Ever since she was injured in a terrible accident, Cordelia Williams has felt adrift. The accident claimed more than her limb; it ruined her reputation and destroyed her dream of becoming a famous painter.
Worried that her disability makes her a dis...
Cordelia moved like a ghost. She felt like one, too—the moonlight streaming through the hallway windows painted her dress in shades of silver, and her hair hung loose around her shoulders. Her skin had never looked so pale.
She stayed in lesser-used corridors, although it hardly mattered. If Cordelia was a ghost, then the manor was a tomb. Her parents had already retired to their rooms, and all of the servants were downstairs. Nobody was around to witness her escapade, and for that, she felt grateful.
Cordelia slipped through the hallway. Her sister hadn't said where they were meeting, but Cordelia could guess. There weren't many places with an uninterrupted view of the sky. Ophelia wouldn't want to walk through the woods at night, which ruled out Grandfather's cabin. The manor's roof was also out of the question.
She smiled. When they were children, she and Ophelia used to climb out an upstairs window and lay blankets across the roof tiles. They'd soak up the tiles' warmth and drink in the stars. The roof offered the best view of the night sky, although they'd stopped going there after Ophelia's tumble.
Cordelia had to admit: she was a little jealous. The fall had been scary at the time, but it'd gotten Ophelia out of embroidery lessons for a month. If Cordelia had known a minor wrist injury would spare her from sewing practice, she too would have taken up roof jumping as a hobby.
Then again, if Cordelia losing her entire arm wasn't enough to dissuade Mother for more than a few weeks, perhaps nothing would.
She smoothed her skirt, banishing the sticky thoughts from her mind. There would be time to reflect on things later. For now, she needed to focus on finding Benny and Ophelia.
A side entrance to the manor waited at the end of the hall. Nobody was in sight, although opening the door proved challenging in itself. The ancient wood was swollen from the summer storm. She eased it open, wincing as it creaked in protest. Cordelia held her breath, but the servants must have been busy elsewhere.
Cordelia stepped outside.
A grassy knoll spread behind the manor. Clover, chamomile, and wild thyme threaded through the tall grasses, perfuming the air. The plants looked lovely in the moonlight, but there was no denying they were empty of stargazers. Cordelia sighed. At least it narrowed her search. There was only one other place Benny and Ophelia would go.
The night air was humid, but a shiver trailed down her spine. Cordelia hadn't stepped foot in that place since a fateful conversation two years ago. Perhaps it was time to pay a visit.
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She found Benny and Ophelia in Grandmother's rose garden, a plate of scones between them. A growing pile of crumbs collected on Benny's shirt, although he seemed more interested in the stars blanketing the sky than the state of his clothes. Ophelia sat with her ankles crossed and her hands tucked in her lap. She hadn't noticed Cordelia yet, and Cordelia used the rare opportunity to study her sister.
