Charlotte looked utterly uncomfortable.  

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the man guiding us. Rather, it was the way he conducted himself that seemed to make her uneasy—something about it felt... off.  

For example:  

“Ladies, behold! This man here lost his left hand in a tragic factory accident not too long ago. Isn’t it pitiful? Doesn’t it break your heart? Without help, he’ll surely struggle to put food on the table. Hey, John, show them your arm.”  

At his prompting, the man named John displayed his left wrist, which ended in a smooth stump with a …