Mary steps inside, hands clasped in front of her. She looks fresh, as she has all day. As if nothing’s changed.
Everything’s changed. Me, my world, my life.
“Miss Montgomery.” She’s been formal again since lunch. Probably since she realized I wasn’t the wounded bird I’d been in the bathroom that morning.
To be honest, I don’t like her putting up that wall between us.
I have no idea how tonight will end. Part of me suspects that The Restorer might not hear me out. That he could be violent. Dangerous. A man who drugged me isn’t past killing me on a whim, right?
If there’s even the smallest chance I might die here, I want to be remembered as a person, not Miss Montgomery.
“Elowyn.” I stop fidgeting, stand up taller, and flip my hair back. “We agreed you’d call me Elowyn, right?”
“Yes.” She gives me a clipped nod. “We did. But if you don’t mind, I’d rather stick to Miss Montgomery. You can call me anything you like.”
Did The Restorer notice she’d been friendly toward me? Did he tell her to stop?
That hardly matters. You need to talk to her about the taxes and the eviction. Remember?
Right.
I’ve had hours to think about how to bring up the taxes when I finally meet The Restorer, aside from practicing my speech.The problem is, I can’t. Anything I say will sound like a demand, especially on top of my no-touch rule. The important one.
But Mary will listen. More importantly, she has the power to help.
After all, she’s the one who had me fill out the forms with my bank details over dinner. Back then, I was still confused and shaken. It never occurred to me to ask about sending a first payment to cover the property taxes.
I’m not confused anymore.
“Okay, Mary,” I say, my voice even. “So, I hope it’s okay, but I have a couple of requests before we leave.”
“Of course, Miss Montgomery.” She cuts her eyes to the clock, then me. “Anything.”
“I don’t need to tell you that my brother and I are late on the property taxes for our home.” The memory of the thick envelope from the council tightens my stomach. “They’re going to evict us. That’s why I don’t want the money going through my brother just yet. I need the first payment handled directly.”
“Herbert will deal with the county first thing in the morning. Consider it done.” Mary doesn’t hesitate. “What’s next?”
Relief loosens something in my chest. Just a little. Because now comes the hard part.
“The second thing I need help with…” I wring my hands, my nerves getting the better of me. “If The Restorer kills me, tell my brother I’m gone. For good. The bills, the pain meds… He needs to know it’s time to start taking care of himself.”
Mary opens her mouth, but I’m not done.
“I’m not asking you to rat out your boss. Just tell Barclay I won’t be coming back.”
“He won’t kill you.” Her confidence doesn’t reassure me. “However, the answer is yes. In the highly unlikely event that something does happen to you, your brother will be notified.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” She motions toward the door. “Come on. Time to go.”
I should ask for shoes or slippers. Underwear too.
But something tells me that getting me these items, unlike paying my taxes, isn’t up to her.
“Okay,” I say, rushing to follow Mary.
The stone floor is warm beneath my bare feet, the hallways darker than before. My body tenses with each room we pass, the couple of turns we take. The deeper we go, the clearer it becomes—this house is a labyrinth.
