Chapter 13 #2
I don’t immediately see a resemblance between the two sisters, other than that they share the same long, dark hair.
Agatha is wearing a dress with yellow layers of skirt and ruffles down her sleeves.
It’s fancier than Marian’s, more formal, and yet I’m left with the sense that this isn’t the first time Agatha’s been forgotten in a room with her sister.
More plates of food are dropped on to the table. Marian angles away from her father, her face the picture of someone enduring our time together like a prison sentence.
Then there’s me – the man who’s holding her most dangerous secret over her head. I shift in my chair, and with a pit in my stomach, take in the man she’s stealing from. What if her secret isn’t the result of greed, but something more dire?
Necessity.
‘So let’s get to know each other better,’ the Commander says, digging back into his food. ‘Tell us about yourself, Ryland. Tell us everything.’
Real subtle. ‘Well, I’m a soldier.’ I glance at Marian as I confirm the suspicions she voiced last night. Her gaze is cold. I shift again.
‘And have you been one all your life?’ Agatha asks.
‘Yes, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.’
I’m not about to ask Marian if it’s the same for her, but I have wondered how she got so good at grappling. Is it required of her? Or something she’s always wanted to master?
The Commander curses gutturally. ‘Ask a better question, Agatha.’ He turns to me. ‘Do you have a mistress, Ryland?’
Marian chokes on her drink.
I wait until she stops coughing before answering. ‘No.’
He leans forward. ‘Would you like to try one of mine? They are very pretty.’
Agatha’s eyes are wide as she exhales into her hand.
‘No,’ I say again, feeling like I’m fighting for my life. ‘But, thank you.’
The Commander’s lips purse. ‘Well … I keep three.’
Marian has studiously begun eating her dinner.
‘They’re a handful, though,’ the Commander mutters. ‘But so are my daughters – who are also available for … getting to know.’
The room feels like it’s shot up ten degrees. I scratch my neck. And here I thought the fathers in Kingsland were intense. ‘Thank you. But my preference is … to earn a woman’s attention.’
‘Boo!’ he shouts. ‘I tried that with the girls’ mother, but Agatha killed her in childbirth. Never again.’
There’s a series of smacks as the magician drops the balls he was juggling.
Marian’s grip on her fork has turned white, her eyes murderous.
I can’t say I disagree with the sentiment.
I lick my lips, digging deep for restraint.
‘Of course, children are never responsible for the outcome of childbirth. It’s an incredibly dangerous feat on its own. ’
‘And what are your interests?’ Agatha asks me, changing the subject. ‘Do you have any hobbies?’
‘Agatha,’ the Commander snaps. ‘Ask something normal.’
This man. I offer her a quick grin. ‘I don’t have much free time, but aside from my job, I enjoy … fishing. Archery. A good competition or game with my friends. The occasional book.’
Agatha laughs, delighted. ‘What do you like to read? Are you interested in any academic studies?’ Her hand taps my forearm. ‘I’ve been fascinated with the study of elements as of late. Alchemy.’
‘And trading my coal so she can fund her obsession with it,’ the Commander grumbles. ‘She gets these jugs and bags of powders –’
‘I’ve studied all the sciences,’ I interrupt. ‘But what’s interested me most lately …’ My gaze wanders back to Marian, ‘is grappling. It’s fascinating when it’s done well.’
Her eyes flick away, almost in alarm. Too late, I realise my poor attempt at complimenting her skills as a soldier was taken as a threat to reveal her secret.
‘Oh,’ Agatha says. ‘That’s –’
‘Marian’s excellent at grappling,’ the Commander blurts, then glares as he looks at his daughter. ‘But what she’s not very excellent at is talking.’
Marian shifts. Her teeth bite into her full bottom lip, like she’s fighting to keep her mouth shut. But then she pierces me with the full force of her big, brown eyes. Something wild takes flight in my chest. ‘Okay, I have a question for you. Where did those water purification pills come from?’
‘We … have a supplier who specialises in these things.’
She hums her interest. ‘A supplier. That’s rather vague.’
My eyes narrow.
She leans forward, elbows landing on the table. ‘How do we know they’re not poison?’
‘Because they’re not,’ I say with disbelief. ‘Why would I kill the very workers who will supply us with coal?’
She stares, defiant. ‘I can’t answer that. I don’t know what you want.’
And that is the problem, isn’t it? I’ve left her fearing me. Questioning my every move. Then let me clear it up for her. I lean forward, matching her posture. ‘I’m here for coal. Only coal. We have no interest in your land. No ulterior motives.’
She exhales harshly, falling back in her chair. ‘Right. There’s nothing to worry about. Let’s just overlook the fact that you could wipe out half or more of our population with these supposed purification pills.’
‘Would you like to watch me use one on myself?’
A challenge enters her eyes. ‘Yes, I would.’
‘Perfect. Let’s do that after dinner.’
The air grows thick in the silence.
‘I’m sorry about my sister,’ Agatha says, frowning. ‘Sometimes she doesn’t know when to relax.’
Hurt flashes on Marian’s face.
Agatha ignores it. ‘Have you seen our little lake? There’s a nice waterfall flowing into it. Even a cave and tunnel that stretches into the rock behind. It’s not far from the mine.’
‘I’ve been to the pond,’ I say. ‘But haven’t checked out the waterfall.’
‘I could … take you some time.’ Her voice is soft. Nervous. ‘We could go swimming.’
‘He can’t,’ Marian mutters, between sips from her cup. ‘He doesn’t have a swimsuit.’
My gaze snaps to her, her words landing like the crack of her whip. There’s only one way she’d know that – she saw me at the pond with Levi.
So Marian has been keeping an eye on me.
A smile pulls on my lips – okay, little spy. No need to be so sneaky. She won’t look at me, but she feels me staring. I see it in the way she’s barely breathing.
‘We’ll decide it with a competition,’ the Commander declares.
Agatha startles, jostling her glass.
‘Decide what?’ I ask.
He snaps his fingers at the shelves on the far wall.
‘Silas, bring me that hourglass filled with sand.’ Then he turns back to me.
‘My daughters will compete for who will take you to the lake. I love competitions. That’s actually how I won the coal mine and all of Notting.
’ His blurry eyes lift, becoming unfocused.
‘All it took was Coatl, a few highly trained men and half-a-dozen card games.’
‘A competition is a lovely idea, Father,’ Agatha says, brightly. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘Let’s play an old-world game,’ he says. ‘Truth or stare. One round with each of my daughters where they will compete in truth-telling or staring. Your choice.’ He throws Marian a tight look. ‘And my daughters will try their best to win.’
I’m pretty sure he meant truth or … dare. Although his rules make me question that.
I weigh the risks, knowing full well this could be a trap to gain information. But he did say they compete, not me, which is intriguing. Turning him down also won’t build comradery or trust, which is our best hope of getting a fair coal deal. ‘All right. I choose stare.’
‘Excellent,’ the Commander says. ‘Marian will go first. Lean forward. Stare into each other’s eyes.’ His voice drops low and deliberate. ‘You can blink, but don’t look away. Whichever daughter lasts the longest, will escort you to the lake.’
That’s it?
Marian nibbles her lip as the Commander begins the game with a flip of the timer. It lands with a heavy thump on the table, and nothing could have prepared me for when her defiant eyes lift to me.