At that moment, two figures burst into the music room, nearly knocking the door off its hinges. Amelie, Paul and Henry looked up at the disturbance, the two men transfixed, and Amelie somewhat less then amused.

“Hello, Dorthea,” she greeted the female spirit icily, then looked at the figure behind her with pity. “Hello, Jeffery,” she greeted him, gently this time.

He mumbled a “hello” and Dorthea merely laughed as if Amelie had said something funny.

“Oh, Amelie, you do say some of the most amusing things. Jeffery and I were just taking a little stroll when we noticed someone new outside, wanting to get in, so we came up here to tell you about him and to see if you knew anything.”

Amelie shook her head. “I don’t see why I would, as you know all too well that none of the boys around were interested in me, thanks to you. That’s why Mama had to take me up to New York before I got sick. No one close to home ever came calling.”

“Yes.” Dorthea paused now and looked Amelie over. “Well, I have no doubt why no one ever paid attention to you if that was the dress you were buried in,” she said nastily. “Isn’t it an awful rag, Jeffery?”

At the sound of his name, Jeffery suddenly looked up with a startled expression. “Yes, quite awful.” He then went back to staring down at the floor while Dorthea looked at Amelie with a smug expression. “See, even Jeffery says it’s horrible, and he’s an excellent judge of these sorts of things.”

“Yes, well enough of this cheerful banter,” Amelie replied lightly. “Paul, Henry and I were just talking about when we were all alive. Why don’t you enlighten us, Dorthea? I know that talking about yourself is one of your favorite things.”

Dorthea gave her a sharp glance that lasted for only a moment before she smiled and nodded, fluffing up her blonde curls and sitting in an old, wicker chair, her wide burgundy skirt cascading all around her. Jeffery took his seat too, on the floor at her feet, and gazed at her as if he were staring at an angel.

Dorthea took no notice of this however, instead training her gaze on the other three who watched her, waiting for her tale.

“My story is very interesting, and I know for a fact that there is a man in California who would pay an arm and a leg to hear it, but you’ll hear more about him later. Anyway, I was born in a large house in Connecticut to very wealthy parents. Amelie’s family and mine were next door neighbors and you can imagine how distraught I was when I found out about her fever.” She paused and pretended a few tears before continuing, ignoring Amelie’s snort of laughter.

“My father knew that with my looks and talent, I would have no trouble finding a husband from a good family. My coming-out party was a big, elaborate one, and my father was more then pleased when Jeffery’s father accepted an invitation and brought Jeffery along. You see,” here, Dorthea paused and leaned toward her audience, motioning for them to come closer as if she wanted to tell them a secret. “Jeffery’s father owns the biggest diamond mine in the world, and my father knew that if Jeffery and I got engaged, everything would be wonderful forever. Although I realize now that he was thinking only of what Jeffery would bring into our family, and having absolutely no thoughts about whether or not I approved of the match.”

She paused for a moment to gaze down at Jeffery, who was still looking at her with rapt and unwavering attention. “I didn’t favor the idea initially, but in time, I got used to it. Anyway, we were married in the fall, and before I knew it, it was winter. Jeffery had a lovely little pond out behind his estate, and as soon as I discovered it, I realized that it would just be perfect for ice-skating. That was one of my hobbies, you know. My father always encouraged me to be active at all times of the year, because as he always said, ‘when it comes to illness, it is always the weak ones who will go first. I want you my dear girl, to be strong.’

At that, Amelie rolled her eyes, and Jeffery snuck a look at her, as if to tuck away for future reference the perfect example of what Dorthea’s father had been talking about.

After five minutes of silence, Dorthea cleared her throat again, which brought her audience’s gaze back to her.

“The days we skated were so much fun! The entire town would come and watch us. And oh how they would cheer whenever I did a double axel, their eyes wide with appreciation for my incredible talent. But one day, I accidentally skated on ice that was too thin. My skate broke through, and I could feel myself start to fall. I called out to Jeffery to help me but-“

She broke off suddenly, and looked down at Jeffery, who was shaking uncontrollably and sobbing, tears flowing down his face and soaking the floor.

“What is so wrong that you had to interrupt my story?” she asked him testily. He looked up at her, eyes big, brown and wet and ran a hand through his bedraggled brown hair.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a broken, shaky voice. “I tried so hard to save you, but I failed. I failed and you died. This is all my fault!”

He broke down again and Amelie put a comforting hand on his back and tried to console him.

“Jeffery, none of this is your fault. You gave your life to try and rescue her. You could have just let her freeze in the river alone, but you jumped in and died with her. She should be thanking you on bended knee.”

She looked up at Dorthea then, her eyes full of hate, but the other girl did nothing but twirl her skirt impatiently between her fingers and wait for calm to be restored to the small music room.

Finally, Jeffery was able to take a deep breath and calm down. He gazed at Dorthea for a moment, and then slowly moved away from her, toward Amelie, and that was where he stayed for the rest of their story.

“But Jeffery didn’t make it to me in time, and I was almost completely under by the time he reached me. He had a hold of my hand, but it slipped. Then, he jumped in after me. And that is how I died. The rescuers came the next day, and they got us out of the lake. We were frozen solid by then. Jeffery’s father came and took him and had him buried out in their family plot. The rescuer that had my body was so captivated by it that when he brought it to my father, he offered to pay him a thousand dollars to take it to a friend of his who worked with wax and have a duplicate of my body made. It was done, and now, not only do I reside here, but in the man’s sitting room as well, forever.”

Her tale finished, she looked quite pleased with herself. Amelie, however, turned to Henry and Paul. “Now do you see why she only haunts the mirrors in this house, and why she’s the only one anyone’s ever captured on camera? If she hadn’t drowned, the sure way to kill her would be to take all her mirrors away. If she had to go a day without looking at her reflection, she surely would do away with herself!”

“How did you get here?” Henry asked Dorthea.

“Oh,” Dorthea pulled a tiny fan from her sleeve and began to fan herself. “Mama Foster used one of my mirrors for calling up the spirits as well as her crystal ball. How she got the mirror in the first place I have no idea, but ever since I found out she had it, I’ve been trying to get it back.”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and a tall, dark, handsome man entered the music room.

“Excuse me,” he said, and his voice was as rich and smooth as his red-velvet cape and black suit. “I have something I wish to discuss with you all, if you’ll follow me to the parlor.”

Confused, the five followed him slowly out of the music room, Dorthea taking his arm.

“So what is your name?” she asked.

“Eric,” he said quietly. “Eric Sullivan.”