Page 74 of The Best-Kept Secrets
“Who should go next?” Daria asked. “Someone from our team this time, I think.”
That was the pattern of the game.
“Mrs. Greenberry,” Charlie suggested. “My mother’s told me she is quite clever. I think I’d like to discover how accurate the tales really are.”
“Far be it from me to prevent Julia from being exalted in her son’s eyes.” Aunt Penelope rose and, to the laughter of her husband and friends, made her way from the room.
“What should be chosen?” Fennel asked.
“Nothing too difficult,” Father said. “We’d hate for her to embarrass herself.”
“She won’t,” Colm said. “The dowager’s assessment of my mother’s intelligence is not inaccurate.”
“I’ve known her longer than you have,” Father countered.
“Have you though?” Uncle Niles muttered.
Duke jumped in. “Let’s choose a thing for her to guess. Perhaps something outside of the animal kingdom this time.”
“Might I suggest a knife?” Grandmother said. “One for stabbing someone in the back.”
Duke, who sat near enough to her to be heard without raising his voice, said firmly, “Stop.”
She looked at him with wide eyes. Did she truly think he wouldn’t object?
Father’s gaze shifted to Uncle Niles, who gave him a hard look of clear warning. Had there already been a not-in-public conversation between them? Or was Uncle Niles telling him one was forthcoming should things not calm down?
“What about hay?” Lisette suggested to the group. “Being such an accomplished horsewoman, Mrs. Seymour ought to think of it, but if she doesn’t, it will be quite a lark for her to realize she ought to have.”
“Excellent idea,” Artemis said.
Everyone agreed. Grandmother, Father, and Mother didn’t actually offer their thoughts. While their petulance was irritating, at least they were not choosing to be further insulting.
Aunt Penelope stepped inside once more. Her smile dimmed only when her gaze happened past her brother, sister-in-law, and mother. But she didn’t allow her gaze to linger there. Generally speaking, ignoring whichever members of the family were currently part of the warring faction kept skirmishes from immediately breaking out. Aunt Penelope’s willingness to help Duke, in essence, run away from home would trigger a battle soon enough.
She turned to Mme Fortier. “To which kingdom does the thing thought of belong?”
“Legume,” the Frenchwoman answered.
Duke glanced at Eve. She didn’t have any real grasp of French. He wished he were sitting closer to her so he could translate. She looked at him in the exact same moment. He’d translated for her a few times during the house party, and it seemed that she’d turned to him now for help again. He smiled, relief washing over him. But her expression grew ponderous once more, and the same pained sadness he’d seen in her eyes as she’d left the library returned.
“How are we to know if they are cheating if their answers are not offered in English?” Mother demanded.
Mme Fortier’s composure didn’t slip in the least. “I did not realize I had spoken in French. My answer wasvegetable.”
Grandmother sniffed, the small sound overflowing with disapproval. Good heavens, they were being particularly difficult tonight.
Aunt Penelope turned to Nia. “Is the thing thought of that belongs to the vegetable kingdom a plant, as opposed to fungi or lichen or something of that nature?”
Vegetablewas the term used in the game to encompass living things that were not animals, though it did not truly reflect all things that fell into that category. Aunt Penelope was wise to further narrow her options.
Nia nodded. “It is.” Her answer was quiet but steady. It was good of Aunt Penelope to so intentionally include Nia; she had missed out on so many things.
To Eve, Aunt Penelope asked, “Is this plant that belongs to the vegetable kingdom of the edible variety?”
Eve’s eyes pulled wide even as a laughing grin spread across her face. She looked to them all. “How do I answer that?”
“In the least helpful way possible,” Duke suggested.
