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Welcome to the Enriched Edition of The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn! Be drawn even deeper into the mysterious, sensual world of novel with new exclusive material from the author. Bonus content includes:
Cast of Characters
A letter from Theodora Lestrange
Mmlig Recipe
Extended scene of Theodora’s journey to Transylvania
A sneak peek excerpt of Dark Road to Darjeeling, book four in Deanna Raybourn’s award-winning Lady Julia Grey series
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Happy reading!
The Dead Travel Fast
Deanna Raybourn
For my husband. For everything. For always.
Contents
Characters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Readers’ Guide Questions
Acknowledgments
Deleted Scene from The Dead Travel Fast
Letter from Theodora Lestrange
M
Excerpt from Dark Road to Darjeeling
Theodora Lestrange, an aspiring novelist and seeker of adventure
Charles Beecroft, her publisher and erstwhile suitor
Anna and William, Theodora’s sister and brother-in-law
Mrs. Muldoon, Theodora’s housekeeper
Cosmina Dragulescu, Theodora’s school friend
Countess Eugenia Dragulescu, her aunt
Count Andrei Dragulescu, son to the countess and master of the Castle Dragulescu
Frau Amsel, companion to the countess
Florian, her son, the acting steward of the castle
Frau Graben, the cook
Tereza, a maid at the castle
Aurelia, her sister, also a maid
Count Bogdan, the deceased count who may not lie easily in his grave
Dr. Frankopan, doctor and friend to the countess
Madam Popa, his housekeeper and wife to a man with a terrible secret
The villagers, peasant folk who inhabit the valley below the castle and serve the Dragulescus
The pedlar, a traveller
Herr Engel, proprietor of a rest home
I
As he spoke, he smiled, and the lamplight fell on a hard-looking mouth, with very red lips and sharp-looking teeth, as white as ivory. One of my companions whispered to the other…“Denn die Todten reiten schnell.” (“For the dead travel fast.”)
—Bram Stoker, Dracula
It is with true love as it is with ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.
—François de la Rochefoucauld
II
All proper stories begin with the words Once upon a time…. But this is not a proper story—it is mine. You will not believe it. You will say such things are not possible. But you believed once, long ago. You believed in witches and goblins and things that walked abroad in the dark of the night. And you believed in happily ever after and that love can mend all. For children believe in impossible things. So read my tale with a child’s eyes and believe once more in the impossible….
Edinburgh, 1858
“I am afraid we must settle the problem of what to do with Theodora,” my brother-in-law said with a weary sigh. He looked past me to where my sister sat stitching placidly on a tiny gown. It had been worn four times already and wanted a bit of freshening.
Anna glanced up from her work to give me a fond look. “I rather think Theodora ought to have a say in that, William.”
To his credit, he coloured slightly. “Of course she must.” He sketched a tiny bow in my direction. “She is a woman grown, after all. But now that Professor Lestrange has been properly laid to rest, there is no one here to care for her. Something must be decided.”
At the mention of my grandfather, I turned back to the bookshelf whose contents I had been sorting. His library had been an extensive one, and, to my anguish, his debts demanded it be sold along with anything else of value in the house. Indeed, the house itself would have to be sold, although William had hopes that the pretty little property in Picardy Place would fetch enough to settle the debts and leave me a tiny sum for my keep. I wiped the books carefully with a cloth sprinkled with neat’s-foot oil and placed them aside, bidding farewell to old friends.
Just