Sherry took a step back. Her artificial smile was in stark contrast to her eyes, which shone a luminous dark green and reminded Madison of a forest in the middle of a storm. An ice-cold hand took Madison’s and held on to it more tightly than necessary. “Sh-shall we?”

Madison couldn’t get a word out, so she merely nodded.

Side by side, they climbed the stairs to the main entrance.

Before Madison could ring the bell or Sherry could think about what had just happened, the door was opened by a woman in her mid-thirties wearing a maid’s uniform.

“Good evening, Ms. Fielding.”

“Hello, Sarah,” Madison said with a flirtatious smile on her face.

The maid blushed while stepping backward.

If Sherry wasn’t so busy trying to ignore her still-tingling lips and her rapidly beating heart, she probably would have questioned their strange interaction.

“There you are,” an elderly woman, carrying a half-full glass of brown liquid, exclaimed while strutting toward them in her long brown gown. “You may leave,” she told the maid without sparing her a glance.

“Good evening, Grandmother.” Madison’s greeting had been far warmer when speaking to the maid, who had now disappeared into an adjoining room.

Mrs. Fielding gave first Madison, then Sherry a derogatory glance. “So that’s her,” she said instead of a greeting.

Madison smiled, but it seemed forced. “Yeah. That is my Sherry.” She gave her grandmother a brief kiss on the cheek.

Nodding, to acknowledge Madison’s words or as an approval of the gesture, Mrs. Fielding stepped back. “Let’s go the parlor, so that you can introduce us properly. It’s not appropriate to do this in the entryway as if you want me to buy something from you on the doorstep.”

Madison entered the house, pulling Sherry with her. “Of course.”

Sherry glanced between Madison and Mrs. Fielding. Was it normal for them to talk about someone else as if they weren’t there? Confusion gave way to awe when she entered the huge entrance hall. An enormous golden chandelier hung from the high ceiling. Double doors led to other rooms on both sides. Stairs, looking like something straight out of Gone with the Wind, led to the first floor.

Madison squeezed her hand, and Sherry tore her gaze away from the detailed ornaments on the banister. “You coming, honey?”

Sherry forced a smile at the endearment and allowed Madison to lead her to the adjoining room, which was also huge and had high ceilings. How could anybody feel at home in a place like this? And what the hell was up with Mrs. Fielding? Compared to her, Madison was downright friendly and relaxed. That thought almost caused her to giggle, but she bit her lip to suppress any sound.

Mrs. Fielding looked like a much older version of Madison. Her hair was gray, but her eyes were the same piercing blue as Madison’s and their posture was similar.