The Devil's Hotel
by @winterthistleClara Whitfield never expected her honeymoon suite to be a slaughterhouse. Henry Holmes builds his Chicago hotel to seduce young women into his death traps, and her pale blue eyes mark her as the next victim. But Nellie McBride, the seamstress with the fiery red hair, has already discovered the torture chamber behind the velvet drapes.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Henry Holmes
A 34-year-old businessman with a charming smile that never quite reaches his cold, calculating eyes. His tailored suits hide a lean, wiry build that moves with unsettling grace, and his hands are always impeccably clean, as if scrubbing away evidence. He has dark hair slicked back with oil, a neatly trimmed mustache, and a voice like honey that makes women trust him instantly.
Clara Whitfield
A 26-year-old widow with honey-blond hair pinned up in an elegant chignon, though a few loose curls always escape to frame her face. Her pale blue eyes hold a sadness that makes her seem vulnerable, but there's a quiet strength in her posture that suggests she's survived worse. She wears a deep burgundy dress that clings to her curves, a rare indulgence for a woman of her station.
Nellie McBride
A 22-year-old seamstress with fiery red hair that she struggles to tame, always escaping its pins and falling around her shoulders in waves. She has a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and her green eyes are bright with curiosity and a hint of rebellion. Her work-roughened hands show the evidence of her trade, but she carries herself with a pride that defies her station.
Charity Miller
An attractive but naive small-town girl who has arrived in Chicago looking for excitement and independence via work as a secretary, but whose first job prospect has fallen through. Anxious to please and unfamiliar with city life, she is practically begging for someone to take her under their wing. She has long, wavy brown hair which falls past her shoulders when unpinned.
Daphne Decapolis
The doe-eyed daughter of Greek immigrants, she tries to balance her obvious Mediterranean background with an embrace of Americanism. She sells vegetables at her parents' stall on Market Street, but dreams of being hired as a cook at a respectable upscale establishment. Her demeanor is saucy, befitting an aspiring cook with Mediterranean passion, but she has a chip on her shoulder about being perceived as "just as American as anybody else." She is earnest and eager.
Madame Laurent
A wealthy French widow traveling with her daughter Colette, unaware of Holmes's true nature; she accepts his hospitality and dinner invitation.
Colette Laurent
A young French girl, innocent and curious, staying at Holmes's hotel; his charm flusters her, and she is unaware of the danger he poses to her.
EXPLORE CHAPTERS
The Seamstress's Discovery
Nellie's needle slips as she hears the muffled scream from behind the velvet drapes in the hotel's private parlor. She parts the fabric and finds the hidden room—a chair with leather straps, a rack of
Chapter 2
Having set his sights on the Laurent women, Holmes decides to artfully finish his previous target, Clara Whitfield. Cornering the blonde in her room, he is charming before suddenly turning on her. H