stay in my home as my guest as long as you like.”
“I’m not sure that would be proper,” Nicholas began. “You are an unmarried—”
“No,” Ruth interrupted. “My father would want you to stay here. If you will not do it for me, then please do it for him.”
Reluctantly, Nicholas nodded. “Very well.”
A pitiful smile touched her lips. “Thank you. I have a terrible headache. I think I shall go lie down for a while. Make yourself at home.”
Nicholas watched as she slowly shuffled out of the room. She looks so tired and frail, he thought as he sat down. Her father’s death was a horrible blow to her.
And to me, he added. And to me.
Mr. Manning could have thrown me out the day Ibarged into his home demanding my fortune. Instead he gave me a job.
Nicholas’s stomach cramped. Could Mr. Manning be another victim of the Fears’ bad luck?
Disaster had come to every person who had been kind to Nicholas since he arrived in Shadyside. Ike. Betsy. Mr, Manning.
Wait, Nicholas thought. Slow down. Bad luck is not the only explanation.
No, there was an explanation that made much more sense.
Jason Goode.
Jason hates me. He hated me from the beginning.
No, Nicholas remembered. Not from the very beginning. From the moment he found out I was a Fear.
He was friendly until Betsy arrived with my lunch. I thought he was jealous that she was fussing over me—but he did not know I was a Fear until Betsy used my last name.
Discovering I was a Fear changed his attitude toward me. He hated me from that moment on because of the feud between our families.
Jason knew Mr. Manning liked me and was looking out for me. Jason could not stand that. So he killed Mr. Manning.
But what about Ike and Betsy? Jason cared for them both. Was his hatred of the Fears so great that he could maim his friend and kill his own cousin?
Jason probably planned for me to be running the saw, not Ike, Nicholas decided. I was running it thatmorning. And I was new. I bet Jason did not think Ike would allow me to switch jobs so soon.
Jason wanted to hurt me —not Ike.
But what about Betsy? Her death was no accident meant for him.
Jason tried to keep her away from me, Nicholas remembered. Every time he saw us together, he sent Betsy away.
Maybe Jason could not stand the thought of Betsy marrying a Fear. Maybe he thought she was better off dead than suffering the bad luck of the Fears.
Jason is not going to get away with it, Nicholas swore. If it is the last thing he does, Jason will admit the truth.
And he will pay for the lives he has taken.
Chapter 25
N icholas did not knock on Jason’s door. He slammed it open and walked inside.
Jason stood near the hearth, jabbing the fire with a poker. He spun around.
“What are you doing here?” Jason demanded. His lips twisted into a sneer.
“I came to get some answers,” Nicholas shot back. “I want to know how you felt when you saw Ike’s hand spurting blood—thanks to you.”
Jason’s eyes turned dark with anger and hatred. His body went rigid. “That was your fault!” Jason yelled. “You—”
“I want to know how it felt to kill Betsy,” Nicholas interrupted. “Your own cousin.”
“Nooooo!” Jason howled. “You killed Betsy.” He lunged at Nicholas, the poker out in front of him.
Nicholas dove at Jason’s knees. He knocked Jason to the floor.
Jason’s head hit the hearthstone with a thud.
But the blow did not stop him. Jason rolled over and straddled Nicholas, pinning him to the floor.
Jason raised the poker high over his head. Aiming it at Nicholas’s face.
He is going to kill me, Nicholas thought. He twisted his body with all his might. He knocked Jason offbalance.
The poker slid across the room and landed near the door.
Nicholas rolled free and jabbed his knee into Jason’s stomach. He grabbed Jason by the throat.
“Confess!” Nicholas yelled.
Jason wheezed, trying to speak.
Nicholas relaxed his grip on Jason’s neck. But kept his hands in
“I’m not sure that would be proper,” Nicholas began. “You are an unmarried—”
“No,” Ruth interrupted. “My father would want you to stay here. If you will not do it for me, then please do it for him.”
Reluctantly, Nicholas nodded. “Very well.”
A pitiful smile touched her lips. “Thank you. I have a terrible headache. I think I shall go lie down for a while. Make yourself at home.”
Nicholas watched as she slowly shuffled out of the room. She looks so tired and frail, he thought as he sat down. Her father’s death was a horrible blow to her.
And to me, he added. And to me.
Mr. Manning could have thrown me out the day Ibarged into his home demanding my fortune. Instead he gave me a job.
Nicholas’s stomach cramped. Could Mr. Manning be another victim of the Fears’ bad luck?
Disaster had come to every person who had been kind to Nicholas since he arrived in Shadyside. Ike. Betsy. Mr, Manning.
Wait, Nicholas thought. Slow down. Bad luck is not the only explanation.
No, there was an explanation that made much more sense.
Jason Goode.
Jason hates me. He hated me from the beginning.
No, Nicholas remembered. Not from the very beginning. From the moment he found out I was a Fear.
He was friendly until Betsy arrived with my lunch. I thought he was jealous that she was fussing over me—but he did not know I was a Fear until Betsy used my last name.
Discovering I was a Fear changed his attitude toward me. He hated me from that moment on because of the feud between our families.
Jason knew Mr. Manning liked me and was looking out for me. Jason could not stand that. So he killed Mr. Manning.
But what about Ike and Betsy? Jason cared for them both. Was his hatred of the Fears so great that he could maim his friend and kill his own cousin?
Jason probably planned for me to be running the saw, not Ike, Nicholas decided. I was running it thatmorning. And I was new. I bet Jason did not think Ike would allow me to switch jobs so soon.
Jason wanted to hurt me —not Ike.
But what about Betsy? Her death was no accident meant for him.
Jason tried to keep her away from me, Nicholas remembered. Every time he saw us together, he sent Betsy away.
Maybe Jason could not stand the thought of Betsy marrying a Fear. Maybe he thought she was better off dead than suffering the bad luck of the Fears.
Jason is not going to get away with it, Nicholas swore. If it is the last thing he does, Jason will admit the truth.
And he will pay for the lives he has taken.
Chapter 25
N icholas did not knock on Jason’s door. He slammed it open and walked inside.
Jason stood near the hearth, jabbing the fire with a poker. He spun around.
“What are you doing here?” Jason demanded. His lips twisted into a sneer.
“I came to get some answers,” Nicholas shot back. “I want to know how you felt when you saw Ike’s hand spurting blood—thanks to you.”
Jason’s eyes turned dark with anger and hatred. His body went rigid. “That was your fault!” Jason yelled. “You—”
“I want to know how it felt to kill Betsy,” Nicholas interrupted. “Your own cousin.”
“Nooooo!” Jason howled. “You killed Betsy.” He lunged at Nicholas, the poker out in front of him.
Nicholas dove at Jason’s knees. He knocked Jason to the floor.
Jason’s head hit the hearthstone with a thud.
But the blow did not stop him. Jason rolled over and straddled Nicholas, pinning him to the floor.
Jason raised the poker high over his head. Aiming it at Nicholas’s face.
He is going to kill me, Nicholas thought. He twisted his body with all his might. He knocked Jason offbalance.
The poker slid across the room and landed near the door.
Nicholas rolled free and jabbed his knee into Jason’s stomach. He grabbed Jason by the throat.
“Confess!” Nicholas yelled.
Jason wheezed, trying to speak.
Nicholas relaxed his grip on Jason’s neck. But kept his hands in
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