Lady’s maid Emmeline Spencer is about to face that very question when the Nob Hill mansion where she works in 1881 San Francisco loses its head servant and the household is thrown into chaos.
In a world that is upstairs-downstairs-upside-down, it’s hard to know who are your allies or enemies; and not everything is at is seems.
The 62,000-word story is set at the estate of Charles Crocker, one of the Big Four robber barons who created America's railways and were the 'royalty' of their era. Little did they know they were just tiny pieces in a global game.
I didn’t—at least not until I started doing some innocuous research for a historical novel. What I found both shocked and fascinated me. I began asking friends and acquaintances if they knew of the existence of this group. No one did.
I decided to change that.
My first scant findings are contained herein. I plan to do a lot more digging and hope the publication of this short exposé will inspire and embolden others to come forward with their knowledge of this insidious organization.
Until that time, if someone greets you with the phrase “Ad serviendum nobilissima vocatio,” do yourself a favor and run the other way.
