A BRIDE IN BLACK

ne was b

t. The woman floating outside the third-floor window was beauti

dark hair floated around her shoulders as if she were underwater. And

ass. "Open the window. You'll ca

d the window, his back to her

His voice was differe

k, Adrian. You

ried

a dress. You

blood we

s behind him and squeez

ement," Adrian said to

d not fade, but her eyes - her eyes were

u told me so yourself. On our wedding night

lie

ver lie

d ever

break. Just for a second. Underneath

, looking past Adrian at Clara. "Tell her s

d out from b

t me to wear wh

ftened when she saw

id. "White is taken quickly. Black... blac

keep

he thing in the east wi

te hand against the glass.

ooking at Clara. "They told me a Vale always loves his bride in white. So I took the

ned?" Clara

d, and a tear of blood ran down her

trunk lid slamme

pulled Clara away

he said. "If you hear how she

couldn't s

ow, like mist in mornin

don't think black will save you either. It just

ast time. This time Clara saw - the white dress was

ides get kept in t

The rain hit the wi

vy curtains shut and

e only sound was bot

st to speak. "You

own heavily on the edge of the bed, his head i

is he

portrait is the newest. C

id she

dn't

m and took his hands from

she die

e east wing. Everyone knows not to turn around. I told her. I to

n in her mirror, lifting

of the mirror," Clara repeat

d at the cur

or Vale who didn't die. The one who started the debt.

opened it again. The black dress was st

had not noticed befor

open with t

t miniature, no bigger than

in a bla

a wedding dress. It was a widow's mourning dr

hair white, her mouth a hard line. Her eye

, written i

799-1880 - The Deb

e over. The old woman see

man in the min

drop

the floor. He stared at it, a

dmother,

bli

kno

's a

of them. She is the one w

d the door was locked. It blew out the fire, blew the lett

, the bedroom was f

from the bedposts, from the mirror. All em

ing for

, one dress floated down

was already marked - at the throat, five faint fin

the chapel painting. 18

ed in front

ouse, to his grandmother in the miniature

use an

sses turned, at o

ered, in one voice