Chapter 12 Letters

• *Bexley*
• Books. Thousands of them—maybe hundreds of thousands of them—line the shelves of this magnificent room. It’s two-stories tall with an endless amount of shelves, some quaint looking seating areas, and a roaring fireplace. In the distance, I see a wide window with a gorgeous view of what must be the back gardens Ellison was telling me about. I cover my mouth as I stand there and take it all in. Best of all, even from where I’m standing, I can see an area dedicated to zoology.
• “Miss Bexley!” Anna calls from across the room. I turn in her direction to see David on a ladder tall enough to reach the highest books, but he’s not at a bookshelf. He has a large white sheet in is hand, and he’s attempting to drape it over a huge painting on the wall. I scan the room and see two other such paintings already covered. In the distance, another hangs untouched. It’s a portrait of an older couple with their arms around one another. They look regal, dressed in fancy clothes with referred expressions on their faces.