Star Cursed

by Jessica Spotswood

Page 67

 

  There are only two of them. Should I compel them to leave now?

  Maura’s right. My caution is going to get someone hurt.

  Finn’s hand finds mine in the darkness.

  “Nothing. I told you. ” The second man chuckles. “Who’d be wandering around here in the dead of night? Even old Szymborska’s not that mad about his books. ”

  The door creaks closed, leaving us in silence and shadows.

  We wait a long moment, listening as the footsteps recede back down the hall, and then I unfold myself and climb out. Finn follows, stretching his lanky body.

  “That was a near miss. I was ready to do something utterly rash. Thank the Lord for your cool head,” he says, looking at me admiringly. But I’m shaken by the close call.

  “Do you really believe this will work?” I blurt. “Do you believe we can save them?”

  Finn doesn’t need to ask what I mean. He leans forward, his lips brushing mine. Behind his spectacles, his brown eyes are very serious. “I believe in you, Cate Cahill, and in us together. I’m here to help whenever you need me. No matter how mad the scheme, or what the risk. Don’t you know that by now?”

  Chapter 18

  TUESDAY PASSES IN A BLUR. I LOSE focus and shatter a plate in animations, I can’t maintain my glamours for more than two minutes together in illusions, and I mistake my maxilla for my patella in anatomy. I’m exhausted; I crept back into the convent at dawn and slept for all of two hours before breakfast, and I can’t think of anything but the Harwood mutiny. The freedom of hundreds of girls seems to hinge on all the details falling perfectly into place. I pray that Inez is busy enough with her own scheme that she won’t try to interfere with ours.

  I’ve obtained promises of help from Sophia, Mei, Rory, and Rilla, and Elena’s been spreading the word to everyone she thinks will support us. During afternoon tea, she stands next to the sideboard in a shimmering green silk gown that glows against her brown skin, and she pulls teachers and students aside to whisper with them.

  I’m heading upstairs to take a nap when she catches at my sleeve. “I think we ought to have a meeting tonight for everyone who wants to help, so they all understand what’s involved. Honestly, though, I think we’ll be turning girls away for lack of transportation. We want to leave as much room as we can for the actual patients. ”

  “That many girls have expressed interest?” I gasp, looking down into her pretty face.

  “Everyone I approached. ” Elena picks up a cranberry scone from the platter. “Harwood’s the specter that’s been hanging over all our heads, Cate. The notion that we could rescue the girls who’ve been unlucky enough to land there—it’s lit a match under everyone. Made us all feel hopeful again. And with Cora on her deathbed and the Brothers arresting all those girls, that’s what everyone needs most right now. Truth be told, as your former governess, I’m—rather proud of you. ”

  My gaze falls on Maura, sitting across the room on the pink love seat with Alice. Her blue eyes meet mine and narrow to a glare. “Not everyone’s so delighted with me,” I say, tilting my head in Maura’s direction.

  Elena turns, flushing scarlet as her gaze collides with Maura’s. She turns back to me hastily. “Well, we expected that, didn’t we?”

  I did. I just didn’t know it would hurt so much, having Maura here in the same room, not speaking to me. She’s been avoiding Tess and me ever since our fight by the river. I daresay seeing me whispering with Elena hasn’t helped matters. But Elena’s become a powerful ally, and I can’t give her up just to soothe Maura’s temper.

  She’ll get over it, won’t she? She’s got to.

  • • •

  When Tess and I enter Elena’s room just as the clock downstairs strikes eleven, I’m shocked.

  The room is packed. Girls sit elbow to elbow on Elena’s bed, rumpling her pink duvet, and sprawl across the wooden floor. Three governesses lounge on the yellow settee. Sister Sophia sits on the padded bench at Elena’s dressing table, flanked by skinny Sister Edith, the art teacher, and shocking Sister Mélisande, who teaches French and wears trousers. As I take neither class, I hardly know either of them; I didn’t expect to find them here. There are surprises among the convent girls, too. Eugenia and Maud both sit next to Vi on the bed.

  All my friends are here: Rory and Rilla and Daisy, Mei and Addie and Pearl, Lucy and Rebekah. Tess squeezes my hand and joins the younger girls on the floor.

  Elena comes to stand next to me. The convent girls are all dressed in their nightgowns, including me, but Elena still wears her pretty green frock. She claps her hands together. “Good evening,” she says, and everyone stops chattering and stares at us.

  Perspiration pools at the base of my neck, beneath my hair, and I don’t know what to do with my hands. My ivory nightgown hasn’t got pockets, so I clasp them behind my back.

  “Thank you all for coming,” Elena says. Though it’s late, none of the girls look the least bit sleepy. “I’ve spoken to many of you over the last few days, but I just want to say this again now, here, in front of everyone. I believe freeing the Harwood patients is the right thing to do at this time. But we’ll need your help tomorrow to carry it off. Cate, can you explain?”

  I tell my audience the scheme we’ve worked out. Elena, Rory, Rilla and I will go first, in Finn’s carriage, disguised as a contingent of Brothers. We need several volunteers to follow us in the Sisters’ two carriages, free the patients from their locked rooms, and help guide them. We plan to split the prisoners into four groups: Brenna Elliott and known witches, who will accompany us back to the convent, and a wagon full of patients to be sent to each of Zara’s three safe houses. Sophia saw two construction wagons in the courtyard at Harwood, and we intend to commandeer those. We still need one more wagon, plus volunteers to drive to the safe houses and stay long enough to see the patients settled.

  “I’ll drive one of the wagons,” Sister Sophia offers, and my eyes meet Tess’s. I’d be willing to bet Sophia will end up driving girls to the safe house by the ocean, just as Tess saw in her vision.

  Maud raises her hand, and I nod at her to speak. She tosses her carroty hair. “Genie’s father’s got a wagon he uses to make deliveries,” she says, elbowing her friend.

  Eugenia scowls, tugging the cuffs of her blue nightgown down over her skinny wrists. “I’m not stealing from my father. ”

  “We’ll bring it back eventually,” Maud argues.

  “What if he loses customers because he misses deliveries?” Eugenia’s voice is hoarse, as though she’s getting a cold. “What if he’s implicated in this somehow?”

  “Come on, Genie, everyone’s got to pitch in. ” Vi bounces on Elena’s thick feather mattress. “I’ll drive one of the carriages. ”

  “You know how to drive a carriage?” Maud gapes.

  “My father’s a coachman. ” Vi rolls her eyes. “Course I do. ”

  “You intend to help all the girls, not just the witches?” Sister Mélisande asks.

  “Of course. We won’t leave anyone behind,” I assure her.

  She tosses her short mop of dark hair. “Then I will help, too. I will drive another of the wagons. ”