midst? It wasn’t me. It wasn’t Tess. And—strange as it is to admit after our rocky start—I trust Elena implicitly.
Unless Elena confided in Maura—and Maura told Inez.
“Why are you being kind? I know you don’t like me.”
I shrug. “The truth is, we could use your knack for illusions tomorrow. You say you’re sorry? Prove it. Help us stop this.”
Alice’s hands are clasped together in her lap. “All right.”
“Good. Rilla and I will fill you in on the plan before services. You can walk over with us, and we’ll sit together in church. I don’t want you out of her sight until the whole thing is over, understand? And you’ll work with her without arguing?”
Alice nods. “Good night, Cate.”
I turn in the doorway, curious despite myself. “Did you tell Maura what you heard? Is that why she threw you out?”
Alice rises and blows out the lamps. The only light comes from the orange ashes in the grate. “She didn’t believe me. Accused me of making it up because I was jealous of Inez paying her so much attention.”
I walk upstairs in the dark, feeling my way. My sister is so far gone, I don’t see any hope of reaching her. Even if I wanted to.
CHAPTER
7
HOW DOES ONE DRESS FOR A HANGING?
I’m wearing my Sisterly black bombazine with black boots and slipping the last hairpins into my chignon when Brenna creeps into my room on silent cat feet. She never seems to walk like a normal person; she’s always dancing or twirling or skulking. I jump when I catch her reflection in the mirror above the dressing table.
“Hello, Cate,” she says.
“Hello, Brenna.” I put my silver brush down. “Is everything all right?”
“You’re going to save Rory after church. There’ll be fire and lots of people screaming.” Brenna creeps closer, until she’s standing right behind me. Her breath smells sweet and her fingers are stained red from the raspberry jam she must have spread on her toast. “The guns go
pop-pop-pop.
”
Oh, I hope it will be less dire than she makes it sound. Please Lord, let this work.
“All around the gallows stage, explosions chase the people. And after them in double haste, pop! go the weasels!”
Brenna sings. I twist to face her, and she smiles. “The Brothers are weasels. Guns go pop. We mustn’t let them pop Rory.”
“Er—no.” I swallow. “I’ll go to church and then to Richmond Square, and I’ll bring Rory back home. Don’t worry.”
Unless, of course, she knows there’s something I ought to worry about.
My heart thumps in my chest. Not Rory; please not Rory. She’s already had such a rough time of it, with her drunk of a mother and lout of a father.
“I’m dressed for church, too.” Brenna pivots. She’s been in her cousin’s closet again. Today she’s wearing a gold dress with red peonies splashed all over the skirt and red fringe at the hem. Truth be told, it looks more like curtains. “I want to help.”
“Oh, Brenna, no.” I can’t be worrying about a mad oracle on top of everything else. “Someone might see you. It isn’t safe for you to go out.”
Brenna brings a strand of chestnut hair to her mouth and chews on it, staring at me with her eerie blue eyes. “I thought you would say that.”
How is it that we’ve got two oracles, and neither of them are one bit of use in this? I bite my tongue before I say something tart. It isn’t as if they can call up visions on command, after all. “Is there something else you wanted, then?”
Brenna shuffles barefoot against the wooden floor. “The little one knows more than she’s telling.”
I freeze. “What do you mean?”
“Shhh.” She mimes locking her lips and throwing away the key. “Promised.”
“Tess saw something, and she asked you not to tell me?”
Brenna nods. “It hurts her, keeping secrets from you. I don’t want her broken. She’s so little yet.”
“I know.” Downstairs, the grandfather clock begins to chime the half hour, and I stand. “I’ve got to
Unless Elena confided in Maura—and Maura told Inez.
“Why are you being kind? I know you don’t like me.”
I shrug. “The truth is, we could use your knack for illusions tomorrow. You say you’re sorry? Prove it. Help us stop this.”
Alice’s hands are clasped together in her lap. “All right.”
“Good. Rilla and I will fill you in on the plan before services. You can walk over with us, and we’ll sit together in church. I don’t want you out of her sight until the whole thing is over, understand? And you’ll work with her without arguing?”
Alice nods. “Good night, Cate.”
I turn in the doorway, curious despite myself. “Did you tell Maura what you heard? Is that why she threw you out?”
Alice rises and blows out the lamps. The only light comes from the orange ashes in the grate. “She didn’t believe me. Accused me of making it up because I was jealous of Inez paying her so much attention.”
I walk upstairs in the dark, feeling my way. My sister is so far gone, I don’t see any hope of reaching her. Even if I wanted to.
CHAPTER
7
HOW DOES ONE DRESS FOR A HANGING?
I’m wearing my Sisterly black bombazine with black boots and slipping the last hairpins into my chignon when Brenna creeps into my room on silent cat feet. She never seems to walk like a normal person; she’s always dancing or twirling or skulking. I jump when I catch her reflection in the mirror above the dressing table.
“Hello, Cate,” she says.
“Hello, Brenna.” I put my silver brush down. “Is everything all right?”
“You’re going to save Rory after church. There’ll be fire and lots of people screaming.” Brenna creeps closer, until she’s standing right behind me. Her breath smells sweet and her fingers are stained red from the raspberry jam she must have spread on her toast. “The guns go
pop-pop-pop.
”
Oh, I hope it will be less dire than she makes it sound. Please Lord, let this work.
“All around the gallows stage, explosions chase the people. And after them in double haste, pop! go the weasels!”
Brenna sings. I twist to face her, and she smiles. “The Brothers are weasels. Guns go pop. We mustn’t let them pop Rory.”
“Er—no.” I swallow. “I’ll go to church and then to Richmond Square, and I’ll bring Rory back home. Don’t worry.”
Unless, of course, she knows there’s something I ought to worry about.
My heart thumps in my chest. Not Rory; please not Rory. She’s already had such a rough time of it, with her drunk of a mother and lout of a father.
“I’m dressed for church, too.” Brenna pivots. She’s been in her cousin’s closet again. Today she’s wearing a gold dress with red peonies splashed all over the skirt and red fringe at the hem. Truth be told, it looks more like curtains. “I want to help.”
“Oh, Brenna, no.” I can’t be worrying about a mad oracle on top of everything else. “Someone might see you. It isn’t safe for you to go out.”
Brenna brings a strand of chestnut hair to her mouth and chews on it, staring at me with her eerie blue eyes. “I thought you would say that.”
How is it that we’ve got two oracles, and neither of them are one bit of use in this? I bite my tongue before I say something tart. It isn’t as if they can call up visions on command, after all. “Is there something else you wanted, then?”
Brenna shuffles barefoot against the wooden floor. “The little one knows more than she’s telling.”
I freeze. “What do you mean?”
“Shhh.” She mimes locking her lips and throwing away the key. “Promised.”
“Tess saw something, and she asked you not to tell me?”
Brenna nods. “It hurts her, keeping secrets from you. I don’t want her broken. She’s so little yet.”
“I know.” Downstairs, the grandfather clock begins to chime the half hour, and I stand. “I’ve got to
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