“It’s beautiful,” Dani said quietly.
She turned to find her sister sitting up in her chair, pale but alert, her eyes fixed on the shimmering cloth. Dani was having a good day—her breathing was clearer, her cheeks held a hint of color, and she’d managed to eat an entire bowl of oatmeal.
“A beautiful cage,” she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them, and Dani frowned at her.
“What do you mean?”
She shook her head, folding the scarves carefully and tucking them into her satchel. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
But it did matter. Every thread of that beautiful cloth was a chain binding her more tightly to Gerhard’s schemes. Every shimmer of gold was another link in the trap that was closing around them.
“The trader’s coming back today,” Dani said quietly.
“Yes.”
“And Uncle Gerhard will be here.”
“Yes.”
Dani was quiet for a moment, her thin fingers pleating the blanket in her lap. “I hate him,” she said finally, her voice small but fierce. “I know you’re not supposed to hate family, but I do. I hate how he looks at you. I hate how he talks about Mama’s things like they’re his. I hate—” Her voice broke, and she pressed her lips together hard.
Jessa crossed to the chair and gathered her sister into her arms. “I know,” she murmured against Dani’s dark hair. “I know. But we have to be smart. We have to be careful.”
“For how long?”
Forever,she thought bleakly.Until he’s taken everything and there’s nothing left.
But she didn’t say that. She just held her sister tighter and prayed for strength she wasn’t sure she had.
The knock came at midday.
She’d known it was coming. She’d been watching through the window as the trader rode into the village. She’d seen Gerhard emerge from his store to greet Halwick with the effusive warmth of a man who smelled profit. But the knock still made her flinch and sent her heart racing with a mixture of dread and desperate hope.
She smoothed her hair, adjusted her apron, and opened the door.
Gerhard stood on the threshold with Trader Halwick behind him. Her uncle’s expression held that familiar blend of smugness and threat, his eyes flicking past her to where Dani sat curled in her chair.
“Ah, there she is,” Gerhard said warmly, despite the warning in his eyes. “My talented niece. I’ve been telling Halwick all about your progress, my dear. He’s most eager to see what you’ve produced.”
She stepped back, allowing them to enter. The cottage felt smaller with both men inside, the air thick with Gerhard’s cologne and the earthy scent of the road that clung to Halwick’s clothes.
“Miss Allenby.” Halwick dipped his head in greeting, already scanning the room for the cloth. “Your uncle speaks very highly of your work. I confess I’m curious to see if his claims are justified.”
His claims.As if any of this had been Gerhard’s doing.
She retrieved the folded fabric from her satchel and laid it on the table. The sunlight caught it perfectly, sending golden light dancing across the walls.
Halwick went very still.
“May I?” he asked, his voice carefully controlled.
She nodded, and he lifted the cloth with the reverent touch of a man handling something sacred. He held both scarves up to the light, turned them this way and that, rubbing the fabric between his fingers with an expression of growing wonder.
“This is…” He paused, visibly searching for words. “Miss Allenby, this is extraordinary. The quality, the luminosity—I’ve never seen anything like it. Not in thirty years of trade.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Gerhard’s voice was rich with satisfaction. “My niece is a true artist. A credit to our family.”
Our family.Her fingernails bit into her palms, but she kept her expression pleasant and her mouth shut.
