Darkest Dreams by Jennifer St Giles Read Free Book Online

often in Oxford, where the climate was much cooler.
    â€œI see the smart princess has managed to do something I’ve yet to do and beat my sister,” Gemini said.
    â€œI’m not even sure how she did it.” I stood to let Gemini have my seat.
    â€œI doubt I’ll be much of challenge either.” Gemini shuddered. “I’m having a difficult time—”
    â€œRemembering your name,” I interjected before Gemini could mention the accident in town.
    Gemini winced at what she’d almost said before the child. “Yes, that’s right. I keep thinking my name is Georgie Porgie.”
    Rebecca laughed and sang. “Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie…kissed the plums and made them cry.”
    â€œGirls, poppet,” I said smiling. “He kissed the girls and made them cry.”
    â€œNo,” Rebecca said. “I don’t want the girls to cry.” Her face clouded with worry, and she tightly clutched her rag doll that had been in the seat beside her.
    My heart squeezed. The seriousness of her tone told me it was very important to her that the girls weren’t made to cry. I touched her shoulder, reading her thoughts from the day Mary died. They were the same as before, reaffirming to me that, at least from Rebecca’s perspective, what Mrs. Frye claimed happened to Mary and what Rebecca interpreted as happening didn’t match.
    â€œThen plums it is,” I said. “The plums can cry until they turn to prunes.”
    Gemini and Rebecca laughed. The sound I so needed to hear eased into my soul a bit.
    Sean moved from where he watched the earl and Sir Warwick and joined us. “I’m giving up my turn at the backgammon board tonight. In the last thirty minutes my father and Warwick have made five moves. It’ll be past midnight before they’re done complaining about which one of them is more onerous than the other and finish the game. Cassie and I have plans to search the stars tonight.” When he glanced at my sister, the love filling his gaze caught my breath and somehow made me ache inside.
    Sean playfully tugged on a tress of Rebecca’s dark hair. “How is little Becca doing with checkers?”
    â€œGave me a trouncing.” I stepped back from the group, needing space for the many thoughts of Alexander that the gleam in Sean’s eyes had incited.
    â€œI made lots of princesses,” Rebecca added, describing all the crowned game pieces.
    â€œGlad to hear it,” Sean said. “Soon we’ll have you playing chess as well. Stuart and I are carving the pieces now.”
    A knock on the drawing room door brought a startled silence to the room. I fisted my hand, knowing this intrusion had to be about what happened in town today. The butler, Mr. Murphy, opened the door. He and his wife, the cook, reminded me of fresh bread, warm and plump and inviting.
    â€œBegging your pardon, Mr. Sean, Constable Poole is here to see you and the earl. Shall I show him in?”
    Sean turned sharply, a frown creasing his brow. “Constable Poole? Show him to the library, Murphy.” The butler gave a slight bow and left.
    Cassie stood. “Sean, I didn’t have the chance to tell you what happened in town earlier—”
    â€œRebecca, it’s time for bed,” Prudence interrupted. Worry that Rebecca might hear something to trigger a bad memory from Mary’s passing rang in Prudence’s voice.
    Rebecca shook her head. “Play game with Georgie Porgie,” she said.
    â€œWho?” Prudence asked, moving swiftly toward us. Deep lines of concern marred the china doll perfection of her face and shadowed her eyes.
    â€œMe.” Gemini, who longed for the title of Lady, groaned at the undignified moniker she’d just saddled herself with. She took Rebecca’s hand. “Would it be all right to save our game for tomorrow, and for us to read a story with Bridget before bedtime tonight?” she