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Dress.
She smiled at the ease with which she retrieved the information. Leaning forward, she grabbed the gown off the chair beside her bed. The slippery rust-colored fabric felt soft and wonderful against her rough-skinned hands.
Silk. She was thrilled at how quickly the word came to her. The moment she touched the fabric, she knew what it was called. Silk. She focused all of her mind on trying to say the single word. "Tree." She frowned. No. Not correct. She refused to give up, she tried again and again. Minutes ticked by, slowly, irritatingly.
"Broom. Clock. Silk."
She grinned. It had taken time-but what was time? She wasn't stupid. She wasn't.
All she needed was help. Just a little. But who could help her? Maeve was lost and Ian was gone.
The answer came to her so suddenly, she wondered why she hadn't seen it before.
She leapt off the bed and ran for the door, pounding
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on the hard wood. She wanted to yell for Andrew, but the words wouldn't come.
She stopped when she heard footsteps outside her door. "Selena, is that you?" came a soft, male voice.
"Andrew?" Unlock the door. I need your help. She tried to force out the words. "Help ... Selena."
The doorknob turned. Selena stumbled back just as the door swung open. Outside, in the shadowy hallway, stood a cluster of people. Edith, Maeve, the queen. And Andrew was in the middle.
"What is it, lassie?" Edith said, breathing heavily, wiping her fleshy hands on the floury front of her apron.
Selena knew what she meant to ask for, but she couldn't find the words. The minutes ticked by, slowly, thickened by the breathing of the crowd. Selena closed her eyes and stamped her foot in frustration. "Help," she managed.
"It's all right, Selena," Andrew said. "Take your time."
Selena clasped her hands together and stared at him, trying to draw strength from his quiet acceptance. "Basket." She shook her head. "No. Not ... Selena ... stupid. Sick."
Edith clucked. "Poor wee thing. Her brains are scrambled."
Maeve lo
oked up, her eyes glassy. "Eggs would be nice, Edith. Thank you. Be sure and ask the master if he's hungry."
"Do hush, you two," Andrew said harshly. "Can't you see that she's trying to tell us something?" He moved closer, encouraging her with a nod. "Go on."
Selena pointed to her head, then to her mouth. "Broken." At Andrew's blank look, she repeated the gesture and tried a different word. "Hard."
Maeve nodded. "It's hard for all of us to speak our minds sometimes. Isn't it, Herbert?" she said to the stuffed owl in her arms.
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Andrew made a quiet, gulping sound of excitement. "Is that what you're trying to say, Selena?"
Selena nodded, grinning. "Yes. Think ... good. No ... talk. Help .. . Selena?"
Andrew's smile fell. "We can't help you, Selena. We're crazy."
The queen rapped him sharply on the back of the head. "Speak for yourself, young man. Royalty is over-bred, not crazy. I've got plenty of things I could teach the chit."
Selena tried to follow the queen's speech, but couldn't. Instead, she reached for the children's book and pressed it to her chest. "Read. Learn." She pointed to the window. "Outside ... see. Learn words."
Andrew gazed at her, frowning. "You don't care if we're crazy?"
