Page 7 of The Starling and the Hatter

Elise blushed and smiled down at her. “Thank you. You girls are both lovely. What are your names?”

“I’m Twyla.”

“I’m Didi.” Didi turned side to side, her dress swishing back and forth as she was wont to do when she was nervous.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Elise said before sinking into a curtsey and putting a graceful hand to her heart. I was starting to love watching the difference between Elise and her Starling persona. She was playing the Starling for the girls, always willing to entertain. Then she turned back to me. “Yes, I can watch your tent.”

“Why can’t she walk us home?” Twyla interrupted, having already fallen under Elise’s spell. It would have been humorous if it weren’t making the moment awkward.

“Well—”

“I don’t know the way,” Elise explained to Twyla. “And I don’t think your mother would be happy to see you walking home with a stranger. Best go with your brother.” She gave me a wink.

That wink made my gut tighten. It was like we shared a secret, she and I. And the idea of sharing secrets with this young woman was…appealing. I cleared my throat. “Thank you. Truly.”

“It’s nothing.” She waved off my thanks and turned to the girls. “It was lovely to meet you, Miss Twyla. Miss Didi.”

The girls each did a fair imitation of a curtsey, giggling as they did so. I sent Elise one more grateful look before tugging on the girls’ hands and pointing us toward home.

Elise

I waved Maddox and his two sisters on their way, then ambled to the entrance of the Hatcher Hats and Costumes tent. I hoped that no one would come by while I was in charge. I could look out for thieves, no problem. But if a real customer came in with questions or a desire to purchase something, the best I could do was delay their leaving and hope that Maddox made it back in time to make the sale.

I smiled at the thought of Didi and Twyla’s antics. It was clear Maddox loved them, and perhaps indulged them a bit too much, but their penchant for running away was problematic. Having Twyla request that I be the one to escort them home had left a little lump in my throat.

The fact that Maddox did not trust me to do that was not surprising. Any sane person would not hand over the care of children to a stranger. But it was odd that he would trust me with his livelihood. How did he know I wouldn’t rifle around in his tent and steal anything of value? Of course, I’d have to be a fool to steal from him when he knew I was watching the place. And there were the five bits he’d promised me. I knew full well that an honestly earned five bits was worth more than a stolen copper—worth far more if it meant I didn’t have to run and start over somewhere else.

I settled myself on the stool where Maddox usually worked, my hands grazing over the fabrics and threads strewn over its surface.

“Maddox!” a woman’s voice called from outside a few minutes later. “Maddox!”

I had barely gotten to my feet when a woman entered, her eyes frantic and hair askew. She held a toddler perched on her hip, which was impressive since she was pregnant—not hugely so, but enough to be obvious.

Her eyes landed on me. “Who are you? Where’s Maddox?” Her eyes darted about again.

“He’s taken his younger sisters home.”

Her shoulders sank in relief as she let out a sigh. Then she lowered her toddler to the ground before leaning one hand on the work table while the other rested against her belly.

I fidgeted, suddenly nervous about making a good impression. Clearly, this was Maddox’s mother.

Or…was she? She was obviously Twyla and Didi’s mother, but she seemed too young to be Maddox’s mother. Yet Maddox had called the girls his sisters.

She took in a deep breath through her nose and opened her eyes, immediately looking at the ground to locate her child. The toddler had sat down right where he’d been set and seemed content to pick at the dirt and sparse grass under his chubby legs. Then she looked up at me. “And who might you be?” she asked.

“Elise, ma’am. I was close at hand when your girls came looking for Maddox. He asked me to keep an eye on the place while he returned them home.” My brow scrunched. “I’m surprised you didn’t cross paths.”

She waved a hand through the air. “I was coming from the market. I’m certain the girls didn’t bother telling him that they’d left me there. They were likely just happy for the attention.”

I smiled at that. “They did seem quite taken with him.”

She nodded. “You two are friends?” she asked.

I didn’t quite know how to answer that. “Of a sort,” I said, not wanting to give more weight to our relationship than there was, and also unsure that I wanted any friends right now. “He helped me with my costume. I’ve only just started singing on my own.”

She smiled at that. “He does have a good eye for such things. Much like his father.”

“And are you his…” I hesitated to say mother, wondering if it would insult her if she wasn’t.