seated next to him, though she was still somewhat annoyed at Victoria for having changed the seating.
Olivia wandered into the kitchen then, and observed the activity there, and then she saw Victoria, sitting alone in the breakfast room, drinking a cup of coffee. Olivia stood looking at her for a moment, worrying about her again, and then she walked over and sat down beside her.
"Did you sleep well? " Olivia asked uncomfortably, still ill at ease after their argument of the night before. It had been far more serious than any they'd had in years. And this time was far more lethal than their childlish fights. Olivia was convinced that her sister was in real danger.
"Very well, thank you, " Victoria said formally, without looking at her.
"I'm surprised you could sleep with all the noise down here, " she said, glancing over her shoulder. Olivia thought she looked particularly beautiful, which was odd. She never thought of herself that way, and yet she could always see something different, and more exciting, in her younger sister. And there was something she had never seen before in Victoria's eyes that morning.
"I think I was exhausted." Olivia didn't mention the altercation of the night before, but after she had sat down and been served coffee by one of the kitchen maids, she asked Victoria if she had seen her flowers.
"Yes, I did, " she answered after a moment's hesitation.
"I think I can figure out who sent them. I imagine you can too.
" Olivia said it cautiously, and there was a long silence. "I hope you'll think about what I said last night, Victoria. It's a very dangerous situation."
"They're only roses, Olivia. There's no need for you to get up in arms over them, or about anything that happened last night. He's a very interesting man, that's all. You don't need to make anything more of it, " Victoria said, trying to make light of it in the morning sunshine, but Olivia could see something in her twin's eyes that frightened her, something very determined and powerful. And she knew instinctively that Victoria was not going to let go of Toby.
"I hope you don't spend time with him again tonight. It would make people talk, and the party is at his wife's cousins' house. You really have to be careful, " Olivia warned her.
"Thank you, Olivia, " Victoria said, and stood up, looking down at her sister. They were so identical without, and so different within, sometimes it was hard to believe they were even sisters, let alone twins. Olivia felt a shiver of fear at the chasm she suddenly felt between them.
"What are you doing today? " she asked innocently.
"I'm going to a lecture. Is that all right with you, Olivia dear, or do I need your permission? "
"I just asked. You needn't be so sensitive, or so rude, " she said tartly, tired of the sparks and the sudden enmity that had come up between them because of Victoria's flirtation with Toby.
"Since when do you ask my permission to do anything? You only expect me to cover up for you, you never bother to ask before you do whatever it is you wanted to do in the first place."
"You won't need to cover up for me today, thank you very much." It was times like this that made each of them wish they had other friends.
But the exclusivity of their relationship, their unusual closeness, their isolation from school, and the remoteness of where they lived, had always deprived them of other people. They had always been closer to each other than to anyone else, and although they liked it most of the time, at times it left each of them feeling somewhat lonely. What are you doing today? " Victoria asked. "Housework, I assume, as usual.
" She made Olivia sound incredibly dull, and Olivia felt it, as she looked at her sister.
No one had sent her two dozen roses with an anonymous card. The man she admired had sent an impersonal card addressed not only to her, but to her father and sister, and for a fraction of a second, Olivia found herself wondering if Victoria was right, and she was
Olivia wandered into the kitchen then, and observed the activity there, and then she saw Victoria, sitting alone in the breakfast room, drinking a cup of coffee. Olivia stood looking at her for a moment, worrying about her again, and then she walked over and sat down beside her.
"Did you sleep well? " Olivia asked uncomfortably, still ill at ease after their argument of the night before. It had been far more serious than any they'd had in years. And this time was far more lethal than their childlish fights. Olivia was convinced that her sister was in real danger.
"Very well, thank you, " Victoria said formally, without looking at her.
"I'm surprised you could sleep with all the noise down here, " she said, glancing over her shoulder. Olivia thought she looked particularly beautiful, which was odd. She never thought of herself that way, and yet she could always see something different, and more exciting, in her younger sister. And there was something she had never seen before in Victoria's eyes that morning.
"I think I was exhausted." Olivia didn't mention the altercation of the night before, but after she had sat down and been served coffee by one of the kitchen maids, she asked Victoria if she had seen her flowers.
"Yes, I did, " she answered after a moment's hesitation.
"I think I can figure out who sent them. I imagine you can too.
" Olivia said it cautiously, and there was a long silence. "I hope you'll think about what I said last night, Victoria. It's a very dangerous situation."
"They're only roses, Olivia. There's no need for you to get up in arms over them, or about anything that happened last night. He's a very interesting man, that's all. You don't need to make anything more of it, " Victoria said, trying to make light of it in the morning sunshine, but Olivia could see something in her twin's eyes that frightened her, something very determined and powerful. And she knew instinctively that Victoria was not going to let go of Toby.
"I hope you don't spend time with him again tonight. It would make people talk, and the party is at his wife's cousins' house. You really have to be careful, " Olivia warned her.
"Thank you, Olivia, " Victoria said, and stood up, looking down at her sister. They were so identical without, and so different within, sometimes it was hard to believe they were even sisters, let alone twins. Olivia felt a shiver of fear at the chasm she suddenly felt between them.
"What are you doing today? " she asked innocently.
"I'm going to a lecture. Is that all right with you, Olivia dear, or do I need your permission? "
"I just asked. You needn't be so sensitive, or so rude, " she said tartly, tired of the sparks and the sudden enmity that had come up between them because of Victoria's flirtation with Toby.
"Since when do you ask my permission to do anything? You only expect me to cover up for you, you never bother to ask before you do whatever it is you wanted to do in the first place."
"You won't need to cover up for me today, thank you very much." It was times like this that made each of them wish they had other friends.
But the exclusivity of their relationship, their unusual closeness, their isolation from school, and the remoteness of where they lived, had always deprived them of other people. They had always been closer to each other than to anyone else, and although they liked it most of the time, at times it left each of them feeling somewhat lonely. What are you doing today? " Victoria asked. "Housework, I assume, as usual.
" She made Olivia sound incredibly dull, and Olivia felt it, as she looked at her sister.
No one had sent her two dozen roses with an anonymous card. The man she admired had sent an impersonal card addressed not only to her, but to her father and sister, and for a fraction of a second, Olivia found herself wondering if Victoria was right, and she was
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