Day 12: 19 November 2025

 Short Story -- Monkshood Manor: Part 3

Back in her room, Teddy closed the door behind her, turned the lock and let out a sigh. 

She put on her pyjamas and pair of colourful fuzzy socks and then padded over to one of the armchairs by the fire, which was still blazing in the fireplace. 

Settling into the chair, she wished that she’d asked for a hot chocolate or even a glass of water. Teddy was certain she could summon Mr Drey, but she was too tired for that interaction. Instead, she decided to put on her slippers and take herself to the kitchen. 

Slippers and robe on. She unlocked the door and looked both ways before quietly stepping out into the hallway. She felt like a young girl again who was sneaking out of bed without permission. 

‘Don’t be silly,’ she chided herself in a whisper. ‘You own this house now. You can do what you want.’ 

And as she finished her sentence, the door clicked shut behind her. She jumped. As her hand hadn’t been on the handle. It was almost as if the house was either encouraging her train of thought or trying to get her to leave permanently by shutting her out of her own room. Ever the optimist. She chose to believe the first. 

‘Thank you,’ she whispered. She’d been afraid of stepping on creaky boards as she made her way to the kitchen, but the floor was surprisingly silent. 

Reaching the dining room, she pushed open the double doors. It pitch black now that the curtains had been drawn. Instead of fumbling around and looking for a light switch, she waited a moment for her eyes to adjust and tentatively— with hands in front of her — started crossing the room. 

She neared the door at the opposite end, the one she’d assumed led to the kitchen when she’d been eating dinner, and she quietly opened it. She could see a light glowing faintly at the other end. 

‘Perhaps the house keeper or Mr Drey was still up and doing something in the kitchen?’ she thought to herself. ‘Well, I’m not turning back now.’ 

As she drew nearer, she heard a voice saying, ‘I know, Old Girl. We know nothing about her. And she clearly knows nothing about living on or managing an estate this large. But perhaps that’s not all bad?’ It was Mr Drey’s voice. And Teddy froze waiting to hear the response. 

Silence.

Until Mr Drey seemingly replied, ‘Well, I’m glad you approve. Although what it’s based on, I’ll never know.’ 

Silence. 

‘Yes. Yes. I saw the blue dress.’ 

Silence. 

‘What do you mean she’s in the hallway?’ Mr Drey’s voice sounded surprised and the light at the end of the hallway suddenly got much brighter. Blindingly so to Teddy’s eyes which had adjusted to the near darkness. 

‘Miss Thompson!’ he said, still sounding surprised. ‘What can we do for you? If you needed anything, you could have just rang. The housekeeper and I live on the premises, so we are always available to help.’ 

Teddy collected herself and answered, ‘That’s very kind of you, Mr Drey. Back in my room, I realised that I could do with a hot chocolate or even a water, but I didn’t  want to be a bother, so I thought I’d come myself.’ 

Mr Drey ushered her in and promptly started pulling out the things needed for hot chocolate. Stepping into the kitchen, Teddy looked around. She saw no one else, which explained the silences between Mr Drey’s overheard statements, but was still puzzling since they sounded like a proper conversation had been being had. 

While he stirred the milk in a pan on the hob, Teddy ventured, ‘I’m sorry but I couldn’t help but overhear some of what you were saying while I was in the hallway. I had hoped that perhaps the housekeeper would be here as well, so that I could introduce myself.’ Teddy then added, ‘And commend her for a delicious dinner.’ 

Mr Drey paused his stirring for a second and then resumed saying, ‘Ahhh. Yes. Well. I’m sure you can meet her another time.’ 

Not exactly an answer Teddy felt was satisfactory. After all, hadn’t the housekeeper been the one to alert Mr Drey of her presence? But she decided not to push. 

My Drey handed her a steaming mug of cocoa. ‘Whipped cream? Marshmallows? Cinnamon?’ he queried. 

‘Yes to the first two, please,’ Teddy answered. 

Once completed, Mr Drey asked, ‘Is there anything else, Miss?’ 

‘No, thank you, Mr Drey,’ Teddy replied. And she turned round and headed back towards the darkness of the dining room. ‘Something is not as it seems,’ she thought to herself.

Back in her room again, she locked the door behind her. Her robe she hung on a hook and she slid her slippers off settling them underneath. She padded, now with her mug of hot chocolate which was still radiating warmth, back over to the armchairs. 

Sitting down, she picked up the letter that she’d discovered in the drawing room with her name on it. She flipped it over and opened the seal — a heavy, wax seal with a wreath of monkshood. 

Dear Teddy, 

I hope I may call you that, as I understand that is your preferred way of being addressed. 

I am sure that you have many questions: about the manor, about why I chose you, perhaps even about myself. And in this letter I will endeavour to answer some of them… 

Teddy’s eyes continued down the page and the next page and the next page and the next. 

After she finished, she leaned back into the chair and rubbing her hand over her face and setting the letter down on the end table. 

‘That’s a lot to take in,’ she said aloud to herself. ‘And I suppose after tomorrow’s tour, I should contact that Mr Reed.’