In The Cards: Mysterious Charm, book 5 by Celia Lake

Author:Celia Lake
Language: eng
Format: epub

Twenty-Three

Saturday evening

Later that evening, after supper, Galen made his way to the back wing. Martin and Laura had conspired between them to get his aunt whisking Laura away to discuss her experience with the goldwasser. Martin was occupying his parents and uncle with something else.

He wasn’t sure what to expect, it had been so long. Faced with the door, Galen took a deep breath, and knocked.

“Not tonight, mother. Not again.” The voice inside was a bit muffled, uneven, but that was what his brother sounded like now. Even that was something of a relief to hear. He was certain with the utter conviction of a younger brother that his brother was not mad, but again and again he had come back to wondering if that was childishness. Surely he was kept away for a reason, after all. That voice did not sound like a man out of his mind, he was certain of it.

“It’s Galen, Julius.” He stopped. He should have thought of what to say before he got here. “I - I wanted to talk to you. With you.” It sounded utterly feeble.

There was a long pause, a terribly long pause. Galen had almost decided to retreat downstairs, no matter what Martin might say about his courage. Or Laura, which would probably be worse.

Finally, he heard the voice again. “It’s open.”

Galen turned the handle, feeling it give under his fingers. When he opened the door, he saw the small sitting room, a glimpse of the laboratory in the next room through the open door. Julius was standing by the door, leaning against the frame. He had the ceramic mask on, the white unmoving surface stark against the darker wood behind him.

He cleared his throat and again cursed a lack of preparation. Finally, he said. “Are you all right? Just. I didn’t know if anyone had told you.” It came out in a tumble, earnest, and making him sound like a puppy.

The mask hid so much of Julius’s expression, but something in his eyes was tremendously complex. “Told me.” And then more quickly, “Thought they wouldn’t?” that was feeling out something new and unexpected. “Sit.”

It came out like an order, but this was Julius, and he was glad to obey. Galen glanced around, found one of the chairs. Faded, they’d been in the parlour in Cumbria before they moved here, he remembered the print. He perched on the edge of one and then nodded again. “I wasn’t sure.” Then it slipped out of him before he could stop himself. “They don’t tell me much.”

“Huh.” It was a rough sound, echoing oddly. Julius came over, walking with the slight limp he’d picked up with his greater injuries. He settled in the chair he’d clearly claimed as his own, half facing the window. “What did they say?” Like all his words, they were carefully spaced, parcelled out as if each movement were precious.

“I don’t think Mother liked Senara at all. Father invited her, but he wouldn’t explain why. And I’m confused.” Oh, he wanted to be less confused.

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