XXXVII.

At the end of the day, Regina made dinner and left as soon as they ate it. For once he was glad to be alone at home, though voices continued bothering him. He ignored them the best he could and prepared to face the truth about… what? He wasn´t sure himself.

He brought the newly made daguerreotype to the light of the gasoline lamp. He saw Regina´s heart-shaped face, timid smile, tidy bun and folded palms, buttons on her simple black dress… And shadows behind her back. Stuart blinked. It wasn´t an illusion. Those were real shadows, but not on the walls. All around Regina. Stuart recognized hands and heads of the human-shaped black reflections. Some were stretching their hands or necks in somehow unnatural way, some leaning their heads behind as if laughing, while some simply stood as if confused by their own appearance. There was also something else, something weird in Regina´s eyes. He looked very closely…