Hell's Eyes

BRIANNA SHAFFERY

“I’m not certain,” Miss Hyacinth admitted. “I noticed a few weeks ago that Mr. Noblémyn was acting strangely, but only thought to check in on him yesterday after I hadn’t seen him for quite some time.” “Yes,” the postmaster agreed, recalling the strange occurrence of what he now knew to be Mr. Noblémyn’s decline over the last season. “I didn’t notice it at first, but Miss Hyacinth is right. Mr. Noblémyn hasn’t been right for many weeks now. It was like he was paranoid and frightened all the time.” Mr. Basil hmph ed. If only someone had said something sooner, he might’ve had a better chance of saving Mr. Noblémyn, but if he truly had been afflicted for many weeks as Miss Hyacinth and Postmaster Reginald had said, the chance that Mr. Noblémyn could recover from the shock to his mind had grown too slim to instill much confidence in his options. “I shall have to see what I can do,” he said decidedly, unwilling to show his concern to the others, particularly Miss Hyacinth, who still seemed shaken at having found Mr. Noblémyn in such a state. “Miss Hyacinth,” he added, “you said you called upon Mr. Noblémyn yesterday?” “Yes,” she said, her mind reeling at the question and what Mr. Her man Basil might be implying by it. “Why do you ask?” “I’d like to know everything you noticed of Mr. Noblémyn, what he said, how he acted, every detail you can recall. You may very well be the last person to have seen him since yesterday, and therefore the key to how I might treat him.” Elsie frowned at his explanation and the lack of assurance that Mr. Noblémyn would recover with the help of those treatments. Halberry’s herbalist hadn’t said those very important words at all. “I can try.” “Good. Come along and give me your report while Postmaster Reginald and I get Mr. Noblémyn settled in my infirmary.” Elsie sniffed, nodding her head. Still, Mr. Basil hadn’t offered them any ounce of certainty that Mr. Noblémyn could be saved. If only she’d

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