, buried in the family crypt. The Dresden fortune is finally his to command.
Yet is is undeniable that something conspires against him. Shadows flicker at the edge of his vision, and ill fortune crosses his every step. Is he simply unlucky, or is the grave a poor warden for his mother’s dying curse? Or does something even worse haunt the shadowy halls of his ancestral home?
A folded and sealed letter. The outside reads:
To: Mrs. Amanda Dresden, Dresden Manor, Stagford
From: Mr. Peter Dresden, Mallory House, Whitby-by-the-Sea
The inside reads:
Mallory House
Whitby-by-the-Sea
16 September, 18–
My dearest Amanda,
It is only my first night in Whitby, and I’m already desperate to reunite with you! All I can think of is you, alone in Dresden Manor, with no one but dear old Mary and that abominable brute adorable puppy of yours for company. Have you considered inviting Julia to come stay with you? Your sister adores you, despite her… many odd traits. I’m sure the company would be good for both of you, in my absence; and your dog will have someone else to torment!
I was able to see Mr. Wentworth briefly this afternoon when I arrived. I’m sorry to say that I have at least three days of paperwork ahead of me. Mother kept her promise to punish us for marrying. Nothing that I can’t undo, Wentworth assures me, now that she’s deceased and I’m master of the estate; but a dread nuisance, to be sure. I’m sorry that Mother never learned to look beyond the station of your birth to see how extraordinary of a woman you are. I hope that she sees the error of her ways in Heaven (or wherever her bitter heart takes her…)
Being apart from you is torture! My only solace is the temporary respite from having my heels assaulted nibbled by your puppy. (Which reminds me: Have you thought of a name for the brute darling yet?) Please tell Mary to put out an advertisement for a new maid, now that we’re breathing life into that old pile of a house again. I’ll be home to you as soon as I can!
With devoted love,
Your darling Peter
A folded and sealed note. The outside reads:
To: Mr. Peter Dresden, Dresden Manor
From: Mr. Horace Chesterton, Consulting Engineer, Stagford
The inside reads:
Dear Mr. Dresden,
Thank you again for your visit to my office the other week. I’m sorry that I missed you today; your new bride tells me that you’re away on business, and was (naturally!) reluctant to let me wander about the estate in your absence. So please accept these short notes (hastily scrawled on your own stationary) as a down payment on a longer conversation once you return.
First: I’ve returned the original architectural plans from your grandfather’s remodel of Dresden Manor sixty years ago; I’ve made copies and will work from those. I’m quite confident that I can find a few ways to brighten up “the old pile,” as you call it, for your new bride.
Without a closer inspection (which I was denied today), I can’t say why your grandfather chose to brick up those archways in the basement. However, per your specific question, I think it unlikely that there is any more of the old abbey behind that wall. By all reports, your grandfather was as eager of a local historian as I am. I can’t imagine that he would have blocked off a historically interesting area without a very good reason; and I can’t imagine what that would have been.
Regarding your library, once again, I must defer until we are able to meet at your home. Based on the titles that you mentioned to me and the… strange circumstances surrounding your mother’s death (may she rest in peace), I understand your desire to be rid of the collection. I’m confident that I can find buyers, but as for the actual value, that will have to wait until I can study the collection more closely.
Please get in touch as soon as you return from your travels. I am eager to begin work on both of these projects.
Respectfully,
Horace Chesterton
Consulting Engineer, Stagford
