Page 47 of A Sorceress Comes to Call
The door was open and a breeze from it sent Penelope’s dressing gown shifting around her legs, where it was not slicked down with blood.
“Penelope,” said Richard again. “If you just give me the knife, we’ll sort this out.” He took another step forward.
Penelope’s throat worked. The knife blade shook in her hand. “Did…” she choked out. “Did… nnn…”
“I know,” said Richard soothingly. “It will be all right. Just give me the knife.”
“Hester, old girl,” said her brother, practically in her ear, “what the devil is going on here?”
“She killed her!” screamed Evangeline, shockingly loud in the taut silence of the room. “She took a knife and killed her!”
Samuel swore and pushed past Hester. “Best let us handle this,” he said over his shoulder, which Hester ignored completely.
“Everyone stay calm,” said Richard. “Samuel, stay back, if you please.”
“Dammit, Evermore—”
“Samuel.”
Her brother subsided fretfully. Hester saw the spark of cold blue eyes between the dark curtains of Evangeline’s hair, watching.
“Now, Penelope,” Richard began, “I know this is all very upsetting, but if you just—”
Penelope’s wide eyes grew even wider, darting from side to side. “Did… nnnnnn…” For a moment they caught Hester’s, and she was struck by how much Penelope’s gaze resembled Cordelia’s, the same look of a beast in a trap, though Penelope’s was all horrified rage and despair.
And then she turned and strode jerkily toward Evangeline, still holding the knife aloft.
“Penelope!”
“Evangeline!”
Time slowed to a crawl. Richard lunged for Penelope. Samuel lunged for Evangeline. The two men nearly collided, and as Hester watched, Penelope Green staggered past the other woman and out the balcony door. She leaned far back, like a drunk trying to keep her balance, but she kept moving forward, and suddenly Hester knew.
There was no world where she could reach her friend in time, but she tried anyway. It didn’t matter that her knee tore itself to pieces. She stabbed her cane down into the carpet, trying to run, but it was too late.
Richard was closer, but even he was too late. His hand, reaching out, just brushed her hair.
Penelope Green, knife still in hand, threw herself over the balcony and was gone.
CHAPTER 17
“She’d already stabbed the maid when I got there,” said Evangeline, in a high, trembling voice. “I’d just walked in and I saw her and at first I didn’t know what had happened. Then I saw that poor girl and there was so much blood…” She covered her face with her hands.
“There, there,” said the Squire, patting her shoulder. “There, there. It’s not to be wondered at. You don’t expect to walk into such a thing.”
They had all moved back to Lady Strauss’s suite and Willard had brought tea and brandy. The room was a mirror of the one that Mrs. Green had been staying in, and everyone kept looking toward the balcony door, despite the heavy curtains covering it.
There was blood on Evangeline’s fingers, Hester noted. She looked over at Richard, who nodded to her, almost imperceptibly.
“Forgive me, madam,” he said. “Did you go to the maid, then?”
“What?” Evangeline took her hands away from her face. “Did I?”
“You must have,” said Hester, “since you’ve got blood all over you.”
The flash of anger was so swift that no one would have noticed if they weren’t already looking for it. Evangeline looked down at her hands and began to tremble. “I must have. Yes. Oh god…” She wiped frantically at them with a napkin from the tea tray. Everyone watched in silence until Samuel mumbled something and pulled out his handkerchief to offer her.
“Why were you in Penelope’s room to begin with?” asked Lady Strauss.
