EVERYONE WANTS EVELYN VALE

By the time Mara Bell reached Black Glass House, the rain had turned the road into a strip of black mud. She looked through the car window at the mansion waiting above the Cliffs and wondered, for the first time, whether she made whether she had made a terrible mistake. The house was enormous. Not beautiful in the cheerful way wealthy people’s houses were beautiful. Black Glass House had tall windows, dark stone walls, and sharp roofs that disappeared into the rain. It looked less like a home and more like something that had been built to keep secrets. Mara touched the envelope hidden beneath her coat. She knew what was inside. A letter. A photograph. And enough money to change her life. All she had to do was earn the trust of Evelyn Vale. That was supposed to be easy. Everyone knew about Evelyn. The beautiful heiress who had inherited a fortune after her parents died. The spoiled young woman who had supposedly become unstable afterward. The poor thing who had been left under the care of her uncle because she couldn’t possibly manage an estate worth millions on her own. Mara had heard the stories. She had also been told something else. Evelyn Vale was desperate. Desperate enough to accept almost anyone who offered her kindness. Mara had believed it. Until the carriage stopped. The front doors opened before anyone knocked. A man in a dark coat came down the steps. “Miss Bell?” Mara stepped out carefully, gathering her skirt. “Yes.” He looked her over without bothering to hide it. “You’re late.” Mara glanced at the clock hanging inside the carriage. “By twelve minutes.” The man’s expression hardened. Mara smiled politely. “Perhaps your clock is fast.” For some reason, that made him look at her as though she had already caused trouble. Good. She preferred knowing where she stood. He took her suitcase and turned toward the house. “Mr. Vale is expecting you.” Mara followed. She had barely stepped inside when warmth surrounded her. The entrance hall was enormous, with polished floors, dark wooden walls and a staircase that curved toward the upper floors. Portraits covered almost every available space. Dead Vales stared down from gilded frames. Mara felt their eyes following her. She disliked the house already. Then she saw Evelyn. She was standing at the top of the staircase. Mara stopped. She understood immediately why people talked about her beauty. Evelyn wasn’t simply pretty. She had the kind of face that made you look twice and then wonder whether she’d noticed you doing it. Her dark hair was pinned loosely at the back of her head, though several strands had fallen around her face. She wore a simple ivory dress that somehow looked more expensive than anything Mara had ever owned. Her eyes were the most striking thing about her. Dark. Calm. Observant. Mara had expected someone fragile. Evelyn looked bored. Their eyes met. Evelyn’s gaze moved slowly over Mara’s wet coat before returning to her face. “You’re Mara.” It wasn’t a question. Mara smiled. “And you’re Evelyn.” A pause. Something almost like amusement appeared in Evelyn’s eyes. “How brave of you.” Mara didn’t know what she meant by that. Before she could ask, another voice came from the hallway. “Evelyn.” The sound of it changed her. Not much. But Mara noticed. Evelyn’s shoulders became slightly straighter. Her expression emptied. A man entered the hall. He was older, perhaps in his fifties, dressed impeccably in a black suit. His face was pleasant enough, but there was something cold beneath it. Her uncle. Richard Vale. His eyes settled on Mara. “So this is the new companion.” “Apparently,” Evelyn said. Richard ignored her. “Miss Bell, I hope you understand that my niece requires patience.” Mara lowered her eyes. “Of course, sir.” “She can be difficult.” Evelyn laughed softly from the staircase. Richard looked at her. She stopped. Mara watched the exchange carefully. There it was. Not fear. Something else. Restraint. Richard turned back to Mara. “Your room is upstairs. You will assist Evelyn with her correspondence, accompany her when she leaves the house, and make sure she takes her medication.” Mara nodded. “Yes, sir.” “And one more thing.” He stepped closer. “You are here to help my niece. Nothing more.” Mara felt the envelope beneath her coat. The irony nearly made her smile. “Of course.” Richard left. The moment he disappeared, Evelyn descended the staircase. She stopped in front of Mara. “Did he frighten you?” “No.” “Good.” Evelyn reached for Mara’s hand. Mara expected a greeting. Instead, Evelyn turned her palm upward. Her eyes fell on the faint scar near Mara’s thumb. “Where did you get this?” Mara pulled her hand back. “An accident.” Evelyn looked at her. Then she smiled. “You’re lying.” Mara’s stomach tightened. The smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. Evelyn turned away. “Come with me.” Mara followed her down the corridor. “You should know something about this house,” Evelyn said. “What?” “People here are very fond of secrets.” Mara glanced at her. “Are you?” Evelyn stopped. For one strange second, Mara thought she had gone too far. Then Evelyn turned. She was close. Much closer than necessary. Mara caught the faint scent of her perfume. Something warm and floral. Evelyn looked directly into her eyes. “Everyone is.” Mara didn’t move. Neither did Evelyn. Then Evelyn stepped away. “You’ll have the blue room.” “Thank you.” “Don’t thank me yet.” Mara followed her up another flight of stairs. At the end of the corridor, Evelyn opened a door. “This is yours.” Mara entered. The room was larger than the entire apartment she had shared with her mother. A four-poster bed stood against one wall. There was a fireplace, a writing desk, a wardrobe, and tall windows overlooking the sea. Mara stared. Evelyn watched her. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” “Yes.” “That’s the trouble with beautiful things.” Mara turned. Evelyn was standing in the doorway. “They make you forget to ask what they cost.” Then she left. Mara waited until she heard Evelyn’s footsteps disappear. Only then did she lock the door. She pulled the envelope from beneath her coat. The letter inside had been written in careful black ink. Get close to Evelyn Vale. Make her trust you. Convince her to marry Julian Ashford. Once the marriage takes place, her uncle will have legal access to the estate. Mara read the final line again. Do not fall in love with her. She almost laughed. As if that were something she needed to be warned about. Mara folded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope. Then she noticed something. The door of the wardrobe was slightly open. She hadn’t opened it. Slowly, Mara crossed the room. Inside the wardrobe hung several dresses. All of them belonged to Evelyn. Silk. Lace. Expensive fabrics in colours Mara couldn’t name. At the back, hidden behind the dresses, was a small wooden box. Mara reached for it. Before she could touch the lid, a voice came from behind her. “You really are curious.” Mara spun around. Evelyn stood in the doorway. She wasn’t smiling now. Mara’s heart jumped. “I thought you left.” “I did.” “Then why are you here?” Evelyn looked at the box. Then back at Mara. “I forgot something.” Mara stepped away from it. “What?” Evelyn walked toward her. She stopped only inches away. For the first time, Mara noticed that Evelyn’s hands were trembling. Barely. But they were. Evelyn looked toward the closed door. Then she lowered her voice. “Tomorrow morning, my uncle will tell you that I am sick.” Mara stared at her. “He will tell you I sometimes imagine things. That I have bad days. That you should never believe me when I say someone is trying to hurt me.” Mara couldn’t speak. Evelyn’s eyes met hers. “Whatever he tells you…” She paused. “Believe him.” Mara frowned. Evelyn smiled. It was the most beautiful and unsettling smile Mara had seen all evening. “Because if you don’t,” she whispered, “he’ll know you’re on my side.” Then she walked away. Mara remained frozen beside the wardrobe. The door clicked shut. She looked down at the envelope hidden inside her coat. For the first time since accepting the job, Mara wondered whether she had been sent to deceive the wrong woman. And somewhere downstairs, behind a locked door, Evelyn Vale began to laugh.