Free Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George Page A

family. They are full of secrets, secrets they guard so closely that Radu fears for his life if he tells me. He seems very convinced of this fact: that his life is forfeit if he disobeys that horrible creature that I have the misfortune to be connected to, that awful woman whom fate has cursed me with as a grandmother. Lady Ioana frightens me almost as much as she frightens Radu, and though I find it hard to believe that even she is odious enough to have her own grandson killed, there is still a coldness in her eyes that makes me shudder whenever I see her.
    I long for Lou to join me here, and yet I am frightened for her. What will she make of this situation? How soon can we free ourselves of it? My uncle Cyrus will surely not allow us to be bullied and mistreated by Lady Ioana. Perhaps I can appeal to him to take us straight back to New York. They arrive soon from Paris. I will speak to Lou and Uncle Cyrus as soon as I may, and sound out their feelings. I am not sure I will last another week, let alone months!
    I have written to Mother, but it is laughable to think that she would offer consolation, or go against her mother’s wishes to tell me the answer to any of my questions. Indeed, she has not answered a single one of my letters since I fell into disgrace in England. Papa writes regularly, but only of general matters: his and Mother’s well-being, social events, etc. Besides which, he has never been to Romania, and has never met Lady Ioana.
    Will Aunt Maria be of help when she arrives? Who can say? Now that I see Aunt Kate giving in before Lady Ioana, I doubt Aunt Maria will oppose the old woman, either.
    Precisely why I am glad that my mother’s indisposition kept her at home. Imagine if my own mother were to turn against me!
    On second thought, the difference would be imperceptible . . .

STRADA SILVESTRU
    The moment Lou descended from the carriage, Dacia flung herself into her cousin’s arms. She was a bit startled at her own vehemence, but just couldn’t check her emotion or her flight. It was fortunate that her uncle was right behind Lou, and could catch them both before they crashed to the pavement.
    â€œOh, Lou!” Dacia caught herself before her words became a sob. “I’m so glad you’re here at last!”
    Lou muttered something into the lace of Dacia’s bodice, and when Dacia stepped back, she realized that Lou had not been able to restrain tears of her own. That prompted more embraces, and Dacia and Lou both sniffled and smiled at each other with watery eyes, while Lou’s father handed down her mother and then the twins.
    â€œDacia, it’s been simply awful,” Lou said in a low voice, shooting a glance at her parents.
    â€œYou, too?” Dacia slumped. Poor Lou! She’d been hoping that at least one of them was enjoying herself. She knew aboutThat Awful Man, of course, but had hoped that things were going better for her cousin. “Come upstairs at once; we’ll talk.” She leveled a terrible look at the twins. “And if we’re interrupted, I will have the two of you exiled to Turkey, see if I don’t!”
    They gazed back in the utmost innocence, and Dacia snorted. She put her arm through Lou’s and led her up the stairs into the mansion, where Aunt Kate was waiting. Dacia tried to lead Lou past their aunt, but Kate raised one eyebrow and Dacia wilted. The battle of wills with her aunt was becoming increasingly beyond her energy. Though she hated to admit it, Lady Ioana had taken much of the wind out of her sails.
    â€œAunt Kate, so good to see you,” Lou said, and let go of Dacia’s arm to hug and kiss their aunt.
    Aunt Kate looked like she was going to say something more, but then Lou’s parents entered with the twins. In the ensuing babble, Dacia led Lou upstairs. Dacia, seeing Lou’s pallor and remembering how grimy she’d felt when she arrived, went past her own room to the adjacent one, which was