Free Imprudence by Gail Carriger Page B

recorded, as most don’t survive long enough. Prim, he looked right at me and yet did not see me. And in his eyes there was only the wolf. No Paw.”
    Primrose likely didn’t follow but she nodded. “You might want to talk to someone who knows more about this situation.”
    â€œDama?” Rue scrubbed at her face with her hand.
    â€œNo – your mother. I know it’s not your favourite thing to do, but I believe you should confront her. They must have been hiding this from you. We weren’t out of the country so long that he should have deteriorated this quickly.”
    â€œUnless I wilfully refused to notice.”
    â€œRue, be kind to yourself. Even you aren’t
that
obtuse.”
    â€œIt takes a lot out of me, confronting my mother. I need a plan, in case she doesn’t have one.”
    Prim gave her a look. “You mean if you disagree with hers? Your mother always has a plan.”
    â€œFair point. Do you think Percy would look up Alpha’s curse, see what he can find?”
    â€œOf course. I’ll ask him. You believe there’s something we can do that hasn’t been tried before?”
    â€œTo stop Alpha’s curse? I doubt it. But we might isolate him for the safety of others.”
    â€œAnd stop him being challenged and killed by some whippersnapper? To what purpose? So he can die alone and insane? Be fair to him, Rue.”
    Rue closed her eyes and swallowed. Primrose was right. She couldn’t decide her father’s fate any more than he could dictate hers. “I have to try
something
!”
    Primrose stood and went to the porthole. “A few hours until sunset. I’ll put Percy on it.”
    â€œWhat happened to Quesnel?”
    Primrose looked severe. “Mr Lefoux has gone about his business. He tried to follow us but Percy sent him on his way.”
    â€œDid he really? They didn’t start yelling at each other again, did they?”
    â€œNo, thank goodness. My brother has been known to be capable in emergency situations.”
    â€œIs this an emergency situation?”
    â€œYes, I do believe it might be. Now I’ll go and talk to him. Should I fetch tea?”
    â€œWould you join me?”
    â€œBy all means. I’ll stay as long as you need.”
    Rue found a small smile somewhere and pasted it on. “Would you read to me?”
    It harkened back to their childhood days. Primrose was a quick study and had read earlier than Rue, who was frankly too lazy to bother with book learning overmuch. Primrose would read to Rue out loud in her halting child’s treble. As they got older, Prim would do the voices and get all dramatic. Rue could read herself by then, but she liked being spoiled.
    Primrose gave a tinkling laugh. “I’d be delighted. German poetry perhaps?”
    â€œSomething less painful, I think.”
    Primrose disappeared briefly. Tea arrived a quarter of an hour later, brought in by a worried-looking Virgil. He’d been sent by Percy, because tea detail wasn’t ordinarily Virgil’s responsibility. Footnote followed, or was pushed gently into the room by some redhead hovering out of view. The feline performed his catlike duty by jumping instantly onto Rue’s lap and purring up a storm.
    Primrose followed shortly. “I’ve brought you Byron – always makes things better.”
    Cook had included a few custard éclairs – Rue’s favourite. She managed to inhale two while Prim sipped tea and read Byron in ridiculously sepulchral tones. Everyone was being so nice, Rue almost felt the urge to cry again. She put her tea down and buried her face in Footnote’s fuzzy coat, which smelled faintly of cheese.
    In the end, it did make her feel better. Byron was so ridiculously melodramatic it quite made her feel as if she were overdoing it herself. Tea, poetry, and cat duly applied, Rue girded her loins. The sun had set and it was time to approach her