Broken Silence

It took two days for them to reach London again, despite the steady pace the carriage driver kept up. Malina had spent most of the trip talking animatedly with Camille but she grew quiet as they approached her house, wringing her hands nervously and clenching the fabric of her skirt. Kane caught her restless hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him and he shot her a reassuring smile.

Mr. Everett must have been waiting near the door or watching like a hawk for their return because he was out the front door and on the porch before the carriage had even come to a full stop. He crossed his arms over his chest, stance rigid and murder shining in his eyes. Kane climbed casually out of the carriage.

"You're late," Mr. Everett snapped, stepping off the porch and marching toward Kane. Mrs. Everett came bustling out of the house, her sons close behind her. They were quick to flank around their father as he planted himself in front of Kane.

"Where's Malina?" he demanded.

"Daddy I'm here and I'm fine." Malina hurriedly scrambled out of the carriage, immediately disappearing into her brothers' hugs. Mrs. Everett pushed her way through them and wrapped an arm around her daughter.

"I told you she'd be all right, Percy," she chided.

"I told you you had two weeks," Mr. Everett growled, taking another step forward so that Kane had to back up, hitting his back on the side of the carriage.

"Yes," he agreed. "But I thought this might be a better mode of travel than returning on the ship."

"Did you now?" Mr. Everett narrowed his eyes. "And just what made you assume that? I sent you on the ship because it was faster."

"It sank."

Mr. Everett blinked. "Excuse me?"

"The ship that we took had engine trouble and sank. It was rather traumatic and I didn't want to have Malina sail on another ship so soon afterward."

Mr. Everett looked torn between fury and surprise. Kane thought there was still a good chance the man would knock out his front teeth, and Malina's five brothers looked ready to take care of the remaining ones. Mrs. Everett was snapping at them all to stop it and behave themselves, It was Camille who rescued him. She stepped out of the carriage with a soft hello and the Everett brothers seemed to collectively forget Kane was even there as they gaped at her.

Kane's lips twitched as he struggled not to smirk. Mr. Everett was still glowering at him though and Kane didn't want to anger him any further.

"If it's all right with you, sir, my sister needs to have her bandages changed," he said mildly. Mr. Everett continued to scowl but slowly stepped back.

"You must be Mr. Everett," Camille said politely. "I wanted to thank you for helping my brother. He tries not to show it but I know he was desperate to save me and we can never thank you and your family enough."

Mr. Everett's expression softened almost instantly. "I'm glad to see you're all right," he said. Kane slid to Camille's side, catching her elbow and steering her toward the house. Mrs. Everett immediately began fussing over her and insisting that they needed to get some decent food into her. The younger brothers trailed after them as Malina ushered Kane and Camille into the kitchen. For his part, Isaac seemed amused by the whole thing.

Kane sat beside Camille and unwrapped the makeshift bandage he had made for her chafed wrists and asked Mrs. Everett if she had any proper gauze.

"Of course. And I have some ointment that should help," she said, glancing briefly at Camille with a sympathetic look.

"Does it hurt?" Kane asked quietly.

"A little. They always made the restraints extremely tight. Have to be careful with mental patients, you know. And you don't want them spasming off the table during electroshock."

Kane paused in the middle of wrapping the gauze and his eyes snapped up to meet hers. Her expression was calm, almost serene, but Kane knew she was more upset than she was letting on. First at his uncle began to simmer through his blood but he just held Camille's hand for a moment before finishing with the gauze and she flashed him a tiny smile. Then her face grew troubled again.

"Kane, there's something I have to tell you. Uncle Reuben didn't just send me to Blackbird because I stabbed him. Before he came into the kitchen and saw me, I overheard him talking to that physician he brought to keep an eye on Mother. You were right not to trust him. Reuben is poisoning her."

Mrs. Everett and Malina both gasped softly and the Everett men jerked in surprise. Kane sat back in his chair, jaw clenched. "I suspected he was behind her illness somehow," he muttered. "We always assumed he was a murderer."

"Why would he want to kill your mother?" Malina asked, horrified.

"For the same reason he killed his wife and infant son," Camille said, her tone laced with disgust. "It's for money."

"Money?" Malina frowned slightly.

"How could a street fighter have enough money to interest someone that much?" Jacob asked.

"Street fighter?" Camille repeated, baffled. "Kane isn't a street fighter. He's-"

She broke off as Kane made a strangled coughing noise in his throat. Camille glanced between the confused Everett family and Kane.

"They don't know who we are?" she asked, giving him a purse-lipped, disapproving look. Kane grimaced.

"Stop that. You look exactly like Mum."

"Who are you?" Mr. Everett asked, narrowing his eyes at Kane. Kane sighed and massaged his temples.

"Our names are Kane and Camille Warrick," he sighed.

"Warrick?" Jacob repeated, mouth hanging open. "As in Lord and Lady Warrick? You're one of the richest families in all of England!"

"Yes," Kane agreed dully. "Perhaps now you understand why our uncle wants our mother dead and the two of us run out of the house."

"You're a lord?" Malina squeaked.

"I told you I wasn't a street fighter before I came to London," Kane replied with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. My uncle is a well connected man, and he has no scruples. I thought it safer if people didn't know who I really was."

Malina nodded but her eyes were still wide as saucers.

"Well, that certainly explains a lot," Mrs. Everett laughed. "I thought you seemed awfully refined for a street fighter from The Smokes."

"I'll pay you back the money you loaned me for this little expedition, Mr. Everett," Kane said. Malina's father was staring at Kane with an unreadable expression. Mrs. Everett announced that dinner was ready soon after that, and Kane was grateful for the distraction. Even if it meant watching most of Malina's brothers try to hold Camille's attention. Isaac kept rolling his eyes and Owen remained silent, just sneaking glances at her every few seconds. Camille spent most of the meal chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Everett and Kane could tell she had already completely won them over. Not to mention her and Malina were acting like best friends already.

It wasn't going to take long for Reuben to find out that Camille had escaped, and he was going to know that Kane had something to do with it. Kane would need to return to Briarwood soon and deal with his uncle. But he was reluctant to leave Camille just yet, and it made him happy to see her getting along so well with Malina. He supposed there was no harm in staying in London for a few more days. Then he would leave Camille in the care of the Everett family and go home to save his mother, and kill his uncle.