Born Wicked

moment. Now what will we do? The three of us won’t be strong enough to modify the memories of all the council members plus additional guards.

We’ll still be ruined.

But this brougham doesn’t have the Brothers’ golden seal on the side. “That’s not mine,” he says, just as it stops before the porch. Elena Robichaud hops down almost before the wheels have stopped turning, splattering her black cape with mud. She makes a face and then

turns back to the carriage, extending an arm, as Mrs. Corbett gingerly joins her. They wade up to the porch and stand there, huddled against the

rain.

“Brother Ishida,” Mrs. Corbett says, her fat face folding into a smile. “We just passed your coachman walking down the road.” “Walking?” Brother Ishida demands. “What the devil for? He’s gone off and left me stranded here. Where’s my carriage?” “Just outside town. One wheel broken,” Mrs. Corbett says. There’s an odd glint of satisfaction in her brown eyes.

“It must have been the storm. The winds were fierce here,” I put in. “Such a roaring. It might have been a tornado. Mrs. Corbett, do you suppose

your carriage could take Brother Ishida back to town? He’s not feeling well. Or we could get our man John—”

“You’re welcome to borrow my carriage, sir.” Mrs. Corbett interrupts my nervous chatter. “I’ll stay here and see to it that the girls are all right.” “Thank you. Good day, Miss Cahill.” Dispensing with the usual blessings, Brother Ishida hurries through the pelting rain. Elena shivers in her cape. “We stopped the driver,” she says, teeth chattering. “Gillian broke the wheel and I compelled him to forget his errand.

What happened, Cate? What did you do?”

We?

I stare into Mrs. Corbett’s toady face. The penny finally drops. I’ve been so stupid not to see it before. She’s the one who recommended Elena.

She’s the one who told the Sisters we were witches. All her meddling since Mother died—how long has she been spying on us? My mouth goes dry, and I have to swallow several times before I can speak. “You’re a witch, too.”

“And a member of the Sisterhood, before my marriage. After my husband died, I offered my services again. Both my own girls are useless. I was

sent to Chatham especially to look after you three, make sure you didn’t make spectacles of yourselves. You could have made it easier,” she says.

“A merry mess you’ve made of things. And I hear you’ve given our dear Elena some difficulty?”

“What happened to your face?” Elena asks.

I finger the welt rising from Brother Ishida’s ring—the silver ring all the Brothers wear on their right hand, signifying their devotion to the Lord.

“Impertinence.”

Elena raises her eyebrows, a smile tugging at her lips. “I can’t say you don’t deserve it. Let’s go in. It’s freezing out here.” Inside, Maura’s sitting on the bottom step in only her chemise and corset, with Mrs. O’Hare beside her, daubing ointment on her cheek. Her right

arm and palm are wrapped in thick strips of white linen where she fell on the broken glass. Behind her, Tess is rebraiding her hair. “Good heavens,” Mrs. Corbett says. “What happened here?”

Maura scrambles up, clutching her ruined dress to her chest, two bright spots of color on her cheeks.

“The storm,” Tess says.

“Maura,” I say. Tess looks shocked, Maura ashamed. “Where’s Lily?”

“We sent her home. She wanted to stay and help clean up the mess, but I thought it better—” Mrs. O’Hare trails off, her wobbly chin set, her blue

eyes fierce as she looks at the two newcomers. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to my girls, not ever. I’ve known the truth of it since you were making

things go topsy-turvy yourself, Cate. Maura, come up to your room. We’ll start the fire and I’ll see to your hand. You may need stitches; it’s bleeding

clean through that bandage.”

“Wait,” Mrs. Corbett says. “Lily Belfiore was witness to this, along with Brother Ishida?”

“Yes.” Tess is holding Maura’s hand in hers. Maura’s watching Elena balefully. “But she doesn’t remember any of it.”

“Nor does he,” I add. “It was a very thorough job.”

“And which of you performed the magic on them?” Mrs. Corbett’s beady eyes are hungry, roving over all three of us in turn. This time I don’t hesitate. They already suspect me. They can’t know about Tess. “It was me.”

Mrs. Corbett and Elena exchange a look. “Let’s go into the parlor. We have several matters to discuss with you, Miss Cate.” “I’ll come, too,” Tess offers, bounding down the stairs.

“I believe it’s a discussion best had in private,” Mrs. Corbett says.

“Of course,” I say smoothly. I don’t want Tess to see how frightened I am. I run a hand over her soft blond hair. “You go help Mrs. O’Hare with

Maura.”

Tess gives me a dubious look. “All right.”

In the sitting room, the fire is blazing. Mrs. Corbett takes off her cloak and settles on the sofa, Elena next to her. I take the tall blue armchair

across from them.

“I believe you owe Elena your gratitude, and perhaps an apology,” Mrs. Corbett says.

I grit my teeth. “Thank you for stopping the coachman. I’m very grateful that my sisters aren’t being hauled off to Harwood in the morning.” Mrs. Corbett glares. “I did not hear an apology.”

I cross my legs at the ankle and lean back in my chair. “I won’t be giving one. This mess never would have happened if Elena hadn’t made Maura

think she had feelings for her—feelings of a romantic nature.”

“No,” Mrs. Corbett says, her voice sharp. “This mess, as you call it, would not have happened if you had simply cooperated with us. There would have been no need for Elena to employ any unsavory tactics. You have been obstinate at every step of the way. She has been much more patient

with you than I would in her place.”

I’m silent. “Cate, I’m truly sorry,” Elena says. “I didn’t realize Maura’s feelings were so vehement. I realized she was losing control as I was leaving.

That’s why I went to fetch Sister Gillian.”

“It’s clear from what happened today that Maura is unstable,” Mrs. Corbett says. “She is a danger to herself and, given what she knows, to the

Sisterhood. She needs to be looked after, and by someone powerful enough to head off any more accidents.”

I shift in my chair, leaning forward, desperate. “She’s got me. I can look after her. I’ll teach her to control herself.”

“I’m afraid that’s not a good idea. Elena says there is already a great deal of tension between the two of you. Given the nature of the prophecy,

we are anxious to keep you on good terms. We don’t wish to lose one of you just yet.”

I smooth my skirts with a shaking hand. “You can’t think—we argue sometimes, like sisters do. But Maura would never hurt me.” Not on purpose,a niggling voice suggests.