Scary, isn’t it? Everyone of us has had that moment of doubt. That moment when there was something there. Something. You heard it. But you couldn’t make it out. Even when you squinted into a dark room. And yet. That sound. That presence. That feeling.

This is what happens to a woman named Sylvia Hancock. Relative of the famous Founding Father, John Hancock. Born and raised on a sprawling Massachusetts farm, Sylvia had had her share of frights up to the attic and out to the privy on a cold, Winter night.

Electricity was many years from being available, so candles of many sizes placed around the house, were the only light available. And they were fragile things at best. A bit of a breeze, someone passing by too quickly, a possible leak from the roof dripping down – all of these were enough to snuff out what might the only source of light in the room.

Winter nights in rural Massachusetts was about dark as it gets. And when there was no moon, like on the night in question, nothing stopped the almost inky darkness that settled onto the farm, the fields and the road that wound round them. It was almost as though everything outside the house disappeared – and then magically reappeared at first light.

Sylvia had settled down in the library with a pot of chocolate and a copy of Pride & Prejudice. It was her favorite story (she related very much to Jane Bennet) and it was perfect for those times when she found herself alone in the house and was not interested in her needlework.

Almost all of the servants had gone. Either on their weekly outing, or, had errands to run for her father, Mr. Edward Hancock, and would be gone for several days.

Her parents, along with her younger brother, were also away for two weeks. Young Master Benjamin was having some difficulty at boarding school, which Sylvia had anticipated due to Ben’s rather meek disposition, and so the three of them had set out to meet with the Headmaster.

So now, until the arrival of Sylvia’s cousin Beatrice in three or four days, Sylvia was alone save for Metty the cook, Lily the parlor maid, and old Nicholas who still chopped the firewood and tended to the horses.

It was almost an hour after Sylvia had settled in to P&P and took leisurely sips of chocolate in between turning pages that she heard the sound. It startled her and she jumped up, spilling some chocolate on the rug.

What was that? A footstep? No, not quite. A tree branch rubbing against the window pane? That didn’t seem right either. Sylvia brushed a stray blonde curl from her forehead and put down her book. A tiny wrinkle formed between her brows. Her heart beat a little faster.

Moving from her place in the library and out into the hallway, Sylvia didn’t see anything amiss. Nothing was changed. The massive Grandfather Clock stood tall and proud in the entry way, the curved staircase also of massive proportions was dimly lit from candles placed strategically in the nooks in the wall near the carved handrail.

And yet.

Slowly making her way back to the rear of the house, she carefully went through two parlors, a breakfast room, and the special walk-in closet that her father had built in recent years for hats, coats, boots and other Winter necessities.

And then. Just as Sylvia began to believe she was imagining things, there it was again. That sound. That something just beyond the light of the candles. This time it also included the swishing of clothing. Possibly a woman’s dress. Possibly a man’s coat. It was hard to tell and even harder considering that Sylvia was getting increasingly frightened.

Her sense of panic rose sharply when she caught a glimpse of a shadow passing through the large foyer on its way to the library where she just had been. Should she go back there? Should she race up the stairs to her room and bolt the door? Should she scream out for Metty, Lily, or Nicholas?

Gripping the fabric of her green satin gown, Sylvia had to make a decision fast. Fight or flight? Although she was an excellent shot (thanks to her father’s insistence) she was not in possession of a firearm at the moment. And the only ones she could gain quick access to were back in the library – where the mysterious shadow had just gone.

At once, the two front doors swung open wide; the icy wind came in and seemed to fly through the hallway. Sylvia watched and waited. A figure in the doorway. A man of some size.

Suddenly there was no decision to make. Sylvia let out a powerful scream and ran back into the second parlor, which had a good bolt on the door…….