The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Author:Laura Shepherd-Robinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

CHAPTER THREE

Queen of clubs as master-card: a marked female influence on the querist, in the way of respect, judgement, advice, or authority.

MIRABEL AND I stared down at the king of spades, smoke from her silver pipe coiling between us. The card seemed to exert a new power here in the oppressive airs of Leighfindell.

‘Always, he is present in your parallelogram,’ I said. ‘The man who hides his true malevolence. Can you think whom he might be?’

Mirabel smiled. ‘My family has entertained every prince, bishop and politician in the kingdom. If I had a sunflower seed for all the malevolent characters I’ve met, I could fill Ocho’s bowl.’ She reached out a hand to pet the parrot, who edged along his gilded perch to get away from her.

Mirabel’s dressing room was fitted out with duck-egg-blue cabinetry, gilded mirrors and painted panels of lithesome nymphs twirling ribbons. Her maid had brought us a breakfast of fruitcake and carraway buns, preserves from the estate’s orchards, butter from their dairy, and honey from their hives. We were both in our dressing gowns, our hair unpinned in loose coils. Mirabel took a sip of chocolate, and then drew on her pipe again.

‘The recurring presence of the king of spades suggests someone far closer than a passing acquaintance,’ I said. ‘He must be a man of great significance in your life.’ I pointed to the second and third rows of cards. ‘The queen, knave and king of hearts all appear in close proximity. That is a most unusual combination. The queen figures a woman beloved by a male relative, one who closely resembles you in appearance. This relative might be figured by the king of hearts, a man of good temperament. From everything you have told me, I’d say this sounds very much like Virgil and Jemima.’

Mirabel stared, her eyes very bright. ‘They were reunited in heaven. The thought consoles me.’

I had let the cards fall naturally. Partly because I genuinely wanted to help Mirabel, and could only do so if the cards reflected what was truly in her soul. And partly because I was still unsettled by the eight of diamonds that I’d found on my bolster last night. I’d questioned Rosie that morning, and she’d told me she hadn’t put it there, and neither had it been there when she’d made the bed. ‘It might be the twins playing a prank,’ she’d said. ‘I wouldn’t worry, miss.’

But I did worry. About my manipulations of the cards. About getting caught. About Tamson. What if I brought her more bad luck? What if . . . What if . . . What if . . . Catching my fears spiralling, I dragged my mind back to the present.

‘It was Virgil who gave me Ocho,’ Mirabel said, turning to smile at the bird. ‘He bought him from a Spaniard at his club, some buccaneer who had spent time in the southern Americas. The Spaniard had named him for their silver coins, for luck. Siete would have been more apposite, but he answered to Ocho, and it would have been cruel to change it.

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