Perhaps she was feverish.
Una handed her sister a hot water bottle and a pillow, then she shook out a muffler and wound it round Violet’s head.
“Una,” warned Violet, “I’m not used to being kept in cotton wool.”
“Am I smothering you?”Una said.
“Horribly.”
“Sorry,” said Una, stepping back in embarrassment.
Elfed was watching them both, his legs folded under him and his wings furled.Cariad had been put to bed in the stables for the night so she wouldn’t interfere with whatever was going on.Elfed wasn’t quite so intimidating when he was lying down, Una reflected, though she didn’t like the look of that sharp facial horn.Una was only thankful thatshewas not expected to form a relationship with a massive creature like this.Oolong was just the right size for her, fitting nicely in her lap while she drank a cup of tea by the fire and did a jigsaw (which she would far prefer to be doing at that moment).
Violet spread a waterproof picnic blanket next to him, talking softly all the while, and settled herself against Elfed’s side.Elfed snorted warm air over her head, nuzzling at it and disarranging the muffler as if looking for her amongst the wrappings.Violet chuckled with pleasure.Then Elfed dropped his head and shut his double-lidded eyes.
Violet gave a contented sigh.Una resisted the urge to smooth down her hair, which was now mussed in every direction, and probably also decorated with a fine mist of dragon saliva.
“What if he tosses you off again tomorrow?”Una asked.
“He won’t,” Violet said firmly.
“Will you stop if he does?”Una said.
“No,” Violet said.
Una felt her shoulders sag a little as Violet fell again in her memory, a puppet with cut strings.
Violet patted the waterproof picnic blanket.“Sit down for a bit.”
Una sat on the picnic blanket near Violet but not touching her.
“Thanks,” Violet said quietly.
“Thank you for helping me—yesterday—with the quetzal,” Una said.
“I don’t think you really needed me,” Violet said.“You’re all grown up now.Do you remember the doll I made you?”
“You mean Poppet?”Una asked.
Violet nodded.“You hated it, didn’t you?”
“No!I—“ Una stopped herself.“Yes.I did.I had nightmares about it for weeks.You knew?”
“Why do you think I dropped it in the river?”Violet shook her head.“I should have let Pip help me with it like he wanted to.Good old Pip!Funny, he’s quite the dark horse now, isn’t he?”
“Pip?Yes, London was beastly for him.”Una was seized with a thought.“Violet, do you know anything about Pip’s paternity?”
Violet got a funny look on her face.“You mean—aside from the old rumour about him being Father’s?”
“I’ve been wondering…” Una began.“Doyouthink he could have been Percy’s?”
Violet took off her shoes.“Percy’s?Does it really matter whether Pip’s related to us or not?It’s not as if either of us would go for him as a beau, being brought up like brother with us as he was.”
“Goodness, no!”Una exclaimed.“No.It doesn’t matter to me—not a bit.But it matters terribly to him.And who elsecouldhis father be?There was never any talk of Lily walking out with anyone from the village.”
Violet looked at Una.“Awful things happen to girls in this world.There mightn’t have been any walking out.If you know what I mean.”
Una blinked.“You mean—“
