Broken Silence

Malina was reluctant to speak to Kane. She was still in shock of what Camille had revealed, and who they really were, and couldn't help but be a little hurt that he didn't just tell her this. She understood, but she assumed that after all they'd been through together, he'd be a little bit more honest. She pushed the thoughts aside, trying not to worry about it too much. She was silly to believe there was anything special between her and Kane, anyways. Especially if he was some kind of lord.

She stayed with Camille, partially just so she could shield the poor girl from the Everett brothers, who all suddenly seemed absolutely fascinated with her. That is, Scamp and Jacob were. Isaac was married, Owen was far too shy, and Max seemed to think that a female companion would be too much of a burden on him. Camille didn't seem too interested in a younger man like Scamp, who at eighteen years old, had been escorted home by the authorities twice in Malina's absence. She didn't seem very interested in Jacob's money or success either, considering her family had twice as much as he did. She stayed close to Malina, quick to accept her offer of sharing a room when she realized her other option would be sleeping in the library downstairs, where she'd be a little too close to the brothers. The Everetts had not expected to have such a full house.

Dinner time was the closest they could get to her, though Malina made a point to sit Camille between herself and her mother, at the end of the table. When Kane sat beside Malina, Percy sat right next to him with a menacing look in his eyes. Scamp and Jacob did their best to sit by Camille, though Owen was the one who managed to claim the seat across from her, even if he seemingly wasn't interested in wooing her. They all ate in silence, until Isaac finally spoke up.

"Cynthia will be coming by tomorrow," he announced, wiping food off his son's face. "She's finally managed to take the time off to visit."

"We don't have room," Percy grumbled.

"Percival," Emily scolded, glaring at him before turning back to Isaac with a gentle smile. "I've missed my wonderful daughter-in-law. She's welcome any time."

Malina hadn't seen Cynthia in months, though she knew she hadn't missed much. Every time she saw her brother's wife, she was the same stiff and stern woman she always was. Malina always wondered how a woman who was always so by-the-book could tolerate something who loved to experiment and invent like Isaac, but she supposed it didn't matter once you were in love.

"We'll be staying with her family, actually," Isaac said. "They insisted."

It was clear that he was trying hard not to grimace. Cynthia seemed warm and friendly compared to the rest of her family. Percy, on the other hand, seemed relieved that a small bit of space was clearing up in the house.

"If I may be so bold," Kane spoke up, "Where is your wife?"

"She's the headmistress of a finishing school up north," Isaac explained.

"You don't mean Veronica Peddle's Institute for Young Ladies, do you?" Camille asked.

"Yes, actually," Isaac said, surprised. "You know of it?"

"Know it?" Camille laughed softly. "I boarded there for two months. I know Cynthia. Or Miss Hamilton, as I remember. She was brand new to the finishing school, and she taught French. The girls gave her such a hard time when she first arrived, I remember. What a small world."

"Well, times have changed," Isaac told her. "She is 'Headmistress Everett' now, and I hear the girls tremble with fear when she walks past."

"Do you work?" Kane asked Isaac.

"I, ah, yes," Isaac said, with a slightly nervous chuckle. "I work from home. Well, I work when I find jobs here and there. I'm an inventor, like my mother and father. I'm a bit in between jobs at the moment. It's been difficult, you see-"

"He stays at home to cook, clean, and raise the child while Cynthia makes the money," Max summarized, obviously bored and annoyed with the way Isaac was trying to make things look better for himself.

Isaac gave Max an unamused look, but smiled at Kane and Camille warmly. "I'd be happy to offer my room to our guests. I'm sure they'll be quite comfortable."

"Well thank you very much," Camille said, smiling back at him.

"So, finishing school," Scamp said in a hushed tone, so only Malina and Camille heard. "You know, I've heard things about those girls. The ones who board there. The kinds of things that happen at night-"

"Dudley!" Owen snapped.

Scamp threw his hands up in surrender, tilting back in his chair, but he still wore a smug grin on his face. Malina gave Owen a grateful smile, and he nodded in return.

"So I hear you are a writer," Camille said.

Owen turned red suddenly, when he realized she was talking to him.

"I... Yes..."

Malina tuned in and out of the conversation as Camille asked Owen about his writing and poetry, seemingly fascinated by it. She the glanced over at Kane, who'd grown dead silent and was just staring at his food. She nudged him lightly and his attention snapped back to her.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Are you?"

Malina narrowed her eyes at him before waving him away, ignoring his question. She didn't want to have that conversation at the dinner table, in front of her entire family. Kane seemed a little startled by her suddenly dismissive attitude, but he didn't bring it to attention either.

"Thank you so much for the meal," Camille piped up, smiling at Percy and Emily. "You have a lovely home and a wonderful family. My brother and I are very lucky."

Even Percy cracked a smile every time Camille said something. "Of course. We're happy to have you here. Stay as long as you like. That goes to both of you. I guess."

"Oh, so she can stay as long as she likes," Max muttered under his breath.

"Thank you," Kane said. "However, I'm afraid I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon to have a word with my uncle myself."

"What?" Camille frowned. "Tomorrow?"

"You didn't discuss this with us," Malina said.

"Because I'm going alone this time."

Camille and Malina both froze stiff, and everyone went silent. Malina pursed her lips and stood up from her seat, mumbling an "excuse me" before hurrying away from the dining room and out the back door to get some fresh air in the garden. She only got a few seconds to breathe before Kane followed her out, grabbing her hand.

"Malina, what's wrong?" he asked.

She yanked her hand away, glaring at him.

"When do the lies stop?" she demanded.

"Lies?" Kane frowned. "I didn't lie."

"Then when do you intend to start telling me the complete truth?" she rephrased.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "It was wrong of me to keep things from you, but I just need to do this alone. It could be dangerous, and Camille isn't quite ready to do something like that."

"So you lied again," Malina said. "You said you weren't going to leave me. You said I was a help to you. I was nothing but a burden."

"That's not true," he sighed.

"I don't want to hear it anymore," Malina said. "Go on. Leave tomorrow. And leave me alone right now."

Kane didn't look like he was going to just leave her, but when Scamp appeared and stepped up between them, he took the hint and quietly backed up into the house. Malina paid her brother no attention, but as soon as he put an arm around her, she broke down.

"You know, he's right," Scamp said quietly. "It is dangerous. As much as I hate to side with him, I'm going to have to."

"You're not helping," Malina grumbled. "Why does everyone think I'm weak?"

"No one thinks you're weak," Scamp said. "You're just too good and too valuable to put in harm's way. That's all."

"It's not fair."

"Father would never allow you to go, anyways," Scamp said. "Even mother is a little uneasy, which is saying something."

Malina suddenly remembered that she still had her mother's locket around her neck, looking down at it.

"I have to show you something," she told Scamp, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him to an old treehouse they still had, though they hadn't used it since they were children. Not unless they were hiding from their parents, that is.

Malina showed him the hammer in the locket, and explained what she'd seen in the images. He raised an eyebrow and took the locket, as well as pulling a switchblade from the inside pocket of his jacket.

"You just carry that around the house?" Malina asked.

"Max is quiet," he shrugged. "One day he could snap and murder us all."

He used the knife to pick the jammer out of the locket, then closed the back. Malina quickly took the locket back and opened it up. This time, a brand new image came up. The teenager in the picture looked just like a dirty, poor version of Owen. He looked out of place sitting on the floor of an elegant looking bedroom, covered in squirmy little kittens.

"That's Father," Scamp noticed. "He must be somewhere around our age. That's amazing."

"It's back when he still lived in the Smokes," Malina added. "Look at his clothes."

The image changed and flickered to teenage Percy in another setting. This time, someone else must have taken it, because Emily was in the picture as well. They were barefoot on some kind of beach, and Emily's skirt was tied up at her hip so it wouldn't get in the way. She was bright and bubbly, seemingly unable to stand still as Percy showed her some kind flicking motion. They couldn't have been anywhere near married, because Percy looked uncomfortable with touching her. Suddenly, Emily repeated that flicking motion, but a knife flew from her hand and buried itself into the center of a target painted on a tree, where three other knives also were.

"He's teaching her to throw knives," Scamp said, impressed.

"That's impossible," Malina frowned. "They always told us that they met when Father worked in Mr. Harringtons gardens, and they saw each other when Mother would visit that house. They were quite a few years older than this."

"What are you suggesting?" Scamp inquired.

"I'm just saying, why would they be together at this age?" Malina continued. "They didn't even know each other, let alone be good friends. And throwing knives on a tropical beach? Scamp, this isn't London. I think our father is hiding something from us. How is it that we know nothing about who he was? And I met this woman along the way who claimed she knew him... She claimed he was-"

"Lina, don't do anything drastic," Scamp warned.

It was too late for that. Malina was already bolting back to the house, running straight up the stairs to the master bedroom and finding her father sitting in a chair by the fireplace.

"Malina, is everything alright?" he asked.

"Were you an outlaw?"

Percy frowned, brow furrowing. "What?"

"Were. You. An. Outlaw?" Malina repeated firmly.

"Did someone tell you something?" Percy asked, standing up.

"I figured it out on my own," Malina said.

Emily turned the corner to see what was going on just as Malina flipped the locket open and showed the images of them in rough-looking places all over the world. Percy turned pale, and even Emily seemed uncomfortable.

"Daddy, you're a simple, good man," Malina said. "And you always have been. And you've never lied to me. Right?"

"Malina, please try to understand that your father just wanted to protect you," Emily said quietly. "All of you."

"Protect me from what?" Malina snapped. "You lied to me! Both of you!"

"Do not yell at your mother like that," Percy warned. "We're not having this discussion right now. Not like this."

"Then when?"

Frustrated, Malina just scowled and turned on her heel, marching back to her room and slamming the door shut. Camille jumped at the slam, watching Malina flop face-first onto the bed. She slowly got up and sat on the edge of the bed, touching Malina's shoulder.

"It's not fair," Camille agreed. "You're not the only one. But what else is there to do?"

Malina sat up, brushing her fingers through her hair. She wasn't doing anything for Kane, or her father, or anyone. This was solely for her and Camille.

"We're proving that we're not weak," Malina concluded. "Now, what is said in this room does not leave the room. Here is the plan..."