The Unchaste

His Grace

The reason why Stormcastle was so mystifying Delilah happened to be that very incident of the library.

When she found those licensed medical books on the rack of the Duke's library, she could have simply stepped around assuming that the duke was in some way an anatomy enthusiast and was pursuing his general practice by buying bodies from across England.

It was legal, infact and very much reasonable. It even excused his buying the bodies of those girls Delilah so sympathized with.

She would have plainly left Stormcastle had things been so easy.

But then, why on earth did Ainsworth fear so much letting his name out? Why was everyone, including her own brother in law_ a viscount, terrorized of this Richard Winter?

She remembered everything Ainsworth had said to her.

'He won't leave me in peace even after I die, shall I tell anyone.' He had said this. 'And in case you value your own life....don't ask me that!'

She remembered it well enough.

Ainsworth was a man drawn against death. He must have meant something when he had said that; he was in no status to tell lies.

These were the verities that had kept Delilah suspicious and she was very vigilant when she walked around the castle, searching for a way to the basement.

Oddly enough, she could not find it_ the basement door, in that week of duke's absence. It was nowhere it should have been out of reasonableness and when she had tried on casually making the servants blurt out of its whereabouts, they always ended up shrugging to say, that Stormcastle had no basement at all.

That was wariest deceit of all.

Stormcastle was actually a vast castle, with its fortresses and beautiful gothic bastions; it had a history of no less than two hundred years of past.

She could only laugh at their thoughtlessness if they told her or believed that it did possess no subterranean cellar. Infact, there should have been one whole dungeon down there_ she was certain.

Nevertheless, this morning, when Delilah reached Stormcastle, fighting for breath, she knew she had run out of time.

And she had been out of time not just because she was actually late this morning. It was also because the moment she had crossed the lobby of the castle, an ill feeling of apprehension had crippled up her limbs, making her go still into dread.

Why was the whole mansion so noiseless?

She pulled off her overcoat carefully which was a bit damp from morning mist and dangled it across her forearm, gradually heading towards the grand staircases that lead to library upstairs.

She was very much aware that every time her booted heels touched the floor, it stirred up a dull racket in the air, even when the floor was well carpeted.

It was simply the absolute lack of.....everything. The tiniest clamor had been omitted.

The fair thing was that she had her little dagger secured against the sash at her waist in case of emergency...

Still in mayhem, Delilah was up at the juncture already and now, she was using her feline saunter to glide a soundless walk across the halls. She had been bending along the corner when suddenly, she detected footfall from around the hall and saw the bellboy rushing the opposite quarter.

"Pardon me!" She called; trying to understand what all was up. "Why are the..."

"Please miss. I am very much occupied miss. Please. Excuse me, Miss." And he marched away warding her off.