The Timeseer's Gambit (The Faraday Files Book 2) by Kate McIntyre Page B

from the plate more than once. Not a one of us was heartbroken when that fiaran did him in.”
    Sister Patricia looked pained. “
Grandmother
―
” She breathed.
    Eugenia waved her off, scoffing under her breath. “Oh, you know it as well as any of us, Patricia. Maybe even better. There wasn’t a single thing to recommend Timothy. Brother Alexander is an upgrade in every single way. If that makes me a monster, so be it.”
    Olivia hummed thoughtfully.
    Chris weaved.
    “What about Virginia Landon?” Olivia asked. “And Georgiana Edison, and Lachlan Huxley. I don’t suppose they were also… disappointing?” And as priests began speaking all at once, Olivia held up her hand and pointed at a young man with clear blue eyes and well-coiffed hair. He could have been handsome, if he weren’t so lanky, and if not for the impressive mole on his right cheek. “You were Virginia’s Youth, yes? Tell me, what’s your name?”
    “Brother Tibault Horne, ma’am,” the Youth said. Chris couldn’t help but note that the younger priests seemed to embrace their surnames more, as if hesitant to let them go. He couldn’t imagine Georgie abandoning hers. She’d had so much pride as an Edison.
    “Was Virginia a liar? A thief?”
    “Gods, not at all, ma’am.” Brother Tibault shook his head.
    “Hmm.” Olivia tapped her lip with one finger. Chris turned his page. He’d weaved more than Olivia could ever possibly need, but there was so much information he was almost overloaded and had lost his ability to sort it on the fly. “All right. Tell me about the day she died, then.”
    The Youth looked surprised at this change of direction. He shook himself, stammering for a moment, and then folded his arms and hunched his shoulders. “It was… just another day,” he said quietly. “We did all of our work, as usual. Godsday, it was, so we performed services and then there were the petitioners who needed us after. It was spring, so there were a lot of young men looking to court young ladies. And young ladies looking to catch the eye of young men. With all that traffic, Virginia and I were much in demand, but…” He shot a glance at his Mother.
    Olivia snapped her fingers. “Excuse me, yes, look here, that’s a good lad. You’re not talking to her. You’re talking to me. ‘But’ what, exactly?”
    Brother Tibault looked away, his jaw working silently. Finally, he sighed and shrugged one shoulder. “Virginia wasn’t much for any of it,” he said. “She wasn’t interested in being a priestess. She said it was forced on her, you know? She wanted to be… something else.
Anything
else. Though that makes it sound as though she complained all the time, and she didn’t. Not at all! She was just, you know.”
    “I don’t know,” Olivia pressed.
    Tibault’s lips thinned. “She was… sad. Sad
all
the time. She wouldn’t leave her room if she didn’t have to. She cried a lot. She slept whenever one of us didn’t drag her into the sun. That day was just the same. The Church was flooded with petitioners for Maerwald and Cwenraed’s favour, but I was handling it alone. She sat in the corner and seemed confused whenever anyone approached her. After they left, I tried to talk, but she just went to her rooms. Locked the door and stayed in there all day.” He hung his head. “I woke up when I heard the sylph. Side of my room got torn right off in the whirlwind. Went to Virginia’s room, and she was already…”
    Olivia nodded thoughtfully. Chris watched her. Her wheels were turning, and he thought he understood what direction they were moving in. He turned to his book.
Bad priests
?
    Olivia made a gesture indicating Tibault should sit. He did. Her pointing finger went to Georgie’s holy family, with the cowering youth who seemed so much younger than he logically had to be. She didn’t point to him, but to the Mother. Chris had noticed her when they’d first come in. He flipped back to see his notes. The Father of their