"Lady Ava, LADY AVA. Please wake up."
Groaning, Avaline nestled deeper into her wool bedspread. It couldn't have been more than a few hours since she snuck into her home and finally slept. Why was the sun shining already?
"Everyone is at breakfast," the maid, Lottie, said. A whine crept into her voice. "There'll be nothing left if you stay in bed."
"Give me a few more minutes," Avaline said, or thought she did.
"Wake up!" A heavy hand slapped her leg.
"Ah!"
Avaline sat up. Through half-closed eyes, she glared at her oldest sister. Of course, it was her. A cream-colored gown hugged Vivian's body; the soft layers of fabric rippled across the skirt as she walked. With an evil grin, she grabbed the bedspread and tugged it.
"Rise and shine," she said a little too loudly.
Groaning, Avaline rubbed her eyes. "Lottie, you can leave. I'll get ready on my own."
With a quick bow to both, Lottie left, closing the door behind her. Wide awake now, Avaline squinted. Bright sunlight spilled into her room through two large windows and onto a desk. Though most who saw it wouldn't think of it as a desk. Piles of fabric, tule, ribbons, and sewing tools and equipment were scattered across every available surface. Even the bench at the foot of the bed was covered in fabric.
Sighing, Avaline dug underneath her pillow and then threw the coin purse at Vivian.
Her sister bounced the bag in her palm. "That's it? I thought it was going to be more. Did you get hustled?"
Avaline rolled her eyes and slipped out of bed. "On the contrary. The lord believed I harmed his sister."
Vivian tucked the gold purse into her bosom. "What happened?"
Avaline stepped behind a privacy screen and recounted the night's events. As she spoke, Avaline washed her face in the bowl Lottie had filled. The cool water made her shiver.
"You were alone with him?"
At the question, Avaline rubbed her neck. "If you screech any louder, the neighbors will hear you." She shrugged. "He thought I was a servant, which I was at the time, and he thought his sister was being attacked."
"He sounds unrefined," Vivian said with a grumble. "Why are you defending him?"
Avaline patted her face dry. "I'm not."
It wasn't like she was on his side. While she understood his concern, Lord Nightingale had acted in a brutish manner. She clenched her jaw, remembering the exchange. With a growl, she undressed and slipped into a chemise. Snatching the long corset from the hook on the wall, she pushed an arm into the hole one at a time.
Vivian stepped around the screen. "Are you still working tonight?"
Frowning, Avaline glanced over her shoulder. "What do you think?"
With a sigh, Vivian grabbed the corset's ribbons and pulled them tight. Avaline winced.
"The job was supposed to be for three nights," Vivian began.
Grunting, Avaline grabbed the edge of her wardrobe to keep from falling.
"Vivi, I know."
Vivian huffed and grabbed a petticoat from the hook.
Avaline held her arms high and let her sister pull the fabric over her head. It was snug across her shoulders and snug at the neck.
"What are you going to do now?"
"What can I do?"
Wordlessly, Avaline finished dressing in an ivory-colored afternoon dress and white stockings. Vivian leaned against the wardrobe, her arms crossed.
"You can always work at the bank with me," she said.
Shaking her head, Avaline grabbed a brush from beside the bowl. Mulling through her thoughts, she ran the wooden through wavy strands of dark hair.
"And risk discovery by Charles? No. I still can't believe he hasn't figured it out. He visits the bank almost daily."
Vivian smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I deal with inventory. They keep me hidden away."
A loud knock came from the door.
"Avaline," Charles called. "It's time to wake. Mother's waiting."
The sisters jumped. Hastily, they finished Avaline's hair and rushed out of the room. Avaline tapped her toes on each foot so the low-heeled shoes fit better. Their brother regarded them with suspicion. The way his hair was slicked back made his scowl even sharper.
"Vivian, you were here too?"
Vivian smiled. "I was helping our dear sister get ready."
"You said that almost half an hour ago, and now we're late." He spoke with a tired voice.
Avaline smoothed her dress. "I didn't mean to take too long. Time got away from us." She glanced around him. "Where's Sister-in-law?"
Charles pinched the bridge of his nose. "With the twins." He gestured up the stairs. "Shall we go now?"
Avaline trailed behind Vivian and Charles as they walked up the stairs toward the third floor. The area was reserved for the lord of the house. After their father's death, Charles was now head of the family. The master bedroom should have belonged to him and his wife, but their mother refused to leave. Too many memories there.
Their steps echoed across the polished wood. Avaline glanced at the banister and walls. They no longer held their usual polish. If only they could afford more maids for cleaning, their family home wouldn't be so worn. She squeezed her fingers together. One worry at a time.
Stepping off the stairs, the three siblings made their way down the wall toward the master's bedroom. Madam Stark's handmaiden, Marie, walked out of the room with a tray of tea. She was a plump woman with greying hair. She had been their nursemaid when they were younger. It had been agreed that Marie would focus on caring for their mother while the children would take care of the twins, Anna and Brian. Charles had wanted to hire a nanny for the twins, but Vivian and Avaline had been against it. They couldn't spare the money.
"Is she still in bed?" Vivian asked.
"No," Marie replied. "She didn't want any of her tea."
With a grim expression, Charles walked into the room. Avaline held Vivian's hand before following him. Madam Stark's room was dark. The only light and warmth came from the fireplace in front of the bed. Madam Olivia Stark sat in front of the fireplace in her armchair. She held a portrait of a man to her chest as if she were holding a newborn child.
Avaline's throat closed. She turned away, blaming the prickling behind her eyes on the fire. Instead, she focused on the woven rug across the floor. It had been shipped from the mainland as a wedding gift, so she had been told. The threads were so frayed that it was impossible to see the full image. Her mother had refused to have it replaced. Specs of gold, red, and orange thread stuck out like pin needles.
Charles stepped towards his mother and took her hand. "How are you feeling today?"
"Raymond," Madam Olivia said. Her hazy green eyes cleared as a smile spread across her face. "Raymond, you're back."
Sadness welled up inside Avaline. The three of them shared a misty glance. How was it fair that their mother was still stuck in the past?
"It's me," Charlie told her gently. "Father . . . he isn't here, remember?"
"Where is he?" she asked.
Charlie glanced at his sisters, then back at his mother. Avaline gripped her sister's hand tightly. As Vivian pulled away, Avaline hugged herself.
The first daughter walked to her mother and knelt. "Mother," she said. "He's gone."
Madam Olivia's expression fell. "Oh," she whispered.
She looked down at the portrait and held it against her chest. Her gaze settled on the fire, and she didn't speak any further.
Charles stood.
"Go on to breakfast, you two." His voice tight. "I'll stay with her."
Avaline's feet refused to move. Her mother's rose scent mingled with smoke, making her nose tickle. She didn't visit as often as she should. She knew she should and yet...
Vivian walked to Avaline and grabbed her hand. "Come on, you heard him."
Outside, the two sisters huddled together a little way away from the door.
"She's getting worse," Avaline whispered.
"I know." Her expression was hidden behind ringlets of hair.
"Vivian, if we hired someone-"
"Pay them with what?" Vivian asked. Her voice was harsh.
Avaline looked into her sister's gaze, and the words died on her lips. Of course, they couldn't afford a doctor. She knew it pained Vivian to see their Mother as much as it did to her.
Vivian turned away. "Forgive me, sister. You should get something to eat."
Avaline's chin trembled as she watched Vivian walk away. It's alright, she told herself. We'll make it through somehow.