Chapter 19

Margaret took Alice to a small living room that wasn't well lit. Like a storm about to break, the air felt thick and tense. She sat down on a soft couch with her hands twitching nervously in her lap. Her heart was racing like a scared rabbit's.

Alice thought Margaret's pace in front of her looked like a tiger stalking its prey. She finally stopped and gave Alice a very sharp look.

"So, Alice," Margaret asked in a fake-sweet voice, "would you mind telling me what you were doing outside of Carson's room at this time?"

Alice took a deep breath and quickly thought of a good reason. "Miss Margaret, I was just going around." Making sure everything was okay before going to bed."

Margaret's eyes got very dark. "Really?" And does that usually mean staying outside the bedrooms of the family?"

She said, "No, Miss," in a voice that was almost a whisper. "I thought I heard a noise, so I was checking to make sure everything was alright."

Margaret leaned in close, and Alice could smell her perfume t