“That’s because I’ve just spent hours tidying it,” said Una, studying the damp spot she had left on Violet’s shoulder.
“Good grief!”Violet exclaimed.“That’s enough to makeanyonecry!No wonder!”
Una began to laugh.
“That’s not—that’s not—“ Una took a deep breath.“I’m crying because Pip lied to me and stole Saint George’s relic and locked me in.When I particularly asked him not to.”
Violet stared.“And your reaction was to tidy up the room?Why the dickens didn’t you shout for someone to get you out?I would have chased him down for you and got the thing back before you could say Jack Robinson!”
“I couldn’t.”Una took a deep breath.“I promised Pip I wouldn’t sound the alarm, and I didn’t have anything else to do.”
At this, Violet’s face darkened ominously.“You promised not to dob?And he locked you inanyway?”
They both contemplated this grave breach of childhood ethics.
“I didn’t try the door until just now, a moment before I saw you,” Una admitted.“I hoped he hadn’t done it after all, even though he told me he would.”
Violet made a strangled sound.“Una…” she managed at last.“You were in here for hours!How—“
“Don’t you see,” said Una, looking at her sister with her wide blue gaze, “as long as I didn’t try the door, I was here by my own choice.And if he hadn’t locked me in, after all—well, it would make it ever so much easier for him to come home, in the end.And I want him to come home.I do.”She sniffed.“I lost you for years, Violet.I don’t want to lose Pip for that long.”
Violet snorted.“If he’s going to behave like that then good riddance!”
“Don’t snort at me,” Una said.“I can see there’s something wrong about him.That doesn’t make me stop caring.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Pip that a good thrashing wouldn’t fix!”Violet declared.“Averygood thrashing.And he’ll need that before he eventhinksabout coming near here again.I only hope he gets it from someone a great deal nastier than me,“ she added darkly.
But Violet thought, with some discomfort, that she would be the last person to have the right to do it.After all, it was Violet who currently benefited from her sister’s ability to go on caring about people who had hurt her.
She gave her sister a quick squeeze round the shoulders, then drew back and looked her over to assess the damage.
But to her surprise, Una didn’t look bad.Yes, she’d been crying.But she looked sort of cleansed or renewedby her cry.Perhaps Janushek was right, and crying did some people good, after all.
Perhaps, just for once, Violet had made things better by being there, and being the person Una could cry on.
“You’re actually all right this time?”Violet asked.
“I’m not entirely sure I am—not yet,” said Una, folding up her handkerchief.“But I will be.Besides, you’re here this time.That helps.”Una got up slowly.“Do you think I ought to have a holiday?”
Violet stared at her sister.“A holiday?You?”
“In six months or so, when the menagerie closes for the winter.”
Violet felt a little lost at the idea of a Wormwood Abbey without Una.“But where would you go?”
Una looked thoughtful.“I’m not sure.Do you remember in the stories we used to read from the Faerie Queene?ThatUna left the castle.Perhaps I might, too.”
Violet laughed.“Yes, but that Una went to Fairyland.”
“She did, didn’t she?”And Una looked out the window dreamily.
Chapter fifty-seven
London
Pennydressedwithgreatcare and arrived strategically late at the fundraising concert for the National League for Opposing Women’s Suffrage, during the opening address by a hefty peeress who appeared to be in the process of being strangled by a mink.
Penny found a spot near the front, leaving an aisle seat vacant beside her.She dropped her bag and fumbled with it, making little apologies to those around her, to be sure she was noticed.
