Chapter 19 #2
Mrs Higgins knocked on her door and came in, her hair swept into a neat little bun. The white mobcap she wore sat atop her hair, pristine and snow-white.
‘Yes, my lady?’
‘I need you to find all the addresses of the maids Hubert terminated.’
Mrs Higgins’ eyes widened.
‘I saw Lily. I know what he did. I am going to make reparations. For Lily, and the rest. And I need your meticulous record-keeping skills to help me find them.’
Covering her quivering lips with her hand, Mrs Higgins blinked furiously. ‘Oh, Lady Burrows.’
‘I’m so sorry, Mrs Higgins. I should have known. There is no excuse for my na?ve blindness. But my eyes are open now. Will you help me do something for these women?’
Her housekeeper cleared her throat and firmed her lips, always ready to tackle any mess, no matter how disastrous. ‘Of course. It would be my pleasure.’
It would never be enough. But it would be something.
With that decided, and Mrs Higgins off to find her employment records, Cynthia took a deep breath and felt air filling her lungs for the first time in forever.
‘No woman deserves to be held hostage to a man like Hubert Burrows. Including me.’ She turned her mind to her evening plans and Helena.
The woman who was beginning to teach Cynthia how to dream of something better.
‘How does one adequately prepare for dinner with a coven of witches?’ Turning from one side to the other to see her reflection, she pinched her cheeks and swiped beeswax on her lips.
‘With false confidence and a dash of audacity, I suspect.’
Helena’s nerves ran riot as Aunt Rowan pushed a cup of lavender and chamomile tea into her hands.
‘Drink that and sit still. All your pacing is making me dizzy.’
‘I can’t help it.’
Hamlet had been trying to stay with her, but even her faithful companion had his limits.
He gave up on Helena’s twentieth turn from the dining room table to the hearth.
Padding over to Ellie and Ophelia, the ferret scampered down Ellie’s bluebell skirt to wind herself around Hamlet, rubbing her face against his in interspecies infatuation.
‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ Clio had joined them for dinner after receiving Helena’s desperate note.
‘Murder!’ Sir Robin flapped his impressive wings.
‘Yes, thank you, Sir Robin. Helpful as always.’ Aunt Rowan raised her brow as the raven bobbed his head.
‘She could reject her powers, decide we are a bunch of devil worshipers, and refuse to ever speak to us again.’ Helena couldn’t breathe. Perhaps she should stop pacing. She was quite certain she was going to collapse in a heap. But this was unprecedented.
‘She’d never do something so ridiculous.’ Ellie waved her hand and giggled. As if the world weren’t about to end.
Helena glared at her. ‘You are an infuriatingly optimistic woman.’
Ellie’s cheeks flushed. ‘Hel! You say the sweetest things.’
‘That wasn’t a compliment.’
‘I know you didn’t offer it as a compliment, but that is how I received it.’ Ellie’s smile revealed the dimples in her round cheeks.
‘All will be well.’ Aunt Rowan’s calm voice made the plants shift and sway as if a warm breeze blew through the dining room.
Helena had no time to refute her as a knock sounded on the front door.
‘Ohh! She’s here! I’ll let her in.’ Ellie jumped up and raced out of the room in a flurry of frills.
Helena heard the lilting melody of Ellie’s voice grow louder, and then she returned with Cynthia at her side.
She was wearing yet another black gown. This ensemble had a scooped neckline that revealed the upper swells of her breasts.
Tiny obsidian beads had been sewn into the fabric, catching the reflection of the gas lighting and making her glitter like a galaxy of stars.
Her narrow waist was accentuated by the corseted bodice and contrasting full skirts made more voluminous with a bustle.
Helena wished to strip her bare and see her true shape.
‘Thank you for inviting me to dinner.’ Cynthia addressed Aunt Rowan, but her gaze found Helena. She twisted her fingers together.
She’s nervous.
Forgetting her own jitters in the need to reassure Cynthia, she closed the distance between them and pulled her into a quick hug, pressing a kiss to each cheek. ‘You look lovely. Do not fret. All will be well.’ She offered the words of comfort before realising her actions.
‘I don’t remember the last time you hugged someone without being forced.’ Clio’s sly comment had Helena dropping Cynthia’s hands and stepping back awkwardly.
Ellie elbowed her sister. ‘Don’t be a brat.’ As an empath who could read people’s auras, she would no doubt know exactly how much Cynthia needed all their reassurances.
‘There’s no need to fear, Cynthia. We are all here to support you. No matter what we discover tonight.’ Aunt Rowan’s steady presence brought calm to the room.
Sir Robin, who was perched on Clio’s shoulder, cawed an agreement.
‘Why don’t we start with dinner and progress to magical revelations after we’ve sampled some of Ellie’s turbot?’
‘I used a dill and butter sauce that is divine,’ Ellie chimed in.