“Because why should she be any less eligible now somebody’s chloroformed her?It’s ridiculous!”Violet objected.
Una’s stomach turned.
“Oh,” said Violet, looking back and forth between the two men, whose faces bore the same expression.“Blast.I wasn’t thinking.”
Suddenly, Una couldn’t bear to stay any longer.She got up, smoothing her skirts.
“I’m such afool, Una, you know I am,“ said Violet, jumping up and twitching on the spot, not sure whether to approach her or not.
“I need to go prepare something for tomorrow, that’s all,” said Una, stopping her with a hand.
As she shut the door behind her, she heard two voices:
Pip said, “I don’t suppose there might be grounds for a defamation suit against the paper, sir?”
And Uncle George said quietly, “Oh, Idowish Emily were here.”
“I’m going mad,” Violet burst out, as soon as she had tracked down Una to where she was bathing Oolong in a basin.“People say the prodigal son wasn’t punished, but he was.All that fuss and bother over his coming home?Sheer torture!”
Una went on ladling warm water over Oolong.The little dragon quivered with pleasure.
“I need something to do,” said Violet desperately.
“I would have thought you’d help Martha in the kitchen,” Una said.“She’s wearing herself out baking treats for you.”
Violet almost roared with frustration.“She won’t let me!She actually shoved a spoon at me tolick—can you believe it?Just as if she hadn’t thumped me every time I tried to do it when I was a girl!”
“Poor you,” said Una.
Violet grabbed her sister by the elbow.“I didn’t ask for any of this, Una!”
Una went rigid at her touch.How could Violet have forgotten—for even a moment—that her sister did not like being touched?Or shouted at, for that matter?
When Una was small she had sometimes curled up into a ball for an hour at a time, like a hedgehog, and no one could coax her out of it.
Once, Violet had pricked her sister with a pin, very lightly, just to see if she could still make a sound when in that condition, though she had instantly regretted it when Una had simply curled up smaller than ever, a tiny whimper the one unsatisfying result of the experiment.
Violet dropped her hand as if she’d been burnt.Una went back to bathing her dragon, head bent.Violet got the impression Oolong was watching them as keenly as a theatregoer.
“See here,” said Violet, “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.I’m dense, all right?But for all that, I’m not too thick to see you don’t want me here.I’d offer to leave now—today—but it doesn’t seem fair to the rest of them—“
The words died on Violet’s lips as Una stood up straight, eyes blazing like hoarfrost on heather.
“Why?“ Una demanded, her voice rising.“Why, Violet?Why do you think you can fix things by leaving?”
“I—I don’t know!”Violet sputtered.“Why do you think I can fix things by staying?”
Una turned away to gather up the fresh dressing she had laid out for Oolong.Her voice was very low when she answered.
“Because,” Una said, “staying is what people—sisters, families—dofor each other.”
“Since when has our family done what other families do?”Violet muttered, half to herself.
Una let out a bitter laugh.“Ah, yes.The rules are always different for you, aren’t they?I just don’t understandwhy.”
“Why what, Una?”Violet demanded.“Go on.Say it!”
Una’s shoulders tightened.“Why everything’s soeasyfor you,“ she whispered.
