Hunting for Silence (Storm and Silence 5)

‘She’s sick! Everyone says cholera is caused by bad air! I can’t risk to—’

Taking a step closer, I pinned her to the wall with a look I had learned from a certain someone. As I had the voice.

‘Take. Me. To. Her. Now.’

Never in my life had I seen my sister move that fast. In fifteen seconds we were at Ella’s door. Maria hesitated.

‘Open it,’ I ordered.

She reached for the knob and she pushed open the door. Stepping inside, we saw Ella lying sleeping on the bed, and a butt sticking out of the open window.

Wait just a minute…

A butt?

A moment later, it was followed by a back, and then…

‘You!’

At Maria’s gasp, the young man tumbled backwards into the room he’d been trying to climb into. He rolled around and I stared down into the slightly guilty, but far more determined face of Edmund Conway.

‘Mr Conway!’ Maria exclaimed. ‘What are you doing in here? This is a lady’s room! That’s most improper!’

It was decided. Karim would be paying my sister a visit—with a really big sabre.

‘Maria?’ I said in my most civilized, calm, I’m-going-to-murder-you-in-two-seconds tone. ‘Shut up and get out. Now.’

She opened her mouth to shoot back an indignant reply—then realized she might be breathing contagious air, and reconsidered.

‘I was leaving in any case. Have your fun, Lilly. Just you wait till Aunt gets home. You’ll get what’s coming to you!’

A really, really big sabre.

‘I don’t doubt it. I look forward to it.’

Huffing, she exited the room, leaving me alone with the piano-tuner on the floor.

Edmund looked up at me. I met his eyes.

‘You’ve been visiting her regularly, haven’t you?’

He raised his chin, stubbornly. ‘Yes, I have! And I don’t care what you say, I’m going to continue to come here.’

‘No, you’re not.’

‘Yes, I—’

‘Because you and your parents are coming with us.’

He blinked. For a moment, he looked at me as if the piano in his head needed re-tuning. ‘Err…come? Where?’

‘Anywhere! Away from here.’ I pierced him with a look. ‘You don’t imagine I’m going to let my little sister stew in her misery here? If this sickness is really caused by infected air, she needs to get out of here pronto!’

‘L-Lill?’

Both our heads snapped around to the bed.

‘Ella! You’re awake!’