Star's Crossing

22: Of Our Own Making

"Ms. Atwood. Ms. Gilbert. So pleased to have caught you before the festivities concluded!" Miss Cressida swept down the lawn, curls bouncing. She looked plain and lovely in a blue cotton gown, patterned at the hem and sleeves with birds in flight. As she approached, Teddy and Camden withdrew from the girls and bowed. "Boys! How you've grown since primary school!"

"That's how it works, isn't it? As you taught us." Camden's smile was cool and sharp as a blade. He shook Miss Cressida's hand when it was offered, only a pause to punctuate the boldness of his former instructor's gesture. "How do you do, Miss Cressida?"

"Oh, quite well, Mr. Doores." Her cheeks were red from the heat of the day and the exercise of descending the hill, but her smile was true and wide. "I do love the courting season. Watching the young men and women fall in love and court...it is book-worthy."

"Indeed," agreed Theodore, taking Miss Cressida's hand. "We look forward to it all of our years away, as well."

"Do we?" Camden laughed, turning his onyx-chip eyes toward his cousin. "Speak for yourself, Teddy."

Mare's hackles rose, but Teddy seemed nonplussed by Camden's venom. "I shall," he said, smile still in place. "Would you excuse me, Miss Cressida? Ms. Atwood? Ms. Gilbert? I see my aunt is calling me." With a bow, he dismissed himself.

Camden's smile withered as he watched Teddy go. "I ought to join him. Ladies." And without a backward glance, he followed his cousin down the lawn.

"Miss Cressida," said Lilith, inclining her head conspiratorially, "I trust you've had more success than we have. That's to say, any." With this Lilith shot Mare a poisonous glare. "We've been sidetracked at every turn, and haven't had even a moment to investigate."

Investigate. Mare narrowed her eyes at Lilith, but the girl's focus was now trained on Miss Cressida.

"As it happens, I managed to bend the ear of Mrs. Hammer," said Miss Cressida, turning toward the pond with Lilith and Mare in step. "She works for her husband at the paper, clerical jobs, mostly. But she did happen to be at the office when the first of the letters arrived. Most mysterious, it was. It was discovered on the front step—not even in the mailbox, if you can imagine!—with no postage. Hand delivered!"

"What day of the week?" Prompted Lilith, sharp as a knife, violet eyes set on the water as they moved.

"Monday." Miss Cressida halted at the pond's edge. It murmured toward their toes in delicate, bottle-glass tides, donning the reflection of the sun like a veil. "And they are expecting another tomorrow."

Mare and Lilith exchanged a look. Lilith's was smug. Mare's was bewildered. "What time did the first arrive?" Mare asked. "Did Mrs. Hammer happen to know?"

"Early, it seems. The envelope was discovered short of nine o'clock in the morning."

"The paper is across from the bookshop," said Lilith. "But Mr. Bard doesn't open until ten. Mare, Alison is quite dear to the Bards, is she not? I'd heard she reads to the children on weekends and helps Ethan order the stock."

"Indeed..." Mare measured her tone, eying Lilith warily. "But we cannot simply ask to lurk in the shop all through the morning without reason."

"Without reason? Mare, don't be foolish. We'll simply tell Alison—"

"Tell her!" Mare flinched at her own volume, hastening to lower and steady her voice. "We can't tell Alison. She's Camden's cousin."