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back into the world!”
Cora looked up sharply, surprising Charles. She usually dis-
missed Minnie’s stories, but this one seemed to spook her.
“Or maybe he climbs on top of the roof and sits up there all
night, every night,” Thom said, raising an eyebrow (another rea-
son Charles was sure to catch a kiss before him, as smiles sang to
other lips in a way annoyed eyebrows never could).
“You’ve seen him?” Minnie glared at Thom, then at Arthur.
Secrets! A sense of triumph flooded Charles as he found the key to
Minnie. He’d go out of his way to tell her things he had never told
anyone, wrap her in confidences until she was his. Doubtless
before long he would run out of honest secrets and have to start
inventing them, but when it came to Minnie, he didn’t think she
would mind.
“He’s been up there every night since we went out. Question
is, why?”
“None of your concern,” Arthur said, startling everyone. He
hadn’t so much as twitched in an hour, and his eyes were still
closed.
Cora abandoned the basket and walked over to kneel next to
him. Her hand flitted over his forehead, not quite touching him,
then went to her skirt pocket. “Are you having trouble sleeping?”
Arthur cracked open one eye and smiled at her. “Usually.”
“Why the roof, though?” Thom asked.
“Why not?”
Minnie stood with a scowl, brushing away the leaves and dirt
clinging to her skirt. She had refused to sit on the blanket, making
tiny homes for fairies out of rocks and leaves instead. “The top of
the roof? And you haven’t invited me?”
“That’s not safe,” Cora said.
