washed her hands and wrapped a towel around the wound.
Nina went to the bed and sat in the center of it. She cried, and then she wiped her tears with the towel, and she cried again. She thought she’d never stop weeping, but eventually her sobs ceased. She lay there, an empty vessel.
The bleeding had subsided.
She closed her eyes.
Then came a knock and she raised her head. Outside it was dark and the stars had come out. She’d slept for many hours, a dreamless, black sleep that did not quench her despair.
“Open up,” Valérie said.
CHAPTER 19
Valérie shone when she was placed in a difficult situation. In a way, she relished the challenge. Even now as she stood trembling inside, she knew she would find a way out.
Antonina had caused a ruckus, smashing windows and running through Oldhouse. No one knew what had happened, and they gathered in the salon to sit together and gossip. Hector was there, looking as livid as could be, and so were Camille and Madelena, along with several older cousins.
“I am not sure what has occurred,” Camille said. “Mr. Auvray, you said you were with her?”
“Antonina is upset because she was mistaken about Mr. Auvray’s interactions with her. She assumed a marriage proposal was forthcoming, but he cares for her only as a dear friend,” Valérie said quickly, priding herself on her choice of words.
“Is that true, Mr. Auvray?” Camille asked.
Hector nodded. Immediately came a wave of whispering.
Madelena, sitting on a couch, looked up at Valérie. “I cannot believe my sister would behave this way, even if disappointed,” Madelena said.
“A few years ago, did she not shove that boy off his horse? I recall he was injured,” Valérie replied.
Everyone clearly remembered that incident. They looked around at each other, nodding.
“That was four years ago. She was barely more than a child, and Johaness Meinard was an ill-mannered, cruel boy,” Madelena protested.
“There was also the episode with the stones,” Valérie said. “How did that come about? I don’t recall.”
An uncomfortable silence rested upon the room. Antonina’s follies were tolerated at Oldhouse, but it could not be denied she did not have a commendable grip on her talent.
“I should speak to her,” Hector said.
“Or I,” Madelena said.
Madelena made a motion as if to rise, but Valérie spoke at once, aware she could not allow the sisters to talk at this point. Who knew what poisonous words Antonina could spill? She must ensure this snake’s venom was drained before allowing it to roam freely around the house.
“You would only upset her more. Let her rest and dry her tears. In the morning she may have seen the senselessness of her actions,” Valérie said, and extending her arms, she clutched Madelena’s hands. “Come, dear cousin, Antonina is young, as you said. Barely more than a child.”
“Nina can be temperamental,” Camille conceded. “Valérie is correct, it might be best to let her rest.”
Madelena nodded. It was thus agreed that Nina would not be coaxed out of her room until the next day. Supper was a grim affair. Camille and Madelena fretted, while Hector’s eyes were glum—you would have thought he had witnessed an execution. Valérie was not in high spirits either, but she did not give in to despair. Having shed a few violent tears and lost a measure of control when they had been in the library, she now felt equipped to solve this situation with the aplomb it required.
Once night fell, she knocked at Antonina’s door.
“Open up,” she said, and when no reply came, Valérie spoke again. “I have your letter.”
Antonina opened the door and stared at her with unmitigated fury in her eyes. Valérie imagined duelists gazed at each other in this manner before they pulled the trigger. But Valérie was not afraid; she almost wanted to say, “Don’t make it too easy for me.”
“Did he truly give my letter to you?” Antonina asked.
“Let me in and maybe you’ll learn the answer.”
The girl agreed, as she’d expected. Antonina was likely itching for a fight and a chance to pile as many hard words as she could at Valérie’s feet.
Valérie walked in and looked around, finding an empty chair and sitting straight. Antonina followed her every movement. She saw the girl was clutching a towel between her hands, as if it were a talisman. How young she looked, though Valérie did not feel envious of this youth. She was a half-formed being, a creature with no edges.
“I have come because I can imagine what thoughts run through your head