CHAPTER ELEVENGisela passed Elsie without a word and climbed the stairs to the first floor. She felt for the moment as if the shock of what she had been told had numbed her so that she was capable of no feeling whatsoever, but, instead, moved as if she was in a dream, automatically putting one foot in front of the other until she came to her father’s bedroom.
She stood for a moment with her hand on the handle of the door. She felt a deep reluctance to go in.
Supposing he was disfigured? Supposing something horrible was waiting for her behind that closed door?
And then she shook such ideas away as being childish and taking a deep breath she opened the door and went into the room. The curtains were drawn, candles in silver candelabra were lit on the dressing table and there was a single c
