Chapter 73: The Missing Guest

The dazed expression on the face of Mr. Dante’s guest burned an afterimage in Flora’s mind. Mr. Renan’s face suddenly emerging from the darkness of the curtains covering the bed was shocking to Flora who least expected to see the guest inside one of the rooms in the south wing. First of all, Flora knew that Mr. Renan’s room was in the north wing, after having gone there with Pablo earlier in the day. Flora had interpreted the silence from his room when Pablo knocked earlier as the guest being terribly tired and just did not want to be disturbed, even if it was to eat breakfast. Seeing Mr. Renan in the south wing revealed a different story.

Flora recalled the last time she saw the young man. It was just the previous night when he was smoking a cigarette on the terrace. Then, he was approached by the three women wearing white flowing dresses before Flora lost sight them as she entered the servants’ quarters. Their laughs however were distinct and Flora likened them to the laughing hyenas