mist.
âIron,â I murmured. âIâd read it works sometimes.â We both clenched the railing, the scrollwork digging into our palms. The last ghost vanished, taking the cold bite of winter with it.
âOn with ye,â the caretaker grumbled, oblivious. âBefore I fetch the vicar. Had enough of that Lonely Lord nonsense. Have a little respect for the dead.â
âJust as soon as they have some for me,â I muttered, rubbing my aching head with frigid fingers.
âWhere have you been?â Tabitha asked. âAnd why is there a welt on your forehead?â
âItâs a long story,â I replied, pacing the length of the sitting room. I was too agitated to sit down, even though my knees felt soggy.
âYou look awful.â
âCharming as ever, Tabitha,â I returned, stealing a pink frosted cake from the tea tray.
She huffed a sigh. âDonât be so sensitive.â
âThen donât be so rude,â I said, brushing crumbs off my chin. Something about spiritual contact made me ravenous. I reached for a blackberry tart and ate it in two bites while staring out the window. The sun was setting, making the sky pink as peonies.
I watched Colin walk down the lane, past the stables and the horses tethered outside. They tossed their heads and bit the air, powerful teeth hard as stones. One of them kicked out, narrowly missing Colinâs knee. I hoped the stable master figured out what was wrong with them soon, before someone was seriously injured. Colin just danced out of the way and crossed the lawns, heading to the fields.
âWho are you watching? Tabitha asked. âThereâs no one interesting for miles.â
âColin.â
She nibbled on her lower lip. âAbout him.â
I arched an eyebrow, looking at her over my shoulder. I knew for a fact that I would not like the direction of this particularconversation.
âYou shouldnât be so familiar with him. Itâs not proper.â
When I turned to face her, she held up a placating hand. âIâm not trying to be hurtful. Truly, Iâm not. But even disgraced illegitimate daughters of earls can do better than orphan boys. Especially with Lord Jasper as your guardian. You could make a far better match.â
âTabitha,â I said evenly. âColin Lennox is worth more than all of your earls and dukes combined.â
âI only meant â¦â
âI know exactly what you meant,â I said crisply. âAnd I was betrothed, however briefly, to one of those âbetter men.â If you recall, Xavier fled at the first hint of scandal. Colin has never run from a fight in his entire life.â
Tabitha wrinkled her nose. âI knew you wouldnât listen to reason.â
âI will, as soon as you start offering some.â
âIâm only trying to help,â she insisted in a small voice.
I didnât reply. I felt jittery, as if Iâd eaten too many sugared violets. Even my teeth ached with the nervous energy shuddering through me. I poured myself a cup of lukewarm tea, hoping it would settle me.
âHello, girls.â
Tabitha and I both froze, staring at Lady Ashburnham as she came into the room. Diamonds and ropes of pearls glittered around her neck, swinging across her dove-gray silk dress. She looked every inch a countess, though her eyes were kinder than I would have guessed.
âI understand you have concerns about Lord Jasper,â she said, dispensing with idle talk about the weather and the state of the gardens. It was just as well. At least when I picked pockets in London, I never had to worry about the etiquette of offering my victim tea afterward.
Tabitha sat up straighter, her nose in the air. She might not be a countess, but she was the daughter of one. She looked haughty and confident.
I just wanted to hide under the sofa.
Lady Ashburnham kept smiling, amused. âI applaud you, actually,â she said,
Learning to Kill: Stories