Warwick took the bag and some sweets, then held it out to Merry and the children near him. After pocketing a few and putting some in his mouth, he handed them to Dorrie.
The merpeople started singing loudly, drawing all eyes. They sang several songs, all of which the children knew.
“Don’t put your sticky fingers in my hair, brat,” he whispered to Merry. She giggled as he tickled her.
He shot Samantha a look, but she wasn’t there.
“Where is Samantha?”
Dorrie spun and looked at the empty gap.
Warwick handed Merry to her as panic slithered through him.
“She can’t be far as there is only us lot here today,” Dorrie said.
“I can’t believe you let her wander off.”
“I didn’t see her go,” Dorrie hissed.
“I’ll check along the line of family.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you searching for her? She has brothers and sisters, and they are not worried.”
Warwick placed his hand over his sister’s mouth and leaned closer. “Shut up.”
She snuffled as he released her. Ignoring Dorrie, he walked away. Slowly working his way along behind his family, he looked for Samantha.
Fear gripped when he didn’t find her, and he was just about to tell the others when he saw her. She was standing at the rear of the room, staring at a blank wall. He moved to where she stood.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Looking at a wall. Go away, Warwick.”
“Get back to the safety of your family at once, Samantha.”
“I am a mere few feet away, and three of your family can see in the dark, then there are the ones who can hear better than most. I am quite safe and studying the wall I am to paint for Mr. Rolland.”
She had him there.Be rational, Warwick, it’s what you’re good at.
“You are a lady. You cannot paint this wall.” Excellent, that sounded entirely rational.
She turned her angry blue eyes on him. Angry and hurt, he amended.
“So, because I hold a title I am not allowed to paint a wall?”
He grunted something because out loud it sounded foolish.
“Let me make this clear, Warwick. You are not the person who dictates my movements, I am. If anyone has the right to speak to me the way you just did, it’s James or my other siblings. Maybe Dev and Cam too.”
She’d deliberately left his name out which shouldn’t annoy him as much as it did.
“I relinquish you of all responsibility for me or my actions henceforth. Go do what you do and ignore me.”
As if he could ever do that.
