The Carmine House

He talked about everything there was, and more. He relayed to Elvira the entire history of the Carmine House, which she laughed at and asked him where on earth he got his information. She then continued to tell him the story the way she had heard it.

“Mr. Carmine had a daughter, Selina. She loved her father very much. But he wasn’t the smartest sometimes. He would tell his daughter no to the simplest things, just to show the world he wasn’t spoiling her. What an idiot, wouldn’t you say?”

Derby was surprised and felt that a lady shouldn’t use such language. She continued with a light laugh.

“Once, he took her to the library. She wanted to check out fantasy books, but he made her get law books instead, because he wanted her to become a lawyer like him. She was angry, and for revenge, she killed their pet rabbit.”
Derby didn’t want to hear anymore of the story. He had been raised to refuse the horror stories the boys in his village had told him when he was little, and now here he was, listening to the most horrific one yet, and more so, told by a lady. He could sense that the story would decline from here, and he wanted to say something to stop her, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Something barely intrigued him, the thrill of the silence on the lake, and even the clouds seemed to have gone over the sun. Something like ice shot through him, a feeling he hadn’t had since the first time Mary Angelica had broke her ankle. Excitement? Aldrenanline, perhaps?

“But then the father locked the girl in her room, and made her study law for an three hours a day. Living all alone across the lake, the girl had no friends, and instead spent the day raking the door apart with her fingernails.” She said this as if it were a perfectly normal reaction to being made to study law. He watched her own gloved hands, clawed in imitation, and shivered. “Eventually, the father left her in her room for the entire day. One day, she clawed a hole through the door, and escaped. She found her father… and…” She drew a finger across her throat. “With yarn. She strangled him with the yarn he’d left for her weaving. You see, he had very demeaning ideas about women. They were made to cook and clean and such.”

Derby wanted to throw up over the side of the boat. It reminded him of his earlier demeaning thoughts about how women should not say idiot. Rick had even stopped rowing temporarily.

“And then she hung herself. She still regrets it, you know. What a waste of a good life.”

“She-she still regrets it?” Jake managed to say. She smiled each of them in turn.

“Really, where do you get your information?”

“Town square?” Rick croaked. She laughed again.

“So funny and adorable.” Her accent had grown stronger, so strong it was almost impossible to understand. “She knew seven different languges,” She muttered. “And was learning an eighth.”

“Seven?” It was unheard of. It was impressive to have their own langauge down, two was truly an accomplishment, and three had only happened once in the entire history of the town. The man who did it was eighty seven years old. But seven?

“Yes, dear, seven.”
“How-how do you know?” Rick spluttered the question that was on al their minds.

“It’s all in where you get your information, dearest.”
Jake didn’t even bother to scowl for the attention Rick was getting. None of the three men had much interest in Elvria anymore, and all they wanted was to be on safe, dry land, as far away from that awful story as possible. Still, they were courteous enough not to mention this.

“Maybe we should go back.” Jake suggested.

“And waste this lovely day? I think not.” She motioned for Rick to continue paddling. All Derby could think about was how she had changed from a swooning, beautiful woman to a dark and irrationally determined storyteller.

“We’re almost there.” Rick said. “I think maybe we can see it okay from shore.”

Elvria gave a tinkling laugh and didn’t say anything.

When the boat was aground, Rick got out, pretended to stretch, and started to get back into the boat. But Elvria stepped out and smiled.

“Oh, what a wonderful day for adventure. Let’s go see the house, shall we?”

The men didn't have much choice but to agree.

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