Amelia sighed. “It’s all right, it was a long time ago. I have gotten over it.”
“Have you?” Silas raised an inquiring eyebrow. “It was one of the first memories that came up when you were telling Helena stories about us.”
“That’s because my life is boring, and it’s one of the most interesting things that has ever happened to me.” Amelia stuck her tongue out at him.
Silas laughed, shaking his head. “I have a feeling that whatever I say, I will turn out to be the villain, and so I shall just close my mouth and eat my food.”
“You can’t eat with your mouth closed, don’t be silly.” Amelia retorted, making Helena laugh.
“Watch me,” Silas said and then forced bits of carrot past his closed lips.
Amelia screamed with laughter, shaking her head at her ridiculous brother. Helena watched them both indulgently, her eyes fond yet sad.
Silas gave her a keen look, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “Why are you looking so sad?” he asked with concern.
She shrugged one shoulder. “I was just… thinking about my own brother. He was just five years old when I left home. We didn’t have much time to build memories.”
He squeezed her hand again. “You will.”
She smiled sadly. “I know.”
He took a deep breath, casting around for a change of topic, but Amelia got there before him by gasping out loud. “Oh heavens, what if when Charlie comes to stay here we fall in love? Will we get married too?”
Silas looked at Helena, whose eyes had widened in horror. “Can we please not even imagine it? Charlie is achild. He’s eleven.”
Amelia giggled, “I know. But if we got married, that would make you my sister twice!”
“I don’t think I can be any more your sister than I am now, dear.” Helena said dryly.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Amelia replied loftily.
Helena just shook her head in utter bemusement. She gave Silas a disbelieving glance as if to say, “are you hearing this?”
Silas just grinned at her.
Helena dismissed Patricia as she lay luxuriating in the tub of hot water. She was more than capable of drying herself off and putting on her shift and didn’t see why she should trouble her lady’s maid with the task.
Patricia and the other maids worked hard enough lugging all the hot water to her tub, making sure the fire was lit, the room warmed, her nightgown laid out, and then helping her off with her dress.
It was as much as Helena could stomach, having gotten used to living in a small cold cell, with one threadbare blanket and one change of clothes.
She couldn’t help but feel unworthy of how hard everyone worked on her behalf. How warm and dry andcomfortableshe was, in comparison to just a few weeks ago.
She thought about all the girls left in the convent and was filled with guilty relief at having escaped that life, yet she couldn’t quite shake it off.
Lying with her head cradled on a small pillow while her body softened and warmed in the hot bath, a part of her couldn’t help expecting that any moment one of the nuns would walk in brandishing a belt.
“How dare you think that you can lie about like this, enjoying yourself. Sinful girl!”the nun would cry, and then whip her until she bled.
A soft knock on the door had her gasping and jerking, flailing as she swallowed some water, and then choking. She coughed and spat, shifting about as she tried to push herself out of the bath.
Suddenly her waist was held by strong hands that pulled her effortlessly upward.
“Are you all right?” Silas asked as he set her down on the rug outside the tub.
His brow was furrowed as he looked at her with concern.
She could barely talk, still trying to cough water out of her lungs. He rubbed her back soothingly, and she realized with mortification that she was standing in front of her husband without a stitch of clothing on. She usually managed to be tucked in bed, dressed in her shift, by the time he came to her.
