Chapter 1

The carriage rattled and swayed as we journeyed to the party, all the while my sister blathering on about what the ladies' dresses were going to look like and if there were going to be any handsome men there. Mother and Father participated in the conversation politely, smiling as her contagious excitement.

I was silent and thoughtful, as usual, getting caught up in my thoughts which didn't pertain in the least to the party we were heading to. It seemed like only a few minutes passed and we were in the driveway of the mansion, Mother resting a hand on Anna's to calm her down as she squealed in excitement. This was her first party, so her mood was expected. I had only been to one before, and it had been filled with old dukes and earls and lords and ladies who apparently had forgotten how to uphold a stimulating conversation. My name card had stayed empty that night. I didn't have hig hopes for this one either, even though Father reassured me that there would be much younger people there this time.

"Come on, Elsa, aren't you excited?!" Anna exclaimed, climbing out of the carriage after me and twining her arm through mine.

I smiled and replied, "Of course I am, Anna, but I've never been one for parties." Anna seemed disappointed by that, but kept up her happy energy as we entered the mansion, her eyes brightening at the sight of all the people.

We obtained our name cards and took our place in the receiving line, Mother and Father in front of us. The line moved surprisingly quickly, and we were soon meeting the host and hostess of the party.

Lord and Lady Overland were kind, greeting us with warm brown eyes and welcoming faces. The mother, father, and little daughter all had chestnut brown hair, which I guessed ran in the family, and this doubled my surprise when I saw their son.

He was tall and fair, with a shock of white hair on his head. His gaze turned to me and revealed misty gray eyes that shone with an energy not unlike my sister's. I blinked, still in shock, but thankfully still remembered to curtsy at the right time and introduce myself.

Apparently his name was Jackson, and he was the talk of all the girls at the party. Everybody wanted to dance with him to enjoy the pleasure of his company, which was said to be very riveting. The other men were almost completely shunned, their requests to dance with ladies only accepted out of politeness.

Jackson danced with a number of girls, Anna being one of them, while I sat down by a curtained-off section of the ballroom, watching the progress of the party. An old duke was nearby, talking about the Overland family with some others.

I caught part of the conversation, learning that the mansion had stayed empty for a while before they had moved here from their home in some other city. So that was why I had never heard of any family living in this house. It was so near to my family's; when we were invited to the party I was rather baffled.

"Elsa!" My sister's voice caught my attention, and I looked over at her walking toward me with a big smile on her face. She had probably finished her dance with Jackson and was eager to tell me all about it. I smiled warmly in return, reciprocating her expression.

"Dancing with Jackson was so amazing!" Anna got a dreamy look in her eyes as she recollected their dance. She sat down beside me and turned to explain everything.

"So the dance had just finished, and I felt a tap on my shoulder, and it was him! He asked me to dance, and of course I said yes, and he just swept me into his arms..." Her own arms were sweeping through the air in exaggerated movements as she told every detail. I nodded and smiled and giggled in all the right places, tuning her out for a bit a by accident as she told her story.

Soon enough she was off again, dancing with a charming redhead that she seemed to like even more than Jackson, if that were possible. I chuckled to myself, then became quite bored again, checking the time and realizing it was only 9:30.

I thought for a bit, then decided I would explore the house. As a child I had heard that its halls were haunted, and ever since then I had wanted to investigate. This could be my only chance. If anyone caught me, I would use the excuse that I was looking for the lavatory.

I stood and chose an exit nearby that was only being used by a few select people and ducked into a corner. I glanced around once more and left the ballroom, wondering where this adventure would take me.