Page 87 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“What?” Rose exclaimed. “A fraud?”
“Are—are you saying Jillian is the one who robbed me?” Violet asked. “What did she do with all my stuff? With Gram’s chest?”
He shrugged. “As of now, we have no clue what she does with the things she steals. Her parents reported her first, when she was a teenager. She stole her mother’s identity and ran up a debt of fifty thousand pounds. She got smart after that, though, and went for smaller sums. Smaller amounts over longer stretches of time… How about that tea?”
“Oh my God.” Rose shook her head, her eyes wild. Violet walked over, wrapping her arms around her big sister and holding her tight.
“I—I can make some tea,” Jasper said, standing up from the couch and walking toward the kitchen.
* * *
An hour later,Violet sat beside her sister on the couch, holding her hand tightly. Rose’s head was tilted back as she stared up at the low ceiling of the cottage. The soft clatter of porcelain made Violet turn her head. Jasper walked into the room once more, carrying a second tray of fresh tea. He bent down on the opposite side of the low oak table and placed the tray on the smooth surface.
Rose sighed. “I would have been happier with the gender-nonconforming brothel.”
Violet looked up at Jasper holding the teapot over a cup, frozen with his face scrunched in confusion. Violet shook her head at him.
“How could she do this to me?” Rose whined, bringing her free hand up to her forehead. “We’ve been together almost two years. How did I not realize that the thefts started when I met her? Why did it take a detective to point that out to me? I just… I thought it was a coincidence. We’re supposed to be gettingmarried.” Rose turned her head, meeting Violet’s gaze with her glassy eyes. “She was supposed to be the one, Vi. How can someone claim to love you, but hide something so… so crazy and ugly about themselves. That’s not love!”
“I know, Rosie, I’m so sorry.” Violet squeezed her sister’s hand. “What a mess.”
“I hadnoidea—I mean, you and I had joked about it, right? When the detective asked me what her actual job was, I couldn’t even properly explain. I’ve never met any of her co-workers or gone to any holiday parties or work events. Never metanyfriends of hers. Of course, everything is so clear now. God, I’m such an idiot.”
Jasper stood, smiling in his gentle way. “All the food is put away in the kitchen… I think I should give you two privacy? Unless you need anything else?”
“Thanks for making another pot of tea, Jas. We’re good. Get home safe.”
He nodded. “I will… For what it’s worth, Happy Christmas. Thank you for inviting me today.”
“Thank you, Jasper.” Rose forced a smile. “At least you can’t say it was a boring day?”
He offered another crooked grin, then left the sitting room. After they heard the front door open and shut, they sat together in silence, the atmosphere littered with the pop and crackle of the fireplace, the low howl of the winter wind outside.
“When that officer dragged her back in here all wet and dirty from rolling around in the snow, it’s like she was a different person. I didn’t even recognize her anymore.”
Violet nodded, recalling the pitiful image of an indignant Jillian bucking against the officer and demanding to be let go. Assuring him she hadn’t done anything to deserve this treatment. “Innocent people don’t run,” the detective had said, bringing his long-awaited tea to his mouth.
Jillian’s reappearance had been brief, only a minute or two before the officer urged her through the house, to the front door and out to the police car. In that time, she’d begged Rose to defend her. Or to call some lawyer friend who might be able to. The police had the wrong person and everyone was conspiring against her.
Rose shook her head. “She broke in here and stole your things.Gram’sthings. You know I’m not especially sentimental about this house and town, but to violate my sister and my family after losing someone important… How could she? I just don’t understand.”
“This is just who she is, Rosie. She preys on people for her own benefit—you always told me about her big, important meetings in exotic locations. All of it was lies. She’s deluded.”
“I always… I think I have it all together, and I’ve been doing everything perfectly, the way I’m supposed to, you know? I feel like an idiot. She stole my wallet the day we met and I’ve been fooled by her ever since.”
They sat in silence once more, allowing the surprise, disappointment and hurt to settle over them. Just holding each other’s hands and breathing through it.
Out of the blue, Rose chuckled, making Violet shift her gaze toward her. “What?”
“I had told you that Art was my first, but actually it was Anne.”
Pausing, Violet searched her memory. “Anne… Prissy Anne with the fluffy white poodle?”
“Yes.”
“Ugh. I thought she was so obnoxious. And I was what? Six?”
Rose smiled. “She was absolutely obnoxious—and demanding. But very pretty, so I dealt with it for a while. Until she started openly dating a boy from our class, but still wanted me to come over and ‘hang out’ because we were ‘friends.’ She’d always end up kissing me, so I eventually cut her off.”
