Archie
The storm rolled in faster than anyone predicted, the sky turning a heavy gray by mid afternoon and the wind picking up hard enough to rattle the windows along the east wing by evening. Most of the staff left before it got too bad, Margaret ushering everyone out early with the practical efficiency she managed everything with. A few stayed behind, finishing the last of the evening's tasks, Thea among them.
By the time the power went out, just after eight, the rain was coming down in sheets loud enough to hear through the thick walls of the house, and the wind outside sounded like it was actively trying to find a way in.
I sat in the dark study for a few minutes, waiting to see if the backup generator would kick in the way it usually did. It didn't. Something must have shorted out
