A storm on Wednesday kept the children from school. Trees lost their branches in the woods and posed a hazard to travelers. Mr. Smith was the one to make the announcement to his neighbors. It often went this way in winter too. Snow piled up would prevent the children from getting to school safely and besides this the classroom was so cold they could see their breath inside and even the teacher shivered as he gave lessons despite being dressed in his best coat.

As the rain came down Providence stood in the doorway looking out across the yard while Ottaline sat at the kitchen table working on her sampler. It was a picture of Noah's ark with lions and elephants out front and a rainbow above the ark with the bedtime prayer Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

"Don't you want to finish your mitten, Rovy?" Ottaline said from the table.

"Winter is far away," Providence said.

Ottaline smiled and shook her head. "Rovy?" She asked pausing with her work for a moment. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Providence leaned against the door jamb and stuck out her foot. "I want to build my own boat and sail the oceans," she said. "I'd like an adventure like that."

Ottaline laughed. "But that's no way to make a living."

"But it is living," Providence said. "I suppose it would make more sense if I said I wanted to be a domestic servant like mother."

Ottaline swallowed a lump in her throat. "I think I want to teach ballet," she said. "I want there to be a ballet school for colored girls so any one of them who wants to can come and dance." She leaned back in her chair but no matter how much she wanted to daydream about dancing her mother snuck into her mind. "Do you ever see much of the Gentry family, Rovy?"

Providence shrugged. "Mrs. Gentry is not very kind. I try to avoid them. Why?"

Ottaline sat up straight and returned to her sampler. "Nothing , it's just Daddy said Mother used to work for them."

Providence approached her at the table. "You're not thinking of asking them about her are you?" They'll just cane you and chase you off. Everyone knows they are unkind. All they care about are their things. Jemima McCarthy told me how they beat her brother's knuckles with a rod to make him confess to stealing but that boy never stole. To this day he can't use his fingers right unloading them trains at the station."

Ottaline turned her head to the door at the sound of thunder. She knew better than to have dealings with the families on their hilltop paradises but now that Providence mentioned the McCarthy family her mind had another idea.

"I know that look," Providence said. "You're up to something." She returned to the doorway and looked out at the rain. "Just remember what trouble your detective games get you into."

Ottaline just smiled and focused on her sampler. She wished she could tell Providence this time was not just another game.

/

Lightning flashed around the house turning every window blue behind their lace curtains. Mr. Sabbath walked the dining room table making sure everything was in the right place one last time. He could smell Jude's cigarette as the youngest brother stood in the hall staring up at the electric lights.

"Crazy when you think about it," he suddenly said making Mr. Sabbath stop in his tracks as he came out the dining room.

"Sir?"

"Who in their right mind would invite electricity into their house?" Jude said. "Is it any different than serving tea to a thunderstorm?"

Mr. Sabbath pivoted. "Progress can always be questioned," he said. "There are those who think a horse and buggy are just as efficient at the automobile."

"And what do you think?"

"It makes no never mind to me, Master Jude," Mr. Sabbath said. "I can't afford either and besides my daughter is afraid of horses."

Jude snorted. "I think your daughter is afraid of everything."

"I do not understand, sir."

Jude just placed his cigarette between his teeth and smiled. Slapping Mr. Sabbath on the back he went upstairs to change for dinner.

Mr. Sabbath watched him go, wishing he could demand he tell him what he meant. One thing he couldn't stand was for someone to bother his children. The doorbell saved him from being irrational and he listened stiffly as Franklin Smith went to answer it.

"Good evening." He heard the man great the guest. "Allow me to take your coat sir."

Mr. Sabbath tore his eyes from the stairs and looked at the door. Franklin was helping a man out off his coat and hanging it on the rack. He did the same with the man's dripping hat.

"Could I get you anything, sir?" Franklin asked. "Something to warm you up or a towel perhaps?" Franklin waited for the man to reply but he was looking around the foyer. Finally he turned to him and smiled.

"I'm fine, thank you."

Franklin bowed and walked up the hall, leading the man into the parlor. When he returned alone Mr. Sabbath stopped him.

"Is this the dinner guest?" he asked.

"Yes," Franklin said. "Odd fellow. Keeps looking around at everything...think we'd best watch him."

Mr. Sabbath nodded as Franklin left for the kitchen. He walked softly on the runner until he came to the parlor where he peeked in. The man was standing, not taking advantage of the lovely imported furniture nor helping himself to the wine in the decanter. He was staring up at the wall.

Mr. Sabbath stood tall and entered the room. "Good evening!"

The man spun around in surprise but smiled. "Evening," he said with a tip of his head. He then turned his attention back to the wall.

Mr. Sabbath joined him and stared up at the family portrait from when the boys were young. Old Mr. Richmond was seated in a burgundy chair with golden wood while his wife stood behind him in front of a window with the view of a pasture behind her. Adjacent her was Esau with his hand on his father's shoulder. By the arms of the chair were the other boys.

"I didn't know there were four," the man said.

Mr. Sabbath looked at him then up at the painting. "Yes, sir," he said. "Master Isaac the eldest died when he was a boy."

"Which one is he?"

Mr. Sabbath pointed. "The one his father is looking at."

The man looked at the painting at the boy to the right of the seated man. They were looking directly into each others' eyes. "How did it happen?"

"Church fire." Mr. Sabbath said quickly. "Can I get you anything, sir?" he asked to which the man smiled.

"Will you kindly tell Mr. Richmond I am here?"

"Yes, sir." Mr. Sabbath said and left the room. He didn't much care when strangers came to visit the mansion. Servants were always worried something would go missing and one of them would be blamed. He went upstairs and rapped on Esau's door. When he was asked to enter he did so with a bow. "Master Esau your guest has arrived."

Esau got up quickly from his seat and went downstairs much to John Sabbath's surprise. When he entered the parlor his thin lips formed a big smile. "Mr. Idris St. Cloud!" He grabbed the man's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Welcome to Drinking Water. I must ask though why you have chosen to stay at the Blue Roof Inn when you would have been more than welcome to stay here." He took a seat and offered his guest the same.

"I get enough big houses at home."

"Ah yes, your plantation," Esau said. "How is it?"

"It is where I prefer to be," Idris said. He watched Mr. Sabbath open the decanter and fill two glasses with the red liquid. When the glass was offered to him he accepted. "So what can you tell me about the forest?"

Esau laughed. "You get right down to business don't you?" he said. "I know how it works however. My grandfather ran a plantation. He was all business too." He took a sip of his wine and put the glass on the table. "The wood in question is the one right around here. Richmond Wood. Now before you say anything I've given it much thought. Long ago people once paid to hunt in them but there aren't any deer or jackrabbits or even a squirrel."

"Strange to hear," Idris said.

Esau nodded. "I think even if there were people still wouldn't want to go in," he laughed. "This is going to sound like madness, but they all believe it is haunted."

Idris raised a brow. "Haunted?"

Esau snickered. "Yes by all sorts of spooks."

Idris leaned back in his chair. "And...do people have reason to believe it is so?"

Esau wiggled in his seat. "Well...sure...I mean if you are foolish enough to believe in such things. Several years back..." He rubbed his jaw "...I can't exactly remember."

"Fourteen, Master Esau."

Idris looked at the butler who had supplied the answer.

"Fourteen!" Esau slapped his knee. "Fourteen years ago a woman froze in the wood in the winter. People say she haunts it along with..." His eyes flickered to the painting almost too quickly for Idris to catch. He finished off his wine. "To make a long story short the folks around here believe that all the restless dead haunt Richmond Wood. It's a whole lot of nonsense and that's why I want to tear it down and make use of the land and word in Dixie is you are the man who knows how to get the best use out of land."

"I'm flattered," Idris said.

"You're a smart fellow. Heck you make all us polite society look like imbeciles."

Idris looked up when he felt someone enter the room. It was the butler who he never noticed leave.

"Supper is ready, Master Esau."

Esau got up from his chair and waited for Idris to do the same then he shook his hand. "It's going to be a pleasure doing business with you," he said. "Now let's get some food in our stomachs."

As he walked to the dining room Idris looked over his shoulder to see the butler rest his head against the wall. There was a connection between this house and the monsters of Richmond Wood.