The Housemaid

The Howards don't know who I really am, but I'm learning all their secrets. It seems like the perfect job. The wages are great, and accommodation is provided within the walls of an actual mansion. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And to revisit my the strict housekeeper, Mrs Huxley, watches my every move, emerging from the shadows when I least expect her. And Lord Howard's son, Alex, takes an interest in me. I'm drawn to him because I know he's bad for me. There's a general atmosphere of unease at Highwood Hall, from the narrow tunnels laced throughout the sprawling house, to the abandoned north wing, rumoured to be haunted. No one outside the hall knows where I work and yet a gift box arrives. One tug of the pretty ribbon unveils a miniature doll version of me trapped inside a dollhouse. In this scene I'm dead, lying in a pool of red paint at the bottom of the perfectly recreated staircase.