Chapter Twenty-Five
“Bring her here,” Delila heard the sharp voice shout from a room beyond the entry of the grand house.
It was the middle of the night, but a thousand lights were burning within the chaste walls. Chandeliers and oil lamps shone making wild shadows on the smooth plaster. In the high ceilings cherubs floated against pale blue skies, and at the center of the lofty space, the moon was perpetually aglow, surrounded by the evening stars.
“Don’t gape,” the female voice barked, as Delila was led before a woman who sat in an enormous chair upholstered in golden tapestry. She looked like a queen of some grand kingdom dressed in a lacy gown. Above all the lace, a pale, white face peered out, with two small eyes and small red lips. Her hair was tied back in a regal twist with gol
