<em>"They'll soon take you away," said Ginger, "and I shall lose the only friend I have, and most likely we shall never see each other again. 'Tis a hard world!"</em>Helena read to the children and as she did a whispering sound reached her ears and made her pause, listening intently but failing to understand the words, until the children started to fidget under their covers and Alice asked was she alright. "Yes, yes of course..." it was probably sounds from downstairs she was hearing, from the dinner party, or so the rational part of her reasoned. But then how come it sounded so close by, right in her ear... ? Suddenly she felt cold, a chill running down her spine and she shuddered.<br/><br/>"Is it cold in here?" She asked the children.<br/><br/>Standing up, Helena walked over to a nearby chair and took a scarf from it that she wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Next she went to the hearth and threw an extra log on the fire before poking it rather more viciously than necessary with the poker. It was then she heard a noise downstairs, from the room under this one, the room where the mummy was kept and she shivered again despite being so close to the flames.<br/><br/>When she returned to the children's bedside she was still holding the poker, which felt reassuringly heavy and solid in her hand. She placed it against the side of the bed hoping the James and Alice wouldn't ask her why she'd brought it. She wasn't sure herself except having the excuse for a weapon near made her feel slightly better. "Where were we? Oh yes...<em>About a week after this, Robert came into the field with my halter, which he slipped over my head and led me away.</em>" She found it hard to focus on the story, but that only made her try harder, using her own voice to block out the whisper in her ear. The children noticed her voice was louder than usual and the words followed each other in quick succession, so much so the governess stumbled once or twice, "<em>There was no leave-taking of Ginger; we neighed to each other as-I-was-led-off-and... And... We neighed to each other as I was led off, and she trotted-anxiously-along...</em>"