Ravens, thought Nadine, and she shivered.
“You’re in irritatingly good spirits this morning,” Ben observed. “Does that have anything to do with why your so-called sparrow is refusing to come out of her room?”
“She is rather endearingly timid, isn’t she?” Cal said noncommittally. “If she sought me out after the festival, I wouldn’t say no. I think I could have her begging for my arrow.”
“Are you sure you didn’t already strike her with it?” Ben asked coolly. “I thought I saw blood on the settee in the library. And it looked like sparrow blood to me.”
“My, my,” Cal said. “Game must be sparse if you’ve resorted to tracking me.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t drag your quarry through the house then, Caledon,” Ben said. “The girl already looks at you like she thinks you’re going to fuck her on the table. If you’re going to pluck her to ground, do it properly, at the festival, and treat her like the deer she is.”
“She’s not a deer,” Cal said, with an edge to his voice.
“Father thinks she is, Baby Cal,” Odessa said. “And you know he’s never wrong. He says you should know better after what happened last time.”
“And I’m not fixing your mess this time,” Ben said.
“You say,” Cal said, with ice in his voice now, “while we’re still knee-deep in yours.”
“That was different.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Cal snapped. “And if you had fired your arrow when you weresupposedto, you would have figured out right away exactly what kind of heart your wife had, and what treachery she was capable of.”
“Don’t,” Odessa said, before Ben could speak. “Really, Baby Cal. It’s so easy to ruffle your fathers. I’ve never seen you be so protective. Don’t tell me you’re getting soft.”
Cal crossed his arms and pulled off his shirt in a quick, agitated movement, tying it around his hips. The sun gleamed off his bare back, making his skin glow like old Spanish gold.
“Nobody’s ever called me soft.”
“Well, I should hope not,” Ben said icily, giving his younger brother an annoyed glance. “Not if you’re that well-acquainted with what beats beneath your sparrow’s breast.”
“Let’s not fight.” Odessa handed them both a rifle, which was accompanied by a stern expression Nadine could make out from here. “I want to find a deer. We’re running low on venison and I don’t want to wait until the ones that father ordered can make it through the pass.”
Nadine watched them go with a sinking heart. Deer? People-deer, like the ones Caledon had referred to in his book? Was that why Nathaniel was always calling her “my dear?” Had he really been calling her “my deer” this whole time?
Oh god, had theyhuntedNoelle?
She started to head back to the book but then someone rapped sharply on the door.
“Miss—” it was that maid, Holly “—your friend stopped by with your medicine.”
God bless you, Deena. She tossed the black shirt over the book and opened the door a crack, trying to look as if she were unwell. It wasn’t hard, given what she’d just read and overheard. She felt a little like she was about to throw up. “Thanks,” she said.
The maid hesitated a beat before nodding and walking away.
Maybe they aren’t murderers. Who would work for a murderer?
A hysterical laugh escaped her. That sounded exactly like something someone who worked for a murderer might actually say.
The panicky smile disappeared and became grim. She twisted off the cap of the Sprite that Deena had bought her and downed the pill crammed into the cold medicine box. Then she uncovered the book and began flipping through the pages until she came to one with more writing.
???????
May 16th, 192X
I have slain a fearful sparrow who led me on a merry chase, until I took her in the shade of a pine. When my knife stilled her heart, I felt almost sorry. It made the post-hunt bubbles taste sour.
???????
