way.”
Samm’l’s face was filled with hope. “Do you really believe that?” he asked. “I mean, do you forgive me?”
Maud shook her head in confusion. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t ever think about that day. It was the worst day of my life.” She saw him wince and felt sorry for him again. “I guess when Mama died, that was really the worst, but I don’t remember that. Anyway” — she swallowed — “I was pretty bad that day.”
“You weren’t bad,” Samm’l said gently.
“Yes, I was,” Maud contradicted him. “I kicked that old Mr. Vine and I screamed. It’s no wonder they didn’t want me.”
“That’s not what happened,” Samm’l said firmly. “Don’t you remember? That was what you did after they said they were taking me and Kit. That was when you threw a fit.”
Maud shook her head. “No.”
“Yes, it was,” insisted Sam. “When you understood we were leaving you behind — that was when you threw a tantrum.” His mouth twisted into a grin. “It was a pretty good tantrum, too. You left teeth marks in my hand.”
Maud had forgotten that. She glanced guiltily at his hand, as if the marks might be there still. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” Samm’l looked at her intently. “By God and all the saints, I swear it.”
Maud’s voice was a thread. “Then why didn’t they like me?”
“Well,” gulped Samm’l, “I don’t rightly know — but it wasn’t anything bad you did. The thing was, they wanted me for farmwork, and then, Mrs. Vine, she just fell in love with Kit. Kit’s always been as pretty as a picture — still is, in fact — and you’d been making mud pies.” He looked at her, shamefaced. “I don’t know what to tell you, Maud. They took a fancy to Kit, and they needed me, and I guess that’s about it.”
Maud nodded dumbly.
“I wish it had been different.”
“I don’t,” Maud said, between clenched teeth. “Because if those Vines had adopted me, I’d never have come here.” Her gesture took in the faded splendor of the parlor. “This is a better home for me. And Hyacinth Hawthorne — she’s the one who chose me — she wanted me.” She threw the word at him as if it could knock him flat. “She liked me the minute she set eyes on me. And she’s rich,” she finished stoutly.
“I can see she is.” Samm’l inclined his head. “That’s right, Maud! You look at the bright side. Mother used to say, ‘Maud’ll fall on her feet no matter what.’ That’s what she used to say.”
“I have four dresses and books of my own,” Maud shot back, “and we never have oatmeal, and there’s a servant.”
“Good!” Samm’l said heartily. “That’s great, Maud! I couldn’t be happier.”
There was a sudden silence.
“Though it’s funny,” said Samm’l.
Maud had lost track of the conversation. “What’s funny?”
“The way the old lady acted,” answered Samm’l. “When I asked her if you lived here, she said you didn’t. And then I said you must, and she told me to go away. I said I had to see you, because I was your brother, and that’s when she got red in the face and started stammering. First she said I couldn’t, and then she told me to come inside and wait.”
“Oh.”
Samm’l waited for her to explain.
Maud linked her fingers together and turned them inside out. “I’m kind of a secret.”
“A secret?” Samm’l’s brows drew together. “What kind of secret?”
Maud took a few moments before she answered. “I don’t know,” she said blankly. “They haven’t told me yet. All I know is, no one’s supposed to know I live here. The neighbors don’t know, and they mustn’t. You can’t tell, either.”
Samm’l leaned forward, peering into his sister’s eyes. “I think you’re telling a lie,” he said.
“I’m not,” Maud said earnestly. “Honest. That’s how it is.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Samm’l argued. “Why would anybody adopt a little girl and keep her
Samm’l’s face was filled with hope. “Do you really believe that?” he asked. “I mean, do you forgive me?”
Maud shook her head in confusion. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t ever think about that day. It was the worst day of my life.” She saw him wince and felt sorry for him again. “I guess when Mama died, that was really the worst, but I don’t remember that. Anyway” — she swallowed — “I was pretty bad that day.”
“You weren’t bad,” Samm’l said gently.
“Yes, I was,” Maud contradicted him. “I kicked that old Mr. Vine and I screamed. It’s no wonder they didn’t want me.”
“That’s not what happened,” Samm’l said firmly. “Don’t you remember? That was what you did after they said they were taking me and Kit. That was when you threw a fit.”
Maud shook her head. “No.”
“Yes, it was,” insisted Sam. “When you understood we were leaving you behind — that was when you threw a tantrum.” His mouth twisted into a grin. “It was a pretty good tantrum, too. You left teeth marks in my hand.”
Maud had forgotten that. She glanced guiltily at his hand, as if the marks might be there still. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” Samm’l looked at her intently. “By God and all the saints, I swear it.”
Maud’s voice was a thread. “Then why didn’t they like me?”
“Well,” gulped Samm’l, “I don’t rightly know — but it wasn’t anything bad you did. The thing was, they wanted me for farmwork, and then, Mrs. Vine, she just fell in love with Kit. Kit’s always been as pretty as a picture — still is, in fact — and you’d been making mud pies.” He looked at her, shamefaced. “I don’t know what to tell you, Maud. They took a fancy to Kit, and they needed me, and I guess that’s about it.”
Maud nodded dumbly.
“I wish it had been different.”
“I don’t,” Maud said, between clenched teeth. “Because if those Vines had adopted me, I’d never have come here.” Her gesture took in the faded splendor of the parlor. “This is a better home for me. And Hyacinth Hawthorne — she’s the one who chose me — she wanted me.” She threw the word at him as if it could knock him flat. “She liked me the minute she set eyes on me. And she’s rich,” she finished stoutly.
“I can see she is.” Samm’l inclined his head. “That’s right, Maud! You look at the bright side. Mother used to say, ‘Maud’ll fall on her feet no matter what.’ That’s what she used to say.”
“I have four dresses and books of my own,” Maud shot back, “and we never have oatmeal, and there’s a servant.”
“Good!” Samm’l said heartily. “That’s great, Maud! I couldn’t be happier.”
There was a sudden silence.
“Though it’s funny,” said Samm’l.
Maud had lost track of the conversation. “What’s funny?”
“The way the old lady acted,” answered Samm’l. “When I asked her if you lived here, she said you didn’t. And then I said you must, and she told me to go away. I said I had to see you, because I was your brother, and that’s when she got red in the face and started stammering. First she said I couldn’t, and then she told me to come inside and wait.”
“Oh.”
Samm’l waited for her to explain.
Maud linked her fingers together and turned them inside out. “I’m kind of a secret.”
“A secret?” Samm’l’s brows drew together. “What kind of secret?”
Maud took a few moments before she answered. “I don’t know,” she said blankly. “They haven’t told me yet. All I know is, no one’s supposed to know I live here. The neighbors don’t know, and they mustn’t. You can’t tell, either.”
Samm’l leaned forward, peering into his sister’s eyes. “I think you’re telling a lie,” he said.
“I’m not,” Maud said earnestly. “Honest. That’s how it is.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Samm’l argued. “Why would anybody adopt a little girl and keep her
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