Page 56 of In the Shadows

“It’s not silly,” Minnie whispered.

Cora shook her head, shutting Minnie out again. “That man.

Do you think he’ll tell Mother?”

“No. I don’t.” He had nothing to gain by it, and it struck Min-

nie that Alden was a man who always wanted something to gain.

And it didn’t fail to register for her that he had no reason to be

in this hallway — in the back of the house, where the family had

their rooms and no guests ever stayed.

Minnie wanted to stay and comfort Cora, but it was clear

Cora wanted no such thing. Very well, then. Minnie tore out of

her clothes, throwing on a change of dress and pulling her hair

back, not caring that it soaked her collar. “I’m going to go get

something to eat,” she said, ducking out of the room before Cora

could protest being left with all the wet clothes. Minnie took the

back stairs, slipping along the wall and into the pantry. She found

the kitchen empty, and slid a small, sharp knife out of the drawer.

She could not shake the way that man had leered at her sister.

Like Cora was already his.

Cora was hers. She would never lose her, and she would never

let anyone hurt her again. A spare ribbon secured the knife under

her dress against her thigh, and the cold secret of it felt like power.

World War II

eleven

C

ORA WALKED NEXT TO THOMAS -- BUT NOT SO CLOSE

THAT THEY WERE TOUCHING -- DOWN THE LONG LANE

TOWARD TOWN. They had left Minnie and Charles

engaged in a game of checkers, where Minnie was cheating outra-

geously and Charles was letting her.

The bright summer day filled in the silence with a thousand

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