I wasn’t in Louth to socialize, but it was still depressing to find out I was already hated here, too. I’d already been banished from my hometown. My so-called friends had shunned me. My mother couldn’t bear to be in my presence. My school had requested that I not return. I’d fled a city of eight million people, only to find myself trapped in a podunk town where everyone thought my family was out to destroy them.
“Hey.” Nolan stopped me just before we reached the end of the manor’s drive. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m really sorry. Don’t worry about being all alone here in Louth. If you like, I’ll be your friend.”
I almost laughed at his presumptuousness. “You don’t even live here,” I reminded him. “You’re only in Louth for midwinter break. After that, you’ll have to go back to school.”
“Then I shall come to visit you every weekend,” he pronounced theatrically, his hand raised as though taking an oath. “As well as all national holidays.”
I couldn’t help myself. It was hard not to like him. Inside my coat pocket, I let the box cutter slip from my fingers. It was a relief to let down my guard for a bit.
“Seriously, though,” Nolan said as we resumed walking. “We’ll make your stay in Louth a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime adventure.”
The road curved and the town appeared below us. Cottony smoke rose from chimneys on snow-covered roofs. Framed by trees, it was a Christmas card scene.
“Believe it or not, it’s been pretty exciting so far,” I said, keen to keep the conversation going.
“Oh really?” Nolan replied. “Was there another escaped goat on the loose in town? That was the highlight of last winter.”
“Nope,” I said. “I think there was an intruder in my house this morning. I saw her standing on the balcony of my room.”
“Really?” He turned to look at me and seemed appropriately impressed. “What did she look like?”
“I was on the other side of the grounds, and I couldn’t see her clearly, but it looked like a girl in a white dress.”
Nolan whistled. “A white dress? Do you think it might have been the infamous Grace Louth?”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t believe in ghosts.”
“Wearing the dress she drowned herself in,” he added in a spooky voice. “Now I’m jealous. My house doesn’t have any ghosts.”
“Don’t get jealous,” I said. “There’s a chance it was all a mirage. I was with someone at the time. He insisted he didn’t see anyone.”
“That’s weird,” Nolan agreed. “Who were you with?”
“A guy named Sam Reinhart. He works for my uncle, and he was giving me a tour of the grounds.”
“Ah, good old Sam. Clark Kent’s dull brother. Well, that explains why he didn’t see anything. Sam’s far too boring to see a ghost.” He smiled when I laughed. “It’s funny ’cause it’s true. Have you heard that Mr. Personality is the town hero? I think it’s some kind of football thing. He was the team quarterback, if I’m not mistaken.”
“You know him?”
Nolan looked at me with one eyebrow arched. “This is Louth. Everyone knows everyone here. That’s one reason why my dad recommended that your uncle hire outsiders after the fire. Instead James decided to employ one of the town’s biggest gossips and her son, the prom king. He said they were too cheap to refuse.”
Nolan had to be exaggerating. I couldn’t imagine plain, practical Miriam Reinhart as a town gossip. But I didn’t bother to challenge him. I wanted to get back to the girl on the balcony.
“Do you really think the manor might be haunted?” I asked just as we reached café JOE.
“Honestly?” Nolan’s smile faded as he answered. “I have no idea. All I know is that the place is weird.”
He pulled the café door open and held it, waiting for me to enter. I hesitated. A thousand new questions were suddenly bouncing around in my brain. The first had made it all the way to the tip of my tongue when a familiar voice called out, “Nolan! Bram!”
The barista with a man bun was waving to us from behind the espresso machine. I sighed and stepped inside the café. Nolan snickered. “I can tell you’ve met Jeb. Give me your order and go save yourself,” he whispered, coming to the rescue once again.
I left Nolan standing at the counter chatting to the hipster barista while I navigated around the coffee bar to find a table out of sight. Occupying the seat I would have chosen was a girl in tortoiseshell sunglasses—Maisie. This time she was wearing an oversized camel-hair coat with its collar turned up and purple lipstick that made her lips look like fresh bruises.
“Hi,” I said.
“You’re with Nolan,” Maisie noted darkly. She held her teacup with both hands, and I saw that her nails had been painted to match her lips. “Things are worse than I thought.”
“I just met him,” I said. “His father came to the manor for a business meeting. We walked down here for a cup of coffee.”
“I told you this place wasn’t safe,” Maisie whispered. “Why didn’t you listen?” Then she sat back in her seat as though someone had just appeared behind me.
“Hello, Maisie,” I heard Nolan say. “You’re up early.”
“So are you,” Maisie hissed. “You usually don’t crawl out from under your rock until noon.”
I looked back at Nolan and found him smiling. He handed me a cup of coffee. “You know what I love most about the country?” he asked me. “How people here mind their own business. What do you say, Bram? Shall we continue our walk?”
I glanced down at Maisie. I couldn’t see her eyes, but I could feel her glare. I stuck my right hand into my pocket and ran my thumb over the box cutter’s handle. “Sure.” I followed Nolan back around the counter.
Jeb looked surprised to see us. “Leaving so soon?”
“One of your customers wasn’t pleased to see me,” Nolan said.
Jeb smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Oh man,” he said softly. “I’m sorry about that. She’s been camped out for so long that I forgot she was back there. Otherwise I would have warned you.”
“No worries,” Nolan assured him. “We all need people like Maisie to keep us on our toes.”
I led the way to the café door, and outside Nolan and I walked side by side through a tunnel that had just been cleared by a kid with a snowblower. “So how long have you and Maisie been sworn enemies?” I asked.