Chapter 3

It was Good Friday. Sabine and Madeline had gone to the six in the morning mass and had made a small fast of two meals. Sabine was dressed in a black, frilly petticoat and bonnet. Her hair had been pulled into beautiful, thick curls and a small, plain heart adorned a chain about her neck. She moved about the big house like a Carmelite, head bowed, hands folded. It appeared that she was deep in meditation of the mysteries.

Madeline sat in the parlor, telling her beads. She prayed a bead for each intention that she felt needed to be touched upon: for Sabine, for Erik, for the souls of her parents, for the poor, the sick, the other little children in the orphanages. Just as she was nearing the end of the second mystery, a knock sounded at the door.

Madeline walked coolly across the hall and answered it. On the front stoop stood an old man.

The man had a great, gray beard, the color of soot. His eyes were half-hidden in shaggy eyebrows and a mass of wrinkles. He was dressed in a long, red robe and looked like a great and terrible wizard.

"Good day," Madeline said hesitantly.

"Good day, Madame," the man answered in a deep, soft voice, "I was wondering, are you the woman who posted this advertisement?" The man handed Madeline a shabby, weatherworn parchment. Much to her surprise, it was one of the very first notices that she had posted after Erik's disappearance. A drawing of him that she had done was on the front, as well as several other pieces of information.

"Why, yes! I..."

"You, see, Madame," the man went on, "I have notification of his whereabouts, as it were."

"Where is he?" Madeline cried excitedly.

"My friend saw him just last night on the moors," the man replied, "Said he ran off, but not after he got a good look at him. Matches the picture right well!"

"Erik..." Madeline breathed, "But where are the moors. I have not hear of any around here."

"Ah," the man said, tapping his nose, "That's where the mystery lies."

"But, you must tell..."

The man did not let her finish. He simply turned off down an alleyway, his robe blowing in the wind.

"I don't like that man," Sabine said, suddenly approaching Madeline from behind.

Madeline turned to face her daughter, "Why not, Sabine, dear?"

Sabine turned up her nose, "I just... don't. Mommy, do you think Erik will ever come back?"

Madeline smiled at Sabine's concern. She placed an arm around the girl's shoulder, "I hope so," she said.

Sabine let her adopted mother lead her back into the main wing of the house. Her face was dark and a smirk flickered across her lips.