Insperatus by Kelly Varesio Page B

Taverin is left penniless. Both her parents are dead. She would be working in a poor house or selling flowers on the streets, but, to her fortune, the man who has gotten claim of your home, Bruce Hall, is going to adopt her, giving her the chance to remain in your house. However, he is a heavy alcoholic; when you get back to England, I advise you to meet her promptly .” And then he stopped with terrible abruptness.
    She looked at him because his voice had fallen strangely. “It couldn’t be finished,” she said, almost like a question.
    He didn’t look at her. “It isn’t.”
    She forced herself to recover her composure. “What does it say?”
    He took a breath, and his eyebrows rose as he read the last few words. “ By now, I’m sure Traith Harker has explained my being to you. Believe what he— oh, this is bizarre. This is bloody—”
    Rein sat up. She felt her hair; it was down and probably a mess now. Her cheeks were wet, and she dried them with her hand. Her corset made it hard to catch the breath she had lost. Her dress was wrinkled, and she could only imagine how her eyes looked. She probably appeared terribly unattractive, and with a sick feeling she froze.
    The near stranger of a man she had met just the day before was sitting on her bed with her, reading her a terrifying letter, which included him. His eyes were shooting side to side; they were wide, and their bright red color gave her a mix of chills and excitement. He let the paper down and gave it to her as if he couldn’t read the rest. She took it without words.
     
    … Traith Harker has explained my being to you. Believe what he tells you, as I trust him entirely. He may have told you that I am a witch, but I assure you, my intentions are only to keep you safe, so please trust me. You have a bright future ahead of you.
    You will find no more trace of me, Rein. Clear up your eyes and put this news behind you. You cannot become depressed over your father’s death. He would not want you to, and I do not either. You’ll be too important to me.
    Mistress
     
    Her mouth had fallen open, she realized. Who was this? Who was this woman writing to her such intimate things? Facts? She was now more angrily perplexed than she was frightened. There was nothing she could do anyway at this point. If it were all a lie, she would go back to England to her normal life, but if it were true, she would never forgive herself for leaving Traith Harker and the Olde Mary , and she would forever live with the desire to find out how and why all this had happened.
    “ I’ll be too important to her? What does that mean?” she asked desperately.
    He was reluctant. “I don’t know.”
    After a short silence and loss for words, Rein forced herself to think not of her letter but of him. “Thank you, Traith,” she said, wiping her eyes of anything that could be left. She noticed she had used his first name.
    He didn’t seem to mind; he didn’t reply at first, and his eyes were still dazed. “I cannot believe she wrote about me in your letter.”
    “ Please do not tell anyone,” she murmured, sitting up closer to him. “For now, I must believe what is written. If my father is dead, there is nothing I can do. Nothing can exhume me from confusion over this, so I’ll just have to wait.”
    His eyes were sorrowful for her, but still very cool. “I will not speak a word of this.” He stood slowly and cleared his throat to regain his reserve. “You should stay in here tonight, think things through. It’ll be better for you. Not that you need time to solve things…you strike me as a very independent girl, strong. That isn’t common.” His voice grew gentler. “I do hope, despite this…you do try to enjoy yourself. Don’t worry in waiting, it’ll do no good.” A knock on the door stopped his speech. He turned to answer it, and she was frozen, thinking with awe over what he’d just said.
    Outside the large, wood-framed doorway, a servant boy stood with a large,