Tainted by Temptation by Katy Madison

voice.
    Velvet’s breath came out in a relieved whoosh. “Yes, Iris.”
    “I can’t sleep without Eve.”
    Velvet pushed to sit up. Her iron bedstead squeaked in protest. It must be after midnight.
    “You know what you must do to get Eve returned to you,” Velvet said firmly.
    “I did. I picked out four dolls to give away. They’re on the desk. I need Eve.” Iris’s words ended on a distressed wail.
    Velvet tried to push sleep from her eyes. “It’s very late. I’ll fetch Eve in the morning.”
    “No! I need her now.” Iris’s demand was accompanied by a sob. The moonlight glistened on her tear-streaked cheeks. Her lower lip shook. “I did what you said. I did! I nee-ed Eve.”
    Velvet pulled the child against her. “All right, all right. Hush now.”
    They’d made good progress today. Iris was like a child starved for attention, and she had a quick mind. She memorized two poems, which she recited to her father’s pretended appreciation after dinner. But better than that, Velvet began reading aloud a novel in the afternoon with Iris curled against her on the sofa. If she could open the girl to the world of books, perhaps she could break her resistance to leaning to read and write.
    She didn’t want to risk a setback, but the doll was in Lucian’s room.
    Holding the girl’s narrow little body against hers, Velvet rubbed her back. Iris’s silent sobs nearly broke her heart.
    Why had this child learned to stifle the sounds of her crying? It wasn’t normal, although Velvet remembered a time when she’d hid her own anguish and shame from her father in the same way.
    She couldn’t get out of retrieving the doll. Searching her mind for who could go into Mr. Pendar’s room, she was at a loss. She didn’t even know where the Bigsbys or Mr. Evans slept. Almost hoping against hope that she could refuse because Iris hadn’t picked out dolls to give away, Velvet slid back the covers. “Let’s see what you’ve done.”
    Iris tugged her into the schoolroom. With the moonlight streaming through the windows, four dolls lay out like human sacrifices on the desk. One had chipped off fingers and another had matted hair. But Velvet hadn’t put any limitations on the dolls to be chosen.
    “Please, I need Eve,” said Iris.
    Velvet wasn’t getting out of this. She had to retrieve the doll. She sighed. “All right, I’ll go get her.”
    Iris pushed her. “Go!”
    “I need to dress first,” said Velvet.
    “No,” wailed Iris, fresh tears coursing down her cheeks.
    Velvet knelt down and wiped tears from Iris’s face. “Come now, I can’t go running through the house in my nightgown.”
    Iris sniffed, but the tears continued tracking down her cheeks.
    “Now do you want to crawl back in bed while I fetch Eve?”
    Iris shook her head in the negative. Like a lost soul, she followed Velvet back into her room.
    Opening the freshly arrived wardrobe, Velvet pulled out the dress she’d worn earlier. Her corset lay on the top shelf, but Iris’s meltdown hardly welcomed the delay to fully dress. Instead, Velvet pulled the dress over her nightgown. With her weight loss, she didn’t need the corset to fit in the gown.
    Her fingers shook as she closed the buttons. “Do you want to come with me?”
    Iris shook her head.
    Velvet bit her lip. Even if Iris knew where the Bigsbys slept, finding their rooms in the dark house might be impossible, but . . . “Do you know where Mr. Evans sleeps?”
    “No!” wailed Iris.
    “All right. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
    Velvet tried not to think further than the next step as she descended the stairs. Maybe Mr. Pendar wouldn’t wake. Maybe the moon or a lit fire would provide enough illumination for her to find Iris’s doll. Maybe she wouldn’t have to go into his room.
    Velvet’s heart tripped and it seemed her breathing alone was bound to wake the entire household. Each creak of a floorboard nearly had her jumping out of her skin. The hair on the back of her neck had