strung sturdy twine across the shelves to keep my beloved books from toppling to the floor. I’d put away all my glass knickknacks, too, and taken pictures down from the walls. But, even in this altered state, it was home, and I was incredibly relieved to be back.
The sense of relief was short-lived, however. Uncle Mick was still being held at the dungeon and the thought made me sick to my stomach.
I knew that he was safe enough, but that didn’t stop me from worrying.
Following my familiar habits, I put on the kettle and pulled my worn jumper over my shoulders. I hadn’t been warm since sometime yesterday afternoon.
Having been awake the whole night, I ought to have been exhausted, but my mind was racing and I knew I couldn’t sleep if I tried. Not yet. I thought again how cruel it was that the major had kept Uncle Mick. It wasn’t as though we could have run. Where would we go, with Europe at war? Besides, our entire lives were here.
And it wasn’t as though we were some diabolical criminal enterprise. We were just a family. Albeit, a family who sometimes dabbled in illegal pursuits.
Not for the first time since last night, I wished desperately that I had followed my instincts to leave that house. If we had, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
I was tempted to believe that even the police would have been preferable to the hands into which we had fallen. But some part of me had to acknowledge that I would do a great many things in order to stay out of prison.
Having been born in prison, I wasn’t eager to return. I didn’t want those memories. I had a dark enough legacy as it was.
A sudden sound outside the door startled me, and I stepped away from it just as it burst open.
“Ellie, where have you been?”
It was Nancy Dean, our housekeeper. She had been christened “Nacy” by me as a young child, unable to quite pronounce her name, and the rest of the family had soon taken up the nickname. She came into the room like a gust of wind. She was short and stout, but she moved with grace and surprising speed. Her hair, dove gray for as far back as I could remember, was brushed back from a wide, ruddy face, and her blue eyes were sharp and piercing from trying to keep three rambunctious children—plus Uncle Mick—in line.
Nacy was the closest thing I’d ever had to a mother, the closest thing for Colm and Toby, too, as my aunt, Uncle Mick’s wife, Mary, had died when Toby was very young.
It was Nacy who had helped me with the womanly things that Uncle Mick would have stumbled or flushed to his ears over. She had braided my hair and taken me to buy underthings and explained the ways of womanhood to a young, motherless girl. She was gruff and often stern, but there was humor and great kindness in her, and I loved her dearly.
“I’m afraid we’ve been caught,” I said.
She looked at me like I’d lost my wits, but even when she realized I was serious she didn’t seem much alarmed.
“I knew it would happen one of these days,” she said dourly. “Where’s your uncle? In prison, is he?”
Despite her seeming indifference to Uncle Mick’s fate, I knew she was worried about him. She’d always had a soft spot for my uncle. I debated on telling her the truth, but I had been led to believe that secrecy was a vital part of our deal with the devil.
“I hope he’ll be home tomorrow,” I said. “It’s all been a misunderstanding.”
Her mouth tightened into a thin line. “A misunderstanding, is it? I think the misunderstanding is that you have thought that you’re above the law all these years.”
I was too tired to argue with her.
“It’s going to be all right,” I said. “I’ll explain it to you later, but right now I need to get some sleep.”
“Can I get you anything?” Nacy was of the formidable yet motherly variety of women who scolded and coddled in turn.
“No, I don’t think so. I just want to rest and think things over.”
She went away, grumbling, without any more questions. I might have felt bad for sending her away, but I knew she would enjoy stewing about the matter. Someday, when this was over, I would discuss the major’s proposition with her. She would have strong opinions on the matter, no doubt.
I went back