Part 6.2 

As soon as Lord Winthrope saw Amber standing behind him he fell back in fear, "What?! What the devil is this? Is this your work Miss Garnett? What is it that you want from me? Why are you doing this?" He shouted as he clutched at Mavis but she steered away. Her concern wasn't the Duke right now, it was Amber.

"Flora!" Mavis called and Amber's head turned as she looked right at Mavis.

"Thank you, Miss Garnett. You brought me to him. Now, I can take my vengeance." Her voice was a guttural growl which set Mavis's teeth on edge.

"Flora, you need to let go of Amber now, her body isn't strong enough to contain that power of yours. If you go ahead you'll kill her." Mavis said and Amber's head tilted with a snapping sound.

"I will leave this body only after I have my revenge. Only he is remaining." She said pointing at the Duke who literally hid behind Mavis.

"I can understand that, Flora, but is it justice to kill an innocent for your vengeance? You know Amber has done nothing wrong, do you want your soul to be tainted by an innocent person's blood?" Mavis demanded and Amber growled loudly with the loud thunder clap in the sky.

"If I let go of her I won't have a body!" She shouted.

"I have prepared that for you." Mavis said and turned quickly to the tomb where Dr. Edwards and Maverick hid with the woman's model.

"This will be your body." Mavis said pointing at the model and Amber's body swayed.

"Make haste, Flora or she'll die!" Mavis shouted and the dark mist suddenly seeped out of Flora's body, Mavis felt the hair on her body standing on the edges as she saw the dark mist ejaculating from Amber and as soon as it left her body Amber lost complete strength and fell to the ground. Arthur rushed to her and scooped her up in his arms rushing her inside the chruch where Dr. Edwards, Maverick and the rest were.

The dark mist struck the human woman model and a metallic screech emanated from the woman's mouth. Mavis suddenly felt something clutching her throat and she slowly turned her head to see the Duke behind her with his arm around her neck.

"Stand by, Flora." He chuckled darkly as he increased the pressure on Mavis's throat, making her cough.

"If you come any closer, I'll kill her." He threatened as he stepped back taking Mavis with her. Flora in her new body moved mechanically ahead as His Lordship continued walking back.

"Just like you ordered someone to kill me?" Flora questioned.

"You left me no choice," His lordship sneered, "Look at you, a mere country girl dreaming of marrying a nobleman? You got what you deserved."

"This is not what I deserved, this is not what my child deserved!" Flora shouted.

Mavis kept her eyes firm on Flora as she kept advancing, "I didn't know you would turn into a ghost to kill me. Was our night not enough for you? Why did you want to marry me? Don't you know who I am? I am The Duke of Timberlley, Lord Victor Winthrope and I will marry you, a girl of ill breeding and no social standing? You were a delirious girl when you were alive and now that you're dead, you're still the same. Why would you ever think I'd come here to marry you? I saw you, I liked you and I wanted to spend a night with you that's all. Why make such a big matter of it?" The Duke asked and then he turned to Mavis keeping his eyes on Flora, "And you, Miss Garnett. Aren't you a little mischievous to dig out my personal matters?" Mavis ignored his words as she looked right at Flora.

"Flora, I'm giving you your revenge, only because I know what injustice was done to you. You still have a chance we have evidence now and he will be punished by the law." Mavis said and the Duke squeezed her throat.

"What law? What law are you talking about, Miss Garnett? Who do you think I am? I'm a Duke, not a common man who could be put in jail. I can and will manipulate everything according to me and I'll ruin you for good. Just you see Miss Garnett, you and the Coltons are finished." The Duke threatened and Mavis clenched her teeth as she gripped the wrist of his hand holding her throat and whirled quickly slamming the heel of her hand under his chin making him stumble back. Flora took the moment to grab him and slam his back in the broken fence, the piece of black metal protruded from his chest dripping blood and Mavis saw as his head slumped along with his body and he lost his life.

The mechanical doll slowly started stumbling as well and Mavis walked over to it. The doll fell down and Mavis crouched beside her, there was a smile on its metal face and Mavis felt the warmth in her chest.

"Thank you." She heard the faint voice before the doll turned lifeless and she saw the white mist leaving the doll.

The dark clouds cleared the sky and the light slowly seeped through the layers of the remnant clouds. Mavis stood up feeling the exhaustion settling in her bones along with the thrill of solving a case that was the first paranormal case of her life. She swayed lightly and heard a lot of voices rushing towards her.

"Mavis! Mavis!" She felt the arms of her brother around her as she looked at him.

"We solved it!" She grinned and he chuckled with tears in his eyes as he pressed his forehead against hers and she closed her eyes.

Amber started recovering soon and as soon as she woke up she was flooded by the love of her family, they contemplated over the matter that whether to tell her about what had happened or not and at the end they told her half the truth. On Mavis's advice they kept her condition a secret saying that she fainted because of some illness that suddenly took effect and then they told her about the Duke's death and also about his misdeeds. Amber at first wouldn't believe but when she heard about it from her father she was shocked. 

The matters to settle with the court wasn't much hard as Mavis had asked her father, Baron Robert Edmund Garnett and also Lord William Joseph Colton to witness the spectacle at the church.  Mavis knew she had to have an evidence lest if the things went wrong and Flora couldn't possess a mechanical doll, then at least there would be some respectable witnesses who would speak against the Duke in the court. At that time it was an unexpected entry of a man named Bernard Snow came up saying he would like to give his testimony against Lord Winthrope. He was the murderer of Flora Stoner and he did it on Lord Winthrope's orders. The townspeople came to know of the news of the Duke's death and also of what he did with Flora and the Case of The Dead Brides finally came to an end.

"But, how did you know that it was Victor Winthrope who killed Flora?" Maverick asked his sister as they stood in the stables ready to go for a ride on their horses.

The horse neighed softly as Mavis slowly brushed her hand on his neck, Maverick waited for the answer keeping his eyes on her.

"Mavis?" He called again and saw her look at him with slight uneasy look and then she smiled.

"It was Mary who told me." She said and Maverick frowned.

"Mary? But, she didn't know much, right?" 

"She didn't, but that day when I brought her along to the manor with me..." Mavis trailed off as she explained him everything just as it had happened.

It was on the day when Mavis had decided to go to the library to think some more about the situation when she felt the feeling of being watched. The library was filled with the white fog and Mavis felt as if something touched her and when she turned all around she couldn't see anyone. The faint whisper calling out her name made her look around in fear and alarm but nothing but the thick white fog was visible.

Mavis suddenly felt a presence behind her and when she turned she was almost blinded by the light, she shielded her eyes and noticed a figure standing in the light. She blinked as she slowly started towards the figure. It was lean and seemed feminine dressed in white with her head covered by a white cloth letting a few strands of brown hair peek out. 

"Mavis..." The voice was so soft and warm.

Mavis walked closer almost enchanted by the peace and warmth that she felt emanating from the figure. She saw the figure reaching out and brushing her cheek softly.

"I am with you, child." She spoke and Mavis felt the tears flowing down her eyes. 

Suddenly Mavis felt a voice calling her, it wasn't from the white figure before her but from somewhere behind. 

"Miss Garnett? Miss Garnett?"

"You must go now." The white woman said before flashing a beautiful smile and Mavis opened her eyes.

Mavis felt the moisture at her eyes and looked up to see Mary standing near her. Her eyes widened as she saw Mavis's hands and Mavis looked down to see the wounds on her palms. The wounds weren't too deep but enough to draw out a string of blood, she looked down at her feet where she felt the pain as well and noticed the blood flowing from her feet too. 

"Wha-Wha..." Mary gasped as she trembled holding a piece of paper in her hands.

"Mary... Mary, calm down." Mavis said trying her best to keep her own confusion at bay. The wounds had appeared out of nowhere and by the location of the wounds one would clearly point it out as stigmata.

"Ye-Ye 'ave been touched by da Lord!" Mary cried out falling on her knees.

"Mary, Mary, calm down, please." Mavis said holding her hands up.

"Ye-Ye are a saint." Mary started crying now and Mavis didn't know how to respond to the devotion Mary was displaying. Mavis slowly reached out and touched Mary's shoulder with her fingertips. Mary after crying and mumbling a few prayers finally managed to calm down and Mavis noticed the paper in her hand.

"What is that?" She asked as Mary was wiping her tears with the kerchief given by Mavis.

"Oh, dis, dis is da letter dat Flora showed me once. She said it was from 'er lover." Mavis all but snatched the letter from Mary and unfolded it to look at its contents.

The letter was filled with a lot of flowery appreciations and promises which made Mavis slightly uneasy. The blood from her wounds had dried now leaving the deep red mesh, Mary eyed the wounds and just as Mavis asked her to bring the salves to apply on them she rushed out.

A particular line from the letter caught her eye and she frowned a little, was it common for men to say that she is the most beautiful woman he'd seen in his life? Besides, where had she heard this before? 

The door suddenly opened and a maid walked in with a letter in her hands, she walked right towards Mavis.

"Miss Garnett, this letter is for you." She said and Mavis took the letter carefully not letting the maid see her wound.

The maid left and Mavis looked at the envelope which had a familiar looking seal, as soon as she recognised the insignia she contemplated over the thought that whether she should open the envelope or not. After a little more thinking she opened the letter which was from His Lordship Victor Winthrope. She unfolded the letter and was met by his elegant writing which made her frown as the contents of the letter was filled with the appreciation of her beauty and coincidently of the same lines which she had read in the letter which Mary brought.

Mavis picked up Mary's letter and then the letter which she had received, most of the lines in the two letters were the same and the other most shocking thing was that the handwriting in both letters was just the same. The way a few letters were written, the way the pressure on the letters were given was exactly the same.

"So... So, Flora's lover is none other than His Lordship?" She gasped.

"Wait, stigmata!" Maverick cried out as he looked down at Mavis's hands which she clasped with one another.

"You-You said those were papercuts!" Maverick shouted and Mavis gave him a sheepish smile.

"Well, I still am not sure that whether these really are the stigmata wounds or not." She said.

"But–"

"Mav, please. Let's not talk about this for now, you know I believe in nothing but facts and this," She eyed her bandaged hands, "could be because of anything." 

"Like what?" 

"Anything, all right? Now, just quit saying it. I've even asked Mary to keep this a secret and I am asking you to do the same." She said with a determined face and Maverick pressed his lips in a firm line before turning away from his sister.

"I'm just glad that we were able to help Flora and Amber." He heard his sister behind him and turned to see her smiling at the white horse whom she was petting.