The state of the inhabitants of the manor had worsened. Mr. van Kirk’s condition continued to show no improvement, Mrs. van Kirk holed herself up in her chambers, Victor spent all his time in the library, and Lucille hardly spoke at all. I sat at my writing desk, absorbed in the ink and books laid out before me.
After several days of my insisting, Mr. van Kirk allowed me to call upon the family doctor. The doctor paid several visits, made suggestions to keep the room closed tight, and said not to have visitors stomping in and out the doors. But he couldn’t pinpoint the illness or its timeline, which vexed me greatly.
Heedless of the doctor’s orders, I visited Mr. van Kirk at least twice a day. He spoke very little to me, but I thought he enjoyed the visits even so. I spoke to him about m
