“Miss, I made appointments for tomorrow morning for you to interview potential staff,” Rosa interrupted.

“Great. Why don’t I leave that up to you? I researched and saw that the minimum wage is seven-twenty-five per hour. I will pay more than that. For the house staff, twelve an hour, and for the gardeners, fourteen an hour. The grounds workers will work five days a week to begin with. After that, we’ll have to see. Three men for now, I think. Housekeeping I leave up to you, Rosa, and the times they start and their hours. Are you up to doing that? And Marcel can supervise the ground workers.”

 “Yes, miss. Gladly. I don’t want to start feeling useless. There are some cottages available on the property for permanent staff, though they are also quite neglected.”

 “Told you, you will be in charge of the household until you can’t anymore.” She looked at Julian. “Another project to add to your list. Renovate and upgrade the cottages.”

 “I’m glad you’re hiring locals, miss,” Rosa said.

 “Of course. Why would I not?”

 “Master John and Lady Caia never hired permanent staff and always people from out of state, many times people from Mexico. We were the only local family that ever worked here.”

 “What was the reason for that?”

 “I don’t know.”

Caia thought about it briefly. Maybe it had something to do with the mystery surrounding the letter. For a moment, she thought about wolf blood running through her veins. She giggled. Shapeshifter? Yeah, right.

 “What’s funny?” Julian asked.

 “Nothing. Rosa, are there wolves in this area?”

 “There haven’t been wolf sightings lately that I know of. My grandparents told me of wolves living in these woods, but that was a long time ago, and the red wolves in the north are extinct. But there are many legends. People talk of wolves howling at night, of werewolves, and magic.”

Caia was very tempted to tell Rosa and Julian about the letter but kept it to herself. At least for now. “I’d like to visit the crypt this afternoon. If you draw me a map, I’ll find it,” she told Rosa.

 “Can I go with you?” Julian asked. “I have a crew ready to start the reno tomorrow, so I have time today. Do you mind if we work on weekends?”

 “I don’t care. That’ll just speed it up. Sure, come along. Company of a friend on an adventure is always welcome,” Caia said and waited for Rosa to draw directions.

Caia studied the piece of paper. “How long is it to get to the base of the mountain?” she asked.

 “It’s a bit of a hike, miss. You’re young and fast on your feet, so maybe an hour or less.” She looked at Julian. “Do you have a gun?” she asked.

 “Yes, I do. I’ll get it from the truck.”

 “What are we likely to run into?” Caia asked.

 “You never know, miss. I’ll pack some food, fruit, and drinks for you and Julian. Do you both have a backpack?”

 “Of course I do! An archaeologist without a backpack?” Caia chuckled at that.